9/2/07 - Day 1!
Mileage: 8.6
Starting Elevation: 9200 feet
Highest Elevation: 11,875 feet
Ending Elevation: around 8600 feet
The day started early - up at 6, breakfast at the motel by 7:30. H & P had a home-cooked meal waiting for us, then P drove us to the Onion Valley Trailhead around 8:15. We finished packing all of our gear last night - we shipped a ton of it ahead so we didn't have to check it on the plane, and it was patiently waiting for us in our rooms when we arrived. We were on trail by 8:45 - the parking lot was completely full. Lots of day hikers. The weather forecast for the week is fabulous - not a drop of rain in sight. Not a cloud in the sky, which meant it was HOT. Don't know the temp, but the sun was unrelenting. There isn't much shade on a good portion of the trail, so we savored every little bit we could find. The packs were heavy, and so were our feet. Needless to say, progress was slow - about a mile an hour from the trailhead to Kearsarge Pass. About an hour or so into the hike, we were fairly discouraged to discover we still had a perfect view of the parking lot.
Start of the Kearsarge Pass Trail at Onion Valley
However, we continued to plug along at our snail's pace, feeling the elevation almost immediately. The trailhead sits at 9200 feet, and it's a steady gain to the pass at 11,875. For a couple of flatlanders from sea level, this causes a problem. We were definitely sucking wind. The trail itself though is fantastic - mostly a well-worn dirt path. Certainly nothing like the boulder-strewn, root-infested, ankle-twisting, knee-crushing "you call this a trail?" trails of the northeast. It was hot - so hot - but it was hard to pay any mind at all to the temperature with the scenery that we were blessed with along the way. It's like nothing we've ever seen before. The trail passes several alpine lakes that are just as blue as can be. We stopped at Heart Lake for lunch, which is, fittingly, shaped just like a heart. We were treated to a fun little demonstration of the altitude, as a woman we were chatting with pulled out a bag of Whoppers that was nearly bursting at it's seams due to the change in air pressure.
Mark on the trail up to Kearsarge Pass, near Heart Lake
Just part of the scenery!
Above Heart Lake, we climbed a few switchbacks and popped up over a rocky lip and for the first time saw Kearsarge Pass. And kind of said, "Oh, shit." This was around 11,000 feet, and we were really starting to feel the elevation at this point. There was no shade from this point on, and it was a very discouraging vantage point. We could see the pass, and just barely make out the long, winding switchbacks that climbed steadily up to the pass. The switchbacks are long and completely exposed. And on those switchbacks were teeny tiny little dots advancing like little ants - the people ahead of us on the trail that were rightly kicking our butts. We huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed and stopped and ate and drank all the way up the last 875 feet. I had to stop once due to dizziness, but we finally, FINALLY made it. And I have no words to describe the view that awaited us when we walked up over that pass. It just opened up into tall, rocky spires, blue lakes and green valleys. It was perfectly clear, and the Kearsarge Pinnacles were just gorgeous. We could see where we had to go - all the way down to Bullfrog Lake. We stopped at the top and took in the views. We ate some cheese and crackers, and ran into a couple from the Mt. Williamson Motel that we had seen at breakfast.
View toward Kearsarge Pass
View of Kearsarge Pinnacles, Kearsarge Lakes and Bullfrog Lake (in the distance)
from Kearsarge Pass
After a much needed rest, we left the day hikers at the pass and headed down into the valley, thankful for some downhill action. This portion went relatively quickly because the trail was in great shape and we were psyched to be in new territory. Mark wasn't feeling well at this point - he had a headache, and the cheese and crackers made him sick. I don't think he kept hydrated enough - and the sun plus the altitude just pummeled him. We had a little trail confusion down near the lakes, but managed to muddle through and finally made it to Bullfrog Lake, where we stopped to refill our water supply. We had some pretty nasty looking clouds roll in while at the lake (no camping allowed here), and thought we might get a storm but it blew right past.
View from Bullfrog Lake
After filling up our water we continued on the trail toward the JMT junction, then headed south. We stopped when we came out to an overlook of Vidette Meadows and took some video and pictures. From there it was 1.2 miles to Lower Vidette where we are camped now, approximately 7 miles from Forester Pass. Tomorrow will be very tough - even more so than today. Mark is lying down in the tent, trying to get rid of his headache. I feel fine. I have a headache, but it's from hunger. I'm STARVED. Shepherd's pie for dinner tonight. We can have a camp fire here, because it's below 10,000 feet, but it will be our last chance for one on the trail. So tonight we're toasting marshmallows! Then everything in the bear canisters. No rain fly tonight - clear skies, millions of stars. The stupid satellite phone won't work - I can't get a signal here. How great is that? It's absolutely beautiful out here. I feel much better about this after today. I was very apprehensive. Tomorrow will take us up over 13,000 feet so elevation will definitely be a factor. No wildlife to speak of yet - just chipmunks and birds.
Taking a break above Vidette Meadows
1 comment:
stunning!
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