So the rest of this week I was planning to go from Kennedy Meadows at mile 702 to Cottonwood Pass at mile 750 and then side trail to Horseshoe Meadows where Lenora could pick me up. This was exactly a repeat of one of my training walks but if you remember that training walk did not turn out so good. On the training walk I only make 9 miles the first day and then 11 miles the second day and then turned around when I realized I did not have enough time to get to Cottonwood Pass. I was a little concerned if I was going to repeat that effort and not be able to make it to Horseshoe Meadows by Sunday (4 full days of hiking). That concern was dispelled today as I basically hiked as far today and I had in 2 days during the training walk. I’m guessing I can attribute this to 3 things…. 1) There are about 35 pounds less of me this time. 2) I have had 702 miles of getting ready for this. and 3) especially the miles from 650 to 702 which were steep, high, and hot prepared me for the elevation change.

Here is a sign at the start of what is considered the start of the High Sierra’s.

At mile 706 the trail crosses the South Fork of the Kern River for the first time. There is a nice bridge across the river and here is a picture of the bridge and a picture of the stream below where I did stop and get water. I had reduced the amount of water that I could carry to 3 liters because at this point I still believed the HYPE that there is water everywhere.

The next water was suppose to be at the second crossing of the Kern River at mile 716 but I was able to get water at the same spot I did in my training walk. The spot hidden down from the trail that the birds led me to during my training hike at about mile 711. All during the day a new hiker “Tent Talker” and I had been crossing paths. On different rest schedules we would pass each other while the other was resting. She said she was going slower than normal because she had 12 days worth of food. I on the other hand had only 5 days worth of food and my pack was actually lighter than it had been at any time during the trail. I did not see how anyone could get 12 days of food in a bear canister as mine was full with just 5 days. She admitted that not all her food was in a bear canister but would be by the time she got to where the bear canister was actually necessary. So anyway, the reason why we kept seeing each other is that she was weighted down more than normal and I was lighter :). When I got to the second crossing of the Kern River there were 5 other hikers there that looked like they were settled in. They were going to camp right there by the water because the next sure water was 14 miles away. Everyone really believed that the water worries were over at Kennedy Meadows and so had scaled back on the water containers they carried. Everyone was a little upset that it just was not true that there was water everywhere. Apparently the “water everywhere” does not happen until you pass over Cottonwood Pass. We could have figured this out with a little effort. One clue is that the PCT water reports continue until Cottonwood Pass and then stop. No need for a water report when there is water everywhere!! So in another 30 miles things will be as expected with respect to water. I decide to move on and hike another 3 miles before setting up camp. A little later “Tent Talker” comes by and decides to camp in the same general area. I listen for awhile but never hear her talking to her tent.. Later I find out that she got her name because she would frequently get into her tent and then start a conversation with someone outside the tent.

Lenora’s Note:
After dropping Don at Kennedy Meadows I head down the mountain. It is a long drive back to Lone Pine but I realize that we are running out of days in this area and I’ve been working on my stitching projects to the exclusion of any other pleasures so I decide that this is the day to explore the lava flow waterfall. I do not know if there will be water but the lava rock is beautiful from the road and last year I feared it was too hot to leave the cats in the car while I went for a little hike. Today with no cats I am free to explore. The real name of this area is Fossil Falls and there are no longer any falls, in fact the river bed is totally dry and has been for a very long time. What is fascinating is what the water was able to do to the tough lava rock when the river still ran and the falls crashed toward the river bed below. The photos do not do the area justice, as is often the case, and I rediscovered some of my rock climbing abilities as I clambered over the rocks looking for a better angle. I never did find the famed “fossils” of Fossil Falls but I saw some beautiful lava formations and the best were the ones carved by the water of the long gone river. This is truly a spot too good to visit by yourself as I kept wanting to call out to someone, “Come here and see this! Do you think we could climb all the way to the bottom?” But discretion prevailed and I prudently if reluctantly made my way over to view the campground before heading back to the car. The signs at the falls seem to promise some “rock art” in the form of petroglyphs but I never saw any of those either. It is now about noon and very hot and I suddenly feel the call of an uncompleted stitching project and so head back to the hotel.