Embedded Files
-- Tony C., Assistant Patrol Leader, First Class, Sep. 2013
Day 1 – August 6, 2013
Day 1 – August 6, 2013
August 6th, 2013 looked like an average day. The sun was bright and shining, the sky was clear and blue, and down at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, a boyscout troop was preparing to embark on a 6 day adventure. As we prepared to scale the mountains and begin the hike, I was nervously fidgeting, checking and double checking that everything was secure. Barely 5 minutes ago, my Camelbak had leaked, leaving me with soaked clothes and extra weight for the rest of the trip. This, plus many other problems, were only adding to the anxiety that I was having before the hike began. Luckily for me, before I had more time to feel sorry for myself and what I had gotten into, the troop set off. With every step I took, my shoulders ached a little bit more, and my hips hurt a little bit more. As the clock ticked on, I steadily became more and more tired, until I was on the verge of giving up and lagging behind the main group. However, I decided to keep at it, and soon spotted other figures ahead. Turning back, I looked back at our starting point and with a shock, that we were already several miles away. With that thought briefly cheering me up, I managed to shake myself out of my stupor, and continue on with a bit more enthusiasm than before.
Finally, after what felt like days of walking, Mr. A called for a lunch break. Everyone brought out their packages of food, excited at the prospect of getting rid of more weight in their packs, and everyone began chatting with each other, still fresh and excited about today's hike. The warmth and the sunlight gave the lunch spot a sleepy, quiet feel, and when it came time for us to pack up and leave, I left the spot reluctantly. The second half of the day was much harder than the first. As we climbed higher up, breathing became harder for me, and I was forced to take many more breaks, desperately trying to catch up. After several more hours of hard, exhausting work, I finally made it to the base of Kearsage pass, our main destination for today.
Gritting my teeth and readjusting my pack, I unenthusiastically began to scale the final 200 feet to the pass. While the adults had told us that the final ascent was only 200 feet and would be extremely easy, the truth was exactly the opposite. Because there was almost no horizontal distance to cover, the climb consisted of extremely steep switchbacks, all the way to the top. At this point, the elevation was so high, that climbing several steps would squeeze the air from my lungs, and I would be forced to sit down, wheezing and gasping. Higher and higher I climbed, among the grayish rocks and nondescript dirt trial, slowly watching the pass get closer and larger in my eye, until finally, I managed to take the final step to the top of the pass, and plop exhausted on a pile of rocks.
Despite being sore all over, I still felt a sense of accomplishment at my task. I had come into the Sierra's expecting for me to fail and stay at the very back, but I managed to prove myself wrong.
The rest of the day was just the simple task of getting down the pass, and finding a campsite, which we did in about one and a half hours. Once that was done, the troop set up their tents, and relaxed for the rest of the night, sipping on soup and eating spaghetti. Once everyone had eaten their fill, they retired to their tents, where everyone soon soundly fell asleep.
Day 2 – August 7, 2013
Day 2 – August 7, 2013
As I slowly woke up and came to my senses, I opened my eyes, only to be briefly blinded by the sunlight streaming through the walls of our tent. Squinting against the harsh light, I quickly blinked my eyes until I was able to see again. Most of the members in my tent were still fast asleep, some even snoring lightly. With a muffled groan, I slowly sat up, wincing as I did so. My shoulders and hips were unbelievably sore from yesterday, and they cried out in protest as I probed my bruised hips. Next to me, I heard another groan, as Kyle rose from his sleeping bag, looking as graceful as a recently reawakened zombie. He even looked like a zombie too, but I was sure that I looked much worse. As he woke up, he gave a slight grimace too, showing that I wasn’t the only one that was sore.
All 4 of us sat in our tent until we fully woke up, then we crawled out and plodded over to the kitchen, where the adults had already started boiling water. After making and eating our morning oatmeal, the troop began to pack up their bags and get ready for the second day. Everyone lounged around with their tents packed and their water bottles filled, until Mr. A gave the order to head out.
Once everyone had filed into a single line, we started off, with my hips protesting with every step I took. However, the longer I walked, the less they started hurting, as if I was slowly getting used to the pain. The first hour or so was relatively easy, just some downhill parts that everyone cruised over. After a while though, we began to climb uphill again, and everyone started to get split up, until I had no one in my sight. While on the trek to the top of Foresters pass, I encountered many other hikers, both young and old, and even another boyscout troop!
Slowly, we went deeper into the lush forests, surrounded by multitudes of plants. The surroundings were incredibly beautiful, but none of us payed any attention to it, because everyone was so preoccupied with the hike. The next few hours became a blend of exhaustion, heat, and a never ending trail to nowhere. Most of us had been hiking for almost three hours, and it was already 1:30, well past our original lunch time. And so, when we rounded a bend and saw Mr. A setting up a lunch spot near the river, most of us collapsed on the rocks from relief.
We ate lunch under the shade of the forest, right next to the river. Mr. A passed out the crackers, which were then loaded with salami, mayo and mustard, and then passed to the main group. We sat there in relative peace, munching on crackers and trying to rest up as much as possible. Compared to yesterday's lunch spot, this place was much quieter, where the cheerfully gurgling river contrasted with yesterday’s baking heat.
After what seemed like several minutes, the order came out to set out again. All of us groaned and slowly slung our packs over our shoulders, with every muscle in the body protesting. Once again, we set off, trotting along the dirt trait towards our destination of the day; Foresters Pass.
The next few hours passed in a blur; it was just putting one foot over the other, again and again. We rarely stopped to rest, and as the day grew older, my legs became heavier and heavier from exhaustion. As we finally passed out of the forest and into a grassy plain, I could see the start of Foresters in the distance, shrouded in fog.
However, after several more minutes of hiking, it became obvious that we would not make it to Foresters within a reasonable time. So the troop decided to camp just at the base of the pass, near a lake. At this point, the sun had gone down, and a sharp breeze had picked up, leaving us all shivering next to the tiny stove, desperate for warmth. After a quick dinner of pasta and soup, the non cleanup people retreated to the tents, where the card games were brought out. Every once in a while, the tent would erupt with accusation and laughter, as I glumly scrubbed the pans, wondering if the food residue was sticking on the pan just to spite me.
When I finished cleanup, it was pitch black outside, and freezing. I literally dove into the tent and got into my sleeping bag in record time, desperately trying to stay warm. After about 30 minutes of shivering, I finally felt warm, and slowly drifted off to sleep, curled into a ball.
Day 3 – August 8, 2013
Day 3 – August 8, 2013
The first thing that I noticed when I woke up, was that the top of our tent was covered in a fine layer of frost. Unfortunately, I sat up a little bit too quickly, sending sheets of ice cascading down onto our sleeping bags, much to the annoyance of the other 3 people in the tent.
It took a lot more motivation than yesterday to get out of the tent, as it was close to freezing outside. But, after about 1 hour after waking up, most of the troop were outside, huddling together and trying to find warmth. Soon, it was discovered that the tents weren't the only thing frozen over; all of our packs were covered with layers of frost and ice as well. To add to the gloomy setting, there was no breakfast, so we were forced to chow down on cereal and half frozen milk that tasted more like water than milk. After the sun finally reached the campsite, everyone lay spread eagled on the rocks, basking in the warmth. It was like a bizarre version of sunbathing, except it was at 12 thousand feet above sea level, and the sun wasn't enough to warm us up.
After breaking down camp, the troop set off for foresters pass. The overall speed and efficiency of the troop had gone up by a lot, and almost everyone had become acclimated to the high altitude by now. Step by step, we climbed higher into the sierras, and the higher we climbed, the thinner the air got. After about an hour of 2 of climbing, everyone was gasping for breath, and could barely go five steps before collapsing on a rock. We slowed down to a snail's pace as the air became so thin, I could barely breathe. For the next hour or two, I struggled through incredibly steep switchbacks, barely breathable air, with cold winds freezing me one second, and the bright sun burning me the next.
By the time I made it to the final stretch, I was exhausted. My legs were shaking with exertion, and panting like a fish out of water. But, seeing the destination revitalized me, even if only by a little, and I reluctantly stood up and began to walk up the steep trail.
It took much too long, but I finally made it to the top, and immediately tossed my pack down and found a rock to sit on, grateful at the rare chance to rest. One by one, the rest of the troop slowly climbed to the top as well, each of them looking as tired as I felt. But even so, I felt pretty proud of myself. Not many people can say that they climbed several thousand feet to the top of a 13000 foot pass, and I think that even less 14 year olds could say that. Gazing out at the endless expanses of green plains and lush lakes, I thought to myself, maybe this view was actually worth the work it took to get there.
The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. After climbing down the pass, the troop stopped by a lake to eat lunch, then proceeded to go cross country and cut straight to our campsite for the night. Hiking cross country allowed us to experience some truly fantastic views. For some reason, getting to the top of foresters invigorated me, and even the last part, an incredibly steep 300 foot pass, did not faze me.
The troop set up camp near a large lake, and began to prepare for dinner. However, two people, Steve and Danny, had somehow gotten lost, and had not found their way into camp. They finally managed to turn up, late into the night and well after dinner was over. Danny was exhausted, and on the verge of being frozen solid, so he was forced to sleep in our tent for the night.
With 5 people in a 3 man tent, I barely had room to sleep on my back, and was forced to sleep on my side. Furthermore, Danny's snoring sounded a bit similar to an elephant's, and kept me awake for a while. However, because I was so exhausted, I fell asleep relatively quickly, my ears filled with earsplitting snores.
Day 4 – August 9, 2013
Day 4 – August 9, 2013
Once again, I was woken up by the blinding sunlight shining through our tent. Thankfully, Danny had stopped snoring, which allowed for a blissful moment of peace, just lying there in the tent with the sunlight streaming through the tent. Thankfully, it was nowhere near as cold as it was yesterday, so I quickly dressed and headed outside for breakfast.
Thankfully, hot water was available today, so we were able to make some oatmeal. As everyone ate, Mr. A explained our plan for today. We were to climb up to Lucy's Footpass, which according to Mr. A was the one of the most difficult pass in the Sierras. From there, we continued to Reflection Lake, where we would set up camp for the night.
Shortly after everyone had eaten their fill and packed up, the troop set out. However, there was one thing left to do before everyone left, which was to jump in the lake. I didn’t do it because I had no intention of getting all wet and cold, and as soon as the small group plunged into the water, I knew I made the right choice. The boys that went in soon burst out of the lake, screaming and reaching for their towels, or just stand in the campsite shivering. Once everyone dried off and the dry scouts stopped laughing at them, we set off for Lucy’s Footpass.
Getting there was the easy part. We hiked across lush green meadows and shallow lakes, occasionally passing by small fields of wildflowers and plants. Slowly, the troop traversed across the beautiful landscape, getting ever closer to the looming pass in the distance.
However, after some time, the landscape began to change in subtle ways, with more rocks and less greenery. The incline also began to grow sharper and steeper, until the troop was almost crawling up the rocks and thick grasses. The group lapsed into silence as we climbed, save for a few grunts and panting, we were so tired. Even though our bodies were acclimated to the Sierras already, climbing up still took a lot of effort and drove all the breath from our lungs.
Minutes passed into hours as we climbed the never ending slopes and rock formations. We would climb over a ridge, only to see another slope, and another slope behind it every time, and I was almost to the point of despair. But finally, as we climbed over yet another ridge, I disappointedly looked up, only to see the final stretch ahead. Despair immediately turned into elation as everyone’s pace quickened, eager to reach the top faster. Finally, everyone managed to reach the top, and just sat there waiting for our next instructions. But just from looking at the path we were supposed to take to get down, I realized that the hardship of the day wasn’t over yet. The descent was an incredibly steep slope, with a very loose surface that would be hard to find footing on. It wouldn’t be too challenging if we didn’t have our packs with us, but since we did, this posed a problem.
I overheard the adults quietly talking amongst themselves, debating whether the troop was ready enough to go down the slope. While they talked amongst themselves, the troop lounged around the rocks, and began to eat lunch.
When lunch was finished, Mr. A called us over to tell us of his decision. He gave us a very Mr. A style pep talk, congratulating us on our progress so far, and how well we’ve done in the hike. He told us of the decision that the adults had reached; we would not be going down Lucy’s Footpass. Instead, we would climb back down, and camp by a lake next to Shepards pass. From there, we would hike all the way down to the parking lot.
The announcement received mixed reception. Many scouts were relieved, but many more of the senior scouts were a bit disappointed to not go down the pass. Once everyone was packed up, we strapped on our packs and walked back towards the way we came.
We had gone about one fourths of the way, when Anthony suggested that we wait for Steve, as his bad leg was really slowing him down. So, I and most of the senior scouts just stayed with Steve as he slowly hiked down the slopes. Along the way, he stopped by several lakes to fish, and even managed to help me and Aniket catch several fish! It definitely was fun experience fishing with Steve.
It took a bit longer than usual, but we finally managed to get Steve to the campsite. After that, we just fell in our tents before dinner, exhausted by today’s events. That night, we were treated to actual rice, with beans, chicken, corn, and other things. I stuffed my face that night, but a lot of other scouts didn’t really eat that much.
Stuffed to the brim, and pleasantly tired, I quickly fell into our tent when the sky grew dark, and spent some time just talking to the other people in our tent, before finally falling asleep.
Day 5 – August 10, 2013
Day 5 – August 10, 2013
The fifth morning began just like all the others did; with me being woken up by the blinding glare of the sun. “We really should’ve gotten a sun blocking rainfly,” I thought irritably to myself as I slowly got up from my sleeping bag. Thanks to yesterday’s dinner, I still felt full, and content with just sitting in the tent. But, seeing how everyone else was getting up and heading out, I reluctantly decided to follow. We just had a normal breakfast of oatmeal, and then broke down camp. Those routines were quickly becoming second nature to everyone in the Sierras, and in no time, the troop was gathered up in a single file line, ready to set off. For today’s hike, we were to hike all the way up Shepards pass and camp just below the other side of the pass at Pothole lake. The sounds of boots tramping along the dirt path filled the air, as we slowly went deeper into the forest. The beams of sunlight shone through the trees, as birds cheerfully sang their songs among the treetops.
After a period of walking, the troop emerged in a lush, grassy meadow, completed by the shallow lake in the middle. Mr. A explained to us what was actually happening; over time, all of the Sierra lakes turned into meadows, as they dried up and grasses filled the lakebed. We were witnessing the process at work, which created a beautiful scene of half lake, half meadow in the middle of the forest.
Not long after, we found a lunch spot, another lake turned into verdant meadow. Happily munching on peanut butter and jelly crackers, we ate until we were full, then prepared to set off again.
Day 6 – August 11, 2013
Day 6 – August 11, 2013
The last day, everyone woke with a smile on their face. (Not literally, since everyone was still freezing and dead tired.) Breakfast was eaten in a rush, as the troop was anxious to get down as soon as possible.
The camp was packed in a rush, and everyone started off in less than one hour after waking up, which was quite an impressive feat. The very first challenge we faced when going down, was the face of the pass. A storm had blown through and dislodged many rocks, leaving the trail perilously steep and unpredictable. It took us a bit of time, but everyone managed to get down from the steep trail. Then, everyone set off for real now, at a pace that was almost akin to running.
Barely 2 to 3 hours had passed, and we had already descended several thousand feet. Then, we ran into the second challenge. Not only had the storm washed out parts of the trail in the beginning, it had completely destroyed a portion of it, carving a deep canal in what used to be the trail. It also impeded our progress by a little, but soon enough, we had found a way past it and were on the trail again.
The third and final challenge presented itself to us after another short while of walking; an uphill climb of 1000 feet. After we climbed to the top, it was all downhill from there. While many people think hiking downhill is extremely easy, it is much harder than it seems. With all the extra weight from the pack, going downhill really hurts your knees and legs. After an hour of pure downhill, my knees were ready to give out at a moment’s notice, and I was extremely grateful when Mr. A called a rest stop. I sat down by the river, drinking in the last Sierra water that I would taste for the year, and sharing what remained of our food, before we started off again.
The last few miles were a blur. Everyone was so excited; they were almost running through the last part of the trail. When we came to a sign that said “John Muir Wilderness,” everyone knew they were close. As the troop rounded the final bend, Nathan, who was the one leading, let out a sudden yell and sprinted towards an unknown destination. Then, as everyone else rounded the bend as well, they too started sprinting. When I finally came around, I saw what everyone was so happy about; the parking lot, standing like an oasis in the middle of the desert. And, just like everyone, I gave a yell and sprinted the last few feet, throwing down the backpack and collapsing on the ground. In the background, I heard the adults making plans to retrieve the cars and head to a pizza place, but it didn’t matter to me. All that mattered, for now, was that I had hiked 60 miles through the Sierra Nevada range. Reflecting on what the entire troop has been through in the past 6 days, I suppose what they say is true. “The journey is its own reward.”
THE END :D
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