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.
Showing posts with label Yosemite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yosemite. Show all posts
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
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!
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!
Friday, June 12, 2015
Backpacking trip to Yosemite!
This was my FIRST backpacking trip and I am so glad that it
finally happened. After much time
researching, looking up gear, shopping, and preparing it was finally here. And I had planned all of this for the first choice dates I requested on the permit... NOT the actual dates that we got! AHHH! I couldn't believe the permit that I had wasn’t going to
work! I was really worried that my trip
was going to be ruined. I called the
Yosemite Wilderness office and they said I would have to come in the day before
and wait in line to get the permit. There
wasn’t much we could do. On Friday we
started our drive towards Yosemite stopping in Bishop for lunch at Erick Schat’s Bakery
(highly recommend) and then staying at Lake View Lodge in Lee Vining for the
night. There is very little in this
town. If you need anything make sure you
stop in Bishop first!
Saturday morning we drove into Yosemite and down to the Yosemite
Valley Village. We found the wilderness
office and got in line about 10am. They
start issuing permits at 11am. There
were only about 7 people ahead of us so I felt pretty good. We were pretty open to the trailheads we were
willing to start at so I was pretty sure we would get a pass one way or another
but we really wanted to get Half Dome permits again. Finally it was our turn to get a pass. I said what our ideal trail heads and route
would be and we got it with Half Dome permits too! The wilderness pass was free and Half dome
passes were only $8/person. We had the
rest of the day to do whatever we wanted and to make sure we had everything
ready. With the wilderness permit we
could have stayed the day before and after our trip in the backpackers camp for
$6/person would could have made our trip a lot cheaper. I already had reservations for Curry Village
so we headed there to check in for our canvas tent. We got our keys put our stuff in the room as it
was raining and got back in the car to head up to glacier point. There are amazing views from here!
It was
pretty cold and raining and we sat in the car a bit to study our map and figure
out where we were planning on going the next day! Back to Curry Village to have
dinner from the pizza place which was pretty good! We made sure all of our
stuff was ready and got ready for bed. Slept
in a bit the next morning – put our food back in our pack from the assigned
bear locker and our extra scented items we were not taking in a public bear
locker. Had a quick breakfast, checked
out, and started our trip to Little Yosemite valley about 8:30am.
It was about a 6 mile trip to little Yosemite Valley from
Curry Village via the Mist trail. We
took our time, took a lot of pictures and breaks – and I am slow! We made it to
the village a little after noon. We
found our spot and set up our tent, filtered water, and had lunch.
We were done with everything by 2 and I
decided we should go up to half dome that evening. It was not my brightest ideas. We were tired and it had already been a long
day. We started just before 3 and headed
up. At the JMT / Half dome trail junction we saw a coyote which
was pretty cool. He didn’t seem to care
about us at all. Saw a few deer along
the way as well. Once we were on sub
dome there was a father/daughter duo coming down. They said that no one was up there and we had
the mountain to our self. That was pretty
cool.
We took a long time to get to the top
up the cables taking a lot of breaks.
Once to the top the views were amazing and we took the diving board
pictures. It would have been nice to
have someone to take a picture of both of us – but was really cool to be the
only ones up there. We had a snack and face
timed with my family from up there! I
had full service and 4G. We wanted to
make it back before dark so started down.
I preferred going down facing the mountain. It was not as scary to me. We made it back to camp about 7pm adding a
little over 7 miles to our day. We
filtered water again, had dinner, sponged off, and went to bed. We didn’t sleep very well but it was good to
be laying down. 
The next day I
originally planned to do clouds rest but the day before kicked my ass. We decided to take a trail following the Merced
River. About 4 miles of our hike was the
area that was burned in the Meadow fire last year so there was very little
shade. We sat by the falls for a bit,
stuck our feet in which was so cold and then continued up the river. We found a cool Lunch spot by Bunnell Point
and enjoyed the afternoon before heading back to camp.
For 9 miles we saw 6 people and 2 snakes –
one rattlesnake. It was a relaxing
day! This evening the park ranger came
to check our permits and informed us about a Momma bear with her 2 cubs have
been in the area. I really wanted to see
a bear so was a little excited. We
headed to bed without a hearing or seeing any bears. 
The next day there was rain in the forecast and our trip had
been perfect for weather so we got up and started packing up to be able to make
it back to Curry village before it started.
We started about 9am and took the John Muir trail down. There were very few people until we got to
Navada Falls and then a LOT more people by Vernal Falls. I already missed the wilderness. Back at Curry village by about 11am we got
our items from the Bear locker and thankfully everything was still there and
tried to check into our room. It wasn’t
ready yet but we were still able to shower and get lunch before the rain.
It was a great trip and good learning experience. As far as gear, we wish we would have brought
flipflops or some type of sandals with us.
I am not in love with my pack – the Kelty PK50 – because it is a pain to
get something or put something back in it quickly like gloves, jacket, or
anything you do not really want in the side pockets. I do like that I can take off the front part
and use it as a day pack for our little hikes even if it is too big for that. I will likely try to find something lighter. My Sleeping bag, Feathered Friends Egret UL 20
– was AMAZING! Super comfortable and SO
warm – maybe a little too warm for this trip but I loved it.
For trip planning - I worried way too much about a
permit. It was much easier than what I
thought it was going to be. I think
starting our backpacking on Sunday helped along with no holidays. If I did it again I would start in one spot –
Sunrise, Tenaya Lake, or Cathedral Lakes and finish at Happy Isels to be able
to see more. I am thinking Yosemite will
be a yearly trip! I am excited to plan
my next backpacking trip!
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