PCT: Day 41

This is going to be a long post to go with what was a long day.  We got up early this morning and rode back to the trail with Brian.  We decided to go ahead and take the trail over Baden-Powell since the storm had passed.  The switchbacks started immediately out of the parking lot and stayed mostly snow free for the first mile and a half.  Somewhere before the two mile mark we put our microspikes on and wouldn’t take them off until near the end of the day. 

The path through the snow followed the switchbacks on the buried trail for maybe another mile before giving up on the trail and going straight uphill for the last mile or so.  We were glad to have the spikes with us, but it was still a steep slippery slope that took a toll on everyone.  Both kids were beyond miserable, tears were shed, threats of leaving the trail were uttered, and toes and fingers were cold.  We stopped briefly about halfway through the steep stretch to try to warm Rockhopper’s hands, but quickly gave up, knowing it was only going to get better when we reached the top.  The grade was too steep for Bat Boy to make it up safely with a pack on, and Waterboy ended up carrying his pack the last half mile or so to the top.

We did eventually make the summit and quickly warmed up now that we were out of the snow and in the sun.  We took pictures at the Baden-Powell monument which had a little extra significance as the kids are both in Scouts and Baden-Powell was the founder of Scouts.  We only had a light lunch since we knew we were in for a few miles of poorly marked and likely steep snow travel which would only loosely follow the trail.

We started walking down a ridge, following footprints which would eventually find and the leave the trail several times.  There were stretches which descended at uncomfortable grades, some of other hikers had glissaded down, leaving nothing but a slippery downhill.  We tackled the first of these easily, with all of us taking a fairly easy slide.  The second was a bit longer and steeper, but went well for Waterboy, Rockhopper, and Bat Boy.  Blue Lizard picked up more speed than the rest of us and missed the stopping point.  She luckily managed to stop herself before landing in a manzanita bush, but not before breaking some fingernails and clocking Waterboy in the leg with a trekking pole on the way by.  It took a few minutes to get Blue Lizard and her pack back up the hill, but eventually continued.

We continued to trudge through the snow for another mile or so before finally reaching the end of it.  It was late in the afternoon with 3.5 miles left to go to get to camp, and we were all thoroughly exhausted.  We pushed on, enjoying being able to walk at a normal pace and made it to Little Jimmy Camp around 7pm.  We were cold and our feet were wet, but others already had campfires going.  The kids warmed up at the fires while we setup the tents in small snowfree patches before making dinner and going to bed.  This was easily our most difficult and most exhausting day on trail, but should be the worst snow travel for a couple hundred miles, if not the  entire remainder of the trail.