Some days on trail really stand out for one reason or another. Day 25 was one of those days that stood out due to amazing views in the Sierras and a sense of accomplishment in summiting Forester Pass, as well as some wonderful fishing in multiple settings that were straight out of a post card. Also, my body was feeling good and strong. I could tell that I was finally getting my “trail legs” and was able to much better handle the altitude due to my acclimation – especially since I had done Whitney two days before.

The previous day had been an easy 11 mile hike from Mt. Whitney to the approach to Forester Pass. I was camped up in the high tundra at 11,900 feet right next to a stream bringing snow melt to some holding lakes that then spilled into Tyndall Creek. Camping at this spot made it so I only had two and a half miles to the top of Forester Pass the next morning – the highest point on the actual PCT at 13,200 feet.

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I was awakened in the morning by loud, obnoxious bleating chatter from what seemed like it must be a young goat kid right next to my tent. I poked my head out of the tent to see what this monster was and after straining my eyes scanning the surrounding rocks, I saw two hamster-sized, cute little gray critters who were yelling up a storm. It turned out they were American Pikas and apparently they are known for their loud, bleating call coming from their tiny little bodies.

I started up Forester Pass around 7:00 am. It was a beautiful, crisp, blue day with mild temperatures and I was making good time on the rocky trail to the approach to the pass. I could see some moving specks up near the top of the pass and could tell there was a group that was summiting northbound, and then I saw one lone hiker coming down the pass southbound towards me. In just a few minutes that hiker was down the switchbacks and to my location where we chatted for a couple minutes. He was a John Muir Trail (JMT) hiker. He said the south side of the pass was easy with only a 50 foot traverse across the hard pack snow in the chute and then there were snow fields on the north side that were more of a challenge and that I would probably want to use traction devices (microspikes) for that section.

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So I put on my 80s rock playlist (what I use to motivate me up the climbs) and started up the switchbacks. I was on guard the whole time for possible rock slides because a week prior a group of 10 hikers had narrowly escaped a rock slide on their climb up the pass. Things were uneventful for me and it took about 30 minutes to get to the top.

The switchbacks weren’t too difficult and I felt like the hike up Whitney had really prepared me for hiking at altitude. There was an easy section of snow to traverse in the chute and I just carefully stepped in the hardened footprints established in that 50 foot section of snow in the chute.

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Once up at the top, the views looking both to the south from where I had come from and then to the north where I was about to traverse were incredible. The shades of blues of the high altitude lakes gathering the snow melt from the bowls were absolutely stunning.

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Prior to the trip down the north side, I had to put on my microspikes which are traction devices for my shoes. I had learned that the key to crossing the passes in the high Sierra was to do the summiting in the morning when the snow is still cold and firm. Often when contending with snow fields in the afternoon after the sun has heated up the snow, one has to contend with soft, slushy snow and runs the risk of post holing in the snow or slipping downhill.

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During the descent down the north side of Forester I took my time and had to follow the footprints going across the snow field which didn’t even match where the actual trail was. I also did a lot of rock-hopping until I was eventually able to regain the trail once I was mostly below the snow line.

From there I hiked past several turquoise blue alpine lakes which appeared to be the initial repositories of the snow melt coming straight off the high altitude snow fields. As I continued down I started crossing many creeks and streams that eventually fed into Bubbs Creek.

I stopped for lunch near a flat, slow-moving section of Bubbs Creek and had my usual lunch meal of a salami and cheddar tortilla wrap before getting out my Tenkara rod and fishing for golden trout in the creek. The fishing was good and I caught a bunch on caddis and mosquito patterns on the surface.

After getting my stream fishing fix, I continued the northward hike along Bubbs Creek before making a steep climb at the end of the day to an exit trail that led to Kearsarge Pass where I would be leaving the trail the next day to do a resupply run and zero day in Bishop, California.

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I camped at a beautiful campsite overlooking Kearsarge Lakes and the sunset light show on the lake and surrounding peaks was amazing. I set up camp, made my dinner and then did some fishing on the lake for the many brook trout which were rising to emerging midges. Surface fly patterns such as Griffith gnats, mosquitoes and parachute Adams did the trick and rang the dinner bell for them. I love fishing for these backcountry trout because they are not heavily fished for and so they’re eager to go after almost any fly pattern.

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It had been a wonderful day. The summit of Forester Pass had not been too difficult due to the low snow year and the views were incredible – and I got to appreciate them all by myself in peaceful solitude since no one else was up on the pass at the same time. The views and fishing along Bubbs Creek were incredible and then I was able to top it all off with a post card-worthy camp spot at the end of the day overlooking Kearsarge Lakes and the surrounding peaks – and I finished it off with some great brookie fishing at the end of the night. I went to sleep satisfied knowing that I would have a light backpack the next day (nearly all of my food was gone) and I would be heading into Bishop, California for food, rest and a well deserved zero day.

Trail Facts:

• Trail miles walked – 334
• Current PCT mileage marker – 788
• Current Audiobooks – Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance; Tribe by Sebastian Junger; Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
• Additional PCT Thru-Hikers I’ve met – Rooster
• Additional wildlife seen – American Pika (In case you’re wondering how I have been identifying wildlife, I purchased the series of National Wildlife Federation wildlife guide apps for my iPhone)