The Sierra Adventure Continues

New Shoes and Big Passes

After a lovely rest day in Bishop we made our way back up Kearsarge pass with about six and a half days worth of food. I also purchased my third pair of shoes while in town and was happy to have new tread to tackle the next passes. It was a steep ascent back onto trail but as you gain elevation, the trail opens to the hidden peaks and snow of the Sierras. An abundance of alpine lakes and rivers greeted us and we happily obliged by jumping in the icy waters.

Difficult and Steep Terrain 

We made our way to the base of Glen pass to prepare for a summit of Glen and Pinchot the following day. We woke up to frost covering our tents and quickly got into our hiking clothes to begin the climb. We crossed over grassy fields and up towards the steep peaks. I felt calm and was overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding me. Even with the difficult and steep terrain, I was beginning to gain strength. Reaching the top of a pass invites a new view of the next range of passes and peaks awaiting us.  It was easy to fall asleep that night after such a big day.

Look Up

The following day we ascended up Mather pass. The climb felt comfortable and we cruised to the top. Looking down we could see decent patches of snow and rock. We scrambled down the big boulders, being cautious of any movement on the rocks to not lose balance. I put on my microspikes and made my way carefully over the snow. I was watching my feet the whole time that I almost forgot to take a moment to look up at the view. It was hard to fully digest the breathtaking mountains, lakes, and trees that surrounded me. We are always moving so quickly through these environments that if you don’t take a moment to take it all in, it passes you by before you know it.

Another World 

Muir pass is one of the most iconic passes in the Sierras. Sitting at an elevation of 11,970 ft with about 2 miles of snow on either side. It was a little more challenging to keep track of the trail on the way up. The sun had created snow cups that made sea-like waves around me. After making our way through the snow covered fields I was relieved to see the stone hut at the top of the pass. We enjoyed some time soaking up the sun and eating snacks before descending. We were greeted with more snow covered trail and ice covered lakes.

Earning my Trail Legs

The following days we made our way over Selden and Silver pass before heading to Mammoth Lakes for a rest day. I was beginning to feel more capable after completing so many big climbs and felt like my body was starting to catch up with my mind. Coming down from silver pass that evening, I felt I somehow could continue on and walked into golden hour and watched the sun settle over the mountain peaks. This is always my favorite time to walk. I walked until the forest grew dark and ended up totaling 28 miles for the day.

After getting back on trail, we made our way over Donahue pass before hiking into tuolumne meadows. We decided to take a trip into the Yosemite valley and I was looking forward to some potential side hikes and enjoying the tourist amenities. More on that later…

See you out there,

Emma