Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - May 30th
Day 44: Thursday 30th May Walker Pass – S. Ridge, Morris Peak
I dropped my final supply off at the Kennedy Meadows store and then returned the hire car
to Ridgecrest. With temperatures well over 100ºF, I didn’t fancy hitching back up to Walker
Pass so I splashed out on a taxi.
In the afternoon heat it was too hot to start the climb up to the main ridge of the Owen’s
Wilderness and with the next water at Spanish Needle Creek about 8 hours walking away I
decided to I spend the afternoon in the shade of the campground. Already there was Luke,
from the Eastern States, who had left Campo at the beginning of May and had been making
fast progress, carrying a very light pack. Surprisingly he only packed a litre of water, which
was amazing in these conditions. He was employed on trail construction and maintenance in
Arizona, but as it gets too hot there for manual work in the summer, he was able to spend a
few months thru-hiking the PCT. I still had a few cans of beer left from my week off and we
finished them off before leaving for the trail.
He left the campground at 5.45 pm, as it started to cool down, and I followed shortly
afterwards.
Walker Pass was discovered by Joseph Walker in 1834 and explored in 1845 by Edward
Kern, after whom the Kern River was named. By 1860 it had become the main route
connecting the mining areas of Owen’s Valley to the coastal cities of California. It was well
used since the High Sierras were uncrossable for hundreds of miles to the North.
Walker Pass was where I had started my two previous hikes along the PCT and I was
looking forward to the challenge of these alpine mountains in June. Before reaching the High
Sierra, I had a few more days of dry arid hills to get through. It had a steep 2000ft climb to
the ridge and it was almost dark before I reached there and camped.
Day 44: 3.3 miles 1.54 hours Camp: S. Ridge, Morris Peak
I dropped my final supply off at the Kennedy Meadows store and then returned the hire car
to Ridgecrest. With temperatures well over 100ºF, I didn’t fancy hitching back up to Walker
Pass so I splashed out on a taxi.
In the afternoon heat it was too hot to start the climb up to the main ridge of the Owen’s
Wilderness and with the next water at Spanish Needle Creek about 8 hours walking away I
decided to I spend the afternoon in the shade of the campground. Already there was Luke,
from the Eastern States, who had left Campo at the beginning of May and had been making
fast progress, carrying a very light pack. Surprisingly he only packed a litre of water, which
was amazing in these conditions. He was employed on trail construction and maintenance in
Arizona, but as it gets too hot there for manual work in the summer, he was able to spend a
few months thru-hiking the PCT. I still had a few cans of beer left from my week off and we
finished them off before leaving for the trail.
He left the campground at 5.45 pm, as it started to cool down, and I followed shortly
afterwards.
Walker Pass was discovered by Joseph Walker in 1834 and explored in 1845 by Edward
Kern, after whom the Kern River was named. By 1860 it had become the main route
connecting the mining areas of Owen’s Valley to the coastal cities of California. It was well
used since the High Sierras were uncrossable for hundreds of miles to the North.
Walker Pass was where I had started my two previous hikes along the PCT and I was
looking forward to the challenge of these alpine mountains in June. Before reaching the High
Sierra, I had a few more days of dry arid hills to get through. It had a steep 2000ft climb to
the ridge and it was almost dark before I reached there and camped.
Day 44: 3.3 miles 1.54 hours Camp: S. Ridge, Morris Peak
Luke at Walker
Pass Campground
Pass Campground
Plaque at
Walker Pass
Walker Pass
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