Kennedy Meadows

Waking up at a KOA is always somewhat jarring.

We slept-in in through the noise of weedwackers and traffic in anticipation of night hiking but it soon became too hot to lay around and we packed up and started looking at the trail ahead. The plan was to be back at walker pass by 3pm but as 2pm approached the 95 degree afternoon heat was unrelenting and we continued to lay on the picnic bench.

I took a cold shower and deep cleaned my feet and did some blister maintenance.

I laid on the picnic bench for a while.

I ate a tuna packet tortilla wrap.

I laid on the picnic bench a while.

I went into the KOA office and ordered a beer just to sit in the air conditioning.

I laid on the picnic bench a while.

We had a hard time convincing ourselves to hike into the high nineties heat but eventually decided sitting at the trail head was superior to sitting at the KOA.

It was a long time waiting for a hitch. We had a fellow stop and offer a ride a short ways down the road. He wasn’t particularly inviting looking and we were both happy to turn him down. Then along came Rick and Tom. They were out and about running some errands before meeting up with their friend Maps who is also hiking the PCT and they had come all the way out from Utah to join him for a couple days. The conversation en route to Walker Pass was incredible. You know you’ve found good folk when you can crack a joke about swapping out your 20lb food bag for eating the rich and they respond with “We’re definitely going to get along!” We even stopped off for a swim under a bridge and a roadside cocktail.

At Walker Pass there was a new round of Trail Magic and a bunch of friends from trail. Having decided to flip up to Cascade Locks after the next stretch of Trail I’d been feeling down about all the friends we’d be leaving so it was really nice to get to kick back and enjoy each other’s company with strong drinks and a vibrant sunset.

I stayed up till dawn by the fire and crawled into my sleeping bag to catch some shut eye before the sun was on us again.

The last fifty miles of Trail into Kennedy Meadows was going to be hot. We had decided to flip to Cascade Locks from there and when I woke up with the sun beating down and Grown already on trail I was slow in gathering myself to follow.

Around eleven I spotted Rick and Brad ( Brad had been on his own side adventure the prior day) coming back down the hill into the campground. With the temperature rising and my motivation for desert travel deflated…

I saw my opportunity.

Rick and Brad had hiked out a short way with their buddy Maps that morning before planning on returning to drive up to Kennedy Meadows to meet him there.

Fun Fact:: On the trail, hitching around miles is referred to (usually scornfully) as “yellow blazing”.

With 650 miles behind me and the trail teeming with hikers bottlenecked at the entrance to the Sierra I was eager to make the flip up to Cascade Locks and get a change of scenery and a return to solitude. The first 650 miles were amazing. I know I’ll revisit Southern California soon. But swimming and a picnic was on Rick’s agenda and that sounded real nice to me.

The drive was short and it was interesting to contemplate the fact it would take my friends two to three days to walk it.

In Kennedy Meadows I set up camp near Grumpy’s, caught up on some Journaling and settled in for a beer. I recognized a couple faces but jumping ahead just a few miles gave me a largely new group of hikers and I appreciated the anonymity amongst the crowd.

Over the next day folks I knew started to filter into the small outpost and I made my way over to the General Store to see what was happening there and who was around.

The patio scene was far superior there and pretty soon I spotted another hiker I know, Turtle, who waved me over and introduced me to the crew of folks he had been hiking with. Other familiar faces filtered in including Red Leg and Freight Train and we all spent the evening chatting and drinking.

Turtle, Sponge and Cousin Eddie were discussing heading out early the next day to do some fishing on the Kern before beginning their climb back into the mountains and I instantly invited myself along.

Joel had set me up with some basics before I left town and I had been waiting to test out a trekking pole fishing rig since day 1.

However, the festivities lasted pretty late into the night and I wound up walking the three miles or so back to Grumpy’s with Mando by moonlight, knowing it was unlikely I’d make it back over in time to head out early the next morning.

Camp was quiet in the morning and I slept in, enjoying the small luxury. Eventually I got up and went over to Triple Crown Outfitters to use their wifi. I messaged Turtle to say farewell and he said they hadn’t even left yet so I threw a twelve rack and some snacks in my bag and hopped in the next shuttle to the General Store.

We hiked out a few miles and got stopped by a Ranger checking permits. Of course I didn’t have one on me and there was a comical exchange between hikers and Ranger regarding the amount of food outside their bear canisters.

“I see you have a few snacks out for your hike – just make sure you get all that properly sealed up before you go to bed” He said gesturing to the gallon sized zip lock of cheetoes and a bag the size of your face full of dinners.

I explained that I’d be heading back into town later and that was fine for him so we continued onward.

A short ways later at a Sandy bank on the river we flopped down and ate snacks and cracked beers while we set up our rods. Cousin Eddie and Sponge had these real great 2oz simple collapsing fly rods that were super dreamy and I need to find out more about them. We all the immediately started getting bites and everyone else landed at least one golden though they all got away or were released. After a couple hours of harassing the fish there we continued up the river to the bridge and tried out fishing a few slower eddys amongst the rapids.

The whole afternoon was filled with laughter and excitement and silliness and it was really nice to kick back and enjoy each other’s company and what our surroundings had to offer.

Because I had used the fact I’ve been hiking in sandals as a deterrent for entering the Sierra the guys joked they would set up a fake trail magic camp and serve their own food to the incoming hikers while collecting donations to buy me boots. “We’ll just fish the whole way to Lone Pine and then resupply there!” It’s easy to strike up little friendships out here – something I typically can struggle with in my day to day life and their encouragement of me joining or catching up, even when in jest, was met with my own disappointment at parting ways at the end of the day.

As we all tried our luck Sponge was providing a wealth of information and strategy and when I spotted a deep and slow spot to drop into across the river I asked his opinion on how to go about fishing it.

Within a few minutes I had a fish on the line. Turtle leaped down to the water to bring it in and Sponge grabbed the rod while I climbed down to unhook and claim my prize. I was absolutely thrilled at the little eight inch rainbow wriggling in Turtles hand. After a round of pictures I quickly dispatched the fish and had to start thinking about how to transport it the ~6 mi back to my tent in town.

I had packed out a 24oz beer that Rick gave me when he dropped me off and Sponge kind of jokingly suggested cutting the top off of that. It sounded brilliant to me and I whipped out my petzl and carved out the top, filled it with river water and plopped my prize in.

It was clear that they were feeling the tug of the trail and I was reluctant to part ways but I wanted to get back to town by nightfall so I wished them well and thanked them for having me along for such an enjoyable afternoon.

It all made me really sad that I’ll be flipping but I also walked back with a big ol grin on my face.

Back by the spot we got held up by the Ranger there was a campspot set up with trail magic and after walking through I thought better of it and turned back to inquire: “ya’ll wouldn’t happen to have a BBQ going would you? I just caught this fish and i’d really like to get it cooked up if you have the tools and don’t mind the intrusion”

They looked confused to say the least.

“We haven’t been cooking but we have a camp stove and skillet…”

“Ah, well I have that back at camp but thank you! Thought I’d ask! You all have a good day!” I replied.

A hiker chimed in, “are you really going to walk up with a fish in a beer and just walk off again?” He asked.

“…..well yeah.” I responded as I left.

Walking up to the General Store a few hikers starting a round of disc golf mistook me for someone coming into town from the southern trail head and they started cheering.

“No no no! ya’ll I’ve been here its chillllllll!” I hollered.

“Where are you coming from?!” Someone called over.

“Fishing!”

They cheered again. And when I showed them my catch, placed a bottle of wine in my other hand. I took a slug of wine and headed up to the parking lot of the store just in time to hop in the back of the pickup shuttling between stores.

With the truck bed to myself and the sun just sinking below the horizon as we barreled through the valley back to Grumpy’s my eyes welled up with joy thinking about the great people I am meeting, the beautiful sights I am seeing and the wonderful things I’ve been experiencing these last couple months.

Pulling into grumpy’s I spotted Flower and Superman and Gwag and Columbia and Hitch Bait and Grumption and over-joyed I wondered if Grown could already be around.

I showed them my trophy and spotted Grown by the patio.

“You don’t want to see this” I warned with a grin.

While they set up camp and headed in to the restaurant for a snack and a drink I gutted and fried and ate my little fish, then I joined them.

Everyone was excited for the Sierra and grown and I exchanged unsure glances. “We don’t have to flip,” She said,”we could go on with them…”

“I need to sleep on it but I really want to do that” I responded.

I fell asleep excited at the prospect of making memories with these new and exciting folks. But also nervous about the hard won internal quiet and conversation I have started with myself regarding my needs and ability. I felt unsure about being able to maintain that while coordinating with so many people and combating the urge to prioritize the well being of the group and to keep up.

Around four in the morning, lying awake in the darkness of my tent, a chorus of coyotes around the valley took up a call that woke most of the campground. I grinned in the dark and knew whatever I decided, it was going to be good.

The following morning I contemplated our next moves and what they meant to me deep down. With record snowfall in the Sierra it was ideal to enter with a strong team of folks you could trust and I couldn’t have asked for better. But we also had Country Fair to consider – we would have to leave the mountains somehow and get up to Oregon…even a couple days off Trail would leave us behind quite a ways behind our team. Logistically it was a nightmare. And then there was the mental and emotional aspect of it all.

It took a long time for me to soften up and meet people on the trail. I find myself so easily distracted by outside influence – mostly a result of dusty and useless defense mechanisms. An urge to camouflage and hide myself away from potential threats, betrayals, abandonments and heartbreaks. My interactions become highly performative with a well rehearsed narrative around my feelings and experiences. I step outside of myself don’t come home for hours, days, weeks or longer.

My favorite thing about being out here has been the space and time I have to myself, the security I have with all my physical needs meet by the contents of my pack. I’ve been doing powerful work in my solitude. Work I’m not sure enough in to live out amongst a crowd. Neural pathways that still need so much more training.

I had been so happy in my body and I knew I needed more time to truly settle into my skin.

Grown and I sat to discuss it. We both agreed flipping was all around the best option for us. It was finally officially settled.

Our last day in Kennedy Meadows there was a BBQ and band at the General Store followed by a movie. Our crew spent the day laughing and drinking and swapping stories and in the morning Smokes, a hiker off Trail with an injury, offered to take us into Bakersfield when he saw me making up a hitch sign.

From Bakersfield we attempted to rent a car which didn’t work out and we wound up trudging out onto the 99 with our thumbs out after all…