Monday June 21 9:00am
We are somewhere over the desert. I’ve been thinking and I only have about 40 more years of this if I’m lucky… anyway, Denise is picking us up from LA, along with a lady named Sara, flying in from Utah. We’re here bc Denise wanted to come back to the Sierra to do the Rae Lakes Loop. It’s only about 40 miles but we’re taking our time… 8 days time to be exact. I am so excited to be back. I feel like the last time I was here, I was a different person. It’ll be nice to see it through fresh eyes. Y’all ever feel that way? I feel like I’ve lived 3 lives already. I like this one though.
3:16pm
We made it to the Gena Sierra Inn. It’s 100 degrees outside. Apparently a storm blew in and their pool is kinda outta comish so we decided to nap. Gina is down to her drawers bc it’s so hot in this room lol our little wall unit is trying it’s best. We stopped earlier for lunch at Big John’s Mountain Grill. After some tough love from our waitress who was probably in her 60s and possibly owned the place (and let me not forget to note that she was waiting tables in Ugg boots) , she started joking around with us and our sandwiches were delicious. We left the restaurant and drove 2 hours north. I slept a little on the plane and in the car but not enough to ease my crankiness so g2g.
9:03pm
I showered, got my bag packed, and am finally laying down. Brandi and Meredith met us at the Inn earlier and we had an great homemade dinner! We’ve all decided to leave at 6 in the morning to make it to the ranger station for our permit.
Tuesday June 22 11:41am
We’re sitting (laying actually) downstream from Mist Falls having lunch and filtering water. We got up around 5:30 this morning to be ready to leave the Inn at 6. We drove 1:30 to the entrance of the park then another hour ish to the ranger station. On the way in we saw a sow and cubs. SO FREAKING CUTE. The cubs were the most adorable thing ever. ( we just witnessed a proposal by the falls) We finally got on the trail around 8:45am. Sarah and I were ahead of the girls when we met up with another group going forward together bc there was a bear up ahead. We stuck with them until we passed the bear then waited for the rest of our group to catch up.
1:01pm
I forgot how hard this was.
6,200ft
6:16pm Middle Paradise Valley
I’m laying in the tent while everyone else is finishing dinner. The smells of pine and dirt are taking me back to the first time we were here. My life has been a roller coaster since that trip and I feel like (after almost 2 years) I just woke up from a strange dream. I’ve learned so much about myself and what I need from others. But I guess that’s part of growing up…I also learned the truest form of the meaning “ignorance is bliss”.
16,949 steps
June 23 1:36am
I’ve been ignoring that I need to pee for long enough but the fact that we have seen 5 bears in the last 24 hours makes you a little nervous. Also, fun fact, I’m pretty blind… I’ve been laying here wondering who put up a light at our campground. Honestly, I was like “that is something Denise would have. A freaking lamp post”… well it’s not someone’s light, it’s the moon! Lol it’s so bright that it’s illuminating the entire camp and, from here, it looks like it’s hung in a tree. In other news, I’ve been having the most vivid dreams. I was visited by someone, who is definitely dead, a couple weeks ago and it was so spooky, it’s been on my mind a lot. We both knew he was dead, that was the weird part but maybe that was us making peace, hell idk. I’ve had dreams about people that were true. That’s fun. It’s weird how we’re all connected, that’s all I can say. If you think about something so much, you start seeing it in your dreams, good luck lol… I just heard a stick snap. Gina is snoring loud enough that this can go two ways. The bear thinks he’s home or it’ll scare him off.
June 23 6:38pm Woods Creek
I just crawled into our tent. We’ve had a helllll of a day. We were warned by oncoming hikers that there was a bear ahead so we proceeded cautiously but never actually saw it. We think it was in a tree bc we saw some unbirdlike movement. After the excitement died down, Brandi decided to take the lead. Probably 5 mins later she goes into a full blown panic (I thought bear) and it was a freaking rattlesnake! She didn’t lead the rest of the day. We stopped for lunch at a cute spot by the river and hee hawed around for a little bit before Denise rallied us back together. We continued uphill for not long before I ran out of water in my reservoir, but thankfully I still had some left in my water bottle from lunch. I told Denise I was going to hike ahead bc I needed water. I hiked by myself for awhile until all the fiber I’ve consumed and Sarah caught up with me (which I was glad bc I’m not trying to run into a bear by myself) at a stock fence. We took off together and finally made it to the suspension bridge. We put our packs down once we crossed and waited for the others. Denise was first but not feeling well. So we all started putting her tent and sleep system together so she could lay down. As Gina and I were working on our tent, I stood up from staking the vestibule down and probably 30 yards from our tent stood a bear. I immediately sprang into action by hollering BEAR! Lol Sarah grabbed my aluminum bowl and started banging on it with a trekking pole lmao we all stood together and yelled, clapped, clanked poles together, and this dude just continued snacking on grass and just looked at us like chill outttttt. But he kept sniffing in our direction and moseying closer and closer so we had to start launching whatever rocks we could find at him until he ran away. After that circus, I was up on the hill taking pictures of the huge granite walls and I hear a guy say “did you see the bear?!”. We started chit chatting and he is on the PCT. Chris or “Heavy Pack” is from Germany and has a YouTube channel for his travels! It’s called Chris on Tour. He was taking a couple days off to rest due to a lower leg injury. I sent him on with some of my KT tape bc I haven’t had to use any of it so far. We think Brandi is going to hike out early bc she has small children so we’ll be down to a 5 woman pack. Tomorrow we have a short hike to Arrowhead lake (about 4 miles) to set up camp then take off on a day hike. I also told Sarah about my fight (I told y’all my life has been crazy) today as we were hiking together… She laughed and laughed and said “You?!”. Then it was quiet for awhile until she burst out laughing again.
22,426 steps
124 floors
7:33 pm
Gina is OUT
June 25 4:03am Rae Lake
Remember I told y’all I have weird dreams? I think that’s why I’m awake. That and I had to pee. You think getting out of your bed at night to pee is bad, you have no idea… I skipped a day in my notes bc honestly, I just didn’t feel like writing. So I’ll catch you up. We left around 7:45am yesterday morning bc we made a new plan… Brandi IS hiking out early. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow depending on how quick we get over the pass today. We were going to hike only 4 miles yesterday then take a zero day but since Brandi is going out, we decided to hike with her as long as we could. We may still take our zero day but rumors of hiking out a day early have been flying around… this will be our 4th day going uphill. Gina, Denise, and I have actually already done Glenn pass. We came over it going the opposite direction on the John Muir Trail. I remember it vividly bc we met a girl coming up towards us and when we asked how it was going she said “when I’m going up, I wish I was going down. When I’m going down, I wish I was going flat”. Lol it’s going to be a big climb in a couple of hours. We saw deer, marmots, and a “fox”. (I think the altitude was getting to Gina). We stopped at dollar lake for lunch. I put my GoPro on (it was freaking dead) and dove in but didn’t stay long bc it’s so cold. I got out and sat in the sun for the rest of lunch. Brandi was in the lake by the time a group of 3 came to ask how the water was. They moved down the bank from us and got in themselves. One guy sang the lion king opening song as he was about waist deep lol then probably 20 mins later we hear yelling and cussing so all our ears perked up at the same time and everyone stopped talking. A small guy with a HUGE pack was walking toward us on the trail but yelling at the men who were swimming. “Fuck you guys. Go back to where you came from. You don’t belong here. I hope you have a horrible fucking trip” and that is just an outline of the real deal lol we were all just like whaaaaaat the hell. So when that guy got out of earshot, they all apologized to us from across the lake and Meredith asked them what happened… apparently when he sang the lion king song, it pissed the other man off and he told them they were disturbing the wildlife. Ok dude. So we finished up lunch and made our way up towards Rae Lake. I was with Brandi I think when we met a couple who asked if we had seen a man with a neon pink hat that says “send beer”. We said no and they told us to tell him they are ahead if we see him… The first campsite I found looked well maintained BUT crazy pants man was there and I was like “Nope, this group is too loud”. We’re gigglers. So we moved on and Denise found a spot she liked up high over the middle of the lakes. We arrived at camp around 2:30pm and today was laundry day so we all started on that as soon as we could. Around 4:50pm a helicopter came flying over the pass. It was a MedVac and it landed directly across the lake from us… I brought my binoculars on this trip so we were being nosey from afar. I was sitting down as we were all getting ready for dinner and Gina says “Wana see the video of the fox?!” I said, “obviously”… so she hands me her phone and I push play… yall… it’s a coyote lmaooo Denise insisted on going back to the ranger station to see if they had a map so Brandi and I volunteered to go with her. On the way out of camp, there were some PCT hikers hanging out by the lake saying hi as we went by. I stopped and said “does your hat say “send beer” on it?”. All three looked shocked and he said “yes, it does”. So I told him about his friends, I think they said Sam and Shiver, being ahead. They were excited lol I love how messages get passed along out here. We continued on to the ranger station where Denise could not believe he didn’t have any paper maps lol so we got a little info from him then made our way back to camp. I hadn’t even touched my sleep system so I started on that and laid down shortly after.
23,666 steps
12:46pm Charlotte Lake
We left camp at 7:30. I was in the back of the herd for a smidge while Brandi and Sarah took off in the front. Gina and I stopped to shed some layers with Meredith and Denise in eyesight doing the same. After I changed, I started up by myself bc it easier for me to take short breaks and long climbs. I’m so thankful I brought my headphones bc my mind has not been quiet. Everyone made it to the pass in 2 hours and 30 mins. I was getting a little nauseous on the way up but it faded as soon as I put my bag down. Brandi, Sarah, and I were the first to arrive so we just watched and waited for the others. We cheered people on coming up and had a little photoshoot before we had to head down the other side. Brandi and I are sitting at Charlotte lake waiting for everyone to show up and I’m ready for lunch…
4:22pm
We are all winding down for dinner. I am sunburned and tired lol
8:33pm
I think I’m wind burned too. Idk but I am laying in our tent and my face is roasting. I’ll hide in the shade tomorrow. A few of us are hiking up to the junction with Brandi in the morning bc there is a momma bear with Cubs around. We’ll come back to camp while she sets off on a 17 mile day. We’re going to hang out at Charlotte lake tomorrow and do some exploring. Only 3 more nights.
16,606 steps
109 floors
June 26 Charlotte Lake day 2
Gina is passed out in the hammock, Denise is passed out in her chair, and I just laid down in our tent. Sarah, Gina, Meredith and I got up to walk Brandi to the junction. When we got back, we all started making breakfast then decided to walk down to the meadow. We had just left camp when we heard a big splash. The neighbor boys were swimming across the lake… I caught a glimpse of the second one as he was diving in and said “is he naked?”. Someone said “No, I think he has on underwear”. Anyway so we kept moving down the trail until someone spotted them almost to the other shoreline… SO I pulled out my handy dandy binoculars and yep. Naked. I passed the binoculars around and we all laughed. The weird thing wasn’t them skinny dipping, it was them exploring the other side of the lake like that lmao. We did a little out and back then decided we should probably jump in too. Today is our layover day so there are no plans.
5:19 pm
I just finished my dinner and I’m swinging in denise’s hammock. We heard from Brandi around 3 saying she had made it to the trailhead by 2pm. That is FAST. I’ve learned I am not good with zero days. Nero, I can do (nearly zero) but zero is hard for me. Being out here again makes me want to do the PCT even more. Brandi and Meredith said they would section hike with me! (I don’t really wana go alone) We’ve come across TONS of pct’ers on this trip. Yesterday, a man took a picture of everyone at the top of Glenn pass bc majority were women. He was from Michigan and had young daughters he wanted to show that girls do this too. We thought it was really sweet. And that’s what it’s all about. Tomorrow is going to be a steep climb out of this lake then 6 miles downhill. We’ve decided to visit sequoia national park after this! I’m so excited. The last 3 miles of the trail will feel like 20.
11,998 steps
31 floors
June 27 5:05am
Denise said we are leaving no later than 7:30. So now it’s a challenge. I am so ready for a shower lol all I can think of is that Airbnb waiting on us at the end.
2:36pm
We made it to a hell of a camp. It’s big, shaded, right by a river, AND we can have a fire tonight. We’re all going to smell terrible but the fire will be nice. It’s too cold at night to just hang out without one. The south side has been extremely beautiful so far. We’re all very impressed. I love this park. I love them all but differently. I can’t wait until I’m employed by these people lol if you can’t beat em, join em right? We met a mother/daughter duo coming down into the meadows. We asked where they were headed and the mom said “Canada!”. I was not expecting that but seriously it made us all smile. They told us the daughter (maybe 14) made it up Forester Pass in 20 mins… y’all I swear was going up that for hours. The mom said she did it in 37… that’s the mom I’d want to be.
“Which is more important,” asked Big Panda, “the journey or the destination?”
“The company.” said Tiny Dragon…
6:49pm
This may be everyone’s favorite campsite. We all had our dinners and talked about how perfect it is. Usually I could stay out here forever but I’m ready for a burger and a beer. The sound of the river is going to lull us all to sleep tonight and we aren’t in any rush to get up early in the morning. The water was warm enough that we played in it for an hour or so. Gina and I had stripped down to our underwear and were making our way upriver, along the bank when I stumbled, tried to correct myself, tripped on another rock with my recovery foot so I had no other option than to lay flat out and just dive. GINA. WAS. CACKLING. Meredith also saw the show and gave me 10 stars. I had pebbles in my hands, my knee is scraped up but I feel like this was god giving Gina 50 yard line tickets to see me face plant.
(We didn’t have a fire, too dry and scary out here)
8:17pm Junction Meadow
I’m alllllmost asleep when I hear Meredith say “are they yelling bear?”. Then I hear it. Along with the banging of multiple camp items starting and we were like “yup”. So we all jump out of our tents. Sarah and I walk down there to see bc we don’t know how many people they have… this was the biggest bear I’ve seen. Not cute like the first 5. This one was scary. Long arms. Athletic walk. I wanted to puke lol but they threw some rocks at it and scared it away… in our direction. BUT he was going uphill too so we all stood around camp and watched until we couldn’t see him. Denise and I went up the trail a little bit and marked our territory. If you think I’m getting out of this tent when the sun goes down, HA.
16,512 steps
June 28 8:23am
I slept until like 7 something. But I’ve had horrible dreams on this trip. I told everyone this morning, I’m going to see a witch doctor. They said okayyyyy but there is this light therapy thing that is supposed to redirect your brain or something idk. I would rather just erase my memory but they spoke out against it.
3:43pm Sphinx Junction
The best thing about doing short miles is making it to camp early so we get first dibs on the nice ones! We’re right next to a creek that has perfect pools. We got here around 12:30 and headed straight for the water before starting our camp chores. We had been sitting down, having random conversations when the first drops of rain hit us. Now we have all retreated back to our tents. The sounds of thunder and rain hitting the tent are so homey. We can also see flashes of lighting every now and then. This is our last night. We are going to get up and leave camp early in the morning to make it to the car before 10. We want to go to the kings Canyon visitor center and then into Sequoia National Park to play tourists for the day. I realllllllly want to do the PCT. But I’ve got to figure out timing. People normally start in mid April and finish in September… TBA.
8:38pm
I was about to fall asleep but can tell that it’s still light outside so I decided to use the little girls room now instead of in the dark. Denise is cowboy camping in her hammock tonight. I wana be her when I grow up. I keep calling her our Fred Becky lol
14,954 steps
Mid-July
I haven’t had the headspace to finish my notes because I’ve been going nonstop. I hope whoever is reading this takes the time away from the average everyday adult world and finds their inner child again. I used to go into the woods on my family’s land and try to get lost. I’d follow animal trails just to see where everyone was going. And look at me now lol It’s my favorite place to be. In the middle of nowhere, no service, no pressures of life, just being me. Safe travels everyone 💕
Love, Syd.
