As a way to finish the Sierra section/another section hike there are two easy ways back on trail from Cottonwood pass. North or South.
The pass is at 746.5 or 751.4 NOBO. A short hike from the trailhead out of Lone Pine gets you on the PCT. It is 2 miles for the southern route from the trailhead and free parking. It is 3.1 miles to get back to the PCT for the northern route.
For the NOBO Route
You start north from 751 with Forester Pass at 780.7. That is not a resupply point but a landmark at 13,120 feet and the highest point on the trail.
The next resupply is Kearsarge Pass— a significant hike in and out at Mile 789.6 or 790.3 (various connections). It is 7.6 miles to the trail head.
That is 48.5 miles or three days of hard hiking from Cottonwood.
From 790 the next resupply is then Bishop Pass at 832.2. 11.8 to the trail head. The mileage is 42+11.8+7.5 from the one trail head to the other. Or a little over 61 miles or four days at 15 miles a day.
The next stretch is about 71 miles (including access). That means five days of food to be certain.
That “next” resupply is Muir Ranch at 858.9. 1.5 to the ranch and a resupply bucket (only what you mail in for $110 is available). The path out reconnects with the PCT at 860.7 about a mile from the ranch.
Then it is almost 45 miles out including connector miles. Or about three days.
That out is Duck Pass which is at 896. From the pass it is about six miles out to the parking lot/bus to Mammoth Lakes. The alternative is Reds Meadow which is about a mile and a half further and has a different bus.
The northern route is around 150 miles plus the access route miles. With access miles of about 50 miles it is about 200 total or so.
Going SOBO
Going South it is a leg from Cottonwood at 751.4 to Kennedy Meadows South at 700.8 and then to Walker Pass at 653.2.
That is two roughly 50 mile legs with one resupply that is just about on trail and then a bus back to Lone Pine from the pass.
You start at the trail head at 9,945 feet. Hike up to 10,494 feet at the PCT with easier PUDs to KMS at 6,286 feet and then Walker Pass at 5,275 feet.
So overall downhill.
Looks attractive.
Gear comments
Last trip I left home:
- Sit pad (about half an ounce — 15 grams).
- Winter gloves (about an ounce)
- Night bottle (not much either)
- My shorts (wore rain pants to do laundry)
I didn’t shave much weight but I finally tried using rain pants to do laundry.
Gear updates for the next section:
- Topo Traverse shoes since my Terraventures are getting worn and Traverse shoes have better cushion.
- Summer weight bags or summer weight quilts.
- May leave my puffy home.
- Probably three water bottles instead of two.
Little seasonal tweaks.
