Day 52: Kennedy Meadows - ⛺ @ mile 712.6

Day: 29.05.2018 Miles hiked today: 10.5 miles Total Mileage: Mile 712.6 Finally, today we are leaving Kennedy Meadows. Our plan is to hike to Lone Pine, a small town little less than 50 PCT hiking miles away. There, we will check the snow situation again and prepare for our hike to Mt. Whitney. I have ordered an ice axe and hope it will arrive in time. We planned to hike around 7:30 am, taking it easy and doing only 15 miles today to a river and enjoy the afternoon there. It didn't quite work out so I stayed till noon, getting a last breakfast from grumpy bears and Joanne and her siblings left around 9-ish/10-ish. It was a really hot morning but there was a slight chance of rain this afternoon. I will hike with Hauser and Jason who still have to sort out some things. At 12:30pm all things were sorted and we got a ride back to the trail head. The guy giving us the ride back to the trail head actually gave Joanne and me a ride on Sunday back to the trail too. This was actually his first time he ever picked up pct hikers. He is originally from Texas and was climbing out here. But it got so cold he decided to leave - then we walked across. I told him that the cold weather front is ending today and that as from tomorrow the heat will return - well that is at least what the weather forecast predicts. This actually made him return and stay for another couple of days. So now he is driving pct hikers around when he can and today we got his last ride back as thereafter he is definitely leaving. How funny is that. So I got his first and last ride :) and he was really thankful as otherwise he would have left earlier missing a lot of great experience. Back on the trail not much has changed. We are still walking on sand, there are loads of bushes and it's hot out here. However, I now carry a bear canister making my backpack bulkier and heavier, changed my cloths to warmer merino wool shirts and jumper (my cloths bag is now about the double of its previous size!!), added my microspikes (ice axe will be added in Lone Pine), and carry less water as more frequent water sources are available now. Soon later we start entering a forest. But the trail us still on sandy grounds. Water is available about all 2-5 miles, which us great. I don't carry more than 1.7 liters now. Just before we enter officially the South Sierra Wilderness we are meeting Wilderness Ranchers who check our permits and also inform us about active bear activity around here to Lone Pine! I am so happy I have got my bear canister already as officially it's only a requirement as from Lone Pine. I have seen some pictures on Facebook from totally scratched bear canisters but thought that was higher up in the Sierras. Apparently that happened in this section already! The rancher informs us to put all smelly products and food in the bear canister, cook a little away from our camp site and store the bear canister 50 feet away from the tents. However, if the bear decides to visit and comes close to our camp tonight we shall just shout at him to leave and make a lot of noise - what does that mean please??! The rancher said this as if it is the most normal thing on earth! I'm happy I am with the boys and not camping alone tonight! We thanked for the information and advise and hike on. Jason and Hauser run up the uphill strech and break a little further down the trail to discuss something. I join and we start hiking again. After Jason's first step we all stop moving. The sound of a rattle snake, very close by, made us stopping. And really there it is, crossing the trail. This is Hausers first time he has seen a rattle snake. Really, how is this possible??! I've seen many rattle snakes so far. At the beginning I was shaking after every encounter with a rattle snake but now I stopp and try to make the snake move or walk around it. Well I am still scared but I figure out that the rattle is a warning for us and that the snake is actually not really interested in wasting its precious venom on us. Still be careful but all (expect for Hauser so far!) have had several encounters with rattle snakes and I know of 1 single guy who got bitten by one - but without the venom (his name is dry bite). So how is it possible Hauser hiked for 7 weeks in the desert without seeing one single rattle snake?!! Shortly after the rattle snake there is scorpion on the trail. Right, we have left the desert now?! Only since I am in Kennedy Meadows I have seen 2 scorpions but never before in the desert. But we also didn't really night hike and that is the time scorpions are active. A couple of miles I run into the Jason and Hauser again, talking to some other guys. There is the rattle snake which is refusing to move since 30 minutes. If you move, the rattle sound turns on immediately. The snake is hard to see because they blend in well with the surroundings. The other guys are section hikers and only started with their hike on Walker Pass. They seemed shocked, it's their first meeting with a rattle snake. We just walked around it, making sure there is enough space between us and the snake and hiked on. For sure we don't spend 30 minutes anymore trying to make the snake move. We are professionals already:) (well Hauser is now slowly becoming one too after today!) They guys are too fast for me. My backpack feels heavy and after no hiking for 4 days it already seems hard to go back to the trail and hike all day. But I must also admit that I prefer hiking in the morning and that I mostly struggle a little if we leave late in the day. I need a brake after 8 miles, and the again one mile later! I feel some rain drops and noticed that the next water source is only 0.4 Miles away. The weather doesn't look very good at the moment so may I can pitch may tent there. At the water source Jason and Hauser were waiting for me - thankfully. I'm low on energy but actually we planned to hike on 5 miles more. They have also informed me that I just missed Joanne and her siblings by 10 minutes. The rain drops become bigger. This and me struggling today I cannot see me hiking another 5 miles. It's also already 5pm. The guys feel the same so we stopp 1.3 miles later already to pitch our tents. I'm really happy. My new shoes felt good today but I can already feel 2 spots with new blisters. The camp site is also between trees and offers a little protectiom from.the rain which however has stopped in the meantime. We still hiked 10.5 miles today which is ok for leaving around 1pm only and being talked to for about 30 minutes by the wilderness ranchers. Joanne and her siblings must have hiked on a little but I am sure I see them tomorrow again. We prepared dinner and went to bed early. I hope the bear stays away tonight. My tent is a little further away from the guys tents so the bear better goes there if he decides to turn around ;) but it's 9 pm now and there are some crazy sounds and noises around here so I may should have pitched my tent closer...! I will turn my music back on;) good night!