Day 43 – Thursday, July 6

PCT Mile 730.8 Death Canyon Creek to PCT mile 750.8 Chicken Spring Lake

Day Total: 20.0 Miles

This morning was a big climb, up to above 11,000 feet, but made enjoyable by the huge panoramic views.

We could see snowy mountains for a long way in one direction and the hot, flat Owens Valley below on the other side. The contrast of the two views was a good representation of where we are: Desert to mountains.

We had a late lunch in the shade by a creek with a group of hikers who were headed off the trail into the town of Lone Pine later in the day. They were planning to skip all the way north to Lake Tahoe to avoid the snowy Sierras.

I've been surprised how many people we've met who are skipping sections of the trail. If anything, if gives me more conviction about hiking straight through. 

In the afternoon, we met a cool group of hikers who started about the same time we did in late May, with fun trail names: Woodchuck, Rooster, Shade Baby and Happy Baby (no relation). Woodchuck and Rooster hiked the AT last summer and we chatted about their time in Hanover. 

We found the most beautiful campsite we've had on the entire trip next to Chicken Spring Lake. The lake was perfectly clear, surrounded by towering walls of granite. It was an absolutely stunning place to camp.

We camped above 11,000 feet, which I'm hoping will help us acclimate to the elevation before we hike Mount Whitney in a couple of days.