[pct-l] Onion Valley/Kearsarge commercial horse resupply

[David Thibault]

I have to second what Iceaxe said. I really worried about what would be the
"best" resupply for this section before the trip and decided to use Kearsage
Pass to keep the food weight down.  I was really concerned about all the
"tough extra miles" but in reality they were not tough and not extra - they
were just beautiful.  I would do it again the same way - its a part of the
trip - while not actually the PCT - that should be experienced.  I even
remember thinking while on the way down - boy this is going to be a tough
climb back up....  It wasn't!  It probably would be a tough hike back up for
me right now but not at that point in the hike - you will be a hiking
machine by then.

I always get a chuckle from the folks that check the elevation profiles for
each day trying to determine how hard the day is going to be.  After a while
you just realize it doesn't really matter how much up or down there is - you
are just going to hike it and enjoy it anyway.

I remember a funny antidote while on the AT.  Another thru and I were
talking and she said she had met up with a local day hiker and he had told
her a storm was coming - it was going to rain for the next couple of days.
 After talking about it we both thought it was kind of funny that this new
information made no impact upon our plans - we were both going to be hiking.
 I see hills or weather the same way - they are just a part of the
trip/experience.

Enjoy the PCT.

Day-Late




> Socks and I went out at Kearsarge pass to resupply on our thru hike in
> 2009.
> I would highly recommend the route. The scenery and switchbacked trail is
> spectacular.
> I think it's called Pothole lake.. It was amazing! The Kearsarge pinnacles
> too.
> Getting a hitch was easy at the dead end trailhead.
> You have the option of Independence, Lone Pine, and even Bishop (as we did)
> for resupply.
> I suppose you could hire a packer to resupply you from Onion valley but..
> why?
> We had just summited Mt. Whitney after coming 700 miles from the Mexican
> border.
> We were like "hiking gods".. toned and trail hardened.
> Kearsarge was ridiculously easy both ways.
> Please understand i am not baggin on your idea.. just providing the
> perspective we had as thru's
> when we reached Kearsarge Pass.
> So many things seem difficult until you actually get there.. Whitney..
> Forrester pass.. Kearsarge.. the other Sierra passes..
> All of them seemed insurmountable back home but when confronted on the hike
> they were challenging but quite do-able... dare i say easy?
> Kearsarge Pass turned out to be a brilliant resupply option for me and
> quite a few other hikers at any rate. YMMV
>
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