PCT: Day 90

We started today excited to be back on trail. There were reports of on and off snow for a 6 mile stretch later today with no need for microspikes. The reports are also a few days old and the weather has been dry and warm so melting should be underway.

The initial patches are easy to cross or skip, but later on we get into heavily shaded slopes with larger, steeper snow patches. They slow us down more than we’d like, and on one occasion Bat Boy slips and slides 20 feet downhill to the edge of the snow. He’s fine but it’s a reminder of how quickly falls can happen. After a couple miles of snow travel we get to larger snowfields and take a break for Waterboy to scout ahead. He doesn’t come back with good news. The trail passes through a large and steep snowfield ahead that stretches around a corner for a long ways. So much for trail reports…we have no idea why anyone would recommend no microspikes for what’s in front of us.

We’re faced with another decision we didn’t think we’d have to make but quickly decide going forward isn’t an option. We’re luckily near a side trail that drops down to a campground and lodge near Golden Lake. It’s only 2 miles, but starts with a couple more short and steep snowfields we have to navigate. The rest of the hike and the surrounding lakes are beautiful, but we aren’t quite in the mood to enjoy our circumstances.

We get a hitch to Graeagle about 20 minutes later with a friendly young couple who drive out of their way to drop us off. We find lodging at a nearby “resort” with a pool and a 70’s vintage room complete with a Murphy bed and green carpet. The kids swim while we decompress and try to figure out what to do next.