My JMT fun facts!

22 days total
20 hiking days
2 zero days - no hiking/rest days
5 nights camping alone
269.8 miles total (according to InReach)
Longest hiking day 21.3 miles
Shortest hiking day 7.1 miles
3 real showers (2 of those within a day of each other - I love VVR)
2 full lake jump ins (they were SO cold!)
Many feet/knee high soaks in creeks/lakes
1 trail shampooing of hair (after a old guy told me about a girl that got lice)
2 breakdowns - moments of crying
1 evening of hail/sleet/snow/rain hiking - also see breakdown
4 bear sightings - all on day 21
Tons of deer, squirrels, chipmunks, pack mules
A few Pikas - my all time favorite
4~ish bottles of wine
3 Bloody Mary's
1 Margarita
Few too many shots of Jack Daniels Honey
6 new crazy amazing friends - Luke, Dylan, Brian, Jaclyn, Lydia, and Liz
And 1 amazing journey!

Post JMT - 1 day after

September 9, 2016
Post hike day 1
Half Dome Village
Steps: 36,841

I feel odd like I should be doing something or going somewhere. Jess got up very early this morning to go hike half dome! I'm super excited for her and really hope she has an amazing time. She hasn’t hiked much on her own so I am excited for her to see what that is all about. Dylan, Jamie, and Audrey got up pretty early and had to make it to catch the bus. I sat in bed for a while then decided I should get up. I had a banana which was super exciting!!! Then, took another shower with my shampoo and conditioner – oh how I love running HOT water. Somehow my toes and feet are still dirty. I'm looking forward to soaking them.

I got all my dirty clothes together and headed to breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and orange juice for about $6! It was wonderful. It's odd being “alone” around a lot of people. I feel out of place. Crazy how when I hike I'm happy to be alone in the middle of nowhere but when there are a lot of people around it seems so odd to be alone. I finished breakfast and headed to find a place to do laundry. I'd like to do a day hike but the only hiking clothes I have are my backpacking ones and they are too gross to put on now that I can actually smell them. I'm not sure why I didn't bring any clean clothes to hike in. Maybe because I didn’t think I would want to hike. It took a while to find housekeeping camp and I'm so glad I've never stayed here. It's pretty odd. But they have a laundry mat so it works. I was able to charge my phone (there is not any power in our tent cabin) and catch up on some of my writing. I'm sure I'll be thankful that this is all already digital but I'm a little sad I forgot my pen. It would be neat to look back at all of this hand written on the back of the maps like I had originally planned.

After my laundry was done I walked back to the room, changed, grabbed some water and my bag and headed to Yosemite Falls. So my first day off and I end up hiking 9ish miles. It was beautiful – and there was not a drop of water “falling”.

I am so thankful I was able to come out here on this journey. I have learned how strong I am. I can do anything I put my mind to. The SKY is the limit. I would love to go back to some places and see them again – but I am excited to explore more of our great nation. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way.

JMT - Day 22 - Clouds Rest & Half Dome Junction to Half Dome Village

September 8, 2016
Day 22
9 miles / 269.8 total
Steps: 30,142
Half Dome Village
Days without shower 0

Most likely the worst nights sleep out here. I tossed and turned. I was too hot, too cold, thought I heard animals, or people constantly. After looking at the time about a dozen more times I figured it was ok to get up. I let the air out of my sleeping pad and got up. Got my bear can that looked untouched and started to heat some water for coffee. The water looked a little sketchy and people here are not very careful about where they pee/poo or leave toilet paper. It's super annoying. I did tell some girl yesterday to pack out her toilet paper and she looked at me like I was crazy. I think there needs to be better education.

So I filtered water with my squeeze and also boiled it...I feel like Luke would be proud because he always double filtered. I made my coffee, got a breakfast bar, and went to sit closer to Dylan, Julie (his sister), and Audrey. We talked for a while as they got packed up and ready to head up half dome. I was excited for them and glad I wasn't doing it today!

I was excited to be done and get to the village for a shower. After I finished my breakfast, I said bye and good luck and headed to pack up my stuff. I left about 8:30 and started to head down. I saw the group of 5 from half dome yesterday that were starting the JMT (they camped at Little Yosemite Valley), I wished them luck. There were a TON of day hikers. A couple people asked me how it was... Like I knew what IT was. Of course at times I was just a smart ass and said Whitney was amazing and good luck. Other times I said clouds rest was amazing because I knew the majority of the people were headed to half dome. It was my entertainment for the day and fun. At one point it seemed like a couple people asked me how long I’d been out here so I figured they could smell me. Most who asked or overheard me saying where I came from congratulated me and wished me a safe trip home.

The downhill was pretty crazy and I was ready to be DONE! There were SO many people and it was a bit overwhelming. I was able to check in on Jess and see where she was and catch up on a few texts as I started to get service. It was the last couple miles of switchbacks where I was excited to see a water fountain and bathroom with a little privacy! At the bottom I took a picture and celebrated again. It was pretty anti climatic. I then headed to half dome village - previously called curry village and checked in. My room was ready and I was able to get everything I needed. I headed to the bar and got a cider and a salad! It was really good to eat salad again! I was able to send a couple texts and then was ready for a shower. I didn't even go to the room first. I went to the store and bought a shirt and then straight to the shower. In the showers they have shampoo and soap and provide a towel. I likely took too long and was thankful for the mom who gave her little girl and me conditioner. Thank you so much! My hair needed that! Some people are so very giving at the perfect time!

The "trail" provides. Haha

I slowly got dressed in my dirty shorts, dirty bra, and camp sandals. I brushed my teeth and checked myself out in the mirror. I may not have actually lost any weight but I think I look a little more toned and damn my legs are dark! I have some really funky tan lines going on. I put on my clean/new JMT shirt, loaded up my pack and headed out to find my cabin. It was crammed with 3 twin beds and a double. Not much special to it but there was a bed and everything I needed. It would work great. I opened the little canvas Windows and propped the door open. I went through my bag trying to organize all my dirty clothes and making sure to get all my food out of my bag and into the bear box. I grabbed a couple snacks and decided to head to the store to get a drink. On the walk to the store, I finally ate a Snickers I had been carrying for over 6 days - it was really delicious. I left a little note on the outside of the cabin door, in case I missed Jess or Dylan or they showed up early. At the store, I got a little bear magnet since I actually saw a bear in Yosemite and a small boxed wine. I sat at the lounge in one of the rocking chairs and started to catch up on the social media life, texts, and emails. I got a message from Dylan so I was able to estimate what time they would be done and had a little more time to kill. I just sat there in the chair watching people as I ate a bag of goldfish... Thank you so much to the family on top of half dome for them! Then I slowly headed back to the room. Propped open the door and sat on the stairs because even being inside the tent is a little much. Jess walks up shortly after!!! It was great to see her! I helped her get another load of stuff from her car which included a cooler of goodies and bananas for me!! We made sure all food and smelly stuff out of the car. We got back to the room and I finished my wine as she had a drink. We opened the chips and salsa and I told her about my trip! We sat there for about 30 minutes and Dylan walked up! I have him a hug and said congratulations. The girls looked tired and were ready for a shower. Thankfully I had shampoo/conditioner and lots of other goodies in my bag I had Jess bring for me so I let them use it as well. Once we were all clean (Dylan took longer than the girls) we headed to get pizza! It was good and we sat around and talked for a long time. It was a great way to end the trip. The bed was pretty hard but it was nice just to have a real bed, sheets, and a pillow! Pretty sure we were all asleep before 10. About midnight there is a bang on a door which at first I thought was ours saying park ranger. I was like crap did we not close the bear box? Then another knock and I realized it was on a cabin next to us. Apparently they left food and a cooler in their car and the Ranger was able to find them because of the parking pass. They escorted them out to fix their mistake and wrote them a ticket. There is a sign every 5 feet...I am not sure how they could be so dumb or maybe they were just being lazy. Again – what is with people being SO lazy and not taking care of our land? I just do not get it. I fell back asleep pretty quickly but tossed and turned a lot. It's going to take some adjusting to get back to the different noises and people.

JMT - Day 21 - Sunrise Lakes to Clouds Rest & Half Dome

September 7, 2016
Day 21
13.6 miles / 260.8 total
Steps: 39,605
Cloud's Rest/JMT junction
Days without shower 5

It was cold last night... Seems to be an ongoing theme. I slept in much later than I had planned. Made coffee and grabbed a breakfast bar and headed down to the lake. I was sitting there when I overheard some people talking about water so I walked over to listen and see what they had to say because I didn't want to run out again!

They didn't know much about the direction I was headed. One of the guys was from Israel and was headed the same direction I was. We sat for a bit together and chatted about our adventures before I went back to pack up. Once I was packed I said bye to everyone and headed up to Clouds Rest. It didn't take long to run into more people. There was a couple who were on their honeymoon backpacking & hiking. They were super cute and sweet. They had planned to do the JMT but had to cancel due to an injury. We chatted and walked telling our stories. A couple miles up we met up with a girl who had been hiking the JMT with her dad. I know we had to have crossed paths a few times after talking with her for a bit but didn’t recognize her or her dad. It's pretty crazy. We all got to the top of Clouds Rest and enjoyed lunch up there. I had the chicken salad from pack it gourmet in a tortilla. I have had a lot of dehydrated meals - and my favorite meals are by them. I had cell service so was able to check in with Jess and see how the permit process was going. She didn't get it for Thursday, so I decided I was going to do it today and finish the trail Thursday morning! If she gets a permit for Friday I can always hike with her. I enjoyed the view a little longer and headed down. It was a very steep down the other way. I was taking my time and looking around a lot and saw my first bear!!! I got super excited. It seemed very small and skinny and more brown than I expected. Then after watching for a bit I saw a baby!! It was so exciting and I really wish I could have shared that moment with someone but no one was around. I was so excited to tell my mom!!! I was glad I got a picture and video for her! I continued down to the trail junction and got some water from a sketchy creek. There are SO many people here and the water levels so low all the water options don't seem great. I have never really questioned my water sources until getting into Yosemite. I continued to half dome and had about a 2 mile climb. There was a couple there that didn't look so great so we talked for a minute and I made sure they had enough food and water before continuing on. I made it to the stairs pretty easily and then the stairs kicked my ass. I forgot how bad they were or maybe it was the weight of my pack or at least that is what I'm going to tell myself.

After the stairs there were a few more climbs before the cables. I forget how intimidating those are. There was a large group heading down so I picked out some gloves and waited for a bit before heading up… with my pack. The last time I was here I remember all the squirrels being jerks and getting into bags so I didn't want to leave mine to get a hole in it now that I have made it so far.

The way up was just as hard as I remember and I took a break often on the boards. Once at the top no one else was up there! It was just as amazing as I remember. I celebrated my accomplishment and was very proud of the MILES I had done! To me – this is the end of my “journey”. I know I won’t be in the wilderness much longer and the crowds of people are going to grow once I go down. I planned to be there for sunset but that was still hours away and I wasn't sure that was really worth it to hike down in the dark. I made some calls, checked my phone, took some selfies until someone else came to take pictures of me, and made my dinner. I wanted the bean salad from pack it gourmet but it takes 45 minutes with hot water or double the time with cold... So I figured I'd hydrate it now and it would be ready once I got down to camp.

I made my way down and group of 5 was about to start up the cables. We started talking and they were starting the JMT and going south. They were awesome and super excited! They had a few questions when they found out I was just finishing so we talked for a while. They all congratulated me and it felt awesome! It's been crazy. Dylan sent me a message saying where he was planning on camping so I headed that way so I could camp with them that night! On the way down I saw another bear!!! It was much larger and a darker black color. After watching it for a minute there was another baby!!! Awe!!! I can't believe it. So awesome!!!

I was able to find Dylan and I met his sister, and her friend. We were talking like it had been more than 2 days since we had seen each other. I did brag about seeing the Bears. I found a place to camp a little farther away from the trail and got set up. They will likely break camp before me to do half dome before heading to the village. It should be a pretty easy hike down tomorrow for me and I'll be done! Wow. Last night out here. So many emotions but mostly I'm ready!!! Excited to get back home.

JMT - Day 20 - Tuolumne Backpackers campground to Sunrise Lakes

September 6, 2016
Day 20
13.7 miles / 247.2 total
Steps: 39,605
Sunrise Lake
Days without shower 4

It was cold last night and I didn't sleep well. Combination of the fire not being completely out and wanting to cuddle with Luke because we all say bye and go our own ways in the morning. We stink, we are dirty, and we still smile when we wake up. It's crazy how much time I've spent with him and still enjoy his company. It is an odd relationship where we are in the “friend zone” but cuddle at the same time.

The morning was slow and I didn't want to get up but I could hear Dylan already packing up and Luke was ready to get moving. Dylan got packed up pretty quick compared to normal – I think he was excited to see his sister! I've told him that I have enough room for him, his sister, and her friend in my cabin at Curry/Half Dome Village on Thursday and Friday night if they wanted, so we will see if they take me up on it. I really think through all of this I will keep in touch with all of these people. And I really hope I see all of them again.

We took one last selfie, hugged, and Dylan left. Luke told me I didn't have to wait on him, so I said I would be at the Café to get hot chocolate and say bye! He needed to mail a box home and the post office which was right there too.

I got my hot chocolate and sat in the sun to stay warm. Some older guys who were hiking the PCT south asked me where I was coming from/headed and we talked for a bit until Luke came up. He got a coffee and we waited for the post office to open. It was odd saying bye - we hugged for a long time. I put on my pack and my sunglasses to try to hide any emotion. He hugged me one more time, kissed my cheek, and I was off. He promised he would call when he got off trail and I asked him to text me what mile number he is on when/if he has service so I can stalk him.

We then walked opposite directions. I never thought I'd get so close to someone on this trip. We have had amazing times. We have laughed until we cried, shared many life stories, been there for each other when we were not sure about the next mile, and know when each other poop/pee/fart and anything else that may have once been considered a private thing. I'm thankful that he actually has been respectful, a gentleman, and has kept me warm a few nights. I am sure we will talk again and hopefully will be forever friends.

Now, I am on my own again. It doesn't take long to question the why again. Why am I doing this? I really never thought I would say this because I enjoy hiking by myself SO much but right now it seems much better with people, friends, and a support system. Not really to hike with daily or stay together all the time but to spend the nights with, celebrate accomplishments with, and someone who asks how you are really doing and gets what's going on with all the ups and downs.

Dylan and I talked about just going to Cathedral Lakes but it's only 5 miles in and if for some reason he doesn't come today or something with his sister happens I would be super bored with only 5 miles. So I decided to have a really long lunch there. And still no Dylan. Then I went to the other lake and still no Dylan. After that I decided to just keep going. All the way to Sunrise Lakes. I debated getting water and camping close to the top of clouds rest which I don't think you are really supposed to do but wasn't sure how that would work for wanting to do half dome and needing even more water so decided against it. I'm surprised at how dry all the creeks and streams are and makes me think I should carry more water with me. I did run out of water today and had about a mile and a half before I could get more. Definitely need to be more prepared. So I am camped at Sunrise Lake. It's beautiful and very cold. I'm thinking about Luke and hope he made the miles he wanted to and is staying warm in his shitty sleeping bag.

Tomorrow I plan to go to Clouds Rest for lunch and hopefully have will have cell service to see if Jess got her Half Dome permit. If she didn't get it for Thursday I may just go up after lunch of the weather looks good and head to Little Yosemite Camp for a short day on Thursday. I will hopefully be able to check in early on Thursday to our room or at least be able to take a shower before Jess makes it in. Then we can do whatever on Friday... Half Dome again if she gets the permit, and leave early on Saturday hopefully!! I'm ready to be home! Already dreaming of hugging Reecy!

JMT - Day 19 - Tuolumne Backpackers campground

September 5, 2016
Day 19
0 miles / 233.5 total
Steps: 13,410
Tuolumne Backpackers campground
Days without shower 3

Hello Zero day!!! A zero day is a day hiking ZERO miles!!! And yes that is super exciting after yesterday of doing over 20 miles. I am not sure how some of the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) hikers do 20+ miles day after day. Maybe one day I’ll know. I didn't get breakfast in bed like someone said I would if I made it this far today, but we slept in as we heard everyone around us packing up. It was great. Once finally up, our friends from last night came over and said good morning as I made my coffee. He brought us some homemade cookies that his wife made them! It was super nice and they were SO GOOD!!! They were headed out and likely just wanted to get rid of them but it was a great first breakfast. So Thank you to them!

We got our stuff semi organized and headed to the cafe. A hot breakfast was awesome and I had hot chocolate with whipped cream! We sat around a lot today and I stayed in the tent for about 2 hours dozing in and out of sleep. We talked about walking to a lake to go swimming but none of us were very motivated. A little after 2 we decided to go to the store to get more lunch meat to make sandwiches and Luke needed to get his resupply to head north. The trip change direction and we got a TON of food to cook on a fire. Brats, corn on the cob, and there was some chili and an onion in the bear box that someone left behind!! Once back at our camp Luke made a fire, Dylan cut up the onion and I sat on my butt. It was wonderful. I think Luke enjoyed cooking real food and all of us enjoyed eating it! It was like a feast! Food coma overload once we were done. I cleaned up and we all decided it was nap time again!! After a couple hours I couldn't lay there anymore so got up and walked to the store to get more wine! I had spotty cell service to make phone calls, but was still able to called my sister. It's still super hard when words cut out but it's good to hear from her. I'm starting to be ready to be back to real life and off the trail. I've debated how to finish early or be done but I'm not really sure how that will work out with someone coming to pick me up.

The rest of the evening we just sat around the fire, started to get all of our stuff (mostly food) organized. We listened to music enjoyed our evening together. For dinner, I made half a sandwich and the boys had Ramon. I don't know how they ate more. It was a great lazy day.

JMT - Day 18 - Thousand Island Lake to Tuloume Backpackers Camp

September 4, 2016
Day 18
21.3 miles / 233.5 total
Steps: 55,137
Tuolumne Backpackers campground
Days without shower 2

Holy crap it's so incredibly cold and windy!! My thermometer on my pack says around 39° - which doesn’t count for the wind chill. What the heck is this shit? I look out at one if the most beautiful lakes - Thousand Island Lake, it's the first day I don't want to be here. It's cold and super windy. I got very frustrated trying to pack up my tent and just really would rather be cuddled up with Reecy on my couch. I am in a total bitch mood and snapped at Luke. I apologized and gave him a hug before I started off for the day, but still kinda feel bad. I guess after being together off and on for over 17 days, it's not bad that it's the first time I've snapped or lost my temper.
I was still in a mood and was walking pretty quickly. The first pass was Island pass... I didn't even realize it was a pass until I was going down and looked at the map. It was only about 5 more miles until Donahue Pass. This one would be much more noticeable. I still wasn't in the best of moods but I knew I would get service at the top of the pass and my motivation was being able to call my sister and mom! I put in my headphones and blasted some Taylor swift. She always makes me happy. It was really beautiful going up and my mood was getting much better. You really can't be mad when there is so much beauty around. There were a lot of little steams and waterfalls. It was still cold and windy but spirits were much higher. I'm really hoping my moodiness is not due to the time of the month. I really don't want to have to deal with that out here. I have been a bit emotional today as well. Who knows? I am a little worried. If you are reading this as a girl who wants to hike long distance – continue on… if not skip to the next paragraph. This is such a hard thing to deal with. I brought my diva cup out here with me and have “practiced” with it once but I have the IUD and I do not typically have a monthly visitor so it was difficult. I am so unsure what my body will do with 3 weeks of constant activity so it is an uneasy feeling. I do not want to use tampons, panty liners, or pads because those are trash… and create more trash that you have to carry. A diva (ministration) cup seemed to be the best option for me. After note: I never actually had to deal with this being a situation! Yay!

I was getting really hungry and everyone going the opposite direction as me who had already hit the pass, said the pass was even more windy and cold. I found a place with a little coverage from wind, in the sun, and pulled out my stuff to make lunch. I figured I'd have about a mile left until the pass and needed to eat something to make it up and over. As I was making my hummus the boys walk up. I apologize again for being a bitch and they join me for a break/lunch. They are talking about making it over the pass and ALL the way to Tuolumne!! Spoiler Alert if you already looked at the location for today. Haha

That would be OVER 20 miles for the day. Their argument was that after the pass (7 miles in) it would be mostly downhill and the grill/store closes at 5 so we could get drinks and other food. I told them I wasn't sure I was up for it and would decide later or catch them the next day. At the top of the pass I was able to FaceTime with the family who were at Walmart. It was awesome because Momma, Rob, & Becca where all together!!! As I was talking to them Luke came up with a snowball and tossed one at me. Just in case you are wondering - out here AT&T has the best service. Dylan wasn't able to get service but was ok not using our phones. I was able to post a message to Facebook and saw that Nicole got engaged!!! I was able to talk to her for a minute and can't wait to hear the whole story! I also was able to call my Aunt Noreen because it was her birthday! It's worked out for being able to call some family on birthdays on top of the mountains.

We likely stayed up there too long and then finally headed down. My stomach wasn't very happy with me today and I had to stop a few times. I may run out of my toilet paper early!! I only did 4 squares per day with a couple extra and have definitely gone through the extras.

Once we got down I said I'd stay with the boys for a bit but wasn't sure how long. About an hour or so after I said that I didn't think I'd be able to do 20 miles and we said bye. My stomach was hurting pretty bad and I was super uncomfortable. I took a break, dug another stupid hole, changed into shorts because there was little wind in the valley and it was getting warm, put some arnica gel on my knee, and took a Motrin 800. I took a minute to compose myself and decided to tough it out and make it. I put my phone on my battery charger, plugged my headphones in, turned on my favorite playlist, and marched on. I wasn't sure if I was going to catch up to them and had to tell myself not to look at the distance I had left except for once an hour. Once I had a little over 6 miles left, just over a 10K, I played with the math and broke that down. It's hard to go from running an average of 10 minute miles to walking about 30 minute miles with a pack. A bit farther and I started to see signs… Yosemite Signs! Then, I saw the boys sitting there having a snack!! I was super excited to see them and started dancing/singing to the song that was on, Uptown Funk! I stopped and took some of their trail mix and said let's go. As soon as I started out I saw a coyote. I was surprised to see my first one and was sad they were not closer to see it. I led for a little bit until I got tired. I got pretty far behind again. My knee started to hurt and my stomach was giving me problems again.

Eventually I made it to the campground and started asking people where the store was because I knew the boys would be there. As I walked up I saw Dylan sitting on a picnic table with a beer and bag of chips! I dropped my pack and Luke walked up with beer and chips in hand. I snacked on their stuff before heading inside. I really wanted a real bottle of wine but they didn't have an opener I could just use. I decided I would find one eventually from one of the campers; so got a bottle, chips, and a seven layered dip! It didn't take me long to find an opener. A guy had one in his car! I wanted to hug him but I likely smelled really bad so I refrained. He opened it for me and I drank right out of the bottle to begin with. We sat there for a while and ate until we decided what was next. The boys went in the store to get more beer and dinner for the night. We got everything and headed up the hill to the backpackers camp. It was packed. We kinda found a spot next to a group of people and I asked Luke if I needed to set up and tent or if I could just stay with him! Yay for getting out of setting up a tent! We got semi set up and drank some more. Then was time for food! The boys got sandwich stuff which was awesome. We ate and drank and then I went to join a fire that was close to us. The guys were mostly older dads of boy scouts that had outgrown there time to camp with them and 2 guys in college. They are all from Orange County and were really nice. They asked me a ton of questions about the JMT trip so far and we talked for a while. Once the fire started to die down they got ready for bed and we sat there a little bit longer finishing our drinks. We finally got ready and crawled in our tents. I enjoy sleeping next to Luke, but we both stink!

JMT - Day 17 - Rosalie Lake to Thousand Island Lake

September 3, 2016
Day 17
8.1 miles / 212.2 total
Steps: 26,729
Thousand Island Lake
Days without shower 1

We all decided to sleep in today because we have a short day. It was nice to be lazy and I caught up on my journals a bit because I had only done brief notes on what happened to write later when I wasn’t as tired. Eventually I couldn't stop the hunger and had to get up. The worst sound in the morning is letting the air out of the pad. That means you really have to get up or lay on the hard cold ground. The best thing is breakfast, coffee, and slow mornings relaxing mornings! I enjoyed the sunrise over the lake and watching some people in a hurry pack up and get on the trail.

The walk today was pretty relaxing, easy, and few miles means time to stop, take pictures, and enjoy it little more. We had planned to stop at Garnet Lake for lunch and to swim but there was a storm coming in and it was super cold and windy. We found a place to block the wind and put on warmer clothes and ate a quick lunch. I was surprised at how cold and windy it got so quickly from the beautiful calm morning we had. I think today may have been the second coldest day behind the snow/sleet/hail day. Crazy! We got to Thousand Island Lake pretty early and were debating if we wanted to stay or continue on because it was so windy. I decided that we drop our packs and go look for a spot. We found something that would work and decided after a long wait that we would stay. It was difficult to set up the tent in the wind and took some time to get everything organized and head down to filter water. It was too cold to get in all the way but soaking the feet at night is a must. Luke took a short nap and Dylan and I hung out by the water for a bit before the clouds started to get dark. I really thought it was going to storm on us. Thankfully it didn't. We made our dinners; I had mash potatoes, bacon, and veggies. Than a soup, chocolate, hot chocolate, and wine! It was all awesome having extra food to eat without having to worry about it. The sun started to set and it was amazing how the sky turned colors. That is one awesome thing about storms. It's pretty cold tonight and I am in Luke's tent with him for warmth. Hopefully mine doesn't blow away in the middle of the night. It's amazing how much warmer it is with 2 people in a tent. It is only a couple more days until we part ways again.


Note - This area is dog friendly!  It was wonderful seeing all the dogs.  Please do your research to see the restrictions on Red's Meadow Area and getting to/from the trail. I know they must have a muzzle to be on public transportation!

JMT - Day 16 - Mammoth to Rosalie Lake

September 2, 2016
Day 16
7.4 miles / 204.1
Total Steps: 21,865
Rosalie Lake
Days without shower 0


None of us were really feeling like getting up today because we were all a little hung over. I wanted to do laundry...again so I got up took a shower and started that. We had a free breakfast so we got ready and headed down there. Breakfast was great! I had fresh fruit, pancakes and bacon. Perfect. We enjoyed breakfast and I changed over the laundry to the dryer and we all went back to lying in bed. We got a late checkout so we didn't have to rush. I got all my food and stuff organized. I figured about another 7 days which I had plenty of with what I still had in my bear can and sent myself. I was able to give Luke extra food too and left a bag in the hotel hopefully for other hikers. I always have extra first aid, snack food, breakfast, and baggies. But I guess that isn't a bad thing.


I got the laundry and everyone grabbed their stuff. It's crazy how 3 people can do 1 load for what they have been wearing for 3 days. Makes me realize I have WAY too much clothes and go through way too much laundry each week at home. We got packed up and finally left the luxury of a hotel. I grabbed a Gatorade and we went to the trolley stop. We only had to wait about 15 minutes and it was there. The next one was there as soon as we got off and had a TON mountain bikers on it. I think we were the only hikers. One of the guys was talking about a course or something they were going to go on where you can get 50-60mph. Seems crazy.


We were waiting for a bit to catch the next bus to Red's and there just happened to be a bar there! So we stopped in for a Bloody Mary. Oh my weakness. It was pretty good. One last real bathroom experience and we got on the next bus. It was packed. I forgot it was a holiday weekend. We got off at Devil’s Postpile stop because it was something I wanted to see. We did the short hike there took a picture and read the signs before going back to the JMT junction. It was rocky and mostly gravel today for the first 3 miles. Not a great day to not wear my gaiters - mostly because my tan line is horrible and I'm trying to make it look better. It was a bit of climbing today and hot! I was pretty far behind but they waited for me often and we took a longer break at a pond for lunch. There were a lot of people at Gladdy Lake as we passed and continued on. We found a simi hidden spot at Rosalie Lake and dropped our bags. The boys wandered off to see if there was any place better to set up camp for the night but didn’t find anything. We all set up our tents, went to soak the feet, and filter water. Luke went swimming but I wasn't feeling like getting cold again and I just showered that morning. Maybe tomorrow afternoon. We made dinner and a fire and just hung out. It was a nice evening. We decided on a few short days coming up because they need to pick up packages after the holiday and Dylan is meeting his sister Tuesday. I am also a day ahead of a schedule. It was a very relaxing night and good to be camped with them.


Note - This section is dog friendly - on the transportation in Red's area ALL dogs must be muzzled.  I loved seeing the dogs on this section! Made me miss Reecy a lot!  

JMT - Day 15 - Purple Lake to Mammoth

September 1, 2016
Day 15
14.1 miles / 196.7 total
Steps: 42,311
Mammoth City - Best Western Hotel
Days without shower 0

I got up today about 6:30, made my coffee and breakfast while overlooking Purple Lake. It was a beautiful cold morning. I wasn't sure where the guys were but I didn't want them to get too far ahead of me so I got ready and packed up by 7:30. Said bye and thank you to the lady that offered for me to camp beside her and gave her an apple and some starburst. She seemed excited about the apple! It was so cold I started in my running pants, puffy, beanie, and gloves. The climb made it so I was exposed to the sun quickly and I had to remove layers pretty early. After so many days of hiking together with the guys you start to recognize footprints. I was pretty sure Luke was ahead of me. So I just kept moving. I had to stop a couple of times for bathroom breaks, snacks, and just to take in the views and rest but kept a really good pace. It was a long stretch without many streams, so once I reach a decent one I stopped to filter water and make lunch. I was sitting there making my tortilla wrap when I heard Luke’s laugh! And then there was Dylan right behind him! I was excited that I was able to find them and shocked I was ahead of them. They sat for a bit with me as I finished my lunch and we caught up on how I lost them the night before. Then all started off hiking together. I am much slower than them but don't mind. At one point Luke wanted to take a break so I did as well. As we were sitting there Brian walked by without noticing us. We got in to Red's Cafe right at 2. The boys all got a burger and a root beer floats and I got a root beer float and a side of pasta salad! It was yummy! I was able to convince Luke and Dylan to go into town with me but Brian had to do more miles to finish on his set date to make it home on time.

We booked a hotel and hung out with Brian a bit longer. After taking some pictures and adding each other on Facebook since we had service it was time we said bye. It is odd all of us slowly splitting up. I really hope we all can get together again.

Me, Brian, Luke, & Dylan

The 3 of us then got on a bus to take us to the main lodge, where we took another bus into town, and then the trolley to get pretty close to the hotel. Once we got checked in we went up to our room dropped our stuff and Luke and I went to get him some shoes and me some Epsom salt! Thankfully there was a great little outdoor store pretty much around the building of the Best Western. While Luke decided on shoes I went to the drugstore to get Epsom salt, travel shampoo, and gum! Once back in the room Dylan was almost done showering so I was able to get in pretty quick and then Luke. Oh the luxuries of a hotel room! We decided to walk down to the brewery for dinner, but along the way a pizza place got our attention and we stopped there instead. I was excited they had a full bar and ordered a Bloody Mary which was amazing! Real food is amazing and I had to order a salad! Fresh fruit and veggies are typically what I crave the most. Shortly after getting our food and a couple more drinks my friend Grace came to meet us! It was so good to see her and get to catch up for a bit. I had mailed my resupply package to her rather than to one of the stores so it was much cheaper. We were starting to get tired and a little drunk so needed to walk back. I said bye to Grace and we started walking back. We stopped by a liquor store and picked up a small bottle of Jack Honey and when we made it to the hotel. We asked what time they closed the hot tub/pool area and she said 10 but would keep it open an extra 15 minutes for us! Sweet! We went upstairs got changed; I dumped my box to grab a couple small bottles of booze I sent myself, and met the boys at the hot tub. It felt so good!!! I stayed for about 15 minutes drinking and talking with them before I remembered I had Epsom salt! So I left and made a bath. I poured about half of the bag in the bath. It was the lavender scented one and was so good. My feet finally felt and looked mostly clean.
It was so awesome to be lazy and clean. I got into bed and the boys came up shortly after. Perfect timing!
I have a great sleeping pad and sleeping bag but not much compares to a comfortable bed.

JMT - Day 14 - VVR to Purple Lake

August 31, 2016
Day 14
18 miles / 182.6 total
Steps: 43,454
Purple Lake
Days without shower 1


I can't believe I've been out here for 2 weeks already. It's been going by pretty fast. Today started out much later than I wanted. We all got up and kinda packed up before heading to breakfast. I had 2 eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast! The guys had the same but 2 meals...and beer. Lol
We enjoyed our meal and I cut out early to pay my tab and enjoy running warm water for the last time for a couple days. My total was just under $200! Kind of crazy but totally worth it!

We got all packed up and waited for them to be ready to ferry us across the lake. They said they could only take 3 of us so I jumped on the first one with Luke and Dylan. Brian is the fastest so we figured he would catch up. We said we would camp at Purple Lake so at least we had a plan. The ferry took about 30 minutes to get across but is so much better than walking. By the way - the "ferry" is a tiny boat that can sit 5.

Once across the lake, we started walking and it was hard to get warmed up. The boys are so much quicker than me and I couldn't see them once we got back on the JMT which was about a mile in. I hiked by myself most of the day and listened to music and then my a book... I wasn't feeling great and just needed to zone out. Too much bread and funky food and my stomach wasn't happy. I took a few breaks and had to get water a couple times. About 4:30 Brian caught up to me and I let him by after talking for a minute. It wasn't long before I couldn't see him. I was really hoping they were going to camp at Lake Virginia but I didn't see them there so I continued to Purple Lake. The lake did not look purple but it was a pretty cool lake. A lady asked me how much longer I was going because it was starting to get dark and I explain I was looking for my friends or the next campsite. She suggested a place and said she hadn’t seen who I was describing. So I set up camp, cooked a quick dinner, and am now in my bag. I wish I was camping with them but hopefully I will see them in the morning. I got used to being with the boys and it is a little odd being on my own again at night. I need to go into mammoth to get my box and kinda want to see the town. It's only about 13 miles tomorrow so shouldn’t be too bad. Almost 9pm now and I'm starting to get warm in my bag and gonna try to get some rest. Good night!

JMT - Day 13 - Zero Day at VVR

August 30, 2016
Day 13
0 miles / 164.6 total
Steps: 8,536
VVR
Days without shower 0!


Today was a zero day! Meaning hiking zero miles! It was amazing. I got up late and didn't have to pack up and ate a cooked breakfast by someone else!! French toast and bacon!! It was delicious. It's crazy the things you forget to appreciate. Jaclyn and Lydia had to leave today, so it was nice to be able to have one last meal with them. I really have enjoyed spending time with them. I hope to see them again someday! After they left I started my laundry! It was nice to be able to use a real washer and dryer. They have a couple buckets of clothes that you can wear while ALL your clothes are washing, so I found shorts that kinda fit and a big t-shirt that I could wear without a bra. I should have taken a picture of my horrible outfit I wore ALL day but I didn't. The boys were calling me a hippy but I didn't care. I was comfortable and didn't want to wear my now clean clothes until I showered again. I went down to the lake and tried to get service to send messages and make phone calls but service was terrible. I was able to get through a few times but often I got disconnected. I finished up my laundry and it was time for lunch. I debated eating again but got convinced it was a good idea. I had a burger and my stomach was regretting that decision. Thankfully there were real bathrooms! I took a nap which felt amazing. Today was going great! By the time I got up it was time to try to call Becca to wish her happy birthday!! It took a while to get service again but worked out and we got to talk for about 15 minutes. I also was able to talk to momma for a bit. Headed back up to camp and took another shower. This one didn't cut off on me and was the perfect amount of time! I was able to wash my hair twice and just enjoy the water. I put on my clean clothes and got ready for dinner. I decided on another bottle of wine that I'd share and got some seafood jambalaya! Each of the boys got a tiny glass of wine and I finished off the rest!! Luke and I went down to the lake again because I wanted to see the sunset. We sat there and talked a while. I really enjoy his company and this odd relationship we have going on. It was starting to get dark and he wanted another dinner so we headed back up. He ordered another meal and I got some ice cream! I do not think I will be losing weight on this trip. There was a guy who was hunting with a bow and I was really curious about it and asked him to show/tell me about it. It was super interesting and I wish I could have played and shot it. The fire got started and we went to hang out. The crowd tonight was a little different and I wasn't really feeling it. I enjoyed talking to one girl but was ready for bed. The guy who I gave the note to from Liz came up to me and offered me and beer. I accepted and we talked for a bit then I was really ready. I crawled in Luke's tent with him and it was super warm compared to sleeping alone. It was so nice not to be cold during the night. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.

 

JMT - Day 12 - Bear Creek to VVR

August 29, 2016
Day 12
13.4 miles / 164.6 total
Steps: 37,037
VVR
Days without shower 0!

I really wanted to get into VVR to catch up with everyone. It was my only motivation because there were many times I just didn't want to walk anymore. The climb out of bear creek was more than I expected and for some reason I was thinking I only had to do 10 miles today. Once I checked my map again and it said almost 8 on Bear Ridge Trail I felt really discouraged. I ended up putting headphones on and trying to tune out that way. My bag felt heavy and my body felt weaker today. Maybe just more tired from yesterday. It was not a great day. As soon as I got to the trail to head towards VVR I had phone service! I was able to call my mom which was awesome! I thought I'd have service all the way into VVR but it kept cutting out but I was so happy to hear my Mom’s voice. The trail cuts off and puts you on a hard packed dirt road and you have to walk a little over 2 miles to get to VVR. I had 3 cars pass me and no ride. I really wanted a ride and was sad I didn’t get one. I do not really care that it was only 2 miles.

When I walked in, I spotted the Alaska sisters (Lydia & Jaclyn) packs and hats! Then realized that the boys packs were there as well! I was super excited. I went in the store asked if she knew where they were and asked about the room. But I guess they decided just to camp for free. I was disappointed but at least we would all be together. Someone said they went swimming at the lake, so I headed that way and they were all coming up. It was so good to be back together. I gave Luke and hug and asked joked with him asking if he missed me! The guys chimed in saying every morning he would be asking/questioning where he thought I would be. I missed being around people. I got an apple and a Gatorade and sat for a while as I debated what to do! I really wanted a shower so I got a token for that and decided it would be better to be clean with dirty clothes since the 1 washer was full. The shower was AMAZING!!! But as I was washing my hair the water cut off. I guess they had scheduled for the water to be shut off for work they were doing but I wasn't told. I got my hair mostly washed but not really my body. I told the girl in the store and they gave me another token!! I'll use that tomorrow after I swim. I got a bottle of wine and was drinking out of my camp cup until dinner. For dinner they had a few options but I went with spaghetti. It was really good to have a home cooked meal. There was a nice fire we sat around and all talked. I think I finally went to sleep around 11.

Brian, Luke, Dylan, Me, Jaclyn, Lydia

 I likely drank too much and gonna pay for it but it was a good time.

JMT - Day 11 - San Jaoaquine River to Bear Creek

August 28, 2016
Day 11
18.4 miles / 151.2 total
Steps: 41,195
Bear creek
Days without shower 12
I have to start this off with WOW - What a tough day!

I started waking up about 6:30 to the normal have to get up and pee. Grabbed my bear can on the way back to the tent. I sit inside on the air mattress with my sleeping bag wrapped around me and the main part open. I get ready to made coffee and do enough extra warm water to wash my face as well. Which I think should be my new morning tradition because if felt amazing. I started to get packed up and about the time I was almost done Liz came out of her tent. We talk a bit more and said our goodbyes after exchanging contact information and taking a picture. I really hope to see her again.

This morning was a pretty easy. I can tell my pack is lighter and I had a few up hills but mostly down all the way into Muir Trail Ranch (MTR). Right before getting to MTR, I ran into Brian! He asked if I saw the others (Luke, Dylan, Jaclyn and Lydia) but I must have just missed them. They got into MTR yesterday and camped down the way. I was a little bummed that I didn’t get to camp with them and hang out but I know I came out here to be on my own. They plan to make it to VVR tomorrow and wanted to know if I'd go in on a backpacker cabin with them that sleeps 4 in bunk beds. I said sure! It would be nice to have a bed and not have to set up a tent for 2 nights! But that means more miles to make it by tomorrow but that can also be my motivation. It's good to know they are only about half a day ahead of me. Getting to MTR was a VERY steep downhill past the last sign. There was one guy sitting outside, so I asked how it worked to get the resupply buckets and then rang the bell. A girl camp up and took my slip, had me sign and date a form, and got my bucket! Yay! It was the 5 gallon bucket with the lid that was air tight and it was taking forever to open it. I actually couldn’t get it all the way and had to get help. I went through the hiker buckets before I even dug into mine and laughed at some of the stuff in there. They were awesome though and were organized by categories. There was everything from clothing, first aid, toiletries, breakfast foods, peanut butters, drink mixes, packaged food, and homemade foods. I grabbed a couple packets of the Justin's chocolate hazelnut butter and lemonade mix!!! Yummy! I offered the guy who helped me open my box some of my Girl Scout cookies along with the girl he was with. I ate 3-4 of them and then put the rest in a zip lock for later and to share with my friends. Then, I opened the huge Pringles can and passed it around and emptied quickly! I knew if I didn’t share I would have eaten the whole can alone and that didn’t need to happen. I got my 5ish days of food, some junk I didn't need, and a small plastic bottle of wine and tinny bottle of Jack Daniels Honey. I shared what I didn't want to the other backpackers before adding to buckets and loaded up my bear can again. I got the wine from a guy who wanted some sausage I was giving out so it worked out for me! This pack is heavy and full again. I grabbed my battery backup, which I actually forgot to plug in for the majority of the time I was there so it didn't do much. When you leave MTR it is notorious for having the heaviest pack because most people are traveling south with 10 days of food. I was lucky because I was done with having the heavy pack and long hauls. I still wanted to weigh my bag on the hanging scale to see the difference from when I first started at 38.5 pounds! Just under 35 pounds! At least it's lighter than when I started. And I know I have extra stuff I will ditch at VVR before heading out again. One guy weighed his bag after me and it was 25 pounds with food and water. I was jealous of his weight but I know I enjoy being comfortable in my tent with a warm sleeping bag and a pillow more! The climb out of MTR was brutal. There is a lot of mule crap and it was HOT. I saw my first snake... it was harmless but still scared the crap out of me. I wish I wouldn’t have taken so long going through all the boxes and getting my stuff organize but it was hard to not get a little overwhelmed and excited about all the food options after 11 days of only having what you have. Leaving out at noon was not a good idea but I had miles to do. It was very hot with little coverage and the climb was rough with a heavy pack again. I attached my umbrella to my bag and was thankful I had it again!

Today I drank a LOT more water than my normal amount and I was starting to run a little low. I checked the map on my phone and it said I had about a mile to go. That last mile was moving SO super slow. It was very painful and I ran out of water. When I got to the creek, I drank right from the filter and had a snack. I needed something with more real energy than the crap I snacked on at MTR. I drank one liter of water pretty quickly and filtered a little over 1 more. Two guys came up to the creek that were headed the opposite direction. They had come from VVR a day ago! It was cool to hear their stories and made me more excited to get there. We talked for a minute and then went our own directions.

I left there feeling much better and the climb wasn't as steep. Sallie Keys Lake was really pretty and I was half tempted to stop for a swim but I didn't want to deal with taking off my pack and undressed. I decided to take a break at the next lake ... Heart Lake. At first it didn't look much like a heart until I started climbing more. I had a snack here, trail mix I got from the hiker bucket, and some starbursts. They were both really good! Found a good pee spot and took a minute to enjoy the area. I could see the pass and knew it was going to be rough. I took my time with lots of breaks. I was so happy when I got to the top. This day was very rough with a heavy pack. No one else was up there but I celebrated, did a little dance, and took a few pictures.

As I was about to head down one guy made it and I said congratulations on making it to another pass and he looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I am. I headed down and Marie Lake was so pretty. There were a lot of people camped there and I was tempted to stop as well but that would have made for a really long day tomorrow so I continued on. I thought it would just be another 3 miles but once I got there the water didn't look great and camping was very close to the trail. I looked at my map again and it said 1 more mile until the next water. It was already past 6 so I walked quickly. Once almost to the creek there still wasn't camping. So I crossed and saw 1 guy camped. He seemed to be in the ONLY spot. There was one that was a little too close to the water so I filtered and went to find something else. I am not in an ideal spot because it is super rocky but it works. I got my tent up and started dinner. As my dehydrated dinner was cooking (rehydrating), I got my bed ready and then it was time to eat! Mac & cheese with veggies and tuna! Perfect. It got dark quickly so I crawled my bag and am now ready for bed! It looks like I still have a longish day to make it to VVR tomorrow but at least it's shorter than today!! I feel quite accomplished today and am feeling strong.

Time to get some sleep.

JMT - Day 10 - Helen Lake to San Joaquine River Steel Bridge

August 27, 2016
Day 10
16.6 miles / 132.8 total
Steps: 45,227
San Joaquin River steel bridge
Days without shower 11

Today was SO much better than yesterday!! I started getting up a little after 6 but it was still so cold. I had to pee SO bad and that was my motivation for moving and unzipping my sleeping bag. It is a bit of a process to get used to how cold the real outside air is. First, I unzip the top half of my sleeping bag and shove my down jacket in the bottom to warm it up to my body heat. Then, I unzip the main part of my tent letting in a little of the cold air. I never realize how much warmer my tent is than the outside air until this point. The jacket gets put on along with my beanie. I typically put on my sandals and upzip the rest of the tent and rainfly quickly and hop out. I figure if I am moving I will be warmer. I go pee, grab my bear can and run back into my tent. It was freezing and most likely in the low 30s. The sun was starting to come out but I knew I had a while before the sunlight would hit me. I sat on my sleeping pad and wrapped my sleeping bag around me. I made a LARGE coffee in my vestibule area and drank it slowly. I started to try to pack up but noticed a small wet spot on my sleeping bag. I don't know if it was from the rain last night, touching a wet spot on the floor of my sleeping bag, or possibly drool. I let it air out of my sleeping pad and enjoyed a little more coffee. My PJs were still damp and the inside of my tent was too. I took off the rain fly and set it aside and let the inside of my tent air out. In the cold air, nothing was really drying. The only option I really had was to wait until the sun peaked over the mountain or pack up my stuff wet. I waited. I put everything, PJs, gloves, rain gear, and rain fly on a rock and as soon as the sun started to come out it dried so much quicker. I got packed up and headed out a little after 8.

I got to Muir hut at the top of the pass at about 8:40. I couldn't believe how close I was to it. I took some pictures and did a video of the inside and saw a couple people coming up from the other side. They experienced somewhat similar weather but not as long as I had it. Crazy how different it can be over a mountain. I took some pictures for them and they did for me, we ate breakfast, talked and finally headed out in opposite directions. It took longer here than I did at most passes but for the trouble I had to get here thought I might as well enjoy it!
It was a LONG morning down, down, down… again. I finally got to beautiful Evolution Lake and it was time to take a break! I made a lunch and soaked my feet. I debated getting in but it was cold and I wasn’t really in the mood to be cold again. There was a couple a little off to one side of me enjoying lunch as well and one guy came up to the other side around a tree. He got butt naked and went swimming. He was maybe 100 feet away from me. After he got dressed again came and said hi. Thank God he got dressed first. Haha. Crazy trail life. I got my stuff packed up and my PJs finally dried and headed down again. I know I will NEVER wash my PJs again unless the weather is extremely clear or I have access to a dryer. All day was downhill and I again felt bad for the southbound hikers. It was easy to make up some miles today and to keep moving. I made it to where I was hoping to camp the day before Muir Trail Ranch (MTR) which is fairly close to it. I was going to camp next to people but there were a ton of guys and so I went to a secluded spot by the bridge. I was making a fire and my dinner when a girl walked up and I said hi. I invited her to camp in the open spot but she said she wanted to make it another mile or so but needed to filter water. Once she sat and we were talking for a minute, she realized how tired she was and decided she might as well just stay.

Her name is Liz. She is from jersey, works at a climbing camp, and is doing a section of the PCT going south. We talked, ate, sat by the fire I made and laughed. It's crazy how quickly you can get to know people here. I always enjoy talking to other girls out here and typically feel a bond with them. She did say the next pass is also brutal for northbound hikers. Guess it's time I get my harder days. I'm planning on going into MTR, getting my package, and heading out. I guess we will see how long that takes and how far I get tomorrow. I'm looking forward to Girl Scout cookies and Pringles! I also forget what else I sent myself and still have a couple extra meals in my can right now. It only took about 10 days but I think I now know how much food I will need for the next portion and it would be awesome to have a lighter pack.

My poor knees

Me & Liz

JMT - Day 9 - Palisade Creek to Inlet at Helen Lake

August 26, 2016
Day 9
12.7 miles / 116.2 total
Steps: 31,447
Inlet to Helen Lake
Days without shower 10

I often have to look at my calendar to figure out what date or day of the week it is. Today my calendar says it is RDO (my regular day off) and payday Friday. YAY! I am so thankful that I was able to save enough vacation time to take this trip. It was not easy and avoiding taking days off for the past year has been challenging! There are many people who seem to be between jobs or have taken unpaid vacation time.

I slept really good last night. I am still rolling over and trying to get comfortable often but much better than the other nights. My pack felt really unorganized as I was loading everything up because I wanted to wash my PJs at lunch time, they were starting to get gross. Normally they are pretty far down in my pack so having them at the top made everything feel a bit off. It took about an hour and a half to get packed up and moving today and that was without coffee or breakfast! I am not sure why I was so slow. Maybe it was because it was cold or maybe I was just moving slow. I started off with my rain jacket on because my shirt was still damp from the night before. The mornings are SO cold. I saw a lot of deer again and about 2 miles in saw the boys, Luke, Dylan, and Brian. They all camped together off to the side and were finishing packing up. I said Good Morning and kept walking. It was going to be a steady climb all morning and they looked like they would be leaving soon. They caught up quickly and I let them pass as I asked where they were planning on camping. It was a little farther than I planned to go. I said I'd see them later, wished them well, and stopped to take a picture of the views. Brian has a very fast pace and he was leading so I knew they would be out of sight before too long. I took many breaks today. I had to change out of my rain jacket once it started to heat up and my shirt was pretty dry. I also took more pictures than normal. I was enjoying the day. I also stopped to talked to a lot of people today which I hadn’t done much before today. Typically, when hiking with others, we would say hi and wish people well but didn’t talk much. An older couple stopped to talk for a while and he was telling me about the dedication of the Muir hut to be a national monument. The dedication was yesterday and they happened to be present for it! It was neat. He had done the trail many times – I think he said in the 20s and was telling me about a girl who got lice on the trail and had to cut off all her hair! It started to make me think about my own hair. We wished each other well and continued in opposite directions. At about noon I found a decent spot next to the river for lunch. I think this was the rock monster too but none of the “teeth” were there!! I thought about playing with the rocks to make teeth again but didn’t do it. I washed my PJs (but not my sleep socks) and decided to wash my hair with soap today because I was nervous about the lice story. This is a bit of a task! I am pretty careful about the leave no trace rules. This is the water I drink and I want everyone to be able to enjoy it, so using soap is always a challenge. I used my laundry/clothes bag and filled it with water as a bucket and then my extra Gatorade bottle. Got my hair wet by laying on a rock with my head hanging over and dumping water on it. I used a couple drops of Dr. Bronners soap in the Gatorade bottle, shook it up to make it soapy, and then poured it on my head. I scrubbed it and let it soak in for a bit before rinsing with the water from the laundry bag. My hair wasn’t extremely clean but it felt SO much better. I let it dry for a bit, combed it out, and started to pack back up. I tried to take a couple pictures with the rock monster but that was an extreme fail. I didn’t see anyone walking by, so I set the timer which only has a max of 10 seconds and ran to get in it. In the process I hit the crap out of my knee. It started bleeding and running down my leg. I was so annoyed that I hurt myself and knew that was going to be painful and leave a nice mark in the days to come. I thought of Fernanda and Stacy as I said, “I made blood” and laughed to myself. When we climb together and start bleeding that is what we say. I am really starting to miss my friends. There is typically a few people I think of every day and trying to reflect on our relationship. I am glad today in the middle of the pain and blood; I still smile when I think of them.

After getting cleaned up and stopping the bleeding, I put a Band-Aid over it and slowly continued on. I was watching the clouds closely that were slowly getting bigger and darker. I saw a trail worker who asked me if I had seen some people and we talked for a bit. I asked him about the storm and he said I should be good to get over the pass with a few sprinkles. That made me feel better so I continued on. About 2:30 it started to sprinkle so I put on the rain cover on my bag but decided I didn’t need my jacket yet. Then, it started to RAIN!! I had to stop again to get out my rain gear and it then it started sleeting! I was glad I had my umbrella and made a little shelter for a bit. As I sat there it turned to small hail.

After a bit longer it eased up a bit so I thought I could make it to a camp. I continued up to the lake but there were NO campsites!! Then the rain started again and it was getting colder. I didn't want to head down and go the opposite direction so kept going and going until I got to Helen Lake and still NO sites that I could see. It was getting even colder and started raining/sleeting harder and still nothing but rocks. I was starting to get frustrated. I was cold, my fingers were cold, and it was becoming miserable. Finally, I saw something pretty far off trail to the right and a large rock cairn. I went for it and tried to set up as quickly as possible in the wind and rain. Wow I need practice at that. It seemed like it took forever. Then I couldn't figure out how to get me and my stuff inside without getting everything wet. Thankfully I keep my tent on the outside so the main compartment of my pack didn’t have to be opened until in the vestibule area. The vestibule area was very wet and muddy. I shoved all my dry stuff to very back of the tent and took off everything wet – which was pretty much everything that I was wearing. I use the very small section of a towel I brought to clean my pot with as a towel to dry the inside of my tent. Thankfully my sleeping bag and dry clothes were in a trash compactor bag. I'm also SO glad I didn't wash my sleep socks today. My PJs were still VERY damp and I didn’t want to mess with them. I'm so thankful I have my running tights (which I added last minute), dry socks, and my down jacket & beanie. I dried myself off with my bandana. This is one of the most useful items I think I have. It's my washcloth, snot rag, sweat wiper, and personal towel. It is easy to wash and normally dries pretty quickly too! So glad I have it! Thanks Ladies of the JMT for having something so useful to identify with!! Also, I am so glad I have a 2 person tent. Everything I need to keep dry is inside, the wet stuff is in the vestibule, and the rain is really coming down again. I get organized and decide on dinner. For an appetizer I had peanut M&Ms. Then a cup of chicken noodle soup, which is mostly just broth, and then the burger meal from pack-it gourmet! Amazing! I'm stuffed and happy! About the time I finish eating it stops raining. I finish off the rest of the chocolate and am feeling much better. The sky is still dark and I'm not sure if it's going to rain more. I am curious so I send for a weather report on my inReach. It said clear for the night and tomorrow. Sweet! That is very exciting. My temperature zipper pull inside my tent says a little above 45°. It seems colder even though I am not really sure because I typically do not deal with these elements very much. I am sure outside is about 5° colder than in my tent. I have a few chores to do. I have to walk down to the lake to get some water to filter, go pee, and take a few pictures of the amazing sunset. I set my bear can away from my tent and now that the inside of my tent is pretty dry, get my sleeping bag out of the stuff sack. I crawl inside it and hang my head out of my tent while I watch the sunset. It's getting dark now and the wind is still blowing pretty good but not as bad as earlier. It's just past 8pm and my only goal for the evening/night is to stay warm and get some sleep.
 

JMT - Day 8 - Upper Basin to Palisade Creek

August 25, 2016
Day 8
13.5 miles / 103.5 total
Steps: 37,550
Palisade Creek
Days without shower 9

I started this morning just before 8. I left before the guys were packed up and knew that they would catch me eventually. The steady incline to the switchbacks of Mather Pass wasn't too bad. I saw deer and enjoyed watching them like I do every morning & evening. There were quite a few birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and a couple marmots too. Still didn't see any sheep and I think that was my last chance. I kept looking over at Split Mountain, another 14,000 peak that I would like to do one day... But today was not the day even though I debated it a few times. It was hard to see where the pass was but I'm so glad it was the lowest point on the mountain views. The switchbacks were pretty gradual for the most part and I could see the Jaclyn and Lydia (the Alaskan sisters) up ahead. They are super sweet and yelled down to say hello on the switchbacks. They cheered for me as I got to the top and hung out long enough to take pictures and were on their way down. I saw the boys headed up the last couple switchbacks so I took pictures for other people, enjoyed the view, and had a honey stinger wafer! These are still one of my favorite snacks even if they are stale. We took a couple pictures and then I loaded my pack to head down.

I didn't get why this was being called the golden staircase. It was gradual but there was not many stairs. We continued a ways down until the Lower Palisade lake where we took a long lunch and swim. This is where I have on my itinerary to camp for the night but I would have 2 LONG days after if I stay and it's only been a little over 7 miles. We saw Jaclyn and Lydia on our way down and I told them where we were planning on stopping and said they should join us! We were pretty close to the trail as we soaked in the water and they stopped to join us to hang out and swim for a bit. I wish the swim was enjoyable but it's mostly rinsing the stink off as your body goes numb. I can't wait for a warm shower or two or three! I do not think I will take that for granted anymore. I've already been having vivid dreams about things like taking showers... In one dream, I have to sneak in a locker room and hide from people in order to take one. I have had lots of crazy dreams and wish I would have written more of them down. I rinsed out my hair and hung out in the sandy area around the lake to dry off. It was a nice afternoon and not too breezy.

After about an hour we start to get ready without really saying anything to each other. We load our packs and start walking again. We head down pretty quickly following the creek with many beautiful waterfalls. Then after a bit we realize that this is now the "golden staircase". And it's painful on the knees. I'm not feeling great and the down isn't stoping anytime soon. Dylan is ahead of me and I want to take a break, eat a snack, pee, and enjoy the view so I yell ahead that I am going to stop. I don't think he heard me but I need to stop. I felt like I was just working on keeping up and stopped enjoying the trail. As I sat there I decided that I needed to be on my own again and stop trying to do the same amount of miles at someone else’s speed. It was time to hike my own hike. Once I caught back up them I told them what I was thinking. I got Dylan's contact information, gave Luke a hug, said thank you and wished them well. I will likely see them again or at VVR. It was kinda odd saying bye to Luke again but I really do think it's for the best. We all loaded up our packs and I followed VERY slowly behind. I could see them often ahead but it was nice not trying to keep up and being on my own again. As soon as I was getting into my own rhythm, Brian from a couple days ago comes up behind me. We talk for a bit and he tells me how he has been sick the past couple days and is trying to make up some miles. He is walking pretty quickly and I don't feel like keeping up or talking much so I say bye as I debate if a campsite would be hoe or just a place to rest for a bit. I stopped and looked at my map and decided to continue for another 30-45 minutes. I passed a couple people going the opposite direction who all looked pretty beat. I am so glad I had to do this direction. I found a nice site close to the water with a couple very small tent spots and a fire ring! I dropped my bag, sent my message saying I was at camp for the night, and was happy to be 'home' for the night. I got set up, filtered water, gathered wood for a fire, and started my laundry. I wanted to wash all my hiking clothes but didn’t want to hang out in my PJs in the fire so I put on my rain gear. I was very proud of my mini fire tonight. It was perfect for me. I sat and boiled water for dinner and set it aside to rehydrate as finished my laundry. I found laundry seems to work better when the clothes soak a little while! I rehydrated lasagna tonight. I like it a lot except how the cheesy part sticks to my fork really bad and it is hard to clean. I got my food organized for tomorrow, breakfast, lunch, and snacks to the top of the bear can and finished cleaning up. I let the fire go almost all the way out then dumped the rest of the laundry water on it to make sure it was really out. I studied my maps in my tent and can't really decide if I want to go over Muir pass tomorrow or not. It's within my 12 miles that I've been doing most days. If I do it I'll likely camp just over the pass at Sapphire Lake. Mostly because I like the name and it sounds like it would be amazing. It also depends on the weather because the clouds looked like a storm may be coming in again. I think it would be cool too camp on a pass too but I don't know if that is a good idea. Plus there isn't any water up there. I guess I'll see how tomorrow goes. Right now I'm happy to be in my sleeping bag and off my feet. This place is beautiful and the creek I am next too sets the perfect white noise. I'm really starting to miss things, fruit, veggies, clean laundry, music, talk radio, talking with my sister, and my Reecy. I think about my house and Reecy a lot and hope that everything is going ok. I'm really looking forward to being able to have service to check in on her but still have about 4 days. That's also a little motivation to get to VVR earlier. So far my battery pack is only down 2 lights (half way) which is pretty awesome. I am very happy that it has lasted me this long and I have been on my phone a bit more than I thought since I am writing my trail journals because I forgot a pen! The only other things I charge are my Fitbit and InReach. It is dark enough to get some sleep - 8:20. I'll likely read a bit more of my book like I do most nights (The John Muir Trail by Elizabeth Wanks) so I know what to expect tomorrow. Good Night!