Day 133: Pinchot Pass
In the Sierras section, each day involves hiking up and over a mountain pass and then descending into the next valley below. Today we all had more energy and a little more speed.
As we hiked through the valley we saw a number of deer including little fawns still with their spots and a lone coyote who crossed the trail and headed into the arid distance.
We made it to the top of Pinchot Pass by about 2 pm and rested for a while taking in the views of the surrounding peaks. The valleys are dotted with lakes – deep blue and turquoise – and some of the slow-growing foxtail pines are estimated to be 3300 years old.
We met a ranger in the valley beyond the pass who checked our permits and answered some questions we had about the trees and wildlife and gave us some advice about the trail ahead, the river crossings and our intended camping spot.
We have hiked just over 20 miles today and got to camp around 6:30 pm.
The Sierras look so dramatic….love the photo of the sun lighting up the top of the mountain and reflected in the lake…. I am in Daylesford Victoria at the moment walking ( not very far ) in the cold and rain and have heard about the Gold Coast Hinterland devastating fires…..it is so sad to see this beloved area up in flames…..hope you are acclimatising now to those higher altitudes…..you all are making amazing progress and meeting such an interesting community of trail walkers.
The site wouldn’t allow me to post on yesterdays blog, said my comment was duplicated, even though I changed it 4 times lol. So for yesterday: It would have been interesting chatting to the CEO, and spectacular scenery. So sorry that your hike wasn’t as good yesterday Ros. Love today’s photos of the waterfalls.