I said my goodbyes to Idyllwild around 11:30. Decided my pack wasn't heavy enough so I stopped by the library on my way out of town and bought a copy of Undaunted Courage, a book about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The hike out of town was a pain. Three miles of road walking uphill, then 2.5 on slushy trail just yo get back to the PCT. Once there, I had already gone about 2400 feet up in 5.5 miles. I was exhausted. I managed to tack on another 2 miles and 1000 feet of elevation gain before my body gave out.
Mostly the trail was good, though each step meant sinking 6 to 8 inches into the snow and then stepping out almost twice as high to place my next step. The effect is like doing a stair stepper machine with a newly loaded pack up 3400 feet. I've never been so tired. I almost stopped to camp in the snow under a rock overhang. The trail had disappeared, and I didn't think I could go any further. I rested a bit and then something told me to make one final push to the top of the ridge. I came out after much struggle at 9100 feet elevation, and found myself in a large circle of granite boulders. In the center, thankfully, there was a patch of gravel about 3 feet by 6 feet.
All I wanted yo do was sit, but at this elevation the night could be frosty, so I set about gathering firewood. The idea is to have a bonfire in the center of the clear spot, not for the heat of the flames themselves, but for a few reasons. First, despite the clearing, the ground is wet and will freeze as night falls. So I'm hoping the fire will dry out the ground. Also, the fire should heat the surrounding boulders, which I hope will radiate back some heat throughout the night. The fire will also expand the clear area, and the coals can be buried after to heat the ground. After an hour or so I see the ground is drying and the dry patch expanding, we'll see about the rest tonight. I had to use some pages out of my book to start the fire, which I didn't like doing, but at least it lightens my pack and serves a good purpose.
There is only one ridgeline higher than me at the moment, so the sunset was spectacular. However, moving around at this elevation takes its toll, so I'm trying to enjoy it from camp. I have a picture looking south from earlier, as well as a picture from my campsite and of my campsite.
I think I'll stay here tomorrow and let some more snow melt. I can also use the rest to acclimate and eat through some pack weight.
