June 23, Day 65: 908.6-925.3
Miles Hiked: 16.7
Gratitude of the Day: I’m thankful for growing up in rural Kansas. It was a wonderful place to grow up, lots of friends and activities to keep me busy. I think it makes me appreciate the epic places I’ve been able to see on this trip and elsewhere. Kansas is always home.
Today the lazy crew, me included, woke up at Red Meadows campground and was slow getting out of camp. I woke up with condensation on the inside of my one walled tent, a common occurrence. I did my best to wipe it down with my handkerchief, but didn’t get it all. Then it was coffee and pop tart time. By the time I’d packed and ate and everyone else was ready to go I started hiking out at 8:30am. One of the special places along the PCT is the Devils Postpile National Monument which I got to see today. Just a sheer wall of hexagonal basalt columns, many have broken off the cliff and sit in a pile along the cliff.
Once the detour from the post pile was complete, the trail connected back with the PCT. Today was a chose your own adventure day. Option one, walk the PCT which goes high and follows the crest, a little longer mileage but the percentage of grade of the trail is easier or option two take the JMT alternate that passes multiple alpine lakes is a little shorter but the percentage of grade of the trail is higher. Half the crew took option one and myself, Zippy, Huck and his friend Creckee took option two.
The lakes were amazing. We stopped and enjoyed all of them. Had early morning snack at an unnamed lake with ducks and crazy looking dragonflies. Then it was lunch beside Rosalie Lake, a miles later at Shadow Lake it was a swim and a nap in the sun. After Shadow Lake I followed a beautiful stream with multiple amazing waterfalls and got to cross some really cool log bridges. Then the trail climbed up to 10,000 feet only to crest the pass and see the gorgeous Garnet Lake with its granite islands and spires of mountains in the background. I could have easily camped here for days it was so beautiful. Next up was Ruby Lake which still had snow on its bank followed by Emerald Lake. Last but definitely not least is Thousand Island Lake, where my alternate route of the JMT finally joined back up with the PCT. This is camp tonight. Zippy, Huck, Creckee and myself had dinner lakeside, poor Zippy accidentally dumped half her pasta out trying to drain the water, but like a good thru-hiker she picked up the pasta she could save and continued on with dinner (she also picked up the dirty pasta to carry out).
Once camp was set up, we played alpine boche ball that Huck has been carrying, definitely lots of fun. Tonight it’s a full moon.
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