Day 50, 739.7 into Lone Pine for resupply

I camped under this tree last night.

The trees in this area are so interesting! I wish I could take some home for landscape features.

This area was surreal, no ground cover at all just gravel.

Horseshoe Meadow is a day use area with an equestrian set up too. This is the exit point into Lone Pine and takes a lengthy hitchhike down to town. I arrived at the parking area at the same time as another hiker named Alex from France. We waited only 15 minutes and a Toyota Tacoma pickup pulled up with 3 guys heading to Lone Pine after an attempted fishing hike cut short due to snow, what luck. They also had another PCT hiker with them named Siesta. Alex and I crammed ourselves and packs into the canopy.

The ride down from Horseshoe Meadow is steep and winding. We stopped to watch paragliders running off the side of the road catching thermals.

View from the canopy looking at where we’d decended from. Soon we’ll be in that snow!

I’ll squeeze myself into about anything for a free ride. Alex and I became pretty close, literally 😁. My pack on the right.

Here are the Trail Angels that gave us beer and a ride down from Horseshoe Meadow. Cool guys! I know I wrote down their names but can’t find it, sry guys😔. We were dropped off within 100 ft of the Whitney Hostel. For $35/night I figured I’d give it a try.

This room fits 10 people, by the end of the evening there were 7 of us, Alex, Siesta, Jeremy, Zina and Simon from Germany (I think) and another guy who was here to day hike Mt Whitney in the morning.

As always it’s busy on town day, I headed to the Post office for 2 packages. They could only find one even though both were there so I had to go back after lunch in hopes they would find the second. The laundry was just across the street next to a small cafe (you know how I love small cafes!, Lunch sandwich was delish). Everything I need within 2 blocks!

New shoe day!!!!! This is what 650 miles does to trail runners. Note that I should have replaced these 200 miles ago. The sides were ripped out with ductape inside to try and keep rocks out. The inner heels have worn away all the fabric! How is it that my socks didn’t wear out?! No wonder my feet were killing me at 15 Miles into the day.

Here are the trekking pole tips, on the right is the one that wore out the other day. I had to use a knife to cut the old ones off, the boiling water technique didn’t work. Also in this resupply not pictured is an ice axe, bearcan and microspikes that fit on to my shoes for added traction on snow.

These new gear items and food (that has to fit into the bearcan) creates a game of Tetris inside my pack. It also adds about 4 pounds in gear. My next resupply is 9 days or 112miles away at Vermillion Valley Resort(VVR).

Tomorrow morning it’s back to the trail (after another trip to the Cafe for breakfast!!), getting a hitchhike on a weekday will be interesting.