Mark’s Photos #16

John and I had detoured off the PCT to walk out via Kearsarge Pass, a 7.5-mile and 2,300-foot climb from the trail. We did this to pick up supplies in the tiny town of Independence, CA. After a day off, we turned around and hiked the 7.5 miles and a 2,600-foot climb out of Independence to the pass and back to the PCT. From the trail, it was 1,200 more feet of climbing up the south side of the pass on a patchy snow and dirt trail to the top of 11,986-foot Glen Pass. The north side of the pass was a scary steep snow field. Dropping away over 600 feet to the rocky Rae Lake complex below. The only way forward was down, so we started our descent. In mid-summer, the snow would be gone, and the switchback trail would be an easy 20-minute way down. But at the end of May, we were stuck kicking steps in the snow of this edgy slope one at a time. Kick, kick, kick, test the snow would hold, ease down, repeat, knowing that if you slip it is all over. It took well over two nerve-racking hours to carefully descend what would have been one mile of trail. We had lunch at the lakes, then hiked 11 more miles along the valley to get in position to do it all again and climb over Pinchot Pass the next day.