In our 2010 Seirra High Route traverse we got our food drop at South Lake, then raced ahead of the gathering thunderstorms to get to camp in Dusy Basin. On our trek up to Muir Pass we got slammed with two thunderstorms and hit with three more after dark. Now, in 2016, history has repeated itself. We raced thunderstorms leaving our food drop. We got hammered with rain as we started towards Muir Pass.
What is it with thunderstorms, Muir Pass and the SHR?
Dave left me two of his breakfasts to eat on this leg of the high route. They consist of rice, chic seeds, sunflower seeds, dried milk, nutmeg and almond. Super good, and filling. I had it for breakfast this morning. Craig had oatmeal with almonds. We were packed up and on the trail by 7:00 am.
The sky was perfectly clear-not a cloud. We worked our way up the trail, passing campsite after campsite filled with dripping tent. We met half a dozen people coming down from camps near the pass.
We caught up with two gentlemen day hiking up to the pass from their base camp near Big Pete Meadow, where we had camped. About two and a half miles up the trail we stopped for a break and some water where the trail crossed the creek. While there we were passed by the Hong Kong couple with their guide. We got to exchange a few pleasantries, then they were off. They carried only very light day packs. We followed behind. It became apparent that the husband rode a desk all day and was woefully underprepared for this hike, while his wife, a thin, athletic looking woman was doing fine. The longer we followed them the more apparent it became that the husband, although trim looking, was really struggling with the altitude and the uphill, while his wife seemed to be handling it nicely. We surmised that she is a trophy wife that stays home and works out everyday and runs marathons while he is chained to his desk and career 70 hours a week and has no time for conditioning. I bet this hike was her idea.
We stopped for a break at the outlet of Helen Lake at about 11,400'. When we continued on, we find them a few hundred yards in front of us. I wanted to be at the pad at the same time they were to chat them up a bit and get their story. We arrived and they were still there. We got to talk to them and their guide, a woman of about 30. We enjoyed the conversation. He seemed very nice, she a little distant and the guide very fun. They soon left, hoping to get to their next camp, being carried in by porters over LaMarc Pass to Darwin Bench.
Craig and I pulled wet items from our pack to dry in the hot sun at the pass while we ate lunch and chatted with people at the pass.
Once finished with my Ritz Crackers and cheese, dried apricots and beef jerky our items were dry. We packed them away and headed down the trail. We covered another 5.5 miles as we watched the sky slowly darken with threatening clouds. At Evolution Lake ducked off the trail and pitched our tarp below a large rock outcrop that shielded is from the JMT just as the rain started to fall. It was 2:00 pm. At 3:30 pm the skies opened up, sending sheets of hail, rain, lightning and thunder. It lasted about 45 minutes.
Taking advantage of the lull, we cooked dinner and ate outside, fished in Evolution Lake. We returned to our tent in a light rain that turned into a violent thunderstorm. In other words: we got thrashed again. Tucked I our sleeping bags, we listened as the pounding rain and hail slowly tapered off and stopped altogether.
When does the sunny California return??
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