May 25 Zero in Lone Pine

Sorry to bombard you with so many posts at once but it is the first time I have had Internet service since Tehachapi. This will be the last posting until I reach Independence in 4 or 5 days.


Yesterday after we checked into the Lone Pine Whitney Portal Hostel, and got cleaned up, then, you guessed it--we went out for Pizza.



On the way we saw Nick talking to a family of hikers. Mom, dad, and 2 children are section hiking the PCT. The youngest is 9 and he hiked 17 miles recently! They jumped ahead as the desert was getting too hot.
Nick decided to break up his hike too and come in to Lone Pine. A few other hikers were here already. It was unseasonably hot and everyone was itching to get back into the mountains. Lone Pine is a great town as everything is very close- perfect if you have no wheels. Everyone knows hikers love to hike but hate to walk on roads and in towns.
After dinner I did my laundry, checked out the sporting goods store and purchased my ice axe and snow baskets for my trekking poles.



My New Ice Axe

My resupply box had not arrived to the Hostel and they said it was probably still at the post office since they only pick up the mail once a week. The plan was to leave in the morning. We had already arranged our ride. Before going to sleep I called home and Mark read me the forecast for Forester Pass for the next 72 hours. A 70% chance of snow, wind gusts to 70 mph and temperatures in the teens. By Monday the cold front will be through, temperatures will be warm and winds will die down. By morning I had changed my mind and decided to stay behind and head out myself on Saturday. It will take me 2 days to reach Forester Pass. This pass is the highest on the PCT, over 13,000'. Then I will go through Kearsarge Pass, hike into Onion Valley then try to hitch the 13 miles into Independence. Eagle Eye is anxious to get the first pass behind him and left this morning with the others. I have arranged a ride for tomorrow morning. I am so glad I chose to stay behind as the temperature dropped this afternoon and the wind has been blowing very strong all day. Temperature here is in the 40's now which means it will be in the 20's at Horseshoe Meadow. Better to be here than trying to pitch a tent in this wind and cold. Also I got a lot done here today. I ate flapjacks at the famous Alabama Cafe, shopped for food for the next 4 days, ate, had my hair cut, ate, bought some foam to add to my pack hip belt and rigged it up to add padding around my hip bones. Since I lost weight the hip belt is too big and the pack slides down putting added weight on my shoulders and my hips are bruised. I mailed a box of unnecessary items forward, ate, went back to the sporting goods store and they put my trekking pole baskets on and showed me how to use my ice axe, ate, did my laundry, reviewed my maps and my strategy, packed and did I mention I ate?







Practicing in the mirror with my ice axe while trying to take a picture for you and keep from injuring myself.







Nice Haircut! My best side of course.

Heart