HST: Day 4

High Sierra Trail: Day 4

7/13/2021

Moraine Lake - Kern Hot Spring - Junction Meadow

Miles hiked: 14.6 miles

Elevation gained: 1,539 ft (9,218 - 6,729 - 6,885 - 8,068)

Animals seen: deer, brook trout, mosquitos

Trees climbed over: 33

Elevation chart created on AllTrails.

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Well, I was officially ill. Unwell, sick, I woke up in a very decompensated state. I woke up collectively coughing up a lung, choking on snot, and vomiting mucous. I also had no voice and what I did manage to croak out sounded super sexy and felt like razor blades. I had chuckled when I saw the hantavirus posters at the wilderness office, but that morning I was not laughing too hard. (Hantavirus is an upper respiratory viral infection that you get from inhaling infected rodent shit - rodents, like marmots and mountain chinchillas).

Lake Moraine in the morning light.

I was able to get down my brekkie (peanut butter banana oatmeal, coffee and carnation instant brek mix) and hydrated as best I could. We heard Boone head out of camp and packed up and left shortly after. I was moving pretty slowly but starting out it was a gentle downhill so I wasn’t too far behind the guys.

Leaving Lake Moraine towards Sky Parlor Meadow.

About a mile out from camp we saw Boone chilling at a famous alpine meadow called Sky Parlor Meadow. We could vaguely see deer in the meadow and made our way to edge. As Boone was leaving the meadow he let out a call that would make Woo-Girls cry, and thusly scared the deer from the meadow. We hurried to try to get a picture, but they had all fled thanks to Boone Toolshed (yes, the whole shed full of tools). Not cool, bro, not cool.

Sky Parlor Meadows sans deer, thanks Toolshed.

After leaving the meadow, the descent to kern river valley began. It began to rain so we pulled over to don our waterproofs and safely pack away our precious electronics. Again, you’ll have to excuse the lack of pictures for this particular section since we didn’t have cameras out. It rained a small amount, just enough to warrant waterproofs, but ended quickly too. While we were doffing our waterproofs, Brian and Charlotte arrived.

The whole trail fam began the steep switchback final descent. And it had so. many. trees. to climb over. 33 trees today alone we had to navigate over (36 total for the trip, one the first day and two on day two). Number 18 was especially harrowing as it was huge and over the entire trail with a steep drop off on the one side. There was countless trees to navigate around, but I could only count one thing at a time.

Tree #18

We came across what we assumed were wild raspberries (Brian found out later they are thimbleberries). I would have to periodically stop and hack up a lung or snot, catch my breath, and try not to die inside before continuing on. The view of the seemingly endless valley was enough to take your breath away (see what I did there, hahaha. Also, spoiler - that seemingly endless part would come back to haunt me).

Kern River Valley

We took a break at Furnston Meadow junction to fuel up (trail mix - wasabi flavor and jerky - hot pepper) and mule up (the electrolyte mix burned my razor blade throat) before making the final push to Kern Hot Spring. Target showed off his skin colored t-shirt for us. Inside joke, sorry.

The trail continued over a talus field (ouch on the feet!) before hitting the burned forest section. There was a huge fire in the kern river valley a year or two ago. Lots of ash and charred trees.

After 7 miles of hiking today, we arrived at Kern Hot Spring. Yes, a real, natural hot spring that conveniently sits at the halfway mark of the HST. When we arrived, Toolshed was finishing up his soak and another thru, Derek, was having a zero day (a day of zero miles, taken in order to rest up). I sat down to catch what gasping breath I could while the guys and Charlotte when to dip in the icy Kern River and rinse clothes. Toolshed commented as he passed by that the cloud cover had left so the hot spring wouldn’t be as enjoyable in the full sun. (No shit, sherlock). Really, anyone with bro hair this far into the backcountry is into witchcraft. There, I said it.

Creek feeding into Kern River, not the hot spring.

Brian went on to do his soak in the hot spring while the rest of us lunched. (Starkist tuna creation - classic BBQ while looking with disdain at the spam before giving it to Jake, skipped the razor blade electrolyte mix). The guys were discussing continuing onto Junction Meadow to “better set ourselves up for success” the following days. I jealously stared at Derek taking his zero.

I convinced Jake to try the hot spring too and we made our way down. It was hot. Very, very hot. Jake managed to stand in the stone tub before whisking down to the river to cool off. I managed to dip my feet and ankles in while splashing myself with the hot water. Overall, for the all the hype it got in trail guides and journals, I was rather disappointed. I was under the impression there were two plugs so you could create a better temp but we couldn’t find the second plug and the one we did see had hot water gushing out of it.

At least we tried it. We walked back to the gear, during which I lost my breath, which told me what kind of condition I was in. That condition was not a condition suitable to continued hiking. I motioned for a short day and to camp at the hot spring. I was outvoted, but the compromise was that if the trail was too much to get all the way to Junction Meadow we would stop mid-route and disperse camp for the night. I wasn’t happy, but not well enough to really fight the matter.

So on we continued while Charlotte and Brian stayed for a longer break. The area was showing major damage from the previous fire. It was like walking through a forest grave yard. Erie, unnerving, and spooky.

The cloud cover returned and temperature stayed ambient around mid-70’s. The elevation gain was very gradual, but always still up. We had lots of water crossings but were able to rock skip over them. After a few miles we made it to healthy, living forest again.

We had a mild panic moment when during a break to catch our breath, we couldn’t find our super reliable, always accurate map. (Yes, that was dripping in sarcasm). Jake searched his pack twice, and mine once, before finding it in his bear can. It was akin to finding your car keys in the fridge. You don’t know why/how it got there, but still it happened.

The longer we hiked, the harder it was to maintain speed, and the farther I slipped behind the guys. At one water crossing over a creek with small brook trout, Jake offered to carry my bear can with its food to help me keep up. I hesitated because it’s poor trail etiquette to not carry your own weight, and I have a lot of pride. He won in the end and took the can with a promise that the campsite was not much farther.

With Yoda much lighter, I was determined to keep up and tried my damnedest. It didn’t work. I soon had a coughing fit, leading to razor blade throat and vomiting mucous. (Very attractive, 9/10 significant others would recommend.) I slowed back down and dragged on. And on and on and on. I received three more “almost there” answers to my pleads to stop for the day. The sun was getting lower, the forest darker, the mosquitoes came out in force.

Hiking, backpacking, mountaineering - all these backcountry activities are difficult. Physically, mentally and emotionally; at times just one of those, other times all three. Every person to venture into backcountry wilderness has moments on trail where they question what they are doing. Whether its ridiculous elevation gains in the exposed desert sun for peak bagging (me), huddling beneath trees and boulders during a high altitude thunderstorm (Derek), pushing an ill partner for the next 30+ miles to the nearest exit (Jake). These moments can be fleeting or a bit more residual, but almost always they are combated with some of the greatest feelings of accomplishment. Hence, why people continue to do these half-crazy expeditions.

I have rewritten this part at least three times in an attempt to not sound like a drama queen. The honest truth is I have hazy memories of this point on the trail. Even now, as I write this, I recall vividly how utterly miserable I was but almost nothing of the scenery, views, or much else. I was physically at my end; unable to catch my breath with coughing fits that exasperated the pain in my throat and chest, sweating profusely while feeling chilled. Mentally, this valley was something akin to a horror movie hallway that continually stretches out in front of you. Emotionally, I pretty much quit at this point, especially with the summit of Mt. Whitney so thoroughly off the table. I felt like a quitter, and that hurt so much worse than the coughing. I wanted nothing more than to lay down, right there and send for a helicopter lift out.

Jake and Target kept me walking even at the molasses pace I was able to make. And finally, we made the last water crossing to Junction Meadow. The mosquitos swarmed the instant we stopped moving. I dug out my waterproofs and sat on the campfire log while Target and Jake scoped tent pads and set up camp. Toolshed was making dinner, making super intelligent remarks on the mosquitoes and how he had the best spot to avoid them. I wanted to take his bro hair and shove somewhere he probably bleaches.

Can you tell how much I am enjoying this experience?

Brian and Charlotte made it just as dusk was setting. I was super unsocial and isolated myself by the tent. In my defense, talking was very difficult at this point. Jake made me dinner that I tried to choke down without upchucking (Chicken Burrito Bowl, one of my faves :’( ) and Jake couldn’t even finish it for me since we didn’t know if what I had was contagious. (It wasn’t, no one caught it). Jake miraculously packed alka seltzers and throat drops. I crawled in bed, never wanting a day on trail to end so fast.

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