Elizabeth Pass

Elizabeth Pass or Bust

Another great backpacking trip with Jamie has come to a close.  This trip took us from Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park around Twin lakes, Ranger Lake, Seville Lake,Roaring River, up Deadman Canyon and down Elizabeth Pass.  That’s where despite the “heavenly” environment the hell can be. 

     
Let me start by stating that the journey began for Jamie from Kansas to California and  she had one problem after another with flights.  The great worry was whether her backpack would even make it to Fresno with her switched upgraded seats, delays and canceled flights were only the beginning of drama.  She finally arrived about 16-17 hours later with her bag, thank god.

I had booked shuttle transit from the airport to Kings Canyon via the Big Trees Transit where according to the website, “Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks — two of the world’s most breathtaking outdoor destinations — right in our own backyard. So why don’t you visit more often? Big Trees Transit is now here to make your next adventure much more convenient. For just $15 round-trip, we’ll take you directly to Grant Grove Village inside Kings Canyon National Park. The fare includes your entry fee to the parks and unlimited internal shuttle service to a number of awe-inspiring destinations.”

I highlighted the phrase “two of the world’s most breathtaking outdoor destinations" and Parks in red for a reason.  Pay attention here.  Parks is not Park’s its parks as in plural as was the use of the word two.  Last time I checked two means more than one and parks is plural, meaning more than one.

The oddity of this journey begins here.

If one goes to the FAQ section of their site it also answers the question about internal shuttle within the park and that it’s available free.  Just to be sure, I contacted the office and spoke with the supervisor who also indicated that we could get from Kings Canyon to Sequoia. 

THIS IS NOT THE CASE AT ALL.  Do not take the Big Trees transit if you have any intentions of trying to get to Sequoia. Despite that the parks (plural) share a border and share an intersection on the highway, they do not share or allow for any kind of transfer to the other side.  Sequoia must be accessed by riding the Sequoia Shuttle.  This shuttle runs out of Visalia and Three Rivers only.  It’s very disappointing that despite both of these shuttles entering the same gate to the parks (plural) they do not stop there and allow for transfer to the other system.  We painfully found out this is symbolic of the rest of our government, divided.

We arrived at Grant Grove visitor center around 9:30-10 and found out there was no connection to the other park. Complete with backpacks and heat we started walking/hitchhiking towards our destination.  Concrete backpacking was not what we had in mind.  We marched on for about 6 miles before a very nice German couple gave us a lift.  I am forever grateful to them. They were true trail angels.

      Due to the lateness of our arrival to pick up our permit at Lodgepole in Sequoia we chose to spend the night in the campground and head out early in the morning.  One day of backcountry hiking lost.

We passed on camping at Twin Lakes due to the crowds.  I had heard from a father/son pair making their way out as we were going up that they had a loud group of five who camped right in their campsite with them and kept them up all evening.  I guess the group didn’t know they had left Lodgepole campground. It was either that or they were scared and wanted the closeness of others.  We opted for one of the lakes further on the trail,Ranger Lake,  and found peace and quiet.

My Steripen finally met its 7600 uses lifespan and died the first night. Usually I carry a few backup tablets for water sterilization, however, this one trip decided not to take them since the bottle has never been needed. I love the Steripen, it has never failed me until now.  Thank god Jamie had Aquamir and plenty of it. 

On the second night of our trip, at Seville Lake,  the zipper on my Big Agnes tent decided it had enough life span also and there was no way to keep mosquitos and bees other than keeping the fly zipped up.  I think all my gear is trying to tell me it’s time for retirement, like me.  Most of it is 5-7 yrs. old and has been a thousand miles or more.  I start dreaming of what I will replace them with.  Can my gear get lighter?  

The trail from our chosen lake to the Roaring River Ranger Station was easy and we made great time despite the mileage.  We followed bear and large cat prints most of the way and passed great campsites some with bear boxes. The views in this area are not photogenic but it’s a very nice wooded trail with subtle variations in elevation.  It made for a very nice day.  

  
There are three bear boxes there according to the camp map at the ranger station and after the storm subsided we set about finding the other two.

One of the boxes is on a bluff on the opposite side of the foot bridge and sits far above the water and away from the ranger station past the Historic cabin. It appears to be used primarily for pack crews and was not ideal in any way for backpackers.  The other box was found in the opposite direction about the same distance from the ranger station on the same side of the river as we were camped and was occupied by what appeared to be trail crew.  If this isn’t occupied it would make a fantastic campsite for the evening.

If you do not need a bear box for food storage, there are some small areas for camping along the river however, due to the rocky nature of the area those spots are scattered and far between.

I can safely say nothing broke down here and nothing was “lost”.  It was only shortly after this camp that things take yet another turn.

The next morning we hiked up Deadman Canyon to a ranger camp a few miles past the grave of Alfred Moniere, a sheepherder who died in 1887 from either illness or according to some accounts murder. 

The camp was nicely situated off the trail in some trees and near the river.  We watched a group of about 20 march on up the canyon just in time for another rainstorm.  This was the only camp we stayed at that didn’t have a Bear Box available, however, there was no difficulty in hanging food appropriately in the trees.

We exited our camp about 5:30 in the AM the next morning trying to beat the heat to the top of the pass. Due to the difference in our hiking speeds, I made it to the crest before Jamie and just in time to meet up with the group of 20 who had spent the evening among the rocks at the base of the pass.  The group was a high school class on an adventure before the school season began.  This group was and their guardians were some of the nicest people I have met on trail. I left them at the top while they were taking break.  It was pleasure encountering them and sharing a bit of the adventure that followed with them.

Elizabeth Pass is a very visible trail up to the top and shortly down the back side if going the direction we were headed.  The problem is that the trail disappeared in the bowl below before the major drop off /switchbacks.  The trail vanishes and the cairns that were in place must have been laid by someone trying to mark the way up for someone in their party to follow because they led me astray completely. 

After spending over 2 hours in the heat zigzagging back and forth in the bowl attempting to locate some sign of a real trail (not just one person’s tracks) I spotted the group of 20 again, completely on the other side of the bowl also trying to find the true trail.  We met near the middle and spent about an hour comparing maps/gps and scouring the edges of where we had each been to find the location of the path.  Feat accomplished.  Afterwords, one of the guardians advised he would go back up and fix the cairn issue and mark the path better. Truly an amazing person. 

Unfortunately due to heat and my waterproof boots, blisters were starting to form in the boots I had to purchase for this trip due to my broken foot.  I had been drafting a raving review in my head the whole trip until this.  The blisters made the next 7 miles horrible despite how beautiful it was. 

To top it off, I lost my glasses somewhere in the bowl and couldn’t read a map/gps without them. Frustrating as it was, it was something I could live without once i reached where the High Sierra Trail meets the Elizabeth Pass Trail. It was familiar from another adventure Jamie and I had.

After passing Bearpaw Meadow,  camp was made at Buck River.  Water is a bit of a distance below the small camp area that only holds about 3-4 small tents and a bear box.  

No sooner than I had put my food in the box and went for a swim to cool off did a mama bear and two very tiny babies come trotting behind me heading up the same river.  It was a second of “Oh #$@*&! In my head before I realized she wasn’t going for the same little swimming hole as I was sitting in. The babies were adorable different colors. They were just bouncing down the pat., I was just thrilled to see them and have an opportunity to watch them march up the river in search of fish. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me.

Jamie came into camp a couple of hours behind me and we commiserated over the condition of the miles we just completed.  She had my glasses.  Apparently one of the kids in the party of 20 had found them and gave them to her. Great kid. Unfortunately, she lost her map somewhere along her route.  Not that she needed it, but it was something we both enjoyed looking over and using it to dream of other routes.

Blisters are horrible when you have an 11 mile day ahead of you.  They were all over my feet and I don’t usually get them at all.  Putting on boots was not something I was looking forward to at all.  It was then I realized my prized possession, my GPS, was missing!  Gone.  I had seen it when I reached 1/4 mile before Buck creek, but it was no longer clipped to my pack and no longer in the side pocket it has always been in.  This has been my history book of sorts. I have been marking important waypoints along our route. There were many other trips logged in there as well as some anomalies I have come across on other journey’s. 

Real frustration set in.  I know I had been suffering from advanced heat stroke when I finally reached camp and that this played a huge part in why I couldn’t read the map and GPS correctly coming out of Elizabeth pass. It’s a valuable lesson.  Dizziness, cramping, nausea and confusion are not good and I know better.  Foolish me.  Now I was without my GPS because I probably didn’t clip it in as I have always done in the past. I gained my glasses and lost my GPS.

Larry, from the Running Warehouse (my favorite shoe store) just happened to camp next to us late that evening and I had hoped he might come up on my device after we left in the AM as he was headed in the opposite direction.  It had to be divine intervention what were the odds of his being right there and being so nice and friendly.  After some pleasant conversation. Jamie exchanged number and we decided to complete our journey a day early and camp once again in Lodgepole campground, a shower sounded really nice.

We made the push to Lodgepole , eating blue berries along the way, sorry mams bear, and arrived in the Crampground (it’s not misspelled), around 1:00, showered, washed clothes and ate pizza and had a fine time watching all the human entertainment. Exiting the campground we came upon a whole pile of discarded new gear left by a dumpster. The find of the century! It made it home with us.  We actually came home with more than we left with.

 It wasn’t until we made it back to my house and we unpacked everything to be cleaned that I discovered my glasses that I once again lost (the night before)and my GPS! Both were in the lining of a gear bag I had. The GPS was still on and glowing and had been in my tent the night before without my noticing it.  Unbelievable! I wasn't sure if I should feel lucky or stupid. Thats how this whole trip went, lost and found, heaven and hell...... I wonder where Jamie’s Map went to?

Jamie exiting Buck Creek 

Sunlinq solar charger

The backpacking trip is 4 days away. It will be the most I’ve walked since breaking my foot in June.  The going will be slower than my usual 4-5 miles an hour but perhaps there is a more divine reason I have found myself in this predicament.  There were 5 one week trips scheduled for this summer, all solo, and had to give up all journeys but this one.  Ironically,  this one is on the least traveled trail per SEKI (Sequoia Kings Canyon) personnel and that this is the one my friend, Jamie planned to  trek with me.   My hope was to write a specialized book this summer however will have to now wait to complete it until next year. 

As usual, my backpack has been repacked several times and each time more is eliminated..  Food is now on the radar.  Is it all really necessary?  Experience has shown me that less is consumed than expected.  The first 24-48 hours is normal however after that consumption seems to decline.  To quote my mother, “my eyes are bigger than my stomach”.  I have reduced my pack to a weight of 28 pounds including food one week of food.  My luxury items are my iPod, loaded with audiobooks, folding solar panel and my digital dictation machine.  The dictation device is necessary to my completing a novel that has been spinning around my head for two years and is now half drafted.

To charge up my headlamp and IPod, the Sunlinq 6.5 watt folding solar charger has been my close companion for the last five years and has performed excellent each year.  I can’t say enough about this unit. The unit I have been hauling around has probably charged items for over 1000 hours and  has taken abuse both in and out of the pack and is only beginning to show some signs of damage to some of the panels. It weighs 10.5oz and can be purchased for about $80.00.  For that you get a 12V vehicle power plug, 12V power outlet, 18" battery clamps, 4" barrel connector and an 8' extension cable.   Items can be powered items directly off the device or to a power pack, usually only taking a few hours to do so. For the weight this is a must have if you have items that need recharging.

Gotta love the power of the sun

ASICS Trail Shoe Review

As promised a trail running shoe review on to pair of two ASICS trail models. First this must be prefaced by explaining a few things. I’m in no way sponsored by any brand and run between 50 and 75 miles a week. About 70% of that is on trails.  Prior to my recent injury, would race about every 6-8 weeks in varied terrains and everything from 5-50k and working towards a 50 miler when sidelined.

I am the proud owner of probably 30 pair of trail running shoes.  Don’t tell my husband. I’ve been purchasing them in two or three different colors so he can’t tell the how many there actually are. Although, last week he was seen staring at the shoe rack.  He could be on to me. Hey, they each do something different.

There are some for moderate distance road, long distance road, road racing and speed work. Then there are the trail shoes. There are some for short, moderate and long distance and there are some for short non-technical, moderate non-technical, long non-technical and then we come to the technical models, you get the idea here. It can be compared to the 100 fishing rods and 15 pairs of skis my husband has.  I run in Hoka, Altra, and Salomon primarily, however, have run in New Balance, Saucony and ASICS in the past.

I have been in search of a light terrain trail shoe for everyday use  on the 4 mile mountain trail behind my house that has no technical qualities about it at all. The purchase of a pair of ASICS Fuji Trabuco 4 neutral shoe was a whim. Due to many years of figure skating, rock climbing, and trail running, there is severe arthritis in both my first metatarsophalangeal joints.  Often times, shoes are difficult to fit because the overlays and eyelets on most models usually land right on that joint, causing pain when the foot flexes as it moves forward. I have been in search of an everyday shoe whose design alleviates the pressure to the big toe area. 

ASICS Fuji Trabuco 4

The Fuji Trabuco 4 comes very close.  This particular model is lightweight, has gel cushioning and the lacing does not seem to bother my toes nearly as much as some shoes.The toe box is wider and it breathes very well and has a reasonable grip for moderate technical terrain. This particular shoe I have trained in and run a race of moderate technicality. The grip was good for rocks, branches and uneven loose terrain. I purchased a half size larger than my regular shoe and the fit is perfect.The stack height is 28 inches and for approximately $90, it is a good all around every day shoe. This particular model has a garage for laces. Now i just need a garage for all my shoes.

ASICS Gel Venture Five

The next shoe purchased was just a few weeks after the previous model, it is the ASICS Gel Venture Five.  The purchase was only because due to needing something with more stability side to side, having just come out of my walking cast from breaking my fifth metatarsal.  The podiatrist advised to wear stable athletic shoes and avoid shoes that could potentially cause my ankle to roll and I found an excuse for another purchase.

The Gel Venture runs for approximately $60 and are quite different than the Fuji Trabuco 4 in that they have considerably more side to side stability.  As you can see by the photo, there is additional overlay striping. The overlays are less flexible than the Fuji Trabuco 4 and add to the support. Additionally, they are a little bit narrower in the toe box, providing for more more stability.

Having been prevented from running for the last few weeks, I do not know what the quality of traction actually is.  The out sole feels as though it has very good grip for moderate technical trails. They are very comfortable and have a less flexible mid and out sole than the other model, making them ideal for a person recovering from an injury, such as mine or someone desiring a more stable ride. Currently I have been wearing these shoes seven hours every day around the house, yard, and running errands. They cause no pain to the first metatarsophalangeal joints and the foot feels feel well protected. Once they have been tested an, update will be posted.

There is a new pair of Altra Lonepeak 2.5 In a box that haven’t been able to be unboxed yet. 

Looking towards the day I can run again.

Preparing for a Journey

Having a broken foot means you have a lot of time to sit. And I’ve had just that. I’ve gone through a lot of old photos and began writing a novel and am half way along with a rough draft.  I’ve cleaned my house, several times, much to the amazement of those around me and sorted through a lot of belongings and gotten rid of them, including an old truck.

Now,  going through a lot of old photographs from backpacking trips over the last few years, some of which have included a dear friend of mine, I find time to reflect on Jamie. We intersected when I was doing the John Muir trail a few years ago and she was doing the Pacific Crest Trail. We leap frogged for a few days and met up at Vermillion Valley Resort, and subsequently hiked a few more days together until parting ways. We quickly became friends and hiking partners. We have done Tahoe to Yosemite together and a couple years ago we did the High Sierra Trail together.

 Even though we hike at totally different speeds, we always met up at the end and enjoy camp together,We compare photographs and trail notes, sharing stories of the people we met, things we saw, and some of the things we didn’t see along with a hearty meal.

We are preparing for yet another adventure. Kings Canyon National Park to launch in a few weeks, my foot still in recovery, definately will be moving a lot slower than usual which is okay. Jamie thinks I’ll still beat her to camp, Its doubtful and it’s okay.  This is not a race. Jamie is flying in from out of state to do this and we are sure to have a grand time together. Going through my gear contemplating what to take and what not to take, I want this to be one of the lightest trips I’ve done. It needs to be. I will be slow moving with the injured foot and looking forward to every minute of it. Cant wait to share another journey with her.

 I purchased a new pair of light weight ankle high boots for this trip because my doctor wants my ankle protected from rolling over and causing further injury to my fifth metatarsal. the selection was the Keen Logan mid-WP boot at REI yesterday and had to order it in my size. It was on sale for $127. A complete review of this boot will be posted when I return. Usually I backpack in Salomon trail runners, however, that’s not going to be sufficient for this trip. There will also be a review of two separate pair of Asics trail running shoes that I have been wearing nonstop since came out of my walking cast. I have become quite fond of each model for different reasons and look forward to being able to actually run in them.

Counting down to another epic Journey, the days can’t pass fast enough.