PCT Map Miles 746.5
Miles Hiked 689.3
Elevation 10,494 feet
Miles Hiked Today 11.9
Today, I head for the town of Lone Pine. The plan is to hike nearly 9 miles to a side trail called Trail Pass and then down to Cottonwood trailhead. My miles hiked today reflect the side trail’s 3 mile length.
There was no hurry, so I didn’t get going until 6:00 AM. It was another cool morning at the high elevation, so I wore my jacket and stocking cap well into the morning. I kept a slow pace and arrived at Trail Pass just before noon. It was time for a break and lunch, so my exit was delayed by 30 minutes.
Once I started down Trail Pass, I progressed quickly and reached the trailhead in a little more than an hour. There were day and section hikers on the way out. I saw more hikers on that side trail than in two weeks on the PCT. The hikers always want to know where I started. When I tell them I hiked nearly 700 miles, I get a lot “oohs and aahs” but I doubt everyone of them believed me.
My original plan was to try to get to Lone Pine, but first I needed a ride. The trailhead was over 10,000 feet in elevation and a ride to town would take almost a half hour. The backup plan was to camp at the trailhead and try the next day if I couldn’t get a ride.
After a visit to a pit toilet, I went out to the trash cans to dump trash. There was a hiker there just sitting, so we struck up a conversation about my plans. As we were talking, two older women came walking by, and the hiker did me a favor and solicited a ride for me. They agreed and off we went. One of the women was 78 and the other 84. I was no longer the oldest on the trail; although they had been day hiking.
The ride down to Lone Pine was kind of nerve wracking. There were few guard rails and the drop would be 1,000’s of feet if the car went off the road. We did make it down.
In town there is a hostel named the Whitney Portal Hostel. For $40, I got a bed in a 10 bed room. The room was very clean. It had its own bathroom, mini-fridge, TV, Microwave and coffee machine. Clearly the best hostel in which I have ever stayed.
So, my hiking for 2023 comes to an end. Tomorrow, I’m going to Reno to hangout for a few days and then catch a flight home. Will I come back in the future to hike more of the Pacific Crest Trail? Unlikely, but you never know.
