After 77 days, I had my very first official grumpy moment today. It was at the end of the day so I'll just start off with the morning. I woke again at midnight when the mosquito venom made me itch like crazy. I have a feeling this is going to happen every night. It was a productive morning and we climbed benson pass. It wasn't bad at all and no snow. Coming down though, was SUPER steep so it was killing our knees. We dropped close to 2k ft and then had to make the afternoon climb to the second pass. I think this section is especially hard bc of the steep ups and downs and having to finish our day off with a huge climb. We had a couple crossings but nothing huge. Times like these when we have to balance on logs and rocks, makes me wish I had tread on my shoes. :( Just 115 more miles till I can get my new shoes...
I think this was the pass today...
I was especially dying bc of the heat. The climb was mostly exposed and it felt like the desert, but steeper. The climb itself is fine, it's just doing it in 80+ deg weather that sucks. We started dipping our shirts into creek and walk with it dripping to cool us off. It really helps I think. I also have to put my hair in a bun so the hair doesn't hang on my neck. I usually do this in the afternoon though since the sun dies down a bit. We finally got to the top of the pass and there were hidden lakes everywhere which also means super buggy. We arrived at an area that wasn't dripping with water and there were a bunch of others already set up there. I was so tired, hungry and annoyed. I hate getting to a site to a bunch of people socializing and talking really loud. It's one of my biggest pet peeves, especially if I'm exhausted.
There's always a hidden alpiune lake after some climb.
I went to go set up my tent and tried finding an area that wasn't as rocky. Basically the entire place had rock an inch beneath the gravel so you can't stick stakes in. I was on my last guyline pitch to find out the entire area was rock. I couldn't get my stake in. I tried several different angles and then mosquitos were all biting my face and I was so pissed. I was in such a bad mood, starving, tired and just annoyed at my tent and the ground. Sometimes I really wished I had a freestanding tent. I finally just tied it to a huge rock and now I can't close my doors. I ate my dinner and didn't talk to anyone.
Reminds me so much of home.
Two guys rolled in later and started talking really loud. Then they were arguing on how they kept losing each other. Just dont hike together y'all. I don't know. I'm just grumpy. Or was. I am better now after eating and getting things set up but I am pretty over this section already. I have a feeling from here on out, it's going to get harder to keep motivated. I want to be in Tahoe already. Tomorrow is two steep climbs and then gradual uphill all the way to the end of Yosemite. I don't know why everyone is obsessed about Yosemite. Rocks are cool and stuff but I much prefer snowy and alpine things. My feet are also killing from stone stepping on steep climbs/drops for so many hours.