High Sierra Trail - Day 1: The Decision

7-21-17 
As the sun peeked through the lodgepole pines around Crescent Meadow, we said our goodbyes to J's dad and wife but also to civilization.  We started the trail at around 7:30am, a little later than we planned.  Since we hiked this portion of the trail 6 years earlier, we were at least familiar with what the day might have in store for us. In June 2011, Mehrten Creek was a dangerous crossing due to the high water year; a slanted slick rock water fall and the safest crossing being 3 feet pool on the edge of a cliff. We knew this year would be better since we were 1 month forward into the season but also read the last updates regarding Mehrten on the website.  Regardless, Mehrten was a bit of a litmus test for the rest of the crossings.  We took pictures with the historic wooden sign, noting the inaccuracy of the mileage but happy to start the journey.

We leisurely hiked through the shady meadow to make our way to the portion of the trail that boasts a view of Moro Rock and the Middle Fork of the Kaweah valley below.  Although the packs were heavy, this particular portion of the trail was not strenuous. Our moods were light as we hummed our epic soundtracks as well as singing whatever song came to mind to keep a good pace.

Sometime in the morning we encountered a couple with their small infant child, backpacking gear in tow. It is common to get information from hikers on wilderness trails, everyone seems to help each other out.  They were heading back after a couple days at Hamilton Lakes and sure enough... they had good intel on what lied ahead.  Dad with the "infant pack" let us know that an ice tunnel collapsed on the stretch of trail near Kaweah Gap that we planned to pass on Day 2.  He had heard about it from the other campers at Hamilton Lakes and went up the day prior to check it out but did not plan to cross the ice with an axe since he had the little one with him (this dude was hard core, as was his wife).  The warm temps likely caused the collapse and then an "ice river" filled in part of it so that the only way around it was above or below it on ice, on a 45 degree angle. He said if we had good ice climbing skills and axes, we should be able to cross with our packs.  However, we did not feel comfortable (nor did we bring an ice axe, only microspikes as advised by NPS for that area). The wilderness office did not warn us of an ice tunnel collapse because it just happened the day prior.  He speculated it would be days before enough ice would melt in the tunnel to get through. What this meant for us was the possibility that we would hike to the location the next day and have to turn around once we assessed the situation ourselves and try the next day or miss our window to Whitney completely. Knowing our end destination was Whitney, he recommended an alternate route and we pulled out our maps to give it a look.  He said the southern route would add a half a day but it was the only trail that could get us around the area in the time frame. We took the information in and agreed to inquire with other hikers and the possible NPS staff at Bearpaw (which houses a backcountry ranger station)

Looking up Mehrten Creek, no longer swift waterfall

We were relieved when we reached Mehrten Creek around lunch time as it looked like a trickle of a stream instead of a swift waterfall crossing.  I think we all exclaimed YES! really loudly in our heads upon seeing it.  Back in 2011, there were 4 creek crossings between Mehrten and Bearpaw of various depth but none as dangerous as the "water slide/edge of cliff pool" of Mehrten during high water.  However, even with the smaller crossings, the water is extremely cold and more accurately described as = ice melt. Depending on how long your feet are in the water, you will often feel a wave of pain and numbness as you leave the water and they are exposed to warmer air.    Additionally, with a very heavy pack on your back so you must also consider depth and chance of falling in and getting your gear wet.  J and I had our rain covers on hand for this purpose (although we did not use them on Day 1) but Meagan did not have one so we had a trash bag on hand to line her pack in case we saw the need. 

K and J with Kaweah range

 I also highly recommend a pair of sandals to have for some crossings where you need decent footing and you cannot get your boots wet.  I did this trip with flip flops (lighter) but Keens would have been much smarter.

We moved quickly on this portion of the trail, eager to get to 9 Mile and Buck Creek as landmarks signaling we were closer to Bearpaw Meadow.

J and M with Kaweah Range in the background

The day was hot and right around the time we got to Buck Creek, we were getting weary. A woman passed us and warned us that it was a brutal climb passed Buck Creek = "you think you are almost there but YOU ARE NOT!" J and I almost always prefer brutal honesty over flowery optimism so this was actually welcome information. She was right. The incline right passed the bridge seemed much more intense in the HOT summer sun. And 40+ lbs. Ugh.

Right before Bearpaw Meadow, the shade of the trees felt welcome and we reminisced about our last hike through that section when it was still covered in snow and we lost the trail, did not have a good map and yet somehow still navigated our way to the High Sierra camp that day.  We seem to have decent instincts with that talent and it would come in handy later in the trip.  Upon arrival, we met up with a NPS staffer to inquire about the ice tunnel. She heard the same rumor and said she'd radio the Ranger to see what advice they had regarding pushing through or going the alternate route.  The advice was not too much different from the hiker we encountered, that it was technical and a risk.  She tried to put a positive spin on it and recommended we could give it a try and we could always just hang around and explore Hamilton and the Bearpaw area for a few days. No lady!  This was not a leisurely jaunt through the High Sierra, we were on a freaking mission!  I didn't even have to ask Julie and Meagan about the prospect of "hanging out" in Hamilton.  Our goal was Whitney and it was clear that the sanest choice (and statistically wise) was to take the alternate route.  A little later we heard another party come in and talk about the "mini glacier" that filled in the ice tunnel, it sounded like they had turned back around that day.  We started laughing at the term "mini glacier" and compared it with the "ice river" description earlier which then made us question what really determines the difference between a mini glacier and micro glacier and what exactly IS an ice river.  Regardless of what it was ... we didn't have the gear for it and our goal was to make it to Whitney and down alive.

M and K after a creek crossing on the way to Bearpaw, drying and warming feet

We weighed our options that night as we laid down to sleep and started looking at the alternative route on the map.  I started making calculations but this route was completely unfamiliar to us and not on the High Sierra trail. It was hard to tell what areas would be difficult. We had no intel on the creek crossings but noticed we'd be passing through Redwood Meadow ranger station and hoped they could give us better info on trail conditions. We were optimistic about taking this route so we could make Whitney but as soon as we started seeing the elevation gain to Pinto Lake and up the pass, a little anxiety set in for me, this may take us longer than we wanted.  We agreed to try to get a decent start the next morning so we could get as far as we could the next day.  Darkness set in early in the meadow and deer were already roaming at dusk. They seemed much bolder and almost stalking us... like a cougar.  We remembered the stories in the Wallace book about deer tearing shirts off people to suck up the salt from their sweat (it's a thing, crazy!) at Hamilton Lake but luckily they were not THAT bold on this evening.  We already surmised bear would be present in the meadow at some point and took care to pack every scented thing in the bear box.  A makeshift pit toilet was available down the trail but the outhouse door would not close easily and when it did, the door would get stuck.  I reasoned that even with an open door, it was the most privacy I would get all trip and a dark outhouse is a miserable experience. ;-)  It was somewhat comforting to have other people around the first night but at the same time, you put quite a bit of trust that they have been diligent in food storage.  Nobody wants to wake up with a bear ripping through their tent or even the tent next to them.  We sent our first SPOT broadcast that night but little did we know, it never went through. This would be an important development since we were changing course. We did not plan for this type of itinerary change and weighed our options. We opted to broadcast every night wherever we camped and not to send a late notice/itinerary change because we were unsure on timing. We thought we might be able to make the time up.  Plus, we did not know about this alternative route when we left our itinerary with our husbands. We had some hope they would consult their maps to see the change.  Once we joined back on the High Sierra trail it would probably bring them some comfort but there was nothing we could do in the interim.
I did not sleep well that night. Maybe it was the bear prospect. Maybe it was the aches and settling in for the first day.  I still had residual thoughts of things I wanted to leave behind but they were starting to dwindle as I focused on the change in the itinerary. Whitney or bust.  In my mind, turning away was not an option if we had any control over the situation and I put my mindset into getting it done.

Post note:
A few days after our trip was over and I returned home, I was researching a noise we heard on Day 2 and discovered that hikers encountered a mountain lion on the trail by 9 Mile trail junction just a few days after us on this exact stretch of trail described here. It gave me pause to think that the mountain lion could have been watching our move through this section and we were completely oblivious. It was also strange that it would be on the more populated portion of the trail but high water years can bring change in wildlife habitat and behavior. I hate to be in judgment but the fact they went forward TOWARDS the animal so quickly after the first sighting, not a good thing. You can tell the mountain lion felt threatened by the stance.  Do not watch if you have an aversion to dangerous wildlife, it may give you nightmares!  
https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/08/07/video-sierra-hikers-capture-mountain-lion-encounter/ 

You can read J's version of Day 1 here.

#cougardeer

#bearhuff

#outhousedooropen

#iceflow

#iceriver

#icewall

#icefield

#microglacier

#miniglacier

#nanoglacier

#icetunnelcollapse

#forceofnature

Miles: 11 (mileage estimates vary depending on which map/resource you use, Wallace says 11.5, NPS wooden signs say 10)  I recommend bringing a Fitbit or tracker, which we neglected on this trip.

Elevation start: 6680

Elevation end: 7680

Elevation gain/loss: +1680/-680

Campsites: many, all dirt, fairly level

Water: faucet - must be treated

Toilet: 2 outhouses (no TP)

Bear storage lockers: Y
Bears: YES

Privacy: N