Grumpy Start. Day 13. 14.5 miles. 22,427 steps.

Dollar Lake.

Long, freezing night.  We all camped together last night at No Name lake beyond Bench Lake Junction and Marjorie Lake.  We had to pull it together a make shift campsite for 8 of us, my tent was in the worst placement ever, and boom tent pole snapped.  I was tired and hungry and sweaty.  Not a good mix.

Made it through the freezing night with every bit of wardrobe item I have.  Woke up every hour to check the time and finally got up at 5am to make myself some hot tea in the vestibule.  Started walking at 7am to get over Pinchot Pass.  Joan and I made another cup of tea on top of Pinchot looking out over the World.

Met our "group" and we all headed down towards Woods Creek suspension bridge.  We all walked our own walk this morning and agreed to meet up for lunch.

We had the nicest surprise at Wood Creek crossing with a great box of TRAIL MAGIC!  A packer had brought in a couple of hikers resupplies, but they bailed.....so, there it was a big box of lots of good food.  The packer left it in the BearBox for all of us share. :) We grabbed salami, cheese, and pita's and ALEVE.  So excited.

We met a Llama packer on the trail who had quite a story (Sadie got all the details!).  We know all the details of everyone on the trail, thanks to Sadie.  She is so sweet and somehow everyone we meet tells her their life story.  She is only with us for 1 more day as her boyfriend, Kevin will be joining her at Kearsarge Pass walking the final 3 days to summit Whitney.  She is the same age as Shane and has been a great addition to our lil' group.

Gerhardt and Benno are camping on the other side of the lake, but I'm hoping that we see them on the trail tomorrow.

We traveled a long day today again as we did Pinchot Pass and then 2000 ft down with trail full of rocks.  My shoes are ready for duct tape wrap tomorrow and hoping they will make it the last big push. We have another Big Climbing day tomorrow, but after Glenn Pass (the 2nd of the 4 BIG NASTY's), we get to drop down into Onion Valley to see Kevin and Bodie to pick up our last resupply.  I'm so excited.

Out of the 13 JMT map packs sheets, we are on #3!  2 to go!!!

Sadie showing off her instaflate!

Every single muscle in my body hurts.

Let the Sunshine in, Let the Sunshine in. Day 12. lost track of miles? 25,810 steps.

Near Bench Lake Ranger Station

Yeah! Kevin, I love you, my greatest weatherman!  Although we just climbed 4000 ft up the Golden Staircase and Mather Pass, we are so happy to see sun and those dramatic Sierra Blue Skies.  What a pass that Nasty Mather was.

My mental status has so improved with sunshine! All of us have a better attitude and had a great little party at Mather Pass.  Sadie, the CalPoly cutiepie, Geology boy and the Germans.  So nice to be up there with these wonderful people.  Our party consisted of cheering each one one with high-five's and claps as they made it to the top.

The German's and Kathleen

Sadie

12,010 ft and feeling great.  Gosh it is so nice not to be WET!  My clothes are dry, tent and backpack are mostly dry.  Can't complain.  My backpack has the "Italian Clothesline" hanging from the back.  Looks funny.

We just got a DeLorme text from Kevin that the weather is going to be better for at least 6 days!
We're Doing It Man!

Coming down Mather

Our goal today was to get around Bench Lake Ranger Station.  Not much luck in finding any type of campground and we were all done by the time we got there, so made a makeshift campsite by a small lake with a nice view. Unfortunately, one of my tent stakes snapped in half.  Thank god for the little pole repair cover.

Spring at Bench Lake Ranger Station

 Trail Life is becoming quite routine..here's what my normal day looks like.

• pack up and on the trail by 7 or 7:30am
• stuff my 4 lil' bags in my pack.  Rearrange around the awful BEARCAN
• decide which food is the heaviest, eat that first
• get lunch stuff aside with snacks to stuff my snack packs
• walk ALL DAY in sheer amazement of the surrounding BEAUTY
• pass along any trail info from NOBO's
• trail news
• walk alone for hours and think about nothing
• meet the nicest people on the JMT
• have great conversations with my lil' group of trail buddies
• missing Kevin, Erin and Shane and my animals
• take lots of pictures
• make it to camp between 3 - 5
• DeLorme text to Kevin as to whereabouts
• Long days
• Aleve
• wash up, if possible
• wash clothes
• set up tent
• make dinner
• listen to Hanks stories
• get in tent to get warm
• write in Journal
• read Kindle, if possible
• look at the map page for tomorrow
• go to sleep

Interesting days.  Don't you agree?

Llama Man bringing in a resupply for a wealthy Walnut Farmer.  Lost one of his llama's over Forester Pass :(

Taking an unexpected swim. Day 11. 10 miles. 28,128 steps.

Deer Creek.

 

What a horrific night we all had.  Thank God there were about 8 of us camping tightly together.  Somehow it made me feel a bit safer in the situation we found ourselves.
We left at our normal time around 7:30ish am.  Packed and ready to outrun the next approaching storm.  It was very chilly and drizzly rain when we left.  Walked quite a ways downhill through Lil' Pete and Big Pete meadow.  Headed towards Kevin's beloved Grouse Meadows.  Should be there around noon and hope to stop for a quick lunch and perhaps a drying out period for our clothes and tent.  Unfortunately, I stepped on a rotten log as I was crossing a creek.  Should have got it early as I did stick my walking stick on the log and felt that it was unstable. Not good.  I fell in.  Try and get up out of water that you are sideways in with your face in the rocks and your backpack holding you down.  Doesn't work so well.  Thank goodness for Joan.  I was walking with her that morning and she was able to help me out.  Such an easy little fall that would have been so simple to get up from WITHOUT a backpack on.

I was cold and all wet.  My backpack was wet as it was inside the creek.  Walked for just a short while as I was humiliated and dripping wet from head to toe.  Finally, my inner voice was screaming at me to get all these wet clothes off (well, it was really Kevin's voice in my head).  The only thing I had to wear was my Patagonia jacket and my rain pants.  Oh well, it worked.  Opened my pack and drained my bear can.  Thank goodness that my down sleeping bag was wrapped inside a dry bag.  That would have been bad.  Even the bear can had some water inside it?

Grouse Meadows was everything Kevin had promised.

I will never forget the video of him and Ari on the PCT swimming down the river.  So sweet.  Unfortunately, it was a bit chilly to jump in the river and let it take you for a ride, but I did check out the exact spot and his campsite.  I love that I'm following his footsteps.

My complete belongings.  Love my bags of stuff!

There is beginning to be a big BALE OUT on the JMT.  The weather is truly getting to people.  It's a lot and it's just unheard of in the Sierra's in August.  Crazy monsoons.  We spoke to a NOBO today who heard that Whitney was full of snow and ice?  I can't imagine going up and down Forester Pass to only have to turn around before summiting Whitney?  Joan is having a good hissy fit over this possibility as we all know how much she despises Forester Pass.

We continue to enjoy Hank's stories.  I have acquired my PCT legs for sure.  My stride and pace is good, most of the time.  I now know how much water I need and how much I need to eat, especially snacks throughout the day.  Everything still aches.  Aleve continues to be my best friend.

Kathleen is our rock.  She is very rational and has helped me get through these last few storms, especially the Muir Pass disaster of last night.  I will always be thankful to her for that.

It is not raining right now.  11 days on the trail and it is our first day of NO RAIN?!!!  According to Kevin's forecast (via texts from the DeLorme), the weather pattern should change tomorrow for the better.  Gosh, I hope so.  This is so mentally challenging.  Always being wet, setting up our tents in the rain, digging troughs, staying in our tents for many hours - just a lot of bad weather, and it's every day.

Golden Staircase and Mather Pass tomorrow.

 

The Sun will come out TOMORROW, bet you're bottom dollar.......Day 10. 15 miles. 28,128 steps.

Just north of Lil' Pete Meadow.

Woke up to a torrential downpour at 4:30am.  All my clothes are wet. I'm so over this weather. Mentally, I'm at the end of my rope with this weather.  It's pretty challenging, day after day, not to mention the thunder/lightening storms at elevations where no man should be during such an electrical storm.  My DeLorme texts to Kevin are getting grim, but he keeps texting back.  "It's a MENTAL game, get your mind into the right space and only QUIT tomorrow...Every day say you will quit tomorrow.

I had to start hiking today with my SmartWool thermals on under my rain gear.  Lovely outfit that my daughter would just DIE if she saw. We decided as a group to try and make it to Sapphire Lake so we would have the earliest approach to Muir Pass.  Made it to Sapphire fairly early in the day and saw the German boys.  We all talked about the Pass and decided to go ahead and go for it, as the day was still young.

I turned into the Bionic Woman.  I was going to make it over that darn pass before the storm hit, no matter what.  I didn't think I had another gear, but I did.  I was so scared of being so exposed on that pass, that I just walked super fast.

Muir Hut was fantastic.  We had a party with us 4, 2 Day Hikers and the German boys.  I made Tea and the Day hikers from Washington (came to the Sierra's to escape the rain !!!) had a flask of Bourbon, which we mixed with the tea.

 Stayed for about 1 hour, waiting for the rain/hail to slow down.  The hike down Muir Pass was steep and super rocky for about 4 miles.  Pretty technical walking, had to really concentrate.  The storm was really building up big.  This day was just a little bit different than the other storms, something was brewing big.  As we were hiking down, I saw my neighbor and friend, Dan the Postman!  We had been hoping that we may run into each other as he was doing the North Lake/South Lake loop and there was a chance that we may cross paths.  I wish I would have taken a picture of us, but that storm was coming and our greeting was short.

We found a campsite of sorts.  There were other hikers all around us, but it didn't matter.  We needed to get our tents up quick.  There was some force behind this monster of a storm.

Then it happened.  Holy crap.  Never in my life have I ever experienced a storm like this, inside my house nor camping.  Kathleen instructed us all how to get in the "lightening position" inside our tents. The hail was coming down pretty hard and fast.  We had over 4 inches of hail in less than 10 minutes.  Joan's tent was in a huge puddle.

I knew I was going to loose it any minute now, but we focused on picking up Joan's tent and moving it to a higher spot.  I was scared to death and was hoping if the lightening hit me, it would be quick and painless.  Gerhardt (German Dad) helped us with trenching all around the tents.

He used the walking sticks, I preferred my titanium lid.  The trenches were helpful in keeping the water flowing and not puddling under our tents.
I'm really scared.  What will this night bring?  How long will this lasts? The storm keeps circling around this little canyon.  Kathleen looked out her little tent window and saw a bolt hit the rock canyon across from our campsite.

I want this night to END.

PCT Legs. Day 9. 11 miles. 25,217 steps.

McLure Meadows.

Left MTR at 7:45, dropped off our trash at ranch right before we got back on the JMT.
I felt really strong this morning?  perhaps it was the wine? or perhaps the rest day we virtually had with only walking for 4 hours yesterday.  or maybe it was or complete dinner, appetizer, and dessert? Maybe the relaxing evening of sitting in the hotsprings?  Either way, I felt good and set out on a fast pace with a big stride that felt great.  Sorry to leave my group behind, but needed to walk out alone this morning. I didn't see any hikers on the trail for 3 hours.  Pretty easy day so far, crossed a beautiful steel bridge from the John Muir Wilderness into the Kings/Sequoia National Park.

 

Headed into the Evolution Valley on towards Mclure Meadow Ranger Station.  We are trying to plan the next 2 days so we are at the bottom of Muir Pass in the morning as we are dead on for afternoon thunder storms.  We are walking along a beautiful rock canyon with the San Joquin below us.  Still having great weather so far.

I miss my family.  Wondering how Kevin and Bodie are doing playing tourists in Red Meadows and hanging at the cabin learning to fly fish.  Wondering how Erin and Shane are doing.  I did hear that Shane was on a fire in the Klamath.

4pm.  Gotta get this backpack off soon.  These are long days with that thing strapped on our backs.  We arrived just beyond McLure Meadow before the storm hit us AGAIN!  We are camping along Evolution Creek.  We crossed the San Joquin on the South Fork with lots of caution - so happy that the river wasn't too high.  There were warning signs posted everywhere in regards to the water levels and the dangers of crossing Evolution Creek.  Crossed in our crocs, very carefully!

Hiked further into the Evolution Valley with one beautiful meadow after another.  Had a racer snake run right over my shoe.  It was fast!  

10.5 miles later and very ouchy, we stopped at a beautiful campsite. Washed up on our private "beach", did laundry, ate dinner and bundled up inside my bag in my little, cozy tent to wait out the storm.

 

I can't get over the Ranger Stations in these National Parks.  We walked up to the McLure Ranger Station and it was pretty impressive.  Why don't we have money to fix up our Backcountry stations in the National Forests?

Tip of the Day.  It takes Joan 40 puffs to blow up her NeoAir.  Make sure and sit down when doing this task, especially above 10,000 ft.

Hank continue to tell us great stories.  We have moved on from Ted Talks and This American Life. He's now reading a book called Astoria.  Hank is a great story teller and we are all finding ourselves looking forward to hear what happens next.

Gerhardt and Benno are camping near us.  We haven't really seen anyone most of the day.  They keep to themselves and are so sweet.  They stop every morning at around 10am to sit and drink tea and eat 1.5 slices of pumpernickel bread and german butter that they store in a little tupperware container.  It just cracks me up.  SO GERMAN! Kaffeestunde. (except they don't like the American coffee, so they have moved on to Tea)

Today was fun.  The scenery was epic. Miss my family so much.
sent DeLorme text to Kevin tonight with our shopping list for our resupply for Onion Valley-

• Lotion (cracked fingers)
• Avocado's
• Fruit
• Cheese
• Wine
• Beer
• Salad 
• Bread