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