19 July 2010
We were up by 5:30am and I was on the trail by 6:30am. The mosquitoes were unbearable at this location. We made it over Silver Pass (10,345') by 9:30am. This was not a very scenic pass but it was an easy one as the grade was doable. There were a few heavy patches of snow along the pass, but all we needed to do was ascend sideways.
Coming down this pass was fun, though, as now we were on a quick pace downhill for 5.3 miles, passing cascading waterfalls, streams, footbridges and vistas of granite slabs with more waterfalls. The entire hike today was waterfalls and streams.
We had no trouble wading across Silver Pass Creek and its waterfall. It was one of the few areas Darlene requested I take her photo, and she took one of me. I hiked most of the day again in sandals to not have to waste time taking off my boots.
The pace was fast here and I wasn't slowing her down. But then came the next creek, an ominous-looking and swift whitewater creek that was more swift than it was wide. This creek here also took a drop of a few feet in that whitewater, and snags along the sides threatened to poke anyone who fell.
This was not an easy crossing. A threesome of men said it was easier to cross further down, as they were here a few days earlier and did the same thing. Darlene waded across, but I froze. Another father-son duo surely watched me in disbelief. This was perhaps the only time I felt panicked on this hike, as I have a great fear of whitewater, especially when there is a chance I could fall into it.
A family of three came to my rescue: a father (73), his daughter, and his 15-year-od grandson, a towhead who reminded me of my own nephew Uli. The father crossed first, carefully placing his poles on either side of him to provide support from draft and tow. With only one trekking pole, I didn't have the luxury.
"Have your friend throw you her other pole!" the man yelled at me. The water was so loud here there was no other option but to yell.
"She won't do that!" I replied.
"She won't?" he came back, in disbelief. Now why would Darlene throw her pole across a whitewater creek when there's a very good chance the pole would get caught in the current? I wouldn't throw my pole across rushing water, either.
And then there was my camera. The man told me not to worry about the camera. He didn't understand how important my photographs are to me.
The boy ended up crossing the creek eight times. First he crossed to get me Darlene's second pole. Then he returned to carry his grandfather's backpack, then a third time for his mother's before he returned to the first shore for his own. Darene and I waited out of courtesy for the son's last crossing before we waved thanks to them and went on. Darlene lost a gaitor in this crossing and got a big bruise on one thigh, when her body was thrown against the rock.
She was as nervous as I surely was while crossing this creek. There were many more crossings today, but none as bad as that one. I had to warn a family with a small dog to watch for their pooch and to perhaps take an alternate route across.
A packman with a small load of backpacks waited for us to cross before he took his horses over. He gave us the latest news on Muir Pass: there was at least two miles of snow there. Darlene didn't look too thrilled with that. We met a few other PCTers today, one wearing a kilt who had started at the Mexican border on 31 May. "The first 600 miles will make you or break you," he said "That stretch through the desert was not easy!"
The trail continued on downhill, over several more creeks, some wider, some narrower. Darlene waited for me at each one, although I reassured her the depth of a creek doesn't bother me as much as the current. Perhaps she just needed some time to relax, too. The creek flowing into Bear Creek was a scenic, rushing one that lured me to its shores with a vengeance, but I kept to the trail.
We ended at Quail Meadow, a shallow meadow at just 7870' with Bear Ridge just behind that. We had had an eventful day so we pitched our tents, Darlene crawled into her bivy with her iPod, and I stayed up to read, wash clothes and wash myself. Blue dragonlfies were popular here, as well s curious chipmunks flitting around our campsite hoping for a hand-out that never came. Another couple joined us later, but we were left alone for the rest of the night.
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