Sitting in the town of Bishop with my dear wife Caylie. She picked me up yesterday from the Kearsarge Pass trailhead. It’s wonderful to see Caylie again after more than two months of short texts and calls.
The Sierras have been wonderful. It is an amazing stretch of beauty. One thing that I clearly understand now is that hiking the Sierras really means hiking a succession of high mountain passes, one after the other. The passes are typically 11,000-12,000 ft, except the big daddy, Forester Pass at 13,200 ft. The views from the passes are amazing, but honestly, the views all the way up the passes change with elevation–and they are all amazing.
One thing that continues to strike me is the aqua color of the alpine lakes. Every pass has 3 or 4 tiers of lakes that emerge to you as you climb. And the color of the water is simply wonderful.
A few days ago the weather pattern shifted and afternoon storms became the norm. Of course lightning and high passes are a bad combination, and this has affected how fast I can go. Sometimes I am forced to “lay up” before a Pass so I can hike it safely the next morning.
One unexpected experience in the last stretch was taking the “ferry” to a resupply stop. The ferry is a pontoon boat Lake Edison and a nice break from walking.
Bishop is my last resupply stop. Tomorrow I’ll re-enter the high Sierras thru Kearsarge Pass and continue down to Trail Pass for the last 53 miles of the hike. Includes Forester Pass.
Mando 
Good to hear that you are well. Enjoy these last few days on the trail. Hope the weather holds up for you.
So glad to hear an update! Bob and I were just talking about you this morning and wondering where you are. The Sierras sound wonderful. It’s so great that Caylie could come out to see you. Is she hiking the last stretch with you? Love and care to you both! God be with you!
Caylie did her own 3-day backpack in the Sierras while I finished up. We each had a great time.
WOOP!! Almost there, Patrick! See you home soon and we’ll celebrate! You’re a big fat badass.