5/25 – Day 48 – Pinchot Pass
I slept fantastic, and got up at 7 am to find everything covered in ice. I made a large coffee that I drank as I packed. I could not dry all the stuff now as it was cold, so I headed out from Rae Lakes (saw lots of fish) for about 6.5 miles to where the South and North forks of Woods Creek meet. I stopped just before the suspension bridge crossed the river-like creek. I washed my socks and underwear and dried out my gear. I made another great breakfast burrito; it was a long break for me. I headed across the wobbly suspension bridge and up toward Pinchot Pass, 7.7 miles. This was the same trail Dad and I had hiked on our attempted Kings Canyon to Yosemite hike in 1977 or 1979. It was very hard uphill with little shade. I saw a snake eating a mouse. I passed Twin Lakes, the place Dad and I had camped before turning back because of my altitude sickness. Twin Lakes are at 10,500 ft, and the pass is 12,000 ft. I pushed on and was caught by another PCT hiker, Whitney Houston. He hiked fast, and I attempted to keep up. There was a lot of snow, and I made the pass at 4:45 pm, 15 minutes earlier than my prediction. Then I trekked downhill for about 4 miles to South Fork Kings River, where I camped. I made a fire to dry my socks. For dinner, I enjoyed great homemade spaghetti, ramen, and warm strawberry milkshake for dessert. I hiked a little over 18 miles today; I have covered a total of 811 miles of the PCT.