PACIFIC | C A L IFOR N I A
He looked down at the two inches of snow already under our feet and adds, “Most people are turning back.” But we weren’t ready to give up yet. We had physically prepared for our 56-mile hike, which included a 26-mile section of the 211-mile John Muir Trail in the California Sierra mountains. The region is known to have some of the most beautiful views and challenging hiking in the lower 48. My husband and oldest daughter, Cora, had recently run a marathon, and my younger daughter is an experienced backpacker. My nephew had been going on weekly hikes with bowling balls in his pack to prepare for the trip. And my son and I had hiked together on weekends with our packs filled with bags of rice, canned beans
124 GO ESCAPE | WINTER 2016
and birdseed. Despite our preparation, we knew that continuing on to Evolution Valley in Kings Canyon National Park had its risks. The weather in the Sierras is unpredictable, and we did not have the correct gear to hike extensively in rain and snow. We had naively thought the mountain summer would be as dry as a coastal California season, and we only brought rain gear as an afterthought. Months before our trip, we had meticulously planned the mileage and camping stops for each day of our five-night/six-day hike. But the amount of food we brought was limited by the size of our bear-resistant canisters — mandatory equipment when traveling through bear country. After three days of hiking, we weren’t sure whether
The snow was beautiful but cumbersome for the family. When they reached their goal of Evolution North Lake, the sun came out.