Daily Trail Journal

Daily Trail Journal

Day -1: Travel to Mammoth Lakes

Had a very long day of travel. Woke up at 4 am EST to finalize gear, make sure everything was packed, and grab some breakfast. Mom and Dad drove me to the airport at 4:45 am to catch my 6 am flight. I caught my flight to Newark and chatted with my seatmate who lives in Utica but is from SoCal. In Newark, I walked to a different part of the terminal and didn't wait long for my flight to LAX. The plane was huge - a 3-5-3 seater - and I sat on the end of the row. I mostly dozed and listened to music. It was a long flight. When I got to LAX, I had to pick up my checked bags and switch terminals. My flight to Mammoth Lakes wasn't leaving for 6 hours, so they wouldn't check my bag yet. I ate a sandwich and dozed in a chair until 2 pm PST when I checked my bag and went through security. I dozed some more in various places before grabbing a chicken quesadilla and heading to my gate. There, I met Q who was planning on hiking the JMT SOBO. We agreed to ride together into town since we were staying at the same hostel. On the plane, I chatted with my seatmate, a professor of public health at UCLA. We had a great conversation, and she ended up giving Q and I a ride to our hostel with her husband, a bicyclist training for a "death race". At the hostel, I reorganized, showered, and am ready for bed. I am totally exhausted!

Day 0: Travel to Horseshoe Meadows

I woke up at 5:45 am unable to sleep, so I packed everything up and got ready to go. I checked out of the hostel and convinced the owner to hold my travelling duffel until I came back. I walked toward the ESTA bus stop, stopping at a bakery for a donut and orange for breakfast. At the bus stop, I met D, who is hiking the JMT at approximately the same rate as I plan on. We chatted on the bus ride down to Bishop, then we switched to another bus to Lone Pine. In Lone Pine, I stopped at the Whitney Portal store to get a fuel canister and then walked the 2 miles to the permit office. It was so hot! There, I got my permit and chatted with my partner on the phone until S showed up. I met S on the "Ladies of the JMT" facebook page and she offered to drive me up to Horseshoe Meadows on her lunch break. We had a lovely drive up, and she was very encouraging and supportive. At the trailhead, I picked a site and met up with D again, a guy from England (J), and a guy from LA (Y) with his two sons. J had been displaced from his Whitney Portal start due to the Georges Fire. The LA guy generously shared his lunch, some fresh fruit and finger foods, with us and also offered to share his dinner since they are leaving tomorrow, but I needed to start in on my own food. We were joined later by a girl (H) who I had seen on the ESTA earlier. It had been intermittent clouds and sun with some thunder rumbles but overall very nice. Just as we were about to start dinner around a real campfire, a full-blown storm rolled in. I hid in my tent to minimize wetness. We heard that the storm actually caused a mudslide on the road leading up to the campground, causing it to be closed until the following day. Eventually we were all able to cook and dry by the campfire. I am settling in now and going to bed around 9:30 pm with the hopes of getting an early start.

Day 1: Horseshoe Meadows to Rock Creek via Cottonwood Pass

Today ended up being a way longer day than planned...I woke up around 6:30 am after a relatively restful night of sleep, interrupted a few times by the loud snoring in the tent over. The tent was pretty wet from the storm and I tried to dry it a bit, but it was still pretty soaked when I packed it up. It took me longer than expected to get ready, but I hit the trail at 7:45 am. Since I had only planned to go to Chicken Spring Lake (4.3 miles), I went leisurely. The trail up to Cottonwood Pass was beautiful - green meadows giving way to rocks and pines. The soil was rather sandy too, which surprised me a little. I saw lots of little chipmunks, a few bluebirds, and a grouse mom and her babies. It started drizzling as I approached the pass, but soon cleared. After the pass, I switched to the PCT trail and shortly reached Chicken Spring Lake. It was only 11 am! D was there ahead of me, and when we met up, we decided to press on because it was too early to stop. We chose to aim for some campsites about 5 miles before Rock Creek. We set out together, but shortly D realized he had lost his gloves a bit further back. So, I continued alone. The terrain was very changeable, as was the weather. It rained hard enough for me to put my pack cover on while in a forested area, and it was scorching hot and like a desert with slippery sand in another area. I passed a group of 7 hikers looking to exit at Horseshoe Meadows who had been hiking from Guyot Pass. I also ran into B, an EMT from Indiana who was having a lot of trouble but was determined to make it to Rock Creek, as he was worried about the lack of water source before then. The water situation also started to worry me, so when D caught up, we discussed going all the way to Rock Creek. I had also dropped my sun gloves and D had seen them ~1.5 miles back. I gave those up for lost and we buckled down to finish the 5 miles to Rock Creek. It was a struggle and we were both getting really exhausted, but eventually we made it around 5 pm. It was just about 13 miles on the first day! We saw H again and set up camp all together. Our site was right next to the titular Rock Creek, so I dipped my sore feet in the water for awhile, which felt quite good. Being basically completely exhausted, though proud of being a full day ahead of schedule, I settled in to write, stretch, and relax before calling it an early night.

Day 2: Rock Creek to Crabtree Meadow via Guyot Pass

I took today pretty leisurely overall. My stomach was kind of upset and I didn't feel like eating a full breakfast, so I just had a Clif Bar. I think I was actually sick from not eating enough yesterday because I felt better after that plus a bunch of water. I filled up on 3 liters of water from Rock Creek (which ended up being overkill) and took my time packing up, giving everything time to dry. While getting ready, a deer visited the meadow adjacent to our campsite! I set off on my own, crossing Rock Creek on some logs, and started the quite brutal initial climb. A little ways along, I was passed by a mule pack train. The group had stayed across the river from us last night and had made quite a ruckus. I continued at a sedate pace, just enjoying the scenery, eventually crossing Guyot Creek where I stopped to have a snack. Then, I lost the trail a bit, which seems common in the area based on the number of false trails, before beginning the final ascent to Guyot Pass. I caught up to the pack train, who were having a bit of trouble getting the mules to keep moving. One of them kept laying down. D and two other JMT hikers from Virginia caught up to me while I was waiting behind the group and together we decided to just go around. Luckily, I made it to the top of the pass before the mules (but barely!). I had a leisurely lunch, chatted with some other hikers, enjoyed the sun, and just relaxed for a bit. Next, there was a bit of a descent and some relatively flat terrain that was quite barren. There was some thunder in the distance but the weather held out for awhile. There was a bit of a climb and then a steep rocky descent. I really started to feel the soreness from the previous day. However, it was well worth it when I reached Crabtree Meadow. Everything was lush and green, and Crabtree Creek wound lazily through it. There were a number of birds, and I saw my first marmots. At the crossing, I changed into my camp/water shoes because the water looked ankle deep and I wanted to refresh a little bit. I'm glad I did because it ended up being knee-high! With only 1 mile to go, D and I met up again. We hiked along the creek, both of us stopping to take photos along the way. We had to cross again, and I led the way, rock hopping and not getting too wet. With the threat of an approaching storm, we were glad to arrive at the camp area nearby the ranger station. We quickly picked some sites, set up, and took cover just in time. Such bad luck with this rain! I'm getting really hungry now so I'm going to brave the now light rain for some snacks. I plan on having an early night tonight both because I'm really tired, and because I want to set out for Whitney fairly early tomorrow morning.

Day 3: Summitting Mt. Whitney

Today was a hard day - mentally and physically. I woke up at 3:30 am and got everything ready to go up Whitney. I packed up everything and got it off the ground and left the tent open so that my stuff didn't get chewed by any creatures. I only brought food for the day, my sleeping bag, and my down jacket. I ended up waiting for D and we got on the trail by 4:30 am. The initial leg, done mostly by headlamp, was deceptively easy. Fairly level ground, beautiful lakes, and easy trail. My confidence was pretty high. However, as we started the initial switchbacks to get to the summit trail, I started feeling some cramping. It wasn't too dissimilar to the general soreness/cramping I had been having so I ignored it. However, when I stopped to pee (not super privately due to the trail), I found that my period had started 3 days early with a vengeance. And my tampons were all back at the tent so I had to improvise with a bandana. The poor thing would never be the same. Around that time I learned we still had a mile of switchbacks before even reaching the summit trail. The terrain was quite rocky, the path barely distinguishable except the rocks were (usually) smaller. I ended up putting on some Bowling for Soup to keep my spirits up. Finally, we reached the start of the summit trail. I snacked on some trail mix while watching a super fat marmot forage for dropped treats. Clearly it tended to be successful. The trail to the summit was only 2 miles, but it felt like it went on forever! I switched over to some Wicked to motivate me to "defy gravity". The worst part was that everyone coming down looked so happy and kept saying "You're almost there". While almost is not a concrete term, it felt like a lie. The altitude didn't start to bother me until the last 500 ft or so where I started feeling nauseated. The initial excitement of seeing the cabin and the stunning views kept me going for a bit. I also got to check in with people by text and even talked to A on the phone for awhile. Soon though, the nausea was getting to me and clouds were rolling in and obscuring the view, so I started the long trip back down. Luckily it did go faster, and by the time I reached the trail junction, I felt much better, even eating some lunch. The hike back was certainly long, and I was glad to have a hiking partner so we could keep each other motivated. When we finally got back, I fell asleep on the floor of my tent without even setting up my sleeping pad. I was so exhausted! I slept for about an hour. Luckily, that was the time it decided to rain again. Afterwards, I washed up a bit in the stream and rinsed out some of my clothes. I chatted a bit with the 2 hikers from Virginia that I had met at Guyot Pass. Then I stayed up long enough to eat some dinner and am ready for a deep sleep tonight.

Day 4: Crabtree Meadow to Tyndall Creek

I had a really good day today! It helped to get a late start after 10 hours of sleep and a full breakfast. I started really slowly, just enjoying the day, knowing I had only about 8 miles to go. I saw J again, he had skipping climbing Whitney and seemed to be doing well overall. I met some new people along the way - S who is also hiking solo and a group who know each other from work (T/J/C). T/J/C were going about my pace so we stuck together for the second half of the day, taking it slowly and exchanging stories. I crossed a few streams today, Tyndall being the biggest crossing I've done yet. I was glad to have people to cross with. The weather finally held out despite menacing clouds, so I took a nice dip in Tyndall Creek with my new friends. It was like a spa, I feel so rejuvenated! S, T/J/C, D, and I had dinner all together and shared a bit of whiskey. Overall, I am in fair condition. The good: I'm relatively clean, I don't feel too sore, and I ate all my food for the day. The not so good: I've got a massive blister on my heel, my hands and lips are sunburned, and I'm still dealing with my period. Could definitely be worse! T/J/C, D, and I made plans to start toward Forester Pass before sunrise because the hike is mostly tree-less, so I'm settling in for a big day tomorrow.

Day 5: Tyndall Creek to Upper Vidette Meadow via Forester Pass

Today was very productive, though there were ups and downs (literally). We set off as a group around 6 am - me, D, and T/J/C - because we knew there was no shade in the miles before/after Forester Pass. About 1/2 mile in, C decided she wasn't up for it and was in fact going to leave the trail. She had been struggling with the heat and the weight of her pack. So we said our goodbyes and she headed back to make her way out of Whitney Portal. The hike up to Forester was very gradual, with lots of lakes and streams and sunning marmots. I will never think marmots aren't super cute! We stopped to grab some breakfast behind a large boulder next to a stream right before the start of the switchbacks. The super glue I was carrying in my first aid kit also came in handy to repair J's water filter. So far, I had been hiking in my camp shoes because I had the biggest blister ever on my left heel. I agonizingly changed into my boots and began limping up the switchbacks. It was quite steep but actually went by really quickly. One wrong step and you would be right off a cliff though! At the top, we took some photos and chatted with some PCT hikers and a SOBO JMT hiker. The views were amazing and it felt like an accomplishment. By the time we were headed down, it was about 11:30 am and the sun was quite hot. I did my best to apply sunscreen and cover up, but my hands still got burned and my face got a little color as well. The way down was kind of an awkward grade - too steep to comfortably walk, but too gradual to warrant many switchbacks. It was hard on my knees and hips. We saw many alpine lakes that looked very inviting but a little too far to venture in. We did stop at a creek crossing to eat lunch and cool our feet. Still no shade though! I took off my shoes and socks and my blister had finally popped and was oozing past the bandage. It felt so much better even though it was pretty gross. We took a lot of breaks but eventually made it to the trees where it turned into a more forested area. We passed a trail maintenance crew keeping things clear, it was pretty cool to chat with them as we went by. We were making the final push to camp when we were overtaken by a storm, which rained and hailed on us. We took shelter among the trees, but it was over quickly. Soon enough, we made it to our stopping point and set up quickly, expecting more rain, but it never came. I had my last dinner with T/J since they are moving on while D and I hike out to resupply. It's been fun hanging out with them, hopefully we will meet again on the trail (or off!). We settled in fairly early after an exhausting day, and tomorrow I'll be leaving the trail for Onion Valley. I will have to camp for the night in the Onion Valley Campground because my reservation in Independence isn't until the following day - I am running a day ahead of schedule! It will be nice to have a shower, do laundry, and get some real food, but I'll be ready to get back out here.

Day 6: Upper Vidette Meadow to Onion Valley Campground via Kearsarge Pass

I am writing this on an actual table! What a luxury! This morning started nicely. A cowboy went by our campsite bright and early ringing a bell and leading a bunch of horses. One of them was a bit of straggler and came running by about 5 minutes later. I said goodbye to T/J and set out for Onion Valley. The hike out of the meadow was tougher than expected and immediately started to climb, but I saw some grouse (mama and babies) and met Ranger M who warned me about bear activity and checked for my bear canister. At the top of the valley, there were some beautiful lakes, including Bullfrog Lake. A deer walked onto the trail right in front of my, it was quite idyllic. D caught up to me there and together we hiked up to Kearsarge Pass. It was pretty brutal in the hot sun and probably could have used more switchbacks to ease the ascent. At the top, we ran into the guys we had met from Virginia and a hiker who was heading SOBO. We hung out chatting, catching up on news, and snacking for awhile before heading down. We found out the outcome of the World Cup, heard about a horrible storm that caused a mudslide at Evolution Valley, and learned about a fire in Yosemite that was starting to look bad. The hike down was pretty uneventful. D met some day hikers to drive him into Independence for his resupply, which was convenient. At the trailhead, we went our separate ways and I found a campsite for the night. I also met P, who is starting a section of the JMT tomorrow. As I was settling in, D actually came back having decided hotels were too expensive, so he decided to stay at the campground too. We had a good dinner at a real table and just chatted. He will head back out tomorrow morning, so hopefully we will meet again out there. I'm really looking forward to a shower, a real bathroom, and doing laundry tomorrow. As well as catching up with family and friends. Hopefully, I'll get a solid day of rest to rejuvenate me for the coming weeks.

Day 7: Rest Day in Independence at Mt. Williamson Motel

I hung around the campground for the morning, and got picked up to head into Independence around 12 to go to the motel. Had a lovely time - shower, laundry, TV, and king-sized bed. Strider (the owner) is amazing and gives all women hikers a necklace she makes herself, inspired by the evenstar from Lord of the Rings. I got a quesadilla from the local taco truck and some snacks and supplies at the gas station. That's pretty much the whole town! I mostly caught up with people and enjoyed the AC. A pretty nasty storm hit the Sierras, I was glad to be under a roof for the night. I am going to have a wonderful, comfortable night of sleep tonight!

Day 8: Onion Valley to Rae Lakes via Kearsarge Pass and Glen Pass

Today was not a good day for me. I had a solid breakfast at the Motel and felt well-rested so it started out well. However, things soon soured. As I was climbing Kearsarge Pass, clouds were already starting to gather, so I had to rush up the pass. I got to the top around 11:30 am and the clouds were looking quite angry, so I again had to rush to get to the treeline. There, I relaxed my pace a bit and grabbed a snack and chatted with a father-son duo. As I got closer to Glen Pass, the second pass of the day, I started hearing thunder. I knew the trees thinned out ahead so I waited for ~30 minutes for the storm to pass, watching lightning strike the peak across from me. The storm moved off to the north a bit and I was trending east, so I began walking again. However, as I approached the pass, which was utterly treeless, I was still hearing thunder. A couple of girls, A&L, were waiting under some tree cover so I joined them and we chatted for a bit. Finally, we decided it was safe to go up the pass. They totally took off and left me in the dust. I understand they had no obligation to wait for me, but it did make me feel very alone. The weather teased me a bit as I came down the other side of the pass. The sun was peeking through and I felt hopeful about enjoying Rae Lakes. That was not in the cards however, because as soon as I found a spot near the water that I liked, it started raining and thundering again. I quickly set up the tent, but I needed food and water. I gathered a bit of water from the lake and made a sad dinner of hummus (which wasn't very good), a tortilla, and a twix bar. Then I had to retreat to the tent. I could hear people in their tents, and I wished I had someone to wait out the rain with. Every time I thought it had stopped, I heard more pitter-patter on the tent. I am now pretty exhausted so I might just settle in and sleep early. Maybe I can wake up early and enjoy the lakes a bit before I move on. I'm sore, lonely, and a bit sad, but I can't expect every day to be wonderful, and I have high hopes for tomorrow.

Day 9: Rae Lakes to Upper Twin Lakes

Here I am again, hiding out the rain in my tent. This monsoon weather really needs to stop! Overall, today was much better though. I started the day off slow, trying to enjoy the view over Rae Lakes with the sun actually shining. I didn't hit the trail until around 8:30 am. I took it slow through the rest of Rae Lakes and saw Arrowhead Lake and Dollar Lake. I saw a lot of short-term hikers doing the Rae Lakes loop. I chased a fat marmot away from a girl's pack while she was on a bathroom break and we had our mid-morning snack together. She was going SOBO so we exchanged some info about the trail. After a large-ish, but relatively tame creek crossing, I ran into J. We only briefly chatted, but he seemed to be doing well overall. Once again, I could definitely see clouds gathering so I tried to cruise through the downhill to get to the suspension bridge. I stopped there to eat and again exchanged some info with SOBO hikers. One of them was having shoe issues, but had found an abandoned pair of shoes in a bear box there that coincidentally fit him. The suspension bridge was really cool, but felt very wobbly, so I was glad to get across quickly. Afterward, the trail began the long, steep climb to Pinchot Pass. I knew I wouldn't go over the pass today, but I wanted to get pretty far so I set my sights on Twin Lakes. I was taking it relatively slowly and enjoying the rush of Woods Creek alongside the trail. Clouds started building on all sides, so I put on my pack cover and retrieved my rain jacket in preparation. Soon after, I ran into D! I thought he would be way ahead of me by now. We caught up a bit and determined we had the same destination in mind. Thunder began to rumble kind of aggressively, but we continued the climb since it was still relatively protected. It felt like we went for a really long time, but was probably about 2 miles before we encountered lower Twin Lakes. At first, I wanted to camp there because I was pretty exhausted but all the sites were tiny, exposed, and far from water. Both D and I pressed on, against my body's will, and we soon came to a heavily populated area above the Upper Twin Lake and right next to a small pond. As is quickly becoming a theme, I set up the tent as fast as I could, grabbed a snack, and went to wait out the rain. It's coming down hard now, but eventually it should pass, at which time I'll gather some water, make dinner, and settle in for the night.

Day 10: Upper Twin Lakes to (Almost) Upper Basin via Pinchot Pass

Another day, another pass, and another storm. Things started out smoothly, Pinchot Pass wasn't all that bad from where we camped the night before. At the top of the pass, I talked to a few people, including a father and his 13 year old daughter (D/K) and one PCT flip-flopper who lives near Toronto. On the descent from Pinchot, I finally saw a pika! It was really small and fast, so I couldn't get a photo, but I heard its cheeps for awhile. The lakes below the pass were beautiful and I tried to enjoy them as much as possible before the clouds invariably set in. I ran into Ranger S, who did actually check my permit, and informed me that it should be drying up in the next few days. Ugh! D and I hiked together for a bit and did some river crossings. The South Fork of the Kings River was pretty daunting, but we made it without even stepping in the water by using some rocks and a fallen log. It rained on and off all afternoon, but clouds were starting to look pretty menacing, so I was unwilling to leave tree cover and go out into the Upper Basin, so I decided to set up camp alone. I'm really glad I did, because about 20 minutes later, a huge storm rolled through. I thought the hail was going to bust through my tent, and the lightning was only ~2 seconds ahead of the thunder. I am not ashamed to say that I was in the lightning position for about an hour. Finally, it passed and I realized D/K had stopped right next to me, so we met up and had dinner together. Meanwhile, D stopped in to say that he had only gone another 1/4 mile or so before also settling in to weather the storm. I'm glad because I was worried about him getting caught in the open in that storm. After a friendly and filling dinner, I'm ready to settle into a comfortable sleep. I plan on a long day tomorrow, so I better rest up!

Day 11: (Almost) Upper Basin to Grouse Meadow via Mather Pass

Today was a long day of hiking, almost 15 miles, but I felt great! I got up and out at a reasonable time and made it to the top of Mather Pass by around 11 am. I spent a decent amount of time up there snacking, chatting, and attempting to dry my tent a bit. The view from the pass, particularly to the south, was quite striking. I eventually made my way down and made pretty good time to Palisade Lakes. At the lower lake, I decided to take advantage of the sun before the afternoon clouds came in and waded into the water a bit. It felt really good on my feet. Feeling refreshed, I set a solid pace past the lakes and down the Golden Staircase. I'm certainly glad I didn't have to go up that brutal climb! I passed a lot of people that wanted to be told they were almost to the top, so I tried to be encouraging but honest. Nearing the end of the staircase and approaching the wooded Deer Meadow, the clouds were getting really menacing and there was some thunder. D and I were at the same point by then, and we decided to get to the woods quickly and then hike through the storm since we would be under solid cover. My pants definitely got wet, but otherwise my rain gear did its job and kept me and my pack dry. We hustled along until we arrived at Grouse Meadow and saw a nice camping spot. I waited out the last of the rain before setting up my tent to keep my gear as dry as possible. After the storm, there was a beautiful double rainbow over the moutains in the background and meadow in the foreground. It was like a postcard. It was rather chilly, so D and I tried to start a fire in the fire pit but we were wildly unsuccessful due to the wetness of the wood. Instead, we ate a late dinner and hung out later than usual. Around 9 pm, 2 deer ran through the meadow and into the swollen river. The noise was rather startling, but it was fun to see them gallop around.

Day 12: Grouse Meadow to Unnamed Lakes before Muir Pass

I had a really glorious sleep-in until 7:30 this morning! I knew I wasn't going over the pass today, so I got ready very leisurely and set off rather slow. The first bit of hike was still through meadowy forest and was very peaceful. I ran into a few SOBO hikers and exchanged info. At the Bishop Pass trail crossing, I chatted with a PCT hiker from Israel and heard some cool stories. He was exiting the trail to go to a music festival and insisted on giving me his Deet spray. After that, the climb toward Muir Pass began in earnest. All the rain has made things very wet, and at times the trail was completely flooded. The hike was beautiful though - raging rivers, waterfalls, greenery, and a mountainous backdrop. The sky was even staying pretty clear until 3ish. At that time, we were losing tree cover, so we stopped at some campsites to observe the weather. I chatted with another NOBO JMTer (S) who was hoping to get over the pass tonight. However, we did get some hail, rain, and thunder. By the time it cleared up it was already 5 pm, so I decided to stay for the night. A group of SOBO JMTers ended up joining and we had a friendly dinner and exchanged stories. It's always fun meeting new people. D/K even made it up toward the end of the evening. I'm glad because I was getting worried about them. Now it's time to settle in for the night. I am hopeful about getting a nice afternoon at Evolution Lake tomorrow!

Day 13: Unnamed Lakes to Evolution Lake via Muir Pass

What a finally lovely day! The hike up to Muir Pass was pretty difficult and very wet, but it was so scenic that I didn't mind too much. I walked across a very small snow field and crossed countless streams, large and small. The top of Muir Pass was windy but sunny and there was a particularly inquisitive marmot. I was in good spirits on the way down, and when I reached Wanda Lake, D and I agreed to go for a swim. It was very cold but invigorating. There were many beautiful lakes on the way down from the pass. I ran into A&L again, who apologized for ditching me on Glen Pass. They were in a hurry to get to MTR so we didn't chat long. Finally reaching Evolution Lake, it was so beautiful. As we were hiking along the lake, it looked like a storm was coming in. So, following the advice of some other campers, we hiked over toward the outlet and lo and behold, it was super sunny! I picked out a campsite by the water under a tree. Unfortunately, while gathering water, my phone dropped right into the lake. Not much to be done, so I'll let it dry out overnight with some of the Mountain House desiccant packets and see what happens. It was so nice I went for another swim. We ate dinner with some local campers J&E and with H, who had re-entered the trail heading southbound. It was great to catch up with her. There was a beautiful sunset over the valley as well as a full moon rise over the lake, so a wonderful way to end a lovely day.

Day 14: Evolution Lake to Muir Trail Ranch

Another long day, but a good one. Last night I didn't sleep all that well since it was windy and it just generally felt a bit exposed. So when the sun came up, I rose with it and got up and ready by 7:30. My phone appears to be somewhat functional, but it won't charge. Hopefully it will improve with time. I said goodbye to H, who was one of the only ones up, and set out. The climb down into the valley was very beautiful. I saw two groups of deer with young fawns. It felt very calm and serene. I ran into S, who was enjoying a peaceful breakfast looking out over the meadow. I eventually made it down to the McClure ranger cabin where an older mountaineer told me about some of his adventures, past and present. The meadow area was gorgeous, though a bit buggy. The Evolution Creek crossing was the most intense so far. It went up to my thighs, but it wasn't overpoweringly swift. The walk along the San Joaquin River was very hot and exposed to the sun, so not as enjoyable as it looked on the map. The scenery made it worth it though. At the Piute Creek Trail crossing, D and I stopped and chatted with some younger guys doing a short trip. They were friendly, and we exchanged stories about interesting people we had seen along the trail. Finally, we roused ourselves for the last few miles. Upon reaching MTR, it was too late to pick up our resupply buckets or to browse the hiker boxes, so we resigned ourselves to eating whatever we had left in our canisters. After dinner, we went to find the hot springs. We had to cross the river while holding a rope strung across. It was really swift though not too deep. Once across, we found the smaller pool along with a SOBO hiker and soaked for a good couple of hours. It was like a hot tub and it felt so good on my sore muscles. Now I feel relaxed and ready for a solid night of sleep. My last leg starts tomorrow, only 10 days left!

Day 15: Muir Trail Ranch to Rosemarie Meadow via Selden Pass

Today felt like such a long day, despite not covering too many miles. I got over to the ranch right at 8 am to start organizing my resupply. There were lots of animals around - dogs, cats, and some exotic looking birds. I ended up leaving behind some ramen dinners and trading out a few snacks for variety. I also filled up with 2 liters of spring water since I heard the trail north was brutal and dry. With 8 days of food and water, my pack weighed in at 38 lbs! The climb out of the valley was so long and difficult, it used up so much of my energy. It didn't level out until Sallie Keyes Lakes, and by then it was past noon. I ate some lunch and waded into the lake a bit, but soon moved on. Contrary to my original plan, I wanted to get over Selden Pass and get a few more miles in since the lure of real food at VVR is too tempting. So, the pass wasn't all that bad compared to the morning. The other side though looked cloudy and hazy. I could smell smoke, presumably from the Yosemite fire. I didn't spend long at the pass and soon hiked down to Marie Lake. Despite the lack of sun, D and I went for a swim out to one of the islands. It took awhile to warm up, but once we got moving again I felt better. Shortly, we reached the junction to Rose Lake in the meadow and found some very nice sites nearby. It is kind of smoky down here so hopefully it doesn't settle too much overnight. The bugs are also pretty bad. I'm hoping for a nice colorful sunset - one advantage of the smoke - and then I'll probably turn in early. I have to make the ferry to VVR by 4:45 tomorrow. Real food awaits!

Day 16: Rosemarie Meadow to Vermillion Valley Resort

It was a really fun day today! I got up pretty early because I knew I had to make the VVR ferry and it was ~15 miles away. Luckily, it was mostly downhill. I set out and kept a pretty good pace while also trying to enjoy the scenery. I was warned of 3 crossings of Bear Creek in a row that couldn't be done dry so I hiked awhile in my camp/water shoes, which actually gave my toes a nice break. Things went pretty smoothly until I had to climb up Bear Ridge, which really shouldn't have been as hard as it felt. I did make it up and met D and some SOBO hikers up at the top. It was still only noon-ish so I had lunch and took a little break. I'm glad I did because the switchbacks down Bear Ridge were so tedious! I'm glad I wasn't going up, but it was rather exhausting either way. Luckily, it was only a short way to the ferry from the end of the switchbacks. While crossing the bridge at Mono Creek, a helicopter flew over quite low and the person was yelling something. It was impossible to hear over the rushing water and the helicopter noise though. Nobody we encountered had understood either so we were a little concerned but figured there would be news at the ferry. Once there, we learned that the helicopter had landed there and was looking for someone who had activated the SOS on their device. It turned out to be a false alarm. There was some cell service, so I was able to get in touch with people. The ferry came early. I got to hold the steering wheel for a bit while we undocked, but ended up sitting on the floor of the boat because it was so packed. It was about a 45 min ride across the lake. Once there, we set up camp, established a tab, and got ready for some real food. I decided to forgo the shower/laundry, since I was pretty used to being gross by then. It was BBQ night, so I got ribs, coleslaw, and corn bread cake. Also a free beer! It was so amazing after all dehydrated food. After dinner, I sat around the fire and chatted with some PCT hikers, some VVR employees, and some other guests. Later, some cowboy pack train leaders came by and shared their apple pie moonshine and some fun games. It was a nice treat to chat with new people, have real bathrooms, and stay up a little late.

Day 17: VVR to Lake Virginia via Silver Pass

The morning started out great with a nice french toast breakfast. Then, I settled my tab, packed up, and got on the 9 am ferry. The ambitious goal was to make it to Lake Virginia, which was shared by 2 other hikers (K/R). The start was rough with starting to climb right away with a full stomach and the sun already hot. I stopped for a dip in the river when I got water, which helped marginally. Approaching Silver Pass, it started getting really smoky, and I was in kind of low spirits. A nice lunch by Silver Lake with a bunch of marmots made it a little better. Getting over the pass helped more and I started feeling better. D and I were talking about stopping early, but then we caught up to K/R, who peer pressured us into continuing to Lake Virginia, another 3.5 miles uphill. We gave in and made the arduous climb, getting to the lake just in time for the sun to start setting over the lake, which was quite beautiful. We cooked dinner all together, then settled in for a beautiful, not too chilly night.

Day 18: Lake Virginia to Red's Meadow Resort

Got a bit of a late start today, I wasn't sure about going all the way to Red's Meadow. I did really want one of their famed milkshakes though, so I mentally committed to the ~15 mile trip. Not too far in, I got to Purple Lake and waded a bit to cool off. It was a very scenic area. The climb out wasn't too horrible and I soon made it to Duck Creek, where I stocked up on water for the 5 mile dry spell. Those 5 miles were rather dull - mostly just forested traversing, so I set a pretty fast pace. I reached Deer Creek and met up with K/R and D. We all soon continued to Red's. The scenery for the last bit was very striking. We could see the smoke billowing from the reignited Lion's Fire (I learned which fire it was later) and a helicopter was flying out and back. There was also a large area of burned forest that was very eerie with the firey backdrop. We made it to Red's right around 5 and indulged in burgers and giant milkshakes. I was so full for the first time in so long! I also decided to indulge in laundry and a shower. We met some recently resupplied SOBO hikers who gave me some extra tortillas and a dust mask for the smoke, which was very generous of them! We set up our tents while laundry ran. When it was dry, I took my glorious 8 minute shower and put on clean clothes. I know it's temporary but it feels so good. I'm ready for a clean night of sleep and a relatively easy day tomorrow.

Day 19: Red's Meadow Resort to Rosalie Lake

Today was a nice relaxing day. I really needed a day without rushing off somewhere. We packed up early-ish and went over to get breakfast at the cafe. It was really busy, so we ended up combining with two other hikers to take an available table of 4. One of them was actually a student I had TA-ed while in graduate school. What a small world! I had a relatively light bagel and cream cheese with plans to also enjoy some plums I had picked up from the store. After breakfast, D and I left our packs and went over to see Devil's Postpile. It is a really cool formation, and we got to see it from multiple angles, including the top. We returned to Red's where I did some blister care and reorganized my bear canister. We met an older couple (C/B) and chatted for awhile. Since it was nearing lunch time, we decided to just eat another meal at the cafe, so I got a roast beef sandwich and coleslaw. Very tasty! By the time we actually set out, it was around 12:30 pm. We decided to cut back through Devil's Postpile, cutting off about a mile of the JMT. On the way, we came across a stream that a family was swimming in, and it was too tempting to just walk by. Finally back on the JMT, there were signs about trail closures, but we checked with a ranger (who had a dog partner!) that the JMT was all clear. The hike was largely uphill and without much water. We took multiple breaks, just taking an easy day. It was kind of weird in the sky with the fire coloring some of the sky red/orange, some blue skies, and a gray thunderstorm that persisted toward the east. There was also some ash falling from the sky. Not many amazing views, mostly forested with some small lakes. We eventually made it to Rosalie Lake, where we met C/B again. We shared a nice evening chat and settled in early, listening to the squawking of some very loud birds. We only went about 8 miles today, and I think I'll feel refreshed tomorrow.

Day 20: Rosalie Lake to Thousand Island Lake

It started out a rather depressing day. The smoke was really heavy and I got the news that Yosemite Valley would be closed past my expected arrival date, meaning that I probably won't get to visit Half Dome or exit Happy Isles. I started off hiking pretty slowly, and the dismal atmosphere around Shadow Lake didn't help. However, I put on some Queen music and kept going, and I eventually found a beautiful river vista to hang out at for awhile. I decided to just enjoy what I could instead of dwelling on things I couldn't change. I used my new philosophy to cheer D up as well. I reasoned that by the time we reached Garnet Lake it would be a beautiful day. And it was! The water was not too cold, there was a sandy bottom to the lake, and the sun was out. I enjoyed a nice swim and lunch by the water, but soon clouds came rolling in. It got chilly because I hadn't fully dried from the swim and the wind picked up. We hiked on to Ruby Lake but paused for awhile because the lightning was quite close. Rain and hail again! Eventually, the storm seemed to move on and we continued up to Thousand Island Lake. The scene was pretty dismal on arrival. The other side of the lake wasn't even visible. I explored the lake shore for awhile before just sitting out on a rock. Soon, the wind changed direction and slowly revealed Banner Peak and the opposite shore. I did some rock hopping and wading to a couple islands and enjoyed the temporary good weather and view. We had a nice dinner with a view but the smoke seems to be rolling back in. D is set on sleeping outside, but I will stick inside my tent walls.

Day 21: Thousand Island Lake to north of Donahue Pass via Island and Donahue Passes

What started out as a beautiful day sadly did not remain that way. I woke up early to watch the sunrise over Thousand Island Lake, and it was lovely. The sky was clear, with the smoke hanging low almost like a morning fog, and the colors were beautiful. I spent some time following the unofficial trail over to the far side of the lake. The scenery was very nice, and I saw some marmots and even a tiny frog on the path. It was a peaceful walk. Then, D and I decided to test out our sleeping pads as flotation devices, which was a success! At least I stayed pretty afloat. We finally decided to pack up and head out around 11 am. We quickly made it over Island Pass, which was barely a pass at all, and headed toward Donahue. The smoke was getting worse throughout the day. I was following D when I ran into an acquaintance I met in Onion Valley (M) and stopped to chat with him and his dad. When I was done, D was nowhere in sight so I sped up to catch up. There had been a major storm the previous day and there were piles of hail still on the ground. Not something I would have wanted to get caught in. As the afternoon wore on, I got multiple patronizing comments about how it’s not a good idea to do passes in the afternoon and how it’s a really tough pass so maybe I should wait it out When I asked someone if they had seen D, I was asked in return if I would be ok alone… I am not sure why this happened so much only in this section of the trail, but it was quite annoying considering I had been taking care of myself for 3 weeks on the trail at this point. Anyway, I went up the pass pretty quickly and was feeling strong. I chatted with some fresh SOBO hikers, a dad and his two daughters, at the top and asked them to tell D I was up there if they saw him. I wandered a bit off the path up toward Mt. Lyell to find some cell service. It was windy, cold, and smoky, but I got to talk on the phone with my partner and my parents. Unfortunately, I learned that my pet rabbit Bo was not doing well. He was still eating and drinking but had severely reduced mobility. He was about 13 years old, so this was not unexpected, but my parents had plans to bring him to the vet to decide what to do. So, my spirits were a bit low when D caught up and we started down the pass to look for a camping spot. However, we found a beautiful spot overlooking the Lyell fork and in view of the Lyell Glacier. We had a nice dinner together with M and his dad. It was a bit cold and windy and the smoke was persistent, but with such amazing scenery, it was hard to stay down for long.

Day 22: North of Donahue Pass to Tuolomne Meadows

D and I got a relatively early start to make it to Tuolomne Meadows by the afternoon, still undecided about what to do for the next couple of days. It was unclear whether we would be allowed to hike beyond Tuolomne or not. During the hike into the canyon, getting some of our first real views of Yosemite, we saw many fresh south-bounders struggling up, and I tried to be encouraging without being patronizing. The canyon was very picturesque, with the slow-flowing Lyell fork and the beautiful meadows surrounded by thick forest. We stopped a couple of times to dip our feet, but overall kept a pretty brisk pace. We got into the Tuolomne area by 3 pm and stopped first at the wilderness permit office to get the lay of the land. We learned that the trail wasn’t closed and hiking into the valley was allowed, though we wouldn’t be able to exit there, and the smoke was considered hazardous. We continued to the grill to think it over with some food. Reviewing our options, we decided to camp at Tuolomne Meadows and venture at least to Cathedral Lakes the next day. I had a tasty meal of a hot dog and potato wedges. We settled into the backpackers’ camp, which was pretty quiet. A group passing by from the store gave us each one of their beers, so we had a little celebratory toast. There was ash falling all around and there was quite a bit of smoke, but neither of us wanted to end our journey quite yet. D and I decided that if we weren’t going to make it to Half Dome, we had to at least climb a dome of some kind. So, we made plans to get up before dawn and watch the sunrise from the top of Lembert Dome. I hoped to get a good night of sleep and get lucky with a nice day.

Day 23: Tuolomne Meadows to Sunrise High Sierra Camp via Cathedral Pass

It was quite chilly when I got up for our pre-dawn hike up Lembert Dome. I wore my down jacket and my headlamp, and we set off feeling very light without our packs. We hiked along the road until we got to the access trail up to the dome. The moon and stars provided enough light while we were along the road, but as soon as we turned onto the trail it got dark enough to need the headlamps. The hike up felt very quick and we soon emerged at the base of the dome. Soon, it started getting light and we had a great view of the park. I stayed down at the base of the dome, which was the official end of the trail, while D scrambled up to the top of the dome. I feel significantly less adventurous in the early morning hours. After watching the complete sunrise, and D’s return from the top of the dome, we completed our hike by following the trail around the other side of the dome to come out right by the campground. Returning to the tents, we ate breakfast and packed up for our trip toward Cathedral Lakes. We had a little trouble finding access to the trail, but eventually we got on it near the visitor center. There were a few day hikers and even fewer backpackers around. I have never been to Yosemite before, but I imagine that seeing so few people in this popular area is a rare treat. The morning continued to be clear and beautiful as we reached the junction toward lower Cathedral Lake, and we took the opportunity to go down there. D hiked around the lake while I dipped my feet and then lay in the shade of a large boulder, where I was also sheltered from the persistent breeze. After awhile we then went back up to the JMT and continued to upper Cathedral Lake. There, we floated onto the lake on our sleeping pads for a while. The breeze continued to be chilly, the smoke was starting to roll in, and it was only about midday. We figured we might as well finish out the passes by going over Cathedral Pass and seeing how far we could get. Cathedral Peak was very striking and the pass wasn’t too difficult. Unfortunately, just south of the pass, I got news on my InReach that Bo had passed away. I was hoping that I could get home and see him again before he passed, but I’m glad that he didn’t have to remain in pain. The next couple of miles were kind of a blur for me, but we were soon approaching Sunrise High Sierra Camp. The smoke was once again getting oppressive, so we decided to stop there and stay in their backpackers’ camp. There was only one other group there with us, a bunch of teens from Hawaii. They were in the process of doing the High Sierra Camp loop, and many of them were new to backpacking entirely. I was very impressed that they were doing so well in the not-so-ideal conditions. The group built a large fire and cooked their food over the fire while we exchanged some stories. I also knew it would be the last night on the trail, so I gave them my fuel canister since they were running very low. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to make it to Half Dome or into the valley, but I had to get back to Mammoth to catch my flight the day after next. For the last night, D and I decided to try to cowboy camp on the rock with just our sleeping pads and bags, but I didn’t last very long. The wind on my face was too cold and distracting to sleep. I did enjoy looking up at the stars while I was out there though.

Day 24: Sunrise High Sierra Camp to Mammoth Lakes via Cathedral Pass

The morning was bittersweet, with the sadness of being done with my journey and not making it to the official end of the trail mixed with the anticipation of having a shower and returning to real food. We backtracked the same route we had done before, and I was able to appreciate the beauty of the Long Meadow more this time. We didn’t stop at Cathedral Lakes on the way back, and we were back at Tuolomne Meadows visitor center near midday. We decided to fully embrace the end of the journey and took some photos by the sign to commemorate the success. We also went into the visitor center to explore, where we talked to a ranger who had been displaced from his post by the fire. Finally, we headed back to the grill to get a celebratory ice cream and wait for the YARTS into Mammoth. While waiting, we encountered a few people finishing their NOBO journey and deciding to not go any further, as well as many SOBO travelers reassessing the situation and deciding whether to take their trip at all. I encouraged people I talked to to start their journey, barring any health issues. Especially if they had travelled far to get there. There is always going to be something out of your control, and there is really no way to have perfect hiking conditions for the entire 200 miles. We got on the bus to Mammoth, and it was a little strange to travel without having to generate the energy myself. At the hostel, I checked in and retrieved my bag that I had left there for storage. D was able to get a free spot as well. I took a gloriously long, hot shower and changed into some fresh clothes. We decided to go to Subway for dinner, which might not sound appealing, but the fresh vegetables were really delicious. We watched a little bit of TV in the hostel common area and got an early night of sleep in a real bed.

Post-Hike Day 1: Mammoth Lakes to Syracuse, NY

My flight out of Mammoth wasn’t until the evening, so D and I decided to take the free bus system to go explore some of the Lakes in the area. We stopped at each of the lakes, walking around a bit and wading in. There were plenty of tourists and campers around, and it was the most people I had seen in a long time. It was a lovely day. Back in Mammoth, we walked over to Mammoth Brewing Company to sample some beers and eat some delicious bar food. Later in the afternoon, I just hung around the hostel until it was time to get the shuttle to the airport for my return journey. It was strange saying goodbye to D. Despite not knowing each other before the trail, we had spent almost every day of the last month hiking together. I know we will stay in touch, and hopefully get the chance to hike together again. The return trip went relatively smoothly. I got to say a final goodbye to the Sierras from the air on my flight to LAX. Then I took the red-eye to Chicago and an early morning flight to Syracuse. It was great to be reunited with my parents and my remaining bunny Chester. I am ready for whatever the next stage of life will bring.