North Kennedy Meadows – Lee Vining

Day 96 Thurs Sept 28th 
Sonora pass trailhead – Kennedy Meadows (North) – Tent site 5 1st camp after Sonora pass 
1637.1- 1643.2 
Approx.  1732ft ascent + 837 descent 
6 Miles 

The power had been cut off at 23:00 last night, so I was up at 05:00 trying to update the blog, whilst sitting on the bed with my head torch turned on.  

Last night I had arranged a consultation with Blaze the trail physio for 08:00 and Liz was meeting us at 10:00 so we had a busy schedule.

The consultation was done over something like facetime which was great as it was very interactive and I was able to show Blaze exactly where the pain in my foot was occurring, along with any other ailments.

It was probably the best 50 bucks spent on the whole trail. Sarah (my glamorous assistant) was invaluable holding the phone steady during the examination + whilst I had to do stretches and movements to help Blaze diagnose the problem. 

It was interesting how she asked me to put my trail runners on a flat surface so that she could see how they were wearing. From this she was able to prove that I was experiencing over pronation of my ankles as my trainers were leaning inwards.

Based on my symptoms the diagnosis was something called Sinus Tarsi.
“The sinus tarsi is a tube or tunnel between the talus and the calcaneus bones. Sinus tarsi syndrome is pain or injury to this area. Traumatic injury to the ankle/foot (such as an ankle sprain) or overuse (such as repetitive standing or walking) are the main causes of this syndrome”

She suggested a number of actions that I could take. Involving the following: 

1. 4 different exercise routines that I need to perform every 2 hours throughout the day, involving stretching and strengthening my ankle.

2. Monitoring and adjusting my gait. Taking shorter steps and keeping my feet closer together.

3. Lymphatic massage. Ooolala…

4. Finally, if all else fails a switch to Topo trail runners at Mammoth if the problem persists, which offer more cushioning and a greater heel drop. 

Blaze is a Doctor as well as an ex PCT thru hiker so she is perfectly suited to understand and help diagnose hiking related injuries.  

She has a more realistic and in-depth knowledge of what’s involved in thru hiking as well as treatment plans. Whereas a “normal” doctor would just advise rest, which isn’t always possible, especially when you have a time crunch to finish due to the weather or a visa running out. 

She is very popular amongst the hiking community and operates out of her van as well as moving up and down the trail offering a consultation service to injured hikers. 

Let’s hope all this great advice helps. 

Right on schedule Mrs. Elizabeth Lawler (Ninja warrior trail angel) rocked up at 10:00 with her 2 dogs Champ and Dusty. 

She was armed with the supplies that we’d left with her when we met her in Lake Tahoe, along with a few delicious breakfast pastries. 

What a woman and we’d be lost without all the help she has given us. Sarah has a very good friend there and I hope 1 day we can return the favor.

As a small token of our gratitude we treated her to breakfast before going through our gear and getting shipshape shape for the trail. 

Last night Sarah had been given a load of excess food from a fellow hiker called Vincent. We also resupplied in the Kennedy Meadows store buying additional dehydrated Peak meals.

Liz kindly agreed to send them to Mammoth for us meaning that we had a decent food supply further down the trail.

Everyone has said that we should expect to need more food supplies and calories in the Sierras due to the increased difficulty and load on our bodies. This should really help us stay in good shape for the coming section.
We spent a lovely morning with Liz and the pooches and Sarah and her got on like a house on fire. 

After saying our goodbyes, we then packed all our new dehydrated meals and supplies into Ziplock bags to help optimise space, making sure all this lovely stuff just fitted in our bear cannisters.  We were like a well-oiled machine despite the interruptions from people asking us about our hike.

The shuttle back to the trail was delayed till mid-afternoon, but this was ok as he gave us more time to get organized.
This allowed me to proof read a little more of the blog backlog before publishing my daily ramblings. Where it’s proving almost impossible keep on top of this admin at the end of each day, especially after hiking serious miles. 
During the wait we also checked out the PCT weather forecast for the coming days. Focusing on Sonora Pass and Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.

Heavy snow and rain were predicted over the coming days and a storm was coming in.  It looked like Saturday and Sunday were the worse days and then better weather was enroute. 

A number of other hikers had decided to stay behind as they were very anxious about being snowed in.
We decided to go for it as we felt prepared with our winter gear + we had also made sure we had extra food provisions in case we got stuck and had to hunker down.

Failing that we could always turn around and head back to Kennedy Meadows. So, it was a green light.  Go Go Go….

The ride back to the trail was entertaining as the shuttle driver Gary had a whole host of tails to tell about the area and how the old mountain road was created during the pioneering period.
The stand out story about Dead Mans Creek, due to the number of deaths associated in the creation of the road. 
He pointed out a pile of stones next to the road that were used a grave for one individual that were still visible even to this day.
There was also a story about cannibalism at Donner Pass that peaked our interest where a group of pioneers got stuck due to the severe weather and ended up eating one another.  

The main road that took us back up the mountain was extremely steep and windy. The local authorities had been out gritting in preparation for the bad weather with some form of salt solution that was sprayed onto the road.
Gary said that even if you have a couple of inches of snow on this road and it gets closed as it can be very treacherous 

As we wind our way back up the mountain we can see a mixture of granite volcanic rocks and it isn’t long before we reach the trailhead around 16:30. Better late than never….

The hike up out of Sonora Pass was spectacular, where we seem to be crossing one pass after another. There were large snow patches remaining and a number of snow traverses.  We can see distant mountains still bathed in sunlight pink and orange, whereas the landscape in front of us becomes cold and bleak where the sun rays no longer reach.

As the sun is setting and the moon full and bright we start to walk through deeper snow, frozen into formations called sun cups.

Sun cups are domed depressions that are formed in the snow, which can be slippy and dangerous as they’re made up of compact ice. Hiking through them without spikes is slow and labored.

We hiked into the night under the cover of a full moon.

We felt that we were finally starting to get into the high mountains now.  The scenery is both eerie yet somehow still stunning.

We walk through a number of snow patches and have to make a detour roundn 1 which is too steep and frozen.  Crossing this at this time of day would be a silly move.
We temporarily lose the trail and it takes a fair bit of work to find it again. Thank goodness for the mapping app on Far Out and before long we are following the red line once again.

After 6 miles we decide to play it safe and stop at a marked tent site. We set up our tent behind a series of trees to provide some shelter + the moon is so bright that we don’t really need head torches when setting up camp.

Currently the air is still and it’s biting cold and as I write this I can see the silhouettes of mountains behind the vapor of my breath.

Maybe this is just the calm before the storm as the bad weather is predicted to start at some point tomorrow.

I think what people said about the Sierra being cold is certainly playing out and I’m certainly glad we’ve got a winter gear tonight. We are wearing every single piece of clothing (including waterproofs) and still cold. Hopefully a warm dinner will sort us both out. 

We’re going to have a chicken and broccoli Peak meal tonight, which is particularly good. All wash down with an obligatory hot chocolate.

 
Day 97 Fri Sept 29th 
Tent site 5 1st camp after Sonora pass – Tent site bear Falls Creek 
1643.2 – 1666.6 
Approx. 1693 ft ascent + 4327 descent 
23.4 Miles 

We slept well waking up to a very cold start.  There are patches of frost in the thin tufts of grass surrounding our tent and Sarah’s mini towel we use to dry our pots was frozen.

The trees provided us perfect shelter and privacy. Not that there was anyone else on the trail, apart from the French dude called Colin that we’d passed earlier last night.

As we pack up we observe the moon has moved 180 degrees over the course of the night and it is now on our right side it’s still bright and full.

As we set off the air is biting cold.  Sarah is wearing a pair of extra thick merino socks over the top of her gloves to help block the wind.

Although its cold we can’t stop smiling at one another.  
This place is absolutely magnificent + breathtaking and being out here makes you feel like an epic explorer. 

Cloud sits heavy in the mountains adjacent to the trail generating a ghostly gothic landscape.

Being able to see the trail laid out in front of you winding its way down the mountains also gives you a full appreciation and perspective of where we are going as well as the path behind us.  Its magical.

We did a more detailed check on our Garmin Inreach this morning and heavy snow is indeed coming on Saturday morning starting at 03:00.

Sarah comments how lucky we are with the weather today and how we need to make the most of it because tomorrow will be a different story.

We also reached out on the Gramin Inreach to our “Ninja warrior trail angel” Superstar Liz.  Asking her to send our ice axes to Mammoth Lakes.  Although the snow maybe short-lived, we fear this may settle and freeze, resulting in some sketchy trail conditions further down trail.

The first 4 hours of the day were epic dropping down from the high mountains where we stayed last night at over 10500 feet.

As we descended back below tree line we were plunged back into familiar woodland and the air temperature increased.

Blaze physio gave me a series of exercises that I need to incorporate into our day at 2hour intervals. 
I think this is going to take some getting used to but hopefully it will help strengthen and repair my sore ankle.

We’re passing a couple of lakes today including Dorothy and Wilma Lake.

In light of the bad weather that’s meant to start in the early hours of Saturday morning we need to pick it very sheltered spot tonight and hopefully Wilma will offer something suitable.  

Sarah comments how untidy the trail has become as we make our way to Dorothy Lake through jumbled rocks and fallen dead trees.
By reducing the time taken in our pit stops hopefully we can make more progress today.

Sarah is cracking the whip with the plan to get to Dorothy Lake early afternoon covering 14 miles.

On our way up to Dorothy lake pass we walk past a number of stagnant looking pools that were most likely prime mosquito hotspots earlier on in the season.
The Sierras is meant to be really bad for mosquitoes after the snow melt up until about September.  Although we seem to be hitting it a perfect time and there are few if any.

As we near Dorothy Lake pass the dark clouds start to roll in and the wind starts to pick up. 
We were starting to wonder where this weather system was ever going to happen, but in the space of a couple of hours it seems to be all changing.

We stop at a Stock camp besides the shores of Dorothy Lake. It was windy and cold and we take shelter behind some large trees and rustle up a hot drink.
The Stock camp would be a good place to camp but we want to make some more miles + need to keep moving to stay warm. 

We carry on downhill walking through marshy looking meadows full of dark wet looking pools and peaty like soil.

We’ve seen on Far Out that there’s a Rangers Cabin between us and Wilma Lake.  We’re not sure whether there will even be a Ranger here, but it might offer a dry place to stay?

Sarah and I have observed the usual hunger pains that we’ve been experiencing seem to have subsided a little today.
This may be partly due to the cooler weather conditions, but also due to the switch up in high calorie food that we’re eating.

We need to do the math but suspect we’re burning around 5,000 calories a day, whereas our intake is only 2000. 
We need to watch this as both of us are losing a lot of weight and muscle.  I joke Sarah is looking like a match stick with the wood scraped off.
However, the new Peak meals and new Range Meal bars we are eating certainly helping re-address this balance.

As it was getting dark we’ve reached the Rangers Cabin. We notice the lights were on and went over to check it out.
Jackson the Ranger said there was no space in the cabin for hikers but there were a couple of sheltered spots down by Falls Creek.

He also suggested the weather may not be as bad as predicted and is to be expected at this time of year.  

 
Falls Creek required a river crossing, but as it was dark we figured that this was best done in the daylight.

We set up camp in what looks like some makeshift horse corral.  The bad weather is predicted to happen in the early hours of the morning, but at least we are in a sheltered spot under a series of pine trees.

Looking at the trail mileage 1666.6 we are hoping that nothing spooky happens this evening or we have any supernatural visitors. 

Day 98 Sat Sept 30th 
Tent site near Falls Creek – Benson Lake 
1666.6 – 1681.5 
Approx. 3602 ft ascent 3950 ft descent 
15.2 Miles 

We woke up expecting rain and snow, but there was nothing? Even though the weather predictions at Sonora Pass showed as 90% snow.

We camped around 8500 feet so potentially the drop in elevation had helped? Either way waking up to just an overcast day is a blessing, opposed to waking up to rain and snow. 

We were also wise to stop before Falls Creek where in the dark we couldn’t see the obvious crossing. 
If we had attempted it last night I think I would have just opted to go straight through. Getting cold wet feet at the end of the day before bed is never a good idea.

We hiked around Wilma Lake and saw fish jumping taking flies off the mirror like surface. It was a good idea stopping short of the lake as it was pretty marshy and there were just a handful of camp spots. 

One of our main concerns about the snow was how it may cover the trail, making our path harder to follow. Where particularly in this section the number of granite boulders that interrupt the trail sometimes make our path less obvious.

In these situations, we use other hikers’ footprints and the indentations in the sand made by trekking poles, to help make sure we’re on the right track.

If there is a fresh dump of snow then it’s more unlikely there’s going to be footprints to follow making navigation much harder .
If this becomes an issue we can always use the mapping app on Far Out, but getting our phone out every 5 minutes to check our position will become tedious.

Leaving Wilma Lake there’s a very steep climb which gets the blood pumping and it’s exactly what you need to start the day to help warm up. 

Towards the top of the climb we see 3 Mule deer feeding on the vegetation between the granite slabs.
Sarah comments that they seem darker in colour and 1 of them has some kind of radio collar attached around its neck.

We can see snow on some of the high mountains out in front of us.  We suspect the mountains at higher elevation back at Sonora pass will also have snow.  Fingers crossed we may just have dodged the bad weather. 
We spent most of the morning walking on slabs of rock or boulders which takes quite a lot of concentration as you need to carefully place your feet and trekking poles. 
There must have been a substantial amount of work required when the trail was originally set up + these granite steps have made our life a lot easier.

We managed to negotiate another deep creek by walking over a falling tree.  The water beneath must have been at least waist steep and icy cold.   

As we crossed where you could see Brook trout swimming against the current completely at home in aquatic environment.

The climb up away from Wilma lake was hard!
I think the next 2 weeks to get through the Sierras is going to be a real test of our metal. With the extra food we will be carrying each step is slow and labored.

We appear to have this place to ourselves and the silence is golden. All we can hear is the sound of the wind and water running beneath our feet or the birds or insects buzzing by our faces.  

As we reach the top of the climb water cascades down man-made steps from natural springs further up the mountain.

At the top of Bailey Ridge as we look forward into the next valleys. The mountains the landscape appears monochrome and we could see the bad weather was coming in as predicted 
It wasn’t long before it was snowing and Sarah and I quickly changed into our wet weather gear an extra layers.
Our sun umbrellas were worth their weight in gold and on this occasion we used them to keep the icy cold snow and sleet off of our bodies and packs.
The few other hikers that had passed us had looked cold and miserable just wearing waterproofs.

As we got to the bottom of Thompson canyon we both decided to test run our waterproof Seal skinz stocks to try and help keep the water out and our feet dry and warm. Although my socks were already wet which wasn’t ideal.

As we did so we met a northbound Australian lady called Linda. She seemed in a bit of a state and her spirits were low. 
She told us how the zips on Durston tent had failed (similar to mine) and how her socks had frozen inside her tent.  It sounded like she had a couple of miserable nights in the Sierras before switching out some gear in Mammoth. 
She said she hadn’t seen many people on the mountain and it was a real pleasure meeting us, as we tried to raise her spirits.

The weather conditions deteriorated throughout the day and became wintery to say the least!
Snow started to collect at the higher elevations and it wasn’t long before the trail was covered.

It produced the familiar polystyrene crunch as we hiked and the trail conditions became slippery and more treacherous.

My concerns about not being able to see footprints in the sandy trail were valid. Although luckily we still had the footprints in the snow from a solitary north bounder to follow.
This helped us correct a wrong turn where suddenly the trail became completely covered with no sign of any human activity, making us question our route and back track. 

We followed Mule deer tracks + it was interesting to observe animal footprints in the snow and how the wildlife seems to use the trail as a highway. 
It was also interesting seeing evidence of other creatures on the trail that previously were not so obvious.

It became so cold that we skipped lunch and only managed to grab a late snack at around 16:30.
Our hands and feet and extremities were freezing and holding trekking poles by the metal handles became uncomfortable.
I’ve taken to storing my poles behind my neck like some kind of ninja. By doing so I can keep my cold hands firmly under my armpits to keep them warm. 
Unfortunately, there is no solution to keep our feet warm other than just to keep moving and both Sarah and I were suffering today.

We quickly unloaded our bear cans with any food that we could quickly consume on the hoof.  Any thoughts boiling hot water to make coffee or ramen noodles would have taken too long + resulting in us getting too cold. 

Thank goodness for sweet and spicy jerky.  The chilly kick really helped keep us warm and we both stood back to back to try and maintain body heat.

We decided tonight we’d finish early irrespective of getting the miles in because we wanted to be out of this bad weather as quickly as possible.

We descended down Seavey pass we passed evidence of an avalanche where we could see broken tree limbs and branches and tree debris buried in piles of snow.
Looking at the mountain you could also make out trees that just been just flattened in the avalanche path.

As we descended the weather conditions improved and we found there was no snow underfoot.  
This was great news and we both hoped we would somehow find a dry campsite. 
Many of the camp spots that we went passed looked waterlogged or were underneath dripping wet trees, so this looked unlikely.

We followed a side trail to Benson Lake it was described on Far Out as the Riviera of the Sierra, so we decided to go check it out.
The side trail was overgrown and wet with ankle deep puddles, but we pushed on regardless.

When we arrived we found a sandy beach surrounded by tall cloud covered mountains. It seems crazy that we were in snow conditions only hours before and now we were on a beach!
We found a sheltered spot underneath some trees and surprisingly the ground was dry which seemed impossible.
Without further notice we pitched our tent just in time before it started to rain again. 

Cooking food inside your tent is not ideal, but in these kind of situations needs must.  We just made sure we left 1 of the doors open just to maintain a good level of ventilation. 

Even though we only covered 15ish miles today, this is a respectable mileage in light of the conditions.  Having to negotiate snow and slippery rocks slows down your progress as more time and care has to be taken.

Let’s hope tomorrow isn’t too icy after the fresh snow has frozen.

Day 99 Sun Oct 1st 
Benson Lake – Spiller Creek 
1681.5 – 1696.7 
Approx. 4541 ft ascent 3353 ft descent 
15.8 Miles 

Our sheltered little tent site worked a treat as there was rain overnight.  We hardly got touched which meant we were able to put away an almost dry tent.

Before leaving camp we opted to cook up a dehydrated Peak meal Breakfast skillet to warm the cockles and sat and ate it in the comfort of our tent. 

One of the hardest parts about through hiking is having to put on wet cold gear  
the following day.
Last night we opted to put our socks underneath our sleeping pads to stop them freezing.  This helped but they were still damp and cold when we put them on.

On leaving the lake we walked through wet sodden grasses and puddles that we had passed through last night.

Once back at the trailhead we both did a series of press ups to try and warm up to get the blood pumping.  Although it wasn’t until the first climb that we started to warm up and a smile returned to Sarah’s little face 

There’s going to be days that are cold and miserable and we just have to suck it up and push on through. It won’t be long before this dream is over so we need to make the most of every day and we always warm up pretty quickly.

Although it’s still cloudy and gloom cloaks the mountains there are hints of blues sky breaking through.  We’re keeping our fingers crossed underneath our warm mittens.

15 minutes into the 1st climb and we stop and strip back our layers and Sarah goes to find a little place to dig a cat hole.

I ask the question ‘What’s better mosquitoes or being cold. Sarah answer was mosquitoes. However quickly she has forgotten how bad they were earlier on the trail.  At least at this time of year there’s few mosquitoes and it doesn’t take long to warm up. You just have to keep trudging through.

As we climb away from the Lake Piute the mountain is frosted with snow + it looks like something after Christmas card. It’s a good reminder that it’s best not to camp on these high passes to avoid the worst of the cold weather. 

Then just as quickly as the mountain had revealed it’s beauty it was cloaked again in cloud.   Sarah compares it to a magician pulling a tablecloth from of a table.

Bits of frost and water are constantly dripping from the pine trees as the snow starts to melt.  Grasses and low-lighting vegetation laden with water droplets glisten in the sunlight.

Maybe it’s due to the exercises I’ve been doing, but the pain in my foot seems better today. Or maybe it’s because we have bigger fish to worry about with the weather?
I looked back and see Sarah walking up the mountain struggling as she goes, maybe hundred feet behind.  Its too cold to wait around and I have to pace up and down the trail as she catches me up. 

To pass the time I normally try and do some stretching exercises or I try and edit the blog ramblings whilst she catches up, but today it’s cold! 

Adjusting your pace to match your hiking partner can be tricky and can result in injuries on both sides. Where adjusting your walking pattern or gait can result in injury and / or 1 of you becoming either frustrated or exhausted. 

To pass the time I normally try and do some stretching exercises or I try and edit the blog ramblings whilst she catches up, but today it’s cold. 

As we climb we see more snow and you can see the trail is a highway of activity for different animals that occupy these mountains.  About halfway up Bishop’s pass we see Coyote print in the snow.

The dripping water droplets that we’re coming off the trees only half an hour ago have now been replaced by small pieces of ice, due to the change in temperature 

There’s a great feeling about cutting new trail and walking through fresh snow.  Listening to that familiar polystyrene crunch as we hike through knowing that no one else has passed this way today.

Bishop pass is split to 2 climbs and in the middle it flattens out a little.  

Both of us are struggling to maintain our body temperature.  As soon as your core temperature drops your hands and feet start to suffer and we both welcome the uphill climb.
We stop at Smedberg Lake.  Sarah isn’t feeling well is feeling sick and has an upset stomach poor thing. Both are not ideal as hiking in these conditions is already hard enough. 

I use his time just do a spot fishing and nearly end up with a lure stuck in my face as trying to cast with frozen hands is not a good idea. 

We are joined by family of Mule deer coming down the mountain behind us. We  

can hear their hooves against the rocks as they spook and run off back into the mountains.

As we reach the top of Benson pass it starts to snow again at 10,500 feet + we’re now walking through snow that’s 2-3 inches deep. 

Hiking in these kinds of conditions is something that both of us have not a huge amount of experience in  

It’s slick under foot and we’re both glad to have our trekking poles which helped dig in and catch any slips or falls.  It’s a winter wonderland and I’m glad we’ve experienced this aspect the mountains have on offer. 

Sarah becomes upset and is worried I would have got through all of this before the bad weather came and that she’s holding me back.
I tell her I wouldn’t change this thing + I am loving seeing the mountains like this.

We’ve been talking a lot about food today.  Fish finger sandwiches with slightly toasted bread and a smattering of tartar sauce and ketchup seem a popular choice today. 

Memories of eating sweet and sour prawn balls whilst in the New Forrest back home also strike a chord. 

As we descend from Benson Peak and snow picks up it’s very fine and eventually turns to rain.  Our umbrellas are working well keeping the worst of it off of us.

Around 16:00 we stop for a power.
Today’s menu features hot Ramen noodles, Baby bells, Trail mix and skittles.  All washed down with a hot cup of coffe.

Next up we have a 3 mile up.  Looking out across the mountains they are engulfed in cloud at eye level. 

Today I’m really craving Beef jerky. It’s a great on-the-go food as you can chew on it whilst hiking.  I’m not sure whether its because I’m craving protein or whether it’s just the chili kick that’s helping keep me warm. 

I’m not sure if it’s the temperature but the water in the Sierra seems to taste a lot nicer here.  It’s cool and refreshing, although our water intake today was way less than normal.

On our way down to Spiller creek we see a number of large mountains covered in a dusting of snow, almost like the icing of a Christmas cake. 

The trail down to Spiller creek is steep with the number of short sharp switchbacks.

When we get to the creek we had another river crossing.  We’re just able to do this before it got too dark + we could safely see the boulders and logs we were placing our feet on escaping without getting wet cold feet.

Another hiker who had already bagged a sweet spot  confirmed that the next river crossing a few miles ahead would be too sketchy to do at night.  Therefore we decided to call it a day and pitched our tent. 
We found a sheltered dry spot on the edge of the treeline that had somehow escaped the worse of the weather.  The ground was more sand and grit opposed to the sodden duff of the forest floor which I think may have helped.  

We can’t believe over the last 2 nights in all this bad weather we have managed to bag dry camp spots.  The god must be smiling down on us as the rest of the forest and surrounding floor seems saturated. 

Sarah went about filling up our water bottles with fresh water from the river to make one of our old faithful instant mash + chicken and gravy, whilst I set up the tent and sleeping pads.

Changing out of our wet clothes was painful but at least the pain was short lived and it wasn’t long before we got warm again. 

Although my feet did suffer as both my trail runners and hiking sandals were wet. So instead of wearing my cozy thick bed socks I opted for bare feet tonight. 

Sarah seemed to improve throughout the day and her appetite seemed to return this evening.  I hope after a good night’s sleep this should be back to fill fitness as it must be pretty miserable hiking in these conditions when not feeling well.

Day 100 Mon Oct 2nd 
Spiller Creek – Tuolumne Meadows – Lee vining 
1696.7 – 1711.5 
Approx. 1808 ft ascent 1988 ft descent 
14.8 Miles 
Our alarms went at 05:00 and it was cold. Our morning routine seems to be becoming harder leaving the comfort of our warm sleeping bags + knowing that we’ve got to put on wet gear again to start the day.

Something was different this morning.  There was concentration on the inside of the mesh liner of our tent and our sleeping bags were both damp.

Ice started to form on the inside of our tent above our heads and the zips on the tent door were difficult to open and Sarah’s was frozen shut.

We figured it snowed in the night, but after peeling back the tent doors and peering out we could see there was just a thick layer of frost. 

Both of our trail runners had frozen solid, but luckily, we had kept our water filters inside our sleeping bags which had stopped them form a similar fate. 

Putting on a wet socks wasn’t as bad as we thought, but trying to get your feet into frozen trail runners proved to be tricky.  I tried to defrost mine next to the stove as we boiled water for coffee, but this didn’t work out too well.  Instead I ended up slipping my feet inside them as much as I could, whilst finishing the camp chores.  This seemed to work well allowing them to slowly defrost enough so that I could pull them onto my cold feet.
 
It reminded me of when I was a child queueing outside a butcher’s shop with my dad for a Christmas turkey.  My feet got so cold that when I got home and defrosted them in front of the fire it was so painful it almost made me cry.

It wasn’t quite enough to bring tears to our eyes but Sarah was certainly feeling it jumping up and down trying to get the blood pumping.

We positioned the tent in direct line of the morning sun as it  poked its nose over the horizon and started to warm the cold ground.
Luckily today we’re back to Bluebird skies and hopefully we can start to dry out our wet gear.
Had it not been so sunny and bright it would have made it extremely difficult to dry out our gear so we’re very thankful.  Hopefully now the bad weather has passed we can start to get some miles in again.
We left camp late around 09:00 which is much later than normal, but obviously the conditions didn’t help today + its takes much longer to pack away with freezing cold hands. 

As we hike away from the campsite we walk alongside a cascading river that flowed from Spiller creek. The grasses that line the trail were covered in thick frost and we crunch through frozen puddles on our way down the mountain.
I know that is an element of discomfort, but this kind of stuff makes us feel alive and it’s not long before we’re warm again and pumped for the day ahead.

Facing discomfort and overcoming these kind of obstacles is one of the things about Thru hiking that take some getting used. Sarah is doing a great job and seems to be coping really well.

As we hike through the defrosting woods and mountains we both appreciate the rays of sun on our faces.  It’s something that we easily take for granted back in the real world.
The whole cycle of being cold and warming up makes you appreciate the value of the sun and modern day living.

As we started to descend from the Macabre lake trailhead we walk through grassy meadows that didn’t have any sign of snow at all.  I don’t understand how the trail can be bone dry with no sign of what we have experienced over the past days, as surprising as we’re still nearly 9,000 feet. 
We hiked through slippy muddy channels cut through flat meadows, with distant views of some of the spectacular peaks in Yosemite.

Sarah’s face today looks rather puffy I think this is to do with the altitude.

Around 12:00 we stop and go through the contents of our bear cans and do a food itinerary check.  We have 10 miles to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite where we could potentially get off trail and head to Lee vining. Or we push on another 47 miles where we can take a side trail to Horseshoe Lake trailhead where we can gain access to Mammoth for our next food resupply.

Sarah: “I’m hungry all the time in the moment”
We hiked past the thundering Tuolumne Falls and Sarah now seems a 100% better happily singing about how she’s going to get something nice to eat in town.

It’s good to see and hopefully we can get a few more miles busted today.

Hiking away from the Yosemite Falls we walk past countless cascading tiered waterfalls.  It’s almost like a waterpark made of granite + the water is pristine and crystal clear. 

Around 15:00 we stopped for lunch and dry out our wet tent and sleeping bags on the granite whilst we eat. I use my sleeping bag as a jacket which seems to work pretty well killing 2 birds with 1 stone. 

We anticipate that Mammoth lake trailhead is around 2-3 days away so we will have to be careful with our food rations.  It seems we have a lot of tuna packets, but the good snacky things seem to be running low. 

Sarah and I have hiked 60 miles in Yosemite before and are familiar with the area and landscape. As we continue through Tuolumne Meadows we see El Cap and Half Dome gleaming at us in the distance. 

This place is simply stunning and we’ve been blessed with good weather today with blue skies.  Water runs through the meadows sparkling in the sunlight and offers a nice foreground to the granite monsters in the distance.   

We got to the trailhead at Tuolumne meadows around 18:00 and decided that it would be sensible to go into Lee Vining to stock on on more goodies to keep our spirits high for the coming days.  The last couple of cold days has also really kicked it out of us so a night in town would be much appreciated. 

That’s the great thing about a Thru hiking. Many things aren’t necessarily planned and things evolve.   

As we got to the road a Range qqtqttqqw r pulled up and we asked him directions to Lee Vining.
He also checked our permits which is surprisingly the first time on the trail so far. 

Thankfully it wasn’t long before we got a hitch from a couple called Crystal and Mark who were on vacation in Yosemite and lived in Washington.

They kindly drove us down the Tioga Pass which has breathtaking views all the way to Lee Vining.
We splashed out and stayed in a cabin at the Lakeview Lodge + figured after the  
last 2 days we were entitled to some form of luxury.

After checking in and making ourselves comfortable we went over to an old skool American diner called Nicely’s.

It was an old fashioned diner and the place was jumping + full to the rafters. We sat in booth seats and enjoyed a much needed meal.  Sarah had a jacket potatoe and chilli and I went for a pasta and chicken dish. Both washed down by a couple of cold beers
We also treated ourselves to a slice of lemon meringue pie, although it wasn’t a patch on what “mama used to make”.

After filling our boots we returned to our cozy cabin. With our wet clothes strung out all over the room to dry we settled in for the night + it was nice to sleep in a normal bed once again. 
 

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