This post originally appeared on The Trek, which you can read here .

*these posts are coming straight from trail, I apologize in advance for typos!*

Day 58: June 4, 2025

Location: High Sierra
Start: Lake South America Junction – 776.1
End: Tentsite – 790.2
Miles: 14.1
Ascent: 3347 | Descent: 3642
Sleep: Tent

What a big day! This is probably the most tired I’ve been in trail so far after a long day of hiking. I am absolutely exhausted! My alarm went off at 12:30am and I pressed snooze until 12:45am. We got ready in the dark and were hiking by 2am. We knew we needed to be up and over the pass before it got too late in the day and the back side of the mountain turned slushy.

We were off to a good start and cruising right along when we started running into snow fields. These slowed us down a little just because we had to ensure we were still on trail, but Hangman lead the way and kept us on track. U-Turn has been slower at elevation and also hasn’t been eating much, she needed to hike slowly this morning and took lots of breaks. We finally convinced her to eat a Snickers and that made a huge difference in her energy level. We found good spot for her to practice self arresting just to build her confidence a little more since she didn’t go over Whitney.

The snow fields continued on and off for several miles. We’d have clear trail for a bit, run into a section that was basically just a creek from snow melt, and then traipse over the snow. Thankfully early in the morning the snow was firm and made for easy hiking. The hike up to the approach wasn’t bad, but it did take us a while just so that U-Turn could have more breaks.

As we drew closer to the approach it looked like we were walking up to a sheer mountain face. I couldn’t make out the trail to the top and had no idea how we would climb basically a slab of rock. The sky was getting lighter and we could see more of the bowl we were walking through. It felt like we were somewhere in Alaska with all the tall snowy mountains and frozen over lakes. I half expected to see a penguin or a polar pear swimming in the lakes. We even saw a fox run across the trail!

We made it to the approach at 5am just as the sky was beginning to change colors. We donned our microspikes and ice axes and began to climb. Several of the lower switchbacks were still covered in snow so we close to go straight up them rather than zig zagging across. It wasn’t nearly as scary as Whitney thank goodness! I don’t know if I just felt more comfortable or expected it to be as challenging as Whitney, but it felt like a piece of cake in comparison.

There was significantly less snow as well which made for easier crossings, and the icy traverses we much shorter and with less of a dramatic drop off had I slipped and sled arrested. U-Turn did much better navigating the snow and was able to keep pace with us. Pinky also didn’t seem as nervous and we all made good time getting up the approach.

We made it to the dreaded chute and could literally see the sign announcing the pass just a few hundred feet above us. I had see so many photos of the chute and had built it up in my mind to be a long and terrifying traverse against an icy wall with a thousand foot drop below. In reality, thanks to the snow melt, it was maybe 30 feet across and with well treaded boot prints and a defined ledge about 100’ down should someone take a fall. We each went across one at a time and did great. I wasn’t nearly as scared and made it across just fine.

From the chute it was just a few more snow free switchbacks until were at the top! The views when we crested the pass and were officially on the other side of the mountain were insane. The sun was fully up and shinning on the valley far down below us. We took photos and spent a little bit of time celebrating crossing the high point of the PCT before we decided to take the glissade route rather than the traverse down. It was short and sweet but we built up speed and had to use the ice axe to slow ourselves down. We all went down in our Frog Toggs and they got absolutely shredded.

The glissade got us down below the trail and we had to hike across to reconnect to the trail. Truffles found another glissade chute that would put him all the way down off the ridge, but it was very steep and he was the only one brave enough to take it. He had to self arrest twice on the way down because he was going so fast, and when he made it to the bottom unharmed he shouted up at us not to follow. Hangman, Pinky, U-Turn, and I continued following the boot prints through the snow and eventually found the trail going down the spine of the mountain along some rocks.

We followed the trail all the way down past several more frozen alpine lakes and slowly made our way down into the valley. We were so glad we got an early start because it wasn’t even 9am and there were sections in the snow fields that were becoming soft and slushy. It was fairly easy to follow the trail and avoid post holing, but it was still tiring work.

We made it a decent amount of the way down before taking a short break at a lake to shed some layers and eat a snack. From there we pressed on, microspikes still on and ice axes in hand. We were no longer on the dramatic rock ledges and cliffs, but were still traveling over snow and wanted to be prepared. We lost the trail in several spots but eventually found our way back and kept moving downhill.

The snow continued thinning out to the point that I finally put away my spikes and axe and got out my poles. Scout Master caught up with us and I hiked with him for a bit before getting to a stream crossing. I waited for my friends and watched other groups either go through the water or test their balance on a skinny log over the water. When my group arrived I opted to take my shoes off and fore the river. On the other side we snacked and filtered water before pressing on.

The trail was all downhill for the next several miles. Truffles and I hiked together and stopped to admire at the river and look for trout. It’s amazing how much water there is and how fast flowing some of it is! We eventually made it down to Vidette Meadow where we caught Pinky and Hangman eating lunch. We had one final big climb for the day and it took all the energy I had left (plus a Snickers bar) to get me to the top.

The climb up towards Kearsarge Pass Trail was steep and tough after a long day. Halfway up we caught U-Turn and decided to all stop and filter water for our dry campsite. We debated stopping early and camping by the stream, but decided to finish out the climb so there’d be less to do in the morning. I left ahead of everyone and powered up the final climb before making it to the flat open stretch of trail between the two offshoot trails to Kearsarge Pass. I found some descent tent sites for us and was so grateful to take my pack off for the final time of the day.

When the others arrived we pitched our tents quickly and crawled inside. It was only 2pm but we were all beat, we put in a solid 12 hours of hiking! I ate a quick lunch before laying down for a nap. I sleep deeply and my alarm woke me up at 6pm. We ate dinner before again retiring to the tents for a well deserved night’s sleep. Town tomorrow and a much needed zero after that!

Day 59: June 5, 2025

Location: High Sierra
Start: Tentsite – 790.2
End: Bishop – 790.2
Miles: 0.0
Ascent: 1198 | Descent: 2767
Sleep: Building

Town day! We woke up early excited to head into the town of Bishop. The only thing standing between us and town was Kearsarge Pass. One thing that makes the Sierras so challenging is that fact that there are no easy entry or exit points. To get off trail today we are still having to hike 7.5 non PCT miles on the Kearsarge Pass Trail to get to a parking lot to begin working our way towards Bishop.

We camped near the junction and got an early start in order to ensure that what snow was left on the pass would still be firm. We hiked out around 5:30am and had a pretty consistent uphill for the majority of the morning. Pretty early on we began getting views of Bullfrog Lake which was absolutely stunning in the early morning light with the snowy peaks in the background.

We kept climbing and crossing streams along the way. We passed Insole and Dory coming down the trail, they had went into the town of Independence and were coming back to trail. They let us know the pass wasn’t that snowy and sent us on our merry way.

Once we started getting into the switchbacks I knew we were getting close to the top. We had been eyeballing the mountain all morning as we hiked towards it, all the while trying to guess exactly where the pass would be. We got close enough that we could see people ahead of us cresting the ridge. Thankfully there was minimal snow and it was easy to reach Kearsarge Pass.

From the pass we got dramatic views of Pothole Lake which was still frozen over and a deep aqua color. There was definitely more snow on this side of the mountain, but not enough to really even snow us down. The descent was long and arduous, but we passed several other alpine lakes and water falls that made us stop in our tracks to take in the views.

It felt like it took a long time to go the 4ish miles down to the trailhead. Truffles and I were first to arrive and as soon as we got to the parking lot we were offered a ride. Debbie is a trail angel who was unloading a car full of hikers and asked if she could get us in her next run down the mountain. The timing was perfect because that would give Hangman, Pinky, and U-Turn time to get to the parking lot.

We waited for other others and talked to Neyo and Stupid Llama. Once our whole group was together we didn’t have to wait long for Debbie to show back up and load us in her car. She had two mini Australian shepherd’s that road in the back with us. Debbie was an excellent tour guide and pointed out other iconic peaks in the Sierra on our way down the mountain.

Debbie dropped us off in downtown Independence around 10:30am, which ended up just being a small town with a couple of gas stations. We made a beeline for the gas station and promptly ordered sandwiches from their deli. Our plan was to take the noon bus from Independence to Bishop, so we had plenty of time to kill. We hung out at the gas station picnic tables eating and drinking and getting excited for Bishop.

When the bus arrived we paid our $6.50 and loaded up for the hour long ride. The bus ride went by quickly and we were being dropped off at the Von’s grocery store in town before I knew it. We arrived in Bishop without reservations and found out quickly that many of the hiker favorite places to stay were booked. We began calling all the cheap motels in the area and finally got a room for two nights at the Super 8 across town.

On a positive note, we got to get a tour of the town when we walked from one end to the other en route to our motel. We arrived around 3pm and were so happy to get into the AC! The 5 of us decided to split one room, poor U-Turn had to sleep on the floor. We took turns showering before heading back out for dinner.

Pinky and Hangman wanted Japanese food and went on a date to the Japanese steakhouse in town. U-Turn, Truffles, and I went to 1903 Tap House for hotdogs and drinks. U-Turn ran into some other friends while there and after dinner went to get drinks with them. Truffles and I ventured over to Mountain Rambler Brewery where we got to try some of their award winning beers. We closed out the night by getting some late night snacks at the Jack in the Box next to our motel. So excited to sleep in a bed tonight!

Day 60: June 6, 2025

Location: High Sierra
Start: Bishop – 790.2
End: Bishop – 790.2
Miles: 0.0
Sleep: Building

A nice zero in the town of Bishop. We slept in and got breakfast at the hotel before making plans for the rest of the day. Bishop has several outdoor stores and we wanted to visit them all. The town is laid out on a strip and our motel was at one end, the grocery store we wanted to resupply at was on the other end. We figured we could walk through town and hit all the stores we wanted to on our way to resupply.

Our first stop was at the Mammoth Gear Exchange. What an awesome gear store! They do consignment and regular retail and had a huge selection of things. I kept saying that I wished we were visiting not on a thru hike so that I could purchase more stuff. I ended up finding a fancy pair of rain pants for $10 to replace my shredded Frog Toggs. Pinky found a new set of Frog Toggs, but unfortunately Hangman and Truffles didn’t have any luck replacing their pants. Truffles was able to exchange his Darn Tough socks for a new pair, so it felt like a productive stop.

The next couple of stores we went in were super cute but didn’t have anything specific that we needed. We still piddled around and window shopped, again wishing we had a car to haul home all the goodies we wanted to purchase.

Midway through our way down the street we stopped at Schat’s Bakery for lunch. This bakery felt like it belonged in Gatlinburg, it was the ultimate tourist trap and experience. It was packed with people and breads and baked goods and was honestly very overwhelming. We had heard the sandwiches were great, though, so we stood in line and got our food to go. I got a pastrami sandwich and it was fantastic! We ate our food on the patio outside before continuing on to the grocery store.

Bishop is home to a grocery outlet which is conveniently located near the larger Von’s grocery store. We went to the outlet first and were blown away by their selection. Truffles and I were able to get most of our resupply there and supplemented what we couldn’t find from the larger selection at Von’s. While we were in the store we ran into Neyo and Stupid Llama who had rented a car and offered to drive us back to the motel. Thanks to them we didn’t have to walk clear across town again!

They dropped us off at the Super 8 and we immediately began sorting through our resupply and trying to make it all fit in our bear cans. Once that was done we started laundry and lounged around the motel. After laundry was finished all our town chores were complete and I took another shower to celebrate (complete with shampoo and conditioner k bought for myself at the store, what a luxurious splurge!)

We all decided to go out for Mexican and walked to Amigos restaurant. The food and the margaritas were delicious! I had a beer enchilada and a giant taco salad. We were all pretty worn out and decided to call it a night and headed back to the motel. We made another pit stop at Jack in the Box for milkshakes before calling it a night. Back to trail tomorrow!