PCT with Purpose: Postholing and other new experiences

Today was our first 2 pass day was it amazing yet very challenging at the same time. The general rule of thumb in the Sierras is to try and be over any passes you plan on climbing for the day by 10am, since the snow is still frozen and postholing will not be an issue.

What is postholing? It is not the way you want to hike. The term comes from the type of hole that is created when you walk on hard packed snow and hit a soft spot and sink straight down in it. Your leg creates and immediately fills a posthole in the snow. It is difficult to move. You have to pull your half-buried leg out of the snow before you can take another step either forward or backward. This takes a lot of energy and slows you down. After the first time it happens to you, you are more determined to get up as early as possible and get over that pass while the snow is still frozen.

A picture of a hiker on the PCT postholing. This is not our group.

The second pass off the day was Mathers pass and beyond that was the Golden Staircase and it lived up to its reputation and being one of the most sketchy parts of the whole Sierras. It is a huge wall of rock and specially trained crews that built the JMT had to build a maze of infamous switchbacks because of the unstable footing and steep incline. It is very impressive and you feel a sense of accomplishment after negotiating the path. The most amazing part was on the way down the snowmelt turned the maze of winding switchback trail into a flowing waterfall, coupled with the fading sun it felt as if we were in the terraced gardens of Alexandra.

I'm learning to have less of an agenda and follow what feels right for the day in the Sierras. Some days meant to be short like Rae lakes and some days meant to be long like today with Mathers pass. The days in which I mindlessly wander seem to be more productive and fulfilling.