June 8th
In the morning we cross Olancha Saddle and our entry to high Sierra is complete. It’s not only the elevation, over 10,000ft, but the trees, granite, and trail tread all cry “Sierra”. We are finally home in the mountains.
We leap frog throughout the day with Strut, but see no other hikers, having found a “bubble” between groups providing some solitude. The trail follows the crest over a series of high ridges and saddles, at times very exposed to the cold winds blowing in. On one of these ridges, at 11,000 feet our highest trail yet, we find our first patch of Sierra snow, only a few feet wide and deep. We get occasional glimpses of Mt Langley, the most southern of the 14,000-foot peaks. Portals in the ridges provide stunning views of Owens lake, dry and colored with white and red sands.
The cold has left us looking for sun during breaks, where only a few days earlier we had sought out shade.
At Trail Pass we leave the PCT and hike 2.5 miles down to Horseshoe Meadows to meet up with our friends from Phoenix: Bruce, Mike and Jill. They have brought groceries and supplies for our next segment for the Sierras. They have also brought beer and we have a brief “toast to the trail” and chat awhile.
Strut meets her dad and his friend and they camp nearby. The cold front has settled in and while the Carrot and I cook dinner everyone else settles into their tents.
