PCT Day 45

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PCT Day 45, 26 June 2022 (Sunday)

"All That Mathers"

Start Location:	Wilderness Campsite	Destination:	Wilderness Campsite Near Middle Fork Kings River
PCT Miles Day 45:	19.2	Cum PCT Miles:	830.5
Non-PCT Miles Day 45:	0.6	Cum All Miles:	898.3
PCT Miles Remaining:	1,822.1
Elevation Gain Day 45:	2,950	Cum Elevation Gain:	148,437

 

I’ve been waiting to do today’s hike for quite some time.  Not just to go up Mather Pass, another high pass at 12,094 ft., but because of what was beyond Mather Pass.  Firstly, Upper and Lower Palisade Lakes are supposed to be extremely scenic; and they did not disappoint one bit.  Cell phone pictures really can’t do scenery like that justice.  Even a great photographer with a great camera would be unable to capture the essence of Lower Palisade Lake.  It truly is one of those places you just have to experience in person to know what it's like to be there.

And then beyond that is the famous “Golden Staircase,” the last section of the John Muir Trail (JMT) to be built.  These are the steep switchbacks leading down from Lower Palisade Lake.  I believe it was the last section, because it was in such a difficult area to build a trail.  With Palisade Creek roaring and tumbling in the background all the way down the canyon, this area also was incredibly scenic.  However, I also have to say that it lived up to it's reputation as a knee killer.

Lastly, there was miles of walking along the cascading and sliding Middle Fork Kings River.  I am camped right by it tonight.  I am trying to read Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, not sure how far I’ll get with the river providing great white noise to help with sleep.

Except for the last few miles, much of today's trail was very technical, and thus, very slow.  The trail up to the pass was actually pretty nice, and not that hard.  But, maybe it was because I went up earlier in the day and not later in the day.  The multiple patches of snow coming down Mather Pass were the sketchiest yet.  There were also miles of talus and loose rock.  And although today’s total elevation gain wasn’t extremely large, there was a lot of steepness.  The last few miles of easy, soft trail allowed my knees to mostly recover from the trauma of coming down the Golden Staircase.

One last good thing, I got a break from the rain, at least for today.

Kings River Crossing, by far the biggest crossing yet.  Believe it or not, I didn't get my feet wet

Hiking along the South Fork Kings River in the morning

Subalpine Fleabane

Scenery from this morning

South Fork Kings River

Atop Mather Pass looking NW with Palisade Lakes down below

Atop Mather Pass, looking SE

Upper Basin

A lot of seasonal creeks running across the trail in the last couple days

Mather Pass and Upper Palisade Lake

Very Scenic Lower Palisade Lake

There are worse places in the world to walk along today than Lower Palisade Lake

Part of the "Golden Staircase"

Western Wallflower

Palisade Creek tumbling down the canyon

A powerful cascade in the Middle Fork Kings River

Grouse Meadow

Middle Fork Kings River right outside my campsite
 

 

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