Triple Crown hiker from Vancouver enters Sierra Mountains

Editor’s note: Jeff Garmire of Vancouver is attempting the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking, which is completing the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails in a calendar year. He’s already completed the Appalachian Trail and is working his way north on the Pacific Crest Trail.)

KENNEDY MEADOWS, Calif. — Jeff Garmire has entered the Sierra Mountains and soon will be hiking at 10,000 feet elevation, a big change from the Southern California desert.

“I will likely lose (telephone) service for the next week while I hike through some of the hardest and most beautiful terrain and conditions I have hiked through over the last 2,900 miles,’’ he wrote on his Wednesday blog post.

His next section includes 200 miles of roadless area, eight passes at more than 10,000 feet and the highest point on the trail at 13,200 feet.

The snow level is at about 9,000 feet elevation.

Garmire has been averaging 33 miles per day on the Pacific Crest Trail and has hiked about 700 miles since leaving the California-Mexico border. The PCT is 2,650 miles.

His time in the desert taught him that although the days are hot the nights can be below freezing.

Breaking camp during the 5 a.m. hour often necessitated hiking while holding a warm cup of coffee to “watch my fingers thaw.’’

Part of the route through the desert follows dirt bike trails, where he had to keep an eye out to dodge bikers.

He also saw six rattlesnakes in the desert.

His blog can be found online at http://freeoutside.com.