Mile 1003.9 to Sonora Pass - 13.2 miles. Distance from Mexico 1017.1 miles
It was a shorter day today with the aim being a resupply at Bridgeport. However a discussion with some trail angels at Sonora Pass car park changed my mind & I headed to Northern Kennedy Meadows. It was a tough hitch but two young high school graduates took delight in picking up a kiwi hiker. With a store, laundry, showers, dorm NKM is perfect - just no internet.
We'd started out with a climb up some switchbacks from 8552 feet to 10583 feet to get on a ridge in the Stanislaus National Forest
Dream Catcher is ahead of me in the next photo nearing the first climb apex
The trail then skirted along a ridge (a rare thing) as you can see in the photo
A bit further along & we had phone reception!!!
From the next point we passed through a small gap in this craggy range
By this time we had completed the first of three glissades for the day. You are supposed to use an ice axe to slide gracefully down snow slopes. Hikers just sit on their bums & skid down disgracefully trying not to leave stuff behind them. The other form of snow descent is when you stand up & skate down on your feet using your hiking poles for balance.
Sonora Pass finally loomed below from 10871 feet with a dangerous & tricky drop in steep snow conditions making things interesting
At Sonora Pass car park we had a team of trail angels greet us with fruit, drinks, cake, cookies, hot dogs & a team photo celebrating 1000 miles
And lo and behold, another kiwi who spotted my Aarn pack - Monique Weir from........Hospital Hill, Napier!!! Halfway around the world and you bump in to someone who lives 20 minutes down the road
Back on trail tomorrow with South Lake Tahoe the target in 4 days - Independence Day......Weta
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