2 steps at a time: Post holing over Mather Pass 6/4

What is it? Electron microscope section?

Today was a big day in the Sierra- 17 miles and two passes. We decided to do passes early in the morning since they are easier to do when the snow is hard. There was one flaw in our thinking. If we did that we would be doing some really long days and perhaps extending our stay. TC worked out the details because she is into that. DG is into watching marmots stare at her and quails block her path. So today was exhausting but no one dwells on that.

The morning pass was ok. There was some route finding and lots of rivers and streams to ford. DG and TC remove their footware to do this. They prefer dry feet to wet feet. There were about 7 of these crossings below Pinchot Pass. Neither hiker was pleased about this. DG nearly forded the last river in her boots. She was tired of taking off everything, dropping her pack twice each crossing and the putting it all back on. She resisted the temptation and at the end of the day had relatively dry boots.

Mather Pass was done from about 2:00 to 5:30 (both up and over). The snow was soft and waiting to suck the the life out of our legs. Postholing is walking on the surface of seemingly solid snow and suddenly losing an entire leg deep inside a hole (sometimes you are sunk up to your groin). This hole holds you hostage until you grovel out of it. This is no easy matter because as you try to lift out the trapped limb you lose the other limb trying or else your arms start disappearing. If you are not careful in the extrication process the only thing above the snow will be your head. DG and TC were holding their breaths, trying to be light and airy. They tried sliding over the snow as if they were skating. Inevitably they both got sucked in. TC developed a way of getting her leg out by kneeling forward with the free knee and the partially entrapped knee. She looked like a midget without legs. DG held her laughter until dinner. It would have been Inappropriate as it was happening. You just can't laugh when someone is struggling to escape a snow hole. DG felt humiliated by her inability to outsmart the snow; to read it properly. The process was exhausting and by the time they reached solid ground their legs were unsteady and had a difficult time trusting and adapting to hard ground. They will try to avoid passes in the afternoon but if it happens again they might try slithering instead of standing upright.

Early morning reflection.