Day 62: Muir Trail Ranch (and food!) and Selden Pass

Camp near San Joaquin river - camp above Bear Creek
Mile 853 - 873
Total 20 miles

In the night there was some rain, but the thick canopy of the tall pine tree made the rain light and even inside the bivy tent with its thin roof I stayed warm and dry. The morning forest smelled very fresh from the night rain and resonated with birdsong. I set off walking an easy stretch along the powerfully flowing San Joaquin River.

Through vividly green forest of pines and aspens, the gently winding trail reached a junction with a side trail to Muir Trail Ranch. I have heard chitchat from some hikers that the ranch has free leftover food; and from others that they don't let PCT hikers take the food. In my bear canister is the final food supply of one cup of oats to get me over the next pass in case I'm not lucky at the ranch. "Be prepared" is the motto of the day.

The Muir Ranch is the first outpost of civilization that I have seen since Kennedy Meadows 10 days ago. All the supplies are brought to the ranch by mules and horses. There are lots of horses resting in the meadow, a little store with basic first aid, and a bunch of horse riders and also excited hikers walking the PCT (mainly northbound) and the John Muir Trail (JMT, mainly southbound). I have arrived at the ranch at the best possible time. It is 8:30 in the morning, half hour after opening time.

The ranch makes its own electricity from water and solar power. At the little store I buy a postcard and politely ask: "Is there any leftover food that hikers could take?" And yes there is!
The hiker barrels at the Muir Ranch are the richest and most abundant that I have seen on the PCT. There are neatly labeled buckets with food donations of rice, pasta, couscous, nuts, dried fruits, dehydrated meals, and most importantly: oats! My bear canister is half full again! I take a lot of the nuts, raisins, rice and oats, but I try not to be too greedy and leave some of everything for others who come after me. "Early bird gets the worm" is totally valid today morning. I will be having a feast on trail and lots of energy to get over the final two mountain passes to Mammoth, the next town on trail.

Elämä on laiffi :-)

From the ranch a side trail goes to a famous hot spring. But there's a caveat , the spring is on the other side of the deep and fast river. Too deep and fast for me! Instead I take a break on the river bank, and accompanied by the soothing river song I devour on a royal breakfast: Three full cups of oats mixed with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, raisins and sugar.

Full of energy I soar like an eagle up the switchbacks and through old sequoia forest and wet mountain meadows, heading towards the sixth mountain pass: Selden Pass and soon catch up with more PCT hikers including known faces and also Trashpanda with her feather-decorated hat and Finnish flag. Trashpanda lived one year in Muonio!

Higher up there are beautiful lakes, including the heart-shaped Heart Lake. And first patches of snow and bubbling streams all over and thunderstorm cumulonimbus clouds building up behind the nearby mountain peaks. Time to hurry up and get over the pass soon and hope the thunderstorm moves out of our way.

After a few more switchbacks and snowfield traversing there's the top of the pass. The picturesque view is familiar. Where from? It is the same picture as on the cover of the legendary "Pacific Crest Trail - California" book from Wilderness Press that I had borrowed from BYU library one year ago, spending whole nights tracing my finger on the maps and dreaming about the impossible. Today I am privileged to see this view of the island studded Mary Lake with my very eyes! And it is far more spectacular than in the book, with cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds towering above snow covered mountain peaks of the mighty Sierra.

Common sense wisdom recommends to take a deep breath and head fast down, before an afternoon thunderstorm kicks in. The way down is easier than in the other passes, reaches the tree line sooner, follows the beautiful lake shoreline, and descends down along the strengthening current of the Bear Creek.

The ford across Bear Creek is the most challenging so far: waist-deep, super fast, and with hoards of aggressive mosquitoes biting everywhere even in the middle of the raging current crossing. The mosquitoes seem to be clever enough to know that I have eaten lots of calories today. They are more eager to bite than ever before. But most importantly, I finally manage to cross safely to the other side.

After the crossing the Bear Creek becomes even deeper and stronger. It is probably the strongest current seen so far on the trail. The force of the water is overwhelming. And it's only been an average snow session this year!

I continue walking along the roaring current until the trail veers sideways; then after a mile, I find a hidden spot on a rocky outcrop. After building the bivy tent just before sunset I decide to cook a late supper. Not the smartest decision: There are so many mosquitoes that my meal could be branded as "fresh juicy mosquito meat pasta". Luckily the little bivy tent is still bug-proof, and so I crawl inside as fast as possible and fall asleep with a full stomach and looking forward to the seventh mountain pass: Silver Pass.