"We're Off". Day 1. 10.5 miles. 27,918 steps.

Saturday, Aug 2.  Left Tuolumne Meadows at Tuolumne Lodge parking lot at 8:30 am.

The original plan was to leave from TM and walk down into the valley - Happy Isles trailhead. The official start/finish of the JMT. Unfortunately Mother Nature wasn't with this plan and the El Portal fire was burning through the valley and roads closed and smoke was just too much to overcome. So we stuck with the original permit and left from TM. 21 miles we will have to make up some day.

The JMT trail is very nicely marked AFTER you get away from the visitor section, lodge, store, etc. lots of "social" trails one could easily get turned around. Dana you would be happy to know that on day 1 I did NOT get lost! Kevin's final kiss goodbye was with those parting words that only he can say so eloquently , "situational awareness Maureen - always remember."  That gave everyone a chuckle ( if they only knew the history behind that!!" We saw five hikers scattered throughout the morning finishing up the JMT as NOBO's ( north bounders - we are SOBO's). They were all super nice and were happy to share trail info that was extremely helpful.
Found the most beautiful lunch spot among Lyell Creek in Lyell canyon. Not hot enough to jump in.  Lots of fish. Had a nice break and met Tom from Lake County - I will call him Lake County Tom. Nice, older man who really wants to do the entire JMT but decides early on that he will walk until he can't do anymore and then come back next year. Loved his attitude.

After our lunch break, our little walk in the "park" changed to a bit of a rocky steep climb up for 700 ft. I felt good, kept drinking water and thinking, pretty good for first day out with a full pack.

The flowers are amazing and I find myself taking pictures of everyone I see ( will make a separate photo pGe of just flowers). The other hikers we have met along the way are all super nice. Walking with Joan, Kathleen and Hank (super quiet, but I know he has a lot to say somewhere inside!) is working well.  We are all finding our own strides and comfortable with "hiking our own hike".

Thanks Bob and Sarah for teaching us all those great stretches, which we try to do on a regular basis throughout the day. We are still figuring out our little systems. Water filtering, what gies where in our packs. I'm using a sawyer squeeze filter and it's like a little bit of meditation in the evening.

We camped at the forks of the Lyell creek bridge crossing. I believe this is the exact spot that my dear friend Susie T. camped at the start of her JMT trip and broke her wrist slipping on a rock. Did all of our laundry which consists of socks, underwear, skirt, shirt.....that's it. Us ladies spread our laundry all over trees, rocks along the river of our beautiful lil forest bank campsite. Hank said it looked like an Italian village. Joan has her "laundry tree" and Kathleen has a clothes line.

Day 1.  Success! Off to Donahue Pass first thing in the morning.