Bishop and PCT and Onion Valley! I’m back on the PCT!! Ok, well not officially, but the drive from Vegas to the Bay Area is taking me through the backside of the Sierra’s and through Yosemite Valley. I’m overcome with memories of three years ago, hiking through some of the same places, visiting some of the same towns. From Vegas, going up and over Death Valley (man am I glad the car didn’t overheat, it was H.O.T. I can’t imagine how runners compete in Badwater each year), I headed to Onion Valley Campground, nearby Bishop. Even on a mid-week evening in September, the parking lot was packed. Thankfully there were a couple of camping spots that weren’t taken, the one I chose being well protected by surrounding bushes from the wind. It was interesting to drive up 3,000ft from the valley floor to the campground at 8k up a winding paved road (in Colorado it definitely would’ve been unpaved!) – it reminded me of running down the entire thing to town, when I was on the PCT, and hitching a ride back up. After dinner & a fire & a leisurely rest, I hiked up to Kearsage pass the next day, though turned back before quite making it to the junction with the PCT & JMT. It was a great morning stretch, fueling me with enough energy to explore Yosemite later that day, and stop by The.Best.Bakery.Ever in Bishop on the way (shameless plug: https://www.schatsbakery.com/ I’m drooling right now, just thinking about it … time to run to the donut shop around the corner….yum)
Where is Bronson? 