Day 10- Muir Trail Ranch to Bear Creek — What We Saw, What We Read

Distance: 16 mi
Elevation Gain: 3,100 ft
Starting Elevation: 7,900 ft
Ending Elevation: 8,940 ft

Head down, slowly ascending after Rock Creek.

Despite our fantastic day of hiking the day before and, arguably, our more fantastic afternoon eating copious amounts of snacks at Muir Trail Ranch, we were not entirely prepared for what lay ahead on Day 10.

We woke up early, eager to begin our day. As we ascended out of the valley, we climbed more than two miles of switchbacks in a densely covered forest. We were grateful for the soft ground but our hands had not quite warmed up and our legs were not thrilled to carry the extra weight of our resupply. After the first few miles we stopped at the Senger Creek Crossing to fill up some more water and eat a snack (to..you know..reduce some of our pack weight). We continued our slow and steady rise to Selden Pass (Elev: 10,900'), a total of roughly eight miles from our camp. The morning was slow going but we felt good. We even talked about the possibility of continuing another ten to twelve miles after we reached the top of the pass. One possibility was to hike a twenty mile day, putting us right at the Lake Edison Junction that evening. That would give us the opportunity for a true zero mile day on Day 11. From the junction we could hike just a short distance to catch the ferry which would carry us to the Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR). The resort offered incredible amenities such as a cafe, laundry, and most importantly hot showers. As we hiked up to Selden Pass we imagined all the great things that we would do at VVR, and how fantastic it would be to push ourselves hard just one more day to give ourselves a true rest on Day 11.

Pipe dreams. What fools we were. Our ascent was mostly pleasant for the bulk of it. Passing Salley Keyes Lake was truly a spectacular sight in the late morning sunshine. A camper on the lake had set up a hammock and the light breeze through the trees set up the most incredible picturesque landscape. We made another mental note to come back here one day on a section hike.

Once we came close to the pass however, our frustrations began to build. It seemed no matter how much we walked, the path continued to curve ahead of us, switchbacks formed under our feet, and the end was nowhere in sight. Pat stepped into an icy and muddy puddle, soaking his feet again after desperately attempting to take care of blisters. When we finally reached the peak we were grateful for the beautiful views but exhausted and uncertain of our ambitious plans for the day.

Eventually we began our descent, but the first few miles going down were far more frustrating than those going up. The path was rocky and uneven. Our feet and knees ached, and with our heavy packs we could not keep up a steady pace that would put us at Lake Edison Junction in a reasonable amount of time. After a few more miles, we came across Bear Creek and searched helplessly up and down the banks for a crossing that would allow us to keep our feet dry. After fifteen minutes we gave up our search, took our shoes off, rolled our pant legs up, and crossed the creek to the other side. There, on the banks, we took a breath and made a few decisions. The purpose of this journey was of course to push ourselves physically and mentally, while at the same time giving us an opportunity to immerse ourselves in nature and feel relief from the pressures of work and life outside the wilderness. If we weren't enjoying ourselves, we needed to take a step back (figuratively because we were avoiding unnecessary step taking) and reevaluate our approach.

We decided we would continue our hike just a few more miles that evening, slow and steady, to the Bear Creek Junction. The next morning we could hike a few miles to the Bear Ridge Junction which would take us to VVR. Though it would not be a zero mile day as we had intended, we would feel better and significantly less pressure at the present. We continued our hike gradually downhill through densely covered forest and made our way to the Bear Creek Junction. We found a spot next to the rushing Bear Creek and set up our tent. The rocky mountainside next to us was lit up in the sunlight while we were shaded below the trees. Our feet ached but we rested on a mat outside the tent and made a hot meal. As we ate, evening turned to night so we cleaned the dishes, hid the bear canisters, and crawled into the tent. Day 10 complete.

Finally hitting a flat piece on our morning ascent from Muir Trail Ranch.

Reaching the shores of beautiful Sally Keyes Lake.