PCT miles 704.66 to 719.18
Piyush and I awoke around 5:30 and started making breakfast: coffee, pancakes and chickpea/cilantro patties. He is spoiling me with all this food. He even taught me how to open those small cups of creamer without spraying it everywhere!
He started his long drive home and I hit the trail. I am really enjoying hiking this section of the trail – it is a gradual uphill next to streams through a pretty valley.
In the sandy areas just off the trail I found a cluster of ant lions. These insects create steep sided pits and wait at the base with pincers ready to grab any unfortunate ant that slips in.
I was informed by Tom(?) At the Kennedy Meadows Market that the trail north of is an excellent place to find arrowheads and other Native American artifacts. It was not long before I saw these morteros with pestols
Tom informed me to check out the area around rock outcroppings for evidence of arrowhead shaping- flecks of obsidian. Sure enough, I did find a few chips of obsidian.
I was told obsidian is not native to this area but was brought here by Native Americans.
The Kern is flowing very strong and luckily I did not have to ford it thanks to the bridge!
The last bit of uphill was through yet another burn area
And then I crested the Pass and was overwhelmed by the view– I could see a beautiful Sierra meadow (Clover Meadow) and Cirque Peak (left) and Mt. Langley (right)! I was a more than a bit overwhelmed with emotions at the sight since my PCT end point is at Chicken Spring Lake near Cirque Peak. I hiked along side and above the meadow, thankfully, since it was quite marshy down there.
At the north end of the meadow the trail once again crossed the Kern River (again thankful for a strong bridge). On the flood banks across the bridge, in Monache Meadow,
I found an arrowhead, albeit slightly beat up by being washed around in the river.
The trail followed Cow Creek up a ravine and set up camp.
It did not snow, but it was chilly.
Thanks for reading!
Dale's Pacific Crest Trail hike -- 2019 