Hello Friends, Family and Readers. I apologize for not updating you sooner on the past few weeks of hiking. Between purchasing food and sending resupply boxes, Oasis and I found it challenging to fit in time to update.
Nevertheless, we are still out on the trail and still enjoying our experience! Currently we are spending some time with my mom in Truckee California. Last night we made a giant meal that consisted of primarily vegetables and red meat, both food items missing from our trail diet. It felt so splendid to fall asleep with a stomach full of healthy wholesome food.
The last few hundred miles we have made our way through the High Sierras, passing through what many consider to be the most spectacular section of the PCT and definitely the most physically challenging. What sets the Sierras apart from the rest of the trail are the significant changes in elevation. The 230 miles stretching between Kennedy Meadows in the South and Tuolumne Meadows in the North range from 7,500 ft above sea level to over 13,000 ft at Forester Pass.
During the 2.5 weeks in the Sierras, Oasis and I hiked over more than ten mountain passes. According to the Princeton dictionary a mountain pass is defined as "the location in a range of mountains of a geological formation that is lower than the surrounding peaks".
Our first major pass, Forester Pass, also happens to be the highest point on the PCT. Due to some ominous clouds, Oasis and I decided to cross the pass well before lunch to avoid running into lousy weather on such an exposed section of trail. Fortunately the purple clouds only created a more interesting sky-scape and never turned to a thunder-storm. After cresting the pass (and taking many pictures), we ate lunch at a small and ridiculously clear alpine lake. The surrounding mountains reflected in the lake and the views were spectacular.
Other passes also offered similar moments of inspiration. Oasis and I agreed that Muir Pass was one of our favorites. Although the approach seemed a bit tedious, we were pleasantly surprised by a large, stone hut at the top that seemed appear out of nowhere. As it turns out, the hut was erected in the 1930s in memory of the late naturalist and environmental advocate John Muir. Oasis and I both scrambled up jagged stones for a picture on top. I chose the "Superman" pose (arms and legs stretched out). Coming down from the pass, we encountered a series of alpine. We fell in love with Lake Wanda (apparently named after one of Muir's illegitimate children). We went swimming in Wanda, which was more like a jump in the freezing water followed by desperate attempts to get the heck out because it was so darn frigid.
Each day in the Sierras offered moments if not hours of reflection of inspiration. I was inspired one particular day when Oasis and her friend Zack took me on my first multipitch climb in Yosemite Valley. Over the course of seven or eight hours we climbed Tenaya Peak in Tuolumne Meadows. It was an inspiring climb that left me exhausted yet completely in awe. I hope to continue climbing after the trail.
For those of you who sent me letters in Tuolumne Meadows, I really appreciated it! Emilie, thank-you so much for the Honeybear and mom, thank-you for the wonderful treats and snacks. If you want to send us something we will be in Ashland at the end of July. Please send anything to the following address. If you decide to send something to this address, please let me know (you can send me an email lena.sessions@gmail.com) so we make sure that we pick it up.
Lena Sessions
General Delivery
Ashland, OR 97520
Sending all my love from Truckee, CA.
Lena
Nevertheless, we are still out on the trail and still enjoying our experience! Currently we are spending some time with my mom in Truckee California. Last night we made a giant meal that consisted of primarily vegetables and red meat, both food items missing from our trail diet. It felt so splendid to fall asleep with a stomach full of healthy wholesome food.
The last few hundred miles we have made our way through the High Sierras, passing through what many consider to be the most spectacular section of the PCT and definitely the most physically challenging. What sets the Sierras apart from the rest of the trail are the significant changes in elevation. The 230 miles stretching between Kennedy Meadows in the South and Tuolumne Meadows in the North range from 7,500 ft above sea level to over 13,000 ft at Forester Pass.
During the 2.5 weeks in the Sierras, Oasis and I hiked over more than ten mountain passes. According to the Princeton dictionary a mountain pass is defined as "the location in a range of mountains of a geological formation that is lower than the surrounding peaks".
Our first major pass, Forester Pass, also happens to be the highest point on the PCT. Due to some ominous clouds, Oasis and I decided to cross the pass well before lunch to avoid running into lousy weather on such an exposed section of trail. Fortunately the purple clouds only created a more interesting sky-scape and never turned to a thunder-storm. After cresting the pass (and taking many pictures), we ate lunch at a small and ridiculously clear alpine lake. The surrounding mountains reflected in the lake and the views were spectacular.
Other passes also offered similar moments of inspiration. Oasis and I agreed that Muir Pass was one of our favorites. Although the approach seemed a bit tedious, we were pleasantly surprised by a large, stone hut at the top that seemed appear out of nowhere. As it turns out, the hut was erected in the 1930s in memory of the late naturalist and environmental advocate John Muir. Oasis and I both scrambled up jagged stones for a picture on top. I chose the "Superman" pose (arms and legs stretched out). Coming down from the pass, we encountered a series of alpine. We fell in love with Lake Wanda (apparently named after one of Muir's illegitimate children). We went swimming in Wanda, which was more like a jump in the freezing water followed by desperate attempts to get the heck out because it was so darn frigid.
Each day in the Sierras offered moments if not hours of reflection of inspiration. I was inspired one particular day when Oasis and her friend Zack took me on my first multipitch climb in Yosemite Valley. Over the course of seven or eight hours we climbed Tenaya Peak in Tuolumne Meadows. It was an inspiring climb that left me exhausted yet completely in awe. I hope to continue climbing after the trail.
For those of you who sent me letters in Tuolumne Meadows, I really appreciated it! Emilie, thank-you so much for the Honeybear and mom, thank-you for the wonderful treats and snacks. If you want to send us something we will be in Ashland at the end of July. Please send anything to the following address. If you decide to send something to this address, please let me know (you can send me an email lena.sessions@gmail.com) so we make sure that we pick it up.
Lena Sessions
General Delivery
Ashland, OR 97520
Sending all my love from Truckee, CA.
Lena
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