That next morning, I was once again heading up the Pine Creek Trail, albeit at a much slower pace. I was joined by my friends from the PCT Super Soaker and Fievel, and Fievel’s wife Mimi. It was great to catch up with the crew after not seeing them for so long. Our initial plan was to hike a 70 mile loop out of Pine Creek, however a storm looming in the forecast gave us pause. A romantic part of me wanted to fully embrace the change in seasons by finishing my last hike in the Sierra trudging through a few feet of snow. My more practical side knew that reality would be a sharper sword then it was in my romantic vision and that hiking in the snow would be a bad idea. I sent the group a final weather report the day before leaving, and we agreed we’d discuss the matter more on the trail. The two options were to complete the hike as planned, or to head back to civilization after two days to avoid the impending storm. As one should be in any group decision, I was amenable to either option.
Luckily, logic quickly won out among the group, and we chose the safer option. We set up a base camp and decided to try for Julius Cesar on the first day and 4 gables on the second, before retreating down the mountain. Super Soaker joined me on the first day and Fievel on the second. It was a great trip with a good mix of catching up with friends, and climbing peaks. Perhaps it was the warmer air associated with the coming storm, but it felt a lot warmer camping with other people, then it had during all of my prior nights alone in the alpine.
We retreated to Mimi’s parent’s place in Mammoth, and as I looked out the window at the falling snow, I was grateful to be inside. But part of me wondered what the hike would have been like, a desperate push through several inches of snow over Pine Creek Pass. It was a limit I wanted to test some day in the friendly home territory of the Sierra.
Anthony Ottati 