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!

JMT - Day 7 - Suspension Bridge to Upper Basin

August 24, 2016
Day 7
15 miles / 90.0 total
Steps: 34,952
Upper Basin
Days without shower 8

This morning I started a little before 8. With the tree and cloud coverage it was a little darker longer today! I crossed the bridge again – it sways so much. I like it though. Saw a few deer that were lying under a tree and then started the rough long steady uphill all the way to Pinchot pass.
I followed a creek/river most of the first part and it was beautiful. There were a ton of deer and waterfalls. I kept looking for sheep but didn't see any again! I took a break pretty early to remove some layers. I started off today with my rain gear on and down beanie. I have decided it is nice to be warm and not that hard to take it off. Plus it gives me a reason to take a break. I actually hiked in just my tank top for the majority of the morning time until I stopped to filter water and have a snack before the pass. In one of the few shady spots there was a girl sitting with a turquoise bandana and I asked if she was part of the Ladies of the JMT! She was! Her name is Sarah and she was from San Francisco. She was really sweet and we talked for a couple minutes in the shade before we both headed opposite directions. I passed one older guy who was moving slow and steady up the hill. We talked for a bit and he seemed a little lonely so I slowed down and we stayed together for about half an hour. He was really interesting and I am always so impressed at these men and women who are out here still trucking along. I saw very few people today which was odd since there were so many yesterday but that could also be from them doing the Rae Lakes loop. I know why they were doing that though and I would love to go back. Right before getting to the top of Pinchot pass a guy named Dylan caught up to me. I met him briefly yesterday at Dollar Lake when I was swimming. He was with two other guys but had decided to go off on his own to be more at his pace. We sat at the top for a bit getting to know each other and with two women headed the opposite direction. Dylan said he was hiking with Luke for a bit but continued on when he stopped to double filter (he always did) his water. So we waited a bit longer for Luke to get to the top. We all hung out a bit longer and enjoyed the top. It was surprisingly not as cold or as windy as most which was an awesome change. We took a few pictures and headed back down.

The three of us hiked together and stopped at Lake Marjorie to go swim. It was SO cold and I just couldn't get all the way in. I also wanted to keep my hair dry because the wind was picking up. The boys got all the way in and didn’t make it seem very warm. I expected the afternoons to be warmer and be able to bake in the sun after getting in/out of the water but that hasn't been the case. I had a snack and got to know Dylan a little more before continuing on. Once to the next large creek crossing I was starting to get tired but needed a few more miles so I said lets go for another hour. We said that the 3 of us would camp together tonight. That was the worst hour and a very poor choice on my part. I was tired, it was uphill, and I could barely move anymore. That was the most tired I've been and physically drained. There were very few places to camp and we passed the Alaskan sisters who invited me to stay with them. I really debated it but the guys were already ahead and I didn’t want them to worry about me so I caught up to them. We finally found a place to camp and all I wanted to do was have my food and go to bed. But the nightly chores of getting the tent set up, sleeping pad blown up, getting water filtered, soak the feet and rinse off the legs still had to be done. I started to missed the luxuries of turning on the faucet for water or the minute a microwave took to have a warm leftover meal. After the chores, I boiled water to add to some dehydrated dinner. I didn't wait long enough for it to be fully cooked before shoving it in my face but at that point exhaustion set in. I had a few sour patch kids (thank you Dylan) and waited for a couple stars to come out before heading to bed. What a long day!!

JMT - Day 6 - Bubbs Creek to Suspension Bridge

August 23, 2016
Day 6
14.4 miles / 75.0 total
Steps: 37,853
Suspension Bridge
Days without shower 7

Started this morning about 7:30 and it was climbing pretty steady until about 10:30. It was different hiking by myself again. I definitely took my time a little more. I met up with and talked with 2 girls who also started at Cottonwood Pass but didn't do Whitney due to elevation and altitude sickness. They are sisters from Alaska and seem super sweet. They said it snowed over Forester pass when they came over so I am glad that I made it over early yesterday. They will be finishing a few days before me but I am sure I will see them again! Not very many of us go the same direction and with my Zeroday we should have a few more days in the beginning close to each other. This pass (Glen) seemed very very long and harder than Forester. There were a lot of us slow moving up and down due to the rocky terrain. There were a lot more people than I had seen before. Many of them asked where I was hiking and that is when I figured out many were doing the Rae Lakes Loop. Most of them said I looked like a JMTer… which I was wondering if they really meant I smelled like it.

When I made it to the peak I took a few pictures and talked to some people. It is always nice to meet people at the top and see where they came from and where they would suggest to camp. One couple asked me if I was the Marine...damn Luke! Lol. They were a sweet older couple whose combined age was in the 130s I think. They said they had one of the older combined ages for couples hiking. It was really cute. I guess Luke had gotten up there about the same time they did and since he doesn’t break very long just talked for a minute and headed back down. It was so beautiful looking over Glen pass at Rae lakes. I couldn't stop smiling. This was one of the times when you really can’t believe your eyes. The way down was almost as rough as the way up. The rocks were very tricky and I didn't want to fall. I talked to a few other people as I headed down and saw many Ladies of the JMT. I love how welcoming and friendly everyone is – especially these girls/ladies! Seriously – join this Facebook group if you are looking for an awesome group of supportive women on and off the trail! Once almost down to Rae Lakes a guy started to pass me and his heals looked SO bad. They were bleeding at his heals and I really just felt like he needed help in some way. I asked him if he wanted any tape that I had and he said he was good using duct tape and would stop at the lake. Crazy guy! He was moving very quick but slowed down and we talked for a bit. His name is Brian and back home he has a boxer/lab mix named Frank who he likes to take backpacking with him. It was fun talking for a bit to him and talking about Reecy made me miss her even more. I wish she could be out here with me. We talked a bit longer until we got to the lake and parted ways. I was loving this view, so took off my pack, had a couple bites of the pro bar I opened earlier, and took some pictures. There were a few people around here and there but everyone seemed so peaceful. It was an amazing spot. There was a little island in the middle of the lake and it looked very inviting but I knew this large lake would have been very cold and I wanted not as cold.
I was getting ready to head back out up walks Luke! I guess he pushed it to hard up the pass and was already hurting. Or he really just missed me. Earlier before we split ways he said guys were going to start hitting on me again because I'd be alone. I joked that I would have to find myself another “trail boyfriend”. We talked for a bit and he told me he had taken a wrong trail by Rae Lakes and was backtracking when he ran into me.

We continued on to the next lake I was planning on stopping at, Dollar lake, and he asked if he could join me. I was surprised he didn’t want to do more miles but was fine with his company. I do think I enjoy the morning hikes alone and if we stay on track that will be a good routine. I took my first swim and rinsed my hair. My hair was super gross and the water was SUPER cold. When I first got in, it took my breath away and you can’t help but squeal. At the same time felt very refreshing and should be an every afternoon task. I went in my shorts and bra and then laid out in my underwear for a bit to dry off. Of course the sun went behind a cloud for the majority of the time I was out there. Also, a family with a young boy was off to my right and I felt like the mom was giving me dirty looks. Who knows if this is because of her son or her husband? The sun didn’t seem like it was going to come back out, so I got dressed and Luke finished his coffee. On the other side of us there was a group of guys who were setting up camp because it was looking pretty dark in the direction we were headed and they didn’t want to get in the storm again. We decided it wasn’t too bad and continued on for another 5-6 miles until we got to the suspension bridge.

There were a lot of people camped on the side approaching the bridge so we went over to try to find a site with a fire ring but there wasn't anything so we came back across and some guys pointed out spots down the hill. We looked and it was perfect. Few tent spots with a fire ring! We set up camp, filtered water, washed out a few items and gathered wood for a fire. Luke made the fire and I made us dinner. I had extra tortillas and a 2 servings of beans & rice so made us burritos! We kinda had an odd rhythm going that worked. We studied the maps and I told him my rough plan to make it over the next pass and to a lake about 8 miles away for a break and swim again. Then continue another 5ish miles to camp. He isn't sure what he plans on doing tomorrow but I suggested go on his own and if we meet up to camp at the same spot or spend the afternoon together that would be ok but I like my mornings alone. The fire kept us up to the latest trail night yet! It's 10pm! The stars through the trees were amazing! I almost wish there wouldn’t have been as much tree coverage to see them better but it helps block the wind. I'm in my bag nice and warm now and ready to try to sleep. Guess I likely won't be getting 10 hours of sleep tonight. Better sleep well! Goodnight! 

JMT - Day 5 - Tyndall Creek to Bubbs Creek

August 22, 2016
Day 5
12.9 miles / 60.6 total
Steps: 33,816
Bubbs Creek
Days without shower 6

Woke up about 6:30 today and started to pack up. It's so cold in the mornings. Forester pass was about 5 miles and my motivation was I really needed to make it up before the storms. It was a pretty steady climb out of Tyndall creek then, you can see the steep switchbacks. I stopped at the creek just before climbing to filter water and have a quick snack. I was getting a little worried because the storm seemed far away but there was lightning. I headed up the switchbacks and the main thing that kept me moving was the storm. Every time I would hear thunder it would be a reminder not to stop. I would look out and see the lightning and do the count between them. It seemed like it was coming my way. I typically like to stop at the end of the switchbacks and catch my breath but today was very different. I was surprised to see so many people hanging out at the top when the storm was approaching. One side of me wanted to take it all in and get some pictures but the fear of storms kept me going. Luke caught up pretty quickly and I grabbed a quick picture of the sign and we headed back down. It still socked me that people were still heading UP in the storm when we could see lightning and hear the thunder. I was wondering if I was just being paranoid or maybe this was something they were used to after being on the trail this long. Even when I said that storm looked worse on the other side most people didn’t seem to care. The down was LONG!!! It was about 4 hours all of downhill. I was planning on doing about 13.5 today but found a camp site pretty close to the creek that looked good and my feet were starting to hurt. It also was on and off raining from about noon and I was ready to be done once the rain held up a bit to get set up and stay dry! I was really craving a shower or something but the creek was so cold. I washed my feet off and soaked them as long as I could but could not urge myself in all the way. I got some extra water and heated it up in my JetBoil for a sponge bath! It was wonderful but I am still DREAMING of a real shower!

The next pass doesn't look too bad on the map and I think I'll be able to make it up and over before lunch. Hopefully have lunch at Rae Lakes and maybe a swim up a little farther at Arrow or Dollar Lake because those ones look smaller which should mean not as freezing I think. I still haven't jumped in a lake yet and my hair is NEEDING a rinse/was so bad. If I don't I may heat some water again and wash it out tomorrow afternoon.

I've been hiking with Luke since late on my day 2 and tonight we decided we would part ways in the morning. I have enjoyed his company and camping with him around. He wants to challenge himself to more miles than I want and I want to be on my own for a bit. I think it will be good. I am sure I won't be alone for the remainder of my hike and it will be good to meet other crazy people out here. I'm excited for what is to come. The sun is setting and it's starting to get cold. I think we can have fires where we are staying but not 100% sure, so passing on that and I'll likely be in bed by 8.

JMT - Day 4 - Crabtree Meadow to Tyndall Creek

August 21, 2016
Day 4
9.7 miles / 47.7 total
Steps: 27,496
Tyndall Creek
Days without shower 5

The people around me this morning were loud as they got up and got ready to head towards Whitney. Not a great place to be camped and I hope that I wasn’t like that yesterday. I still was able to stay in my bag and lay around for a while. I'm coughing pretty bad this morning and I'm not sure why. I'm pretty sure I have some Emergen-C drink or something in my bear can that I can take. I have also been pretty good at taking all my Juice Plus Vitamins so I am hoping this is just from the cool air or allergies. Not good. I feel ok but this cough is persistent right now as I am laying down. It's 6am and it's not likely I'll sleep more so I should just get up and get moving. As I move around my legs are feeling a little tight and ankles are sore. We will see how today goes.

This morning was super relaxing. I started super late compared to my typical morning. I drank coffee (I forgot all my tea which is very sad) and enjoyed the morning. Didn’t actually get started today until about 8:45. There was a lot of uphill out of Crabtree. The first major water was Wallace Creek it was pretty and very easy to cross over the rocks. Not very far up from that was Write creek and was about the same for crossing. Then across Bighorn Plateau which was super hot and long. As soon as the trees started again it was lunch time! Peanut butter and jelly in a tortilla which is my favorite! There were 7 pack mules grazing and it was cool to watch them. I took a few pictures and walked towards them until they all started watching me. The next portion was a long downhill towards Tyndall ponds (which I did not see) and the creek. Today was stopped a little short because of a storm brewing. We were told that it gets very exposed at the base of Forester pass and would be better to camp in the tree line. This cut the day short by about 3 miles. I'm really glad that I set up camp because the storm was pretty crazy for about an hour with rain and tent shaking thunder.

Once it stopped raining went to walk around a bit and saw some deer close by. I love seeing all of them! I made dinner; mash potatoes with bacon and veggies! It was yummy. I am loving putting the Just Veggie mix in everything! I tried to have a piece of chocolate but I couldn't get it out of the package before the raining started again. It's cold. It seems like I am saying that every day. It is only about 7 and thinking about sleep but I need to get up and brush my teeth now that the rain has stopped again. I'm really hoping this storm clears up so I can stay on schedule and make it over Forester pass tomorrow. It looks like it will be about a 13.5 mile day. If I stay with this pattern it seems like the days are going to be long than short. That is likely a good pace.