Day 76: Kearsarge Pass, again

We missed the morning bus from Bishop to Independence due to being up way too late trying to update this very blog, but Jetpack, Dayhike, and Animal were on it. After trying our damnedest to stuff nine days of food in our modest packs, we headed to the street to try to thumb our way back to Independence. It wasn't going awesome; it was hot and a slew of cars passed by every time the light turned green at the intersection. I was just about to take a break to apply sunscreen when a creeper van pulled over - you know the type: brown, no windows. I wasn't feeling very hopeful but the passenger side door opened to reveal surfer Ken in the flesh... With a British accent. When we hopped in, he explained that he was on his way to Santa Fe to build a climbing gym... Of course!

In Independence we had to catch another hitch up to the campground, and few cars passed in that direction. More and more hikers began congregating at the intersection where we stood. After thirty minutes I went back to the Subway gas station for a cold drink. After an hour, a van pulled over. It was a mom and a really excited kid, who leapt out of the van to make room for all the hiker trash. He was going into the seventh grade and his mom had planned an awesome three week backpacking trip for them. They weren't quite prepared for the snow, so they had taken to shuttling PCT hikers for entertainment. He was a really cool kid: articulate, enthusiastic, funny. He asked us if we knew the other hikers they had helped, listing their trail names easily from memory. By the end of the ride, Boom found a trail name for him: Middle Seat, due to his squatting in the middle of the van to accommodate all the hikers.

And so we were back. At the base of Kearsarge Pass. We just had a mere ten miles and 3,000 feet of elevation gain before us in order to return to the same spot on the PCT. With nine days of food in our packs.

When we made it to the campsite we knew Dayhike, Jetpack, and Animal were aiming for, they were gone, but Genie and our friend Will were there, waiting patiently. The little drop in my stomach was soon alleviated when Capi and Spearhead joined us, and the old joking and laughter resumed. Slow Magic, the B Team, I thought.

[woof, back to my favorite view, sunset]