Episode 11 | The Sierra | Kennedy Meadows to Bishop | Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike 2022

[@GivePeaceAChance12]

Love all the sunrises and sunsets!!! Every time me i see someone hiking up whitney IN THE DARK im am soooo impressed!!!! Good job!!!!

[@pungo147]

Your best episode yet. Makes me feel more confident about choosing an early March start date for my hike in 2023.

[@jennymossa9492]

Oh my goodness, it is stunning out there!

[@sam.and.moriah]

Right!?!?

[@drakebonnellbonnell9045]

Such beauty. Thanks.

[@Ericidryfly]

You two are killing it. This video will put smiles on the class of 2022. No need to skip ahead this year.

[@LMicheleS]

You captured some amazing footage up there!

[@delmorejr1950]

Awesome, had many beautiful days as your started your hike through the forest and meadows as you approach Mt Whitney... and the snow begins... actually those lower (higher) altitudes look pretty clear but with ice still on the Alpine lakes it must be very cold BRRRRRR... Yikes 2.17 miles in altitude and Mt Whitney is in view... Nice, pretty easy stream crossing... and the ascent begins in the wee morning hours... fairly nice conditions on the trail up ... the SUMMIT (2.74 miles in altitude) AWESOME... down off Whitney we you were visited by some local Marmots as you continued your trek through the High Sierras... Woo Hoo the highest point on the PCT Forester Pass (13,153 ft.), you gotta be loving it... nice recovery on the phone... back to the tree level at last... over Kearsarge pass just a little ol 11,709 ft, nothing compares to what you have already done, and on to Bishop for town food, showers, laundry, resupply, and then back on trail... Canada awaits. SAFE HIKING

[@sierrajohn47]

Really enjoy "hiking" along with you. You know what you are doing, hike great mileage (my kind of hiking), shoot excellent videos and, most of all, love the insatiable rugged beauty of the high Sierra!

[@melissakozyra1480]

You guys are killing it!!! Love watching all your videos. Thank you for sharing your journey!!!

[@barneyrubble1754]

awesome. yabadaba doo. my favorite section of the PCT kennedy to sonora pass. enjoy.

[@tw6570]

Beautiful footage! Thanks for taking us along on your adventures!

[@phillipendicott1714]

I hiked in the Sierra many years ago. You videos are wonderful, letting me relive my youth. Be safe and stay healthy. The best is yet to come.

[@mariusventer853]

You guys are amazing. I waited all week for this post. THANK YOU THANK YOU.

[@jenniferbostrom759]

You guys never stop impressing me. It is so much fun to see 2 smart and capable people tackle these immense challenges. Thank you for letting me follow your journey 🙂

[@krigsgaldr5619]

Thanks for another great video! I'm really enjoying following your journey, and can't wait for the next chapter. Cheers...

[@aliceblois1069]

Wow. So beautiful!! Can’t believe you are already in Bishop! What a perfect day to hike up Whitney. Love watching your progress.

[@johnhaywood9030]

Nothing beats a sunrise on Whitney. It's well worth starting early enough to experience it and I highly recommend it to anyone willing to listen. You are crushing the miles. I'm looking forward to seeing it again in person in a few months.

[@ParanoidLemming]

Yaaaa! Been waiting to see how y’all are doing glad to see you’re safe and cruising along. Keep crushing and have fun out there! Thanks for footage of the conditions out there. -from Mammoth

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

The Southern Sierra are the absolute best part of the PCT.

[@joesmith4222]

Great video guys. Three of us spent the night on Whitney last August testing out my new Grundig shortwave radio. First time with such clarity. Sitting on top of the world, listening to the world.

[@cristopherward9297]

You both are absolute beasts!!! Great job

[@karenanddogs6645]

You two are really making the miles! Enjoying your videos.

[@susanlang8793]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MORIAH! Sending all my love!

[@nml4546]

Great to see tou again. Glad you made it to Bishop. Used to go thru there all the time on the way to Mammoth.

[@JJ-rl5ef]

Thank you for sharing...and breaking trail. I'm heading up towards Forester pass from Roads End in Kings Canyon on May 17. Nice to know the conditions.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Forester pass in ice is too dangerous. They should run a cable on the riskiest part. People have died.

[@kellyjohnson3617]

The sierras are so breathtaking and harsh. Usually can find a day hiker who can give you a ride down. This time of year the campground up there isn’t open for the season. But bishop is awesome. Hope you got some schats bakery goodness. My fav place to get amazing food. Especially bread snd pastries. Their mule kick sandwich is terrific. Thanks for posting your journey. Wishing you success.

[@ladygoodday]

It’s amazing that you are in the Sierras already and others are just beginning their hike at mile one!

[@purplewindpct]

Wow! You guys are bad ass. Definitely my favorites on the trail.

[@bionicdan1959]

Safe to say that the CA Sierras mountains are in a class of their own! A little different than the NH mountains from back home! It’s so cool to watch you guys navigate the back country. You are experiencing vistas and places most people will never see with their own eyes. That’s because of the packs on your back!! We’ll done so far!!

[@hikerJohn]

I was just starting to write that I had not noticed you wearing any traction but there were no good shots of your feet and right at that moment you pointed the camera right at Moriah's feet where she dropped her camera. What timing! I dropped my phone in a creek and didn't know it and hiked on for a mile and then noticed it gone when I wanted to take a picture. It was dead as a door-nail but it turned on the next day after putting it back and forth between sun and shade for a few hours so it could "breath" and dry out. Most KZbinrs say that commenting helps the logarithms as well which is why I always comment on almost all your videos, not because I have important stuff to say LOL

[@sam.and.moriah]

We appreciate your comments! Love to hear others experiences in similar areas

[@tomsalter3756]

Good footage. Very impressive!

[@blueboats7530]

It was so good that you ran down from Kearsarge Pass because catching day hikers from Bishop at that trailhead was many layers of good fortune.

[@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling]

I wouldn't bother explaining yourselves. The nay sayers will rant about something irregardless. When you said that was the best view on the PCT so far, I thought, Sam is going to be repeating that statement a lot of times in the months ahead. Kudos for still laying down the miles and you made those two passes look like a walk in the park. I love the clip of you sat in the chair. You should feature it in every vlog going forward. Loving the vlog and the daily maps. Thank you. 😊

[@jenniferbailey2178]

Rest and eat well in Bishop! Great video!

[@clarkansas6590]

Good job

[@Mountian-Zen]

Hello, Good job, gerat video! So, I had been waiting for this very video, wanting to actually see the snow pack / conditions. Was undecided until watching this if I would start the JMT mid June, or July. Thank you, the decision has been made. Will be looking forward to the next of your Sierra videos!

[@billbaron6992]

I thought I heard a couple mountain chickadees in this video. Neat. It’s incredible how far you’ve gone by the beginning of May.

[@michaelbigelow3384]

Well, I'm impressed with the climb, without, apparently, microspikes!. On ice. With a fair amount of exposure. And at night too. Glad no mishaps, or involuntary glisades.

[@allencrider]

Well done. I had a feeling of dread for you because "It's too early! So much snow!" but it wasn't bad at all. It was better than July 2019. The Sierra is ready. And to think there are a lot who haven't started the PCT yet.

[@chili1593]

Multi year drought

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

About 1,000 years ago, California suffered a 400 year drought.

[@Jan.harvey]

Just love you too- keep being you. Hike on.

[@skagited9617]

Hi, Sam & Moriah: A 'seasoned' viewer of PCT hikers, here... Meant to make a recommendation on an earlier vid, but forgot... Pan your cam slower so viewers can focus, and not get dizzy as you're twirling... lol Not a pro on cams here either, but it's a common issue with new vloggers... Definitely enjoying your content though! Thanks for sharing your journey.... I try to do some Trail Magic at the northern end, so may see you in Aug/Sept... Be safe out there!!! Ed

[@mommakittyhiking]

Wow, beautiful views and the snow is incredibly low this year!

[@jonathanwhitehead9253]

I hiked Whitney 20+ years ago in early September and there were still snow patches from the previous season. I would have thought you'd need mountaineering equipment in April.

[@mikeyhikes]

Wonderful video! I really enjoy following you two. Question for Moriah! Please share about your new 0° bag (quilt?)! With a frozen water bottle next to you, and yet you were perfectly snuggly warm, I need to know details!! 😍 I have a wonderful 30° Katabatic quilt, but a lower rated temp is definitely in my future.

[@carvermarks]

JMTx 14 never gets old but man . . . I gotta start at Kennedy Meadows one day.

[@three-cats-photography]

Yeah, you had easy stream crossings because the snow's already gone. Like six weeks earlier than it should be. Shit. I knew our snowpack was bad this year, but this is the first chance I've gotten to see how bad it is up there. (Good for hikers, bad for California!) On another note, looks like the lakes are still mostly frozen, so no mosquitos?

[@pamfleury3584]

It looks like you camped at guitar lake at whitney...it's a great site and legal... we did it last year for the high sierra trail. Thank you for the footage. We are doing the jmt starting in June and it is helpful to see the snow and water levels....cheers, you guys are great....fellow nh folks.

[@zvolen]

It hurts a bit to see so little snow but glad teh conditions worked out well for you.

[@pierrrejette9023]

Excellent. It is nice to watch true hikers( pun intended). The sunrise on top of Whitney was great. I was surprised to see so little snow.I am 62, been hiking lots for 40 years. To me there is no illegal place to camp in the mountains.. thanks for the video.

[@blueboats7530]

Well, I'm appreciating the difficulty in knowing the camping site question, I'm on a home desktop and it's a struggle. The Sequoia NP website is useless for this question. The PCTA website does list 2 restrictions where you were but it depends on EXACTLY where you were: No camping at Timberline Lake / Two night limit at Crabtree/Whitney Creek and Guitar Lake. It is possible the PCTA info is not current, but I would have hoped specific restrictions would have been posted at the Crabtree Station. In any case I imagine there is a big difference in oversight and enforcement in the JMT "quota season" starts May 27.

[@gregall2178]

The Crabtree Station is staffed seasonally, and probably hasn't had a ranger there since September/October.

[@wineberryred]

The only reason they don't want you to camp at the base of Whitney is that people need to poop and that pollutes the water for downstream hikers. As long as you pooped in zip locks and hauled it out you should be fine.

[@Henning_Rech]

I think it is clear: your PCTA permit is valid for overnight only in the PCT corridor, and the PCTA permit website clearly says that anything east of Crabtree Meadows is excluded. - Said this, it would have been easy to get a local Inyo Forest permit starting at Kennedy Meadows, which is non-quota and available online, and you are safe. So do not feel too guilty ;). - My permit had been checked by a ranger at Crabtree Meadows when hiking east, but this was in August 2019.

[@sam.and.moriah]

Yeah we should have done research before entering the no service zone for 6 days! I’m sure it’s not a huge deal in April, No one else around at this point.

[@DavidHaney1]

What app did you use to show the trail and elevations ???

[@Henning_Rech]

You did not show the chute at Forrester - from the distance it looked as if the snow just reached and covered the trail, but did not go much further down?

[@gregall2178]

It looked non-existent to me :-(

[@Henning_Rech]

@@gregall2178 19:02 you can see the typical triangle and guess the trail.19:39 the chute is behind the corner in the bottom, and there is some snow to be seen, also on the switchbacks on the other side.

[@gregall2178]

@@Henning_Rech I am familiar with Forester Pass ;-) @ 1902 you can see a tiny tongue of snow, that looks above the trail to my memory. But nothing close to what would typically be there at this time of year.

[@mamawelder]

You didn’t show Forester chute….was it covered with snow or bare? Looking forward to conditions between Kearsarge and Mather. We’re heading up there in a month.

[@sam.and.moriah]

Some snow in the chute. But it was above where you cross on the trail. So only the top few steps that are in the thumbnail image were snow. Crazy for this time of the year!

[@mamawelder]

@@sam.and.moriah yes very low snow just like last year. I’m doing the PCT next year hopefully it won’t be too gnarly. It’s a fine line between wanting precipitation so fire season isn’t bad but not too much that the Sierras are dangerous.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

@@mamawelder exactly.

[@Ericidryfly]

No snow on the Forester chute in late April is insane for this time of year.

[@mamawelder]

@@Ericidryfly yes which means bad fire season. Time to quickly push through NorCal and southern Oregon before they light up! 🔥

[@deanbothwell6992]

Marc Rebillit/Show Up. Yah gotta show up if you show up it gets done.

[@deanbothwell6992]

That and you’ve got me all jacked up ready for Rae Lakes I’ll be showing up! Get some high goodness.

[@silaslutjohann1530]

Moriah when hiking and you Have to pee do you Just Go outside?

[@shanele]

Where else would you go?

[@tujungadave]

Did you guys purchase the bear canister, or did you rent it?

[@sam.and.moriah]

Moriah owns hers, Sam rented one from Kennedy meadows

[@tujungadave]

@@sam.and.moriah Best of both worlds. :-) Enjoying the videos. Keep on Truckin'!

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Do you recommend trekking poles? Some say yes, some say no.

[@sam.and.moriah]

We both enjoy having them. Specifically to save the knees a bit during descents. Sam only carries one pole

[@Andy-Mesa]

Absolutely nobody says no, especially in the Sierras.

[@Johnjds]

Fun fact: Sierra means range.

[@jacksonhillsgrove8670]

Hi Sam

[@MakersTeleMark]

Sierra, not Sierras. Sierra is already plural. Cringe.

[@shanele]

You don’t know what you don’t know. Don’t be rude about it.