Granny Hat wishes everyone a wonderful Independence Day. She is flying the flag, baking for a 4th of July potluck with friends and praying for the country she loves. She also misses President Ronald Reagan:
“Man can climb to the highest summits, but he cannot dwell there long.” – George Bernard Shaw
Granny Hat has been enjoying the most beautiful summer. Spring came early this year with a warm, gentle melt in May and a perfectly balmy June. Chubby robins, chattering chickadees and several varieties of hummingbirds arrived ahead of schedule to dance in the blooming herbs and flowers. There are bees in the clover and swallowtail butterflies diving over the pond. Granny and her family have already enjoyed two outdoor garden parties in the long evenings.
In an unusual twist of fate, Montana is having a California Summer and California, at least in the Sierra Nevada, is still in the grip of winter. It’s just a cruel, cruel summer up on the John Muir Trail this year.
Granny’s 2023 PCT hiker crossed the highest point on the Pacific Crest Trail, Forester Pass (13,153 ft.) and completed close to 800 miles. He and his hiking team spent long days post holing across the snow on an invisible trail, started many days in the wee hours of the morning to navigate the ice and snow more efficiently, and camped on small tracts of visible dirt between snow drifts. There were treacherous stream crossings, evidence of recent avalanches and reports of worse conditions farther north so they made the decision to exit the High Sierra to Independence, (the highway 395 town, that is). Christopher said that when he experienced the difficulty of Forester Pass he knew he wouldn’t be continuing to the more challenging Glen and Mather Passes until later in the season.
Granny is reminded of Frodo and his Fellowship of the Ring companions being defeated by Cruel Caradhras, the snowy mountain peak in Middle Earth. Christopher may not have been defeated but he certainly knew who was boss, time to give the Sierra some weeks to thaw. He ate his way through the town of Bishop, then hopped a bus to Reno jetting home to Nebraska for a two-week break. His plan is to see family, celebrate Independence Day, swap his Sierra gear like bear can, ice axe and crampons for lighter warm weather supplies, gain back some of the 30 pounds he lost and then return to Donner Pass for the trek north on the PCT through Oregon and Washington. If possible, he will flip back to finish the John Muir Trail in late September.
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” – T.S. Eliot
As Granny Hat is posting this, Christopher is home celebrating Independence Day with his family, blowing up piles of fireworks at their block party and eating his fill of All-American food. His latest video from his front porch is a good one.
Meanwhile, Granny Hat is baking up a storm because Chris’ boys are flying into Montana for a long July visit complete with rafting, hiking and barn raising at Uncle Josh and Aunt Candace’s farm. Granny and Dad love the perks of grandparenting.
Stay tuned for the next phase of the journey. And do look up Christopher’s spectacular photos and videos on the website: veteranhiking.com.
“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.’ J.R.R. Tolkien
Granny Hat 
With age comes wisdom. I am so glad he was smart enough to come home! He will enjoy the rest of his adventure much more.
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