8/9/17: Bullfrog Lake Junction to Bishop via Kearsarge Pass

We did not sleep very well last night at all but we were so excited to get to town and to be done with our flip and the Sierras that we didn’t care. We woke up at our usual time of 6AM and packed up. We met the guy we camped next to and apologized for coming in late last night and making noise. He didn’t seem to mind at all and in fact was excited to almost be done with his JMT hike himself. He had a fall on his hike and broke his hand but was continuing on even with a hand in a cast! After chatting briefly we said our goodbyes and set off for our 8 miles to town. 

We have been excited to hike this 8 mile side trail over Kearsarge Pass for a while now. The reason for our excitement besides the fact it means we are done our flip is that this is the only section of the Sierra that we will have seen both in June and in August. Thus it will be our only opportunity to firsthand experience the difference in conditions and truly know just how much the snow and water levels have changed over the last month and a half. 

Although we already are aware that our experiences in the Sierra stand in stark contrast to those who went through a month earlier, this section we hiked today really made that sink in. I vividly remember hiking this side trail back in June after falling through a snow bridge in the frigid river at 5AM. The entire section was snow covered and we moved so slowly as we had to be constantly checking our phones to see where the trail was and which way to go. It was so cold and also exhausting walking through the snow, and even once we reached the top of the pass it was slow going as we had to cross steep fields of snow and walk carefully so as not to fall down the steep slope. 

This morning was so different. There was no snow in sight! It was all dry trail that we were able to easily follow and walk our normal pace. We walked alongside Bullfrog Lake, which was serene and reflecting the surrounding mountains, but only a month and a half before was frozen over and snow covered. As we walked we recounted where we must have deviated from the actual trail months before and remembered where we took breaks and ran into other hikers. 

We began climbing up to the top of the pass and climbing switchbacks and as we did I grew more and more excited. This was our last pass in the Sierras, the final marker of our southbound flip. We finally trudged our way up to the sign marking the top of the pass and we touched the sign at the same time. I couldn’t help but tear up a little from my excitement and feeling of relief and pride at being done this section. We high fived and took some photos and then set off downhill with town (and food) on our mind. 

What was once a steep snowfield was now just dirt and actual trail. We flew down the trail, propelled by our excitement. We had a good time listening to some music on the way down and even met some hikers that knew of us from Carly!! WhiteWalker and Muffin Teaks. It was great chatting with them and we told them to tell Carly we say hi again! We made great time on the downhill, partially now motivated by the need to use the outhouse in the trailhead parking lot. Finally we made it down to the parking lot, used the bathroom, and started looking for a ride. 

What a different scene! The parking lot had been empty when we were here before, as the road was closed for the last half mile due to potential for flooding. This morning though it was full of cars of people out hiking. We had to wait about an hour until someone was finally leaving. A nice couple from Canada, Russ and Valerie, drove us down to the main highway where we then hitched north to bishop and got a ride in a Hummer with Craig for the last leg. We had him drop us off at the brewery in town where we pigged out on burgers and fries. 

We spent the rest of the day doing town chores and figuring out a plan to get back to Ashland, Oregon so we can hike our remaining 937 miles north to Canada. There are some wildfires in Oregon that have closed some parts of the trail so it will be interesting to see how that affects our hike. Regardless, we are excited for Oregon and Washington and are so happy to have made it 1716 miles so far!