Start: 1758.1
Stop: 1775.3
Today’s miles: 17.2
Total PCT miles: 1627.5
Man, I really need Marquis here to keep me on budget. All it took was one cold boat ride to VVR and I’m paying for a cabin for the night! WHEN THERES FREE CAMPING. Send help.
There was definitely more lightening last night, but it must have been on the other side of the mountains from where I was. It never rained, and if it did thunder, I couldn’t hear or feel it over the sound of the rushing creek nearby. Which, I don’t mind for a second. It was windy enough to keep the condensation from settling, so I was happy to wake up to a dry tent-inside and out! AND the wind didn’t knock down my tent, so it was a successful night!
I was not thrilled as to how I woke up.. at 5:45am someone or someone’s alarm did such a loud “cock a doodle doooo!” That a man in a tent also nearby screamed.. like it scared him so much he literally screamed! I think a normal person would be annoyed and then realize they’re awake and start packing. *I* was so annoyed that I refused to wake up to someone else’s alarm, even if mine also vibrated on my wrist at the same time. I didn’t actually start packing until 6:30, leaving camp around 7.. and there was still a tent left behind! I wasn’t last!! (I think it was the screamer lol).
My morning started with a climb, of course. Same song and dance here people. But, it wasn’t too bad. It was like two rounded off humps, I’d climb awhile, it would sort of level out, then go down, repeat x1. The sun was shining way up higher than where I was walking, clearly not high enough to shine over the massive mountains surrounding me. My one new glove (thank you random stranger & mamoo) kept my right hand nice and warm, so it held my trekking poles and my left hand just had to deal with it.
The views were fantastic, as they’ve been.. in between the two humps were lakes, which were breathtaking. And plenty of water crossings. One that got my feet wet. There I passed a couple putting on camp shoes to cross in and I just plowed through.. no one has time for shoe swapping when there’s a ferry to catch this afternoon! Haha I could tell on their faces they thought I was nuts.
They passed me at some point on the second downhill, and then I caught them again at the bottom, before the big ascent of the day. They were taking a break and I assumed they’d catch me again on the uphill. As I climbed, I passed 3 people before getting half way up. That same couple passed me again when I stopped to filter water. They made a comment about how I just seem to keep going and going without breaking, and she called me the energizer bunny.. I found this hysterical, because I never pass people, especially climbing mountains.
I did pass them again when they stopped for a break about a mile before the top of Silver Pass (10,778 feet, but the high point we crossed over was 10,934 feet), when they stopped for a break. At almost the very top of the high point, there was a chunk of snow to climb. It would have sucked to slip on it, but it didn’t seem overtly dangerous. I didn’t put on microspikes and felt steady. I ate my lunch at the top, and then passed 3 women on the start of the way down.. I’m really liking all these JMT hikers out here making me feel fast! Haha
The descent started off gorgeous, with multiple lakes and shockingly beautiful views. It eventually turned into rock and sand switchbacks which hurt my feet and slowed me down, each step down feeling like a shock to my kneecaps. The couple ended up passing me around here. There were a few waterfalls and a couple creek crossings-water was everywhere. When I finally spotted a good place to pee, without being near any of the water sources, a band of men on horseback came through. I stood up so fast! I don’t think they noticed what I was about to do!
There were at least 6 men and about 8 horses.. the horses without humans on them had some gear packed on their backs. They were headed my same direction, so I waited for them all to get 2-3 switchbacks down, and I finally got to pee in the corner of one of the switchbacks-in full view of anyone coming or going. I just prayed I was fast enough to not put on a show.
At a junction at the bottom of the switchbacks, a side trail split off to take you to Vermillion Valley Ranch. A mile and a half down that side trail, there’s a little sign for the ferry. I met up with the couple again and we walked that last bit together. There were tons of people sitting out on the rocks waiting for the ferry! It was 4pm and the ferry comes around 4:45.. so, I had some sitting to do, and I was quite happy about it!
I even had some service! I was chatting with my friend, Victoria, updating her on my adventure and whatnot-and she sent me money to buy the WiFi at VVR! How freaking sweet! I was so pumped. When the ferry appeared across the glassy blue water, I got to meet Paint, the driver. He was super kind, loaded us all on, packs in the middle.. and said he was going to give the late ones five extra minutes, just in case they’re close by.
It was a 30 ish minute ride across a massive Lake Edison. Mountains surround the lake and my God, it’s just gorgeous. I sat beside a man named Gary, who comes here with his buddies every year to fish up in the mountains.. they were the ones on horseback that passed me earlier! The guys leading the horses dropped the men off at the ferry, and they rode the horses the 7 miles back to VVR. How neat.
When we got off the boat, we had a little welcome by a sweet lady calling herself the greeter. She explained how the resort worked and then lead us up to the store. We each got one free drink, beer or soda or whatever. They create a tab for each person and you pay for everything when leaving. I was able to snag this cabin, the last bed available.
I asked the details of the WiFi: $25, only works at the store/restaurant (so not at my cabin or the laundry house), and all power shuts off from 10pm to 7am regardless, WiFi router included. It was already almost 6! I still had all my chores to do, eat dinner.. there was just no way I was going to pay that and basically only get to use it for maybe an hour, two at best. Dammit. So, I decided I’ll venmo Victoria her money back, since I didn’t use it for what she intended me to. The gesture is seriously so damn kind though.
Anyway, I ordered my food: a double cheeseburger and fries. They didn’t have many options. But it was delicious all the same. I ate quick, then went to my cabin, plugged in my power bank: if power shuts off at 10pm, I need that baby full! I’m about to walk into 7 full days of hiking and no bail out spots-I need power!
I showered, and loved every single second of it. I think I’ll take another one in the morning before I leave. I put on my puffy jacket and my leggings and headed off to do laundry. Luckily, a washer was open so I didn’t have to wait. While everything was washing, I did my resupply, but as I’m here thinking about it, I’m pretty sure I didn’t buy any lunch food.. I’ll have to rectify that in the morning. I put everything in the cabin, then went to put all my clothes in the dryer. While clothes were drying, I sat around the bonfire outside and chatted with some other hikers and folks just visiting the area.
I kid you not, the second my clothes were dry, I was saying goodnight and walking to my cabin. It’s right on the water and it’s beautiful and rustic. It’s 9:05 and Im barely able to keep my eyes open anymore. The bed is super comfy and the top cover feels maybe like a weighted blanket. Im pooped, but overall today was a great day!
Tomorrow, I plan to get up and shower again, pack all my stuff up-figure out the lunch situation, eat breakfast at the restaurant, and catch the 9am ferry back to the ferry dock. I’ll have to rehike the 1.5 miles to the junction, then continue south..
I’ll go over Selden Pass tomorrow and I want to get as close to the river crossing as I can before camping-so I can do it first thing in the morning. It’ll be cold as hell then, BUT it’ll also be the lowest it will be all day, so hopefully it won’t come up to my stomach like a girl at the bonfire said it did on her.. YIKES. She’s got a couple inches on me too. I’m nervous, y’all. But that’s a day after tomorrow problem, so no reason to worry about it now I guess. Ok, goodnight!