DAY 68: MILE 872.8 TO 888.5

As usual, waking up is always hard now. My body is always hurting. I left mike and Jackie this morning and hiked out on my own. I made some pretty good mileage. I hiked just a bit with ADL before he parted ways at the junction to vvr. He likes to call me stealth bc I always seem to pass him but he never sees me. He was super helpful during my river crossings too. I'll miss seeing him these next few days but I hope he gets some rest at vvr. He had fallen in one of the crossings and he just seemed really exhausted.

I did pass a bunch of people in the morning and found out quite a few of others were all bypassing vvr. Sketch was trying to make it to mammoth by tomorrow morning so he was going to push for big miles today. The approach to silver pass today was just LONG. It was 12 miles from where I started. I was moving slow all day. It was just so hot and up hill forever. I leap frogged with heartbreaker all day at the crossings. There was this one where the current was so strong that I couldn't see beneath the water. So scary. We are both so over the fords. Passed a ton of JMTers today. They always smell like campfire. I wonder how many miles they do a day where they would have enough energy at the end of the day to build a fire.

The climb up to the pass was very snowy and slushy. There was a false summit before you reached the actual higher point. I didn't want to loiter on the top since it was already afternoon so I went straight down. The trail was SO hard follow. And by trail, I mean foot steps in the snow. The snow was so soft. So soft that I couldn't even glissade and so soft that I fell at least six times. I also postholed into several lakes and streams, so much for keeping my feet dry. I didn't take a lunch today so I was pretty hungry and just did snacks today.

I wanted to only do around 15 these last days before mammoth. I could've pushed for a 17 and make it there sat night but the more I thought about it, I didn't want to arrive late on a Saturday and everything may be booked. I also need to go to the post office so I would need to be there till at least Monday. So I think I will Nero zero and arrive Sunday morning. It feels nice to do a 15, even though today was pretty long. I did get to camp super early to just relax. There are a million mosquitos around. Every time I get in and out of my tent, 4 flies in. I hope my shoes will dry tonight. My legs and body are covered in bites. It's pretty bad. Tomorrow there are no passes but up and downs. I'm looking forward to it. I may even sleep in a little. I think it'll be nice to catch up on some sleep tonight knowing I won't have to push it tomorrow. I will hike like four miles to red meadow on Sunday morning. Can't wait to get into mammoth! I'm thinking about treating myself and getting my own room. I kinda need the rest and solitude. I'm also thinking it's time for an outfit change. How exciting.

DAY 67: MILE 856 TO 872.8

Today seemed like a somewhat "chill" day. My goal today was also to keep my feet dry as much as possible. The soggy feet all day and painful blisters are no longer worth it to me bc I'm lazy. I took my shoes off all every crossing and tried my best go slow around the puddles and trail that is currently a river. I hiked out with ET and Heffe for a bit before losing them. It was pretty chilly this morning too. The climb up to seldon pass was gradual and not too bad. On the way up the steep climb, my left butt cheek muscle was feeling a bit strained or pulled so I had to stop several times to stretch it out. Some snow and steep sections but nothing dangerous. Post holed in some slush coming down though. Took a lunch at the lake at the bottom before finishing the day.

Coming down seldon. So beautiful! Had no clue since going up as mediocre views.

We knew there was another big crossing coming up. Bear creek. When I arrived, most of the others had already gone through. They were all trying to tell me where to go but could barely understand. Heartbreaker went before me and he fell in twice and struggled to get back up. It was so scary! I didn't know how to help him but he was terrified and so was I since I was about to cross it. The current was really strong in the middle and if you went upstream, it was about chest deep. So I crossed slowly and made it. The water hit just under my hip belt just like evolution creek but with much a heavier stream. There were also a ton of mosquitos so I finally wore my head net and used deet that I've been carrying for so long. Makes a huge difference. They still eat through my shirt though. So far, I probably have over 20 bites all over my body. I sat at the crossing to dry off and wait for everyone we knew in our wave to cross.

Then it was the final push to camp. We wanted to only go 15 today. But there were about 10 more crossings on the way. They are really annoying sometimes. I finally found mike and Jackie where they found a place to camp down the trail looking over a cliff. I am parting ways with them tonight since I don't need to go to vvr. I will finish the next 33.8 on my own in the sierras to mammoth lakes. I'm a little nervous about this next pass but I think it'll be ok. It'll be interesting to see how I do on my own schedule since everyone I know is getting off at vvr. I will now be a day ahead of them. I'm hoping to catch up to GB in mammoth, but I can't remember if he was getting off there or not. Either way, I need to zero there.

I cannot believe we are already halfway through the sierras! And the most beautiful part of it has already passed. So insane. Soon we will be sending our bear cans home and will be in northern ca. I think I need to send some snow stuff and clothes back in town. I've been carrying too much stuff I barely use! Tonight my sleeping bag smells like Clyde. Or maybe it just smells like dog but usually it smells like flowers. I don't think it's that dirty. I asked mike and Jackie if they've had a day where they've wanted to quit bc I haven't had that yet. Before I started, I kept hearing from many people how they've wanted to quit several times or it's been really hard being alone or this being mentally hard for them. But I haven't really had that yet. I mean, at least everyday, I am uncomfortable for a many hours or physically my legs don't want to climb or my feet/shoulders hurt really bad but I always want to finish and make it to the next point. Maybe it's bc I don't push myself where I feel like dying, except maybe just a few times. We'll see what happens in this next section though. There are more bears and bugs apparently.

DAY 66: MILE 835 to 856

Wow. Today was a lot. I woke at three to get a head start going over Muir pass. The full moon was out and the temperature was just perfect. I walk only .4 miles and come to a huge river crossing. It was still dark out so I couldn't see how deep the water was. I tried going up stream to see if I could cross but it didn't connect. I even stumbled upon a great campsite and took a poop break to kill some time until it got a little brighter out. I was just nervous about crossing by myself in the dark. I finally felt comfortable knowing how deep it was and just went for it. The water was FREEZING and there was no sun out to warm my feet up. It was pretty painful but headed out shortly to try to regain feeling in my toes again.

Huge snowfield. Reminds me exactly of camp Muir.

I followed a bunch of snow tracks and then got confused bc the tracks just ended and went straight up. I checked my gps and I was off trail so I climbed all the way down and followed the trail, which was mostly covered in snow. Then it stopped and I was just totally lost. I walked back down and sat on a rock to wait for someone to come by. I finally see ET and Heffe come down and ask for their help as I was lost. We ended up going back up the steep snow tracks and it finally connected to the trail. I fell in a posthole early on and my whole shoe was stuck in there. No fun. Most of the way up was on a snowfield or lots of rock. It was really annoying walking on rock w spikes.

We finally made it all the way up to the Muir shelter on top of the pass. There were quite a handful of hikers up there. We all hung out there for a bit but knew we had to get down quick to avoid the slush and postholing. It was snow field for several miles and it was turning into slush fast. I fell in a hole face forward and it was scary. We all took a break by this thawed out lake and it was so beautiful. I got some water and took an early lunch. The rest of the afternoon I wanted to make the push to evolution creek, the crossing where you go waist deep, so they say. I hiked a bit with Pete aka Sketch for a bit. He knew me from Instagram and asked me a bunch of questions about myself. No one has really done that yet here so that was interesting to talk about yourself. I also leap frogged with All Day Long aka ADL for a bit. He's the older guy that's really inspiring to me. It's been nice to get to know more people in my wave.

The guys at the lake for lunch after climbing the pass.

When I got to the crossing, it looked super calm. ADL was already there and helped me cross. I hiked up my backpack high on my waist and went for it. The water only came to my crotch and hit just below my hip belt pockets. The current was a bit stronger in the middle but it wasn't bad. By now, my feet have been soggy since morning. I knew my blisters were getting worse and they just started hurting really bad from all the wet feet rubbing.

After the crossing, we would have about five miles until camp. I decided to focus real hard and knock out the miles. But first I slipped and fell into mud and it was gross. So at the next crossing, I went and sat in the water hoping some of the mud would rinse off. The last few miles felt like forever and my feet were hurting bad from the sogginess. I started walking all off key from being so exhausted. It was another 21 mile day in the sierras. Not exactly sure how these things happen. I finally reached our site with ET and Heffe and was so happy to be done. I immediately ripped off my shoes to inspect my feet. They were all white and wrinkly and I had this gnarly blister. It was so painful. I really need to take care of my feet better out here but I just don't know how to keep your feet dry with all the crossings and since most of the trail is a river. This wet feet thing is really intense.

Mike and Jackie finally make it to our campsite and I was happy they made it. I feel like our little group are trail bffs. I've been counting my food and it looks like I may have enough to get me to mammoth lakes. I was going to stop at vvr for snacks but I don't think I need to. It'll be nice to go straight to red meadows. Tomorrow is another pass at the end of the day. Not sure what time I'll wake up but I need rest.

DAY 65: MILE 819.4 TO 835

Finally I wake up semi early around four and headed out around 530a. It hasn't been freezing overnight so it's been extra warm at night. Another reason why I'm sleeping so well probably. I could barely crawl out of my tent. My legs are so sore. It feels like I've been doing squats and lunges all day. I really need to be better about stretching especially now that every is climbing stairs all day. The hike out in the morning was so beautiful. Alpine lakes everywhere with snowy mountains in the back. I don't think my feet fully dried out from the night before and I also put my shoes back on wet. My feet today were soggy for the majority of the day. There were a ton of water crossings right from the start. My feet were white and wrinkly. I started getting a painful blister on one of my toes. I popped it and hopefully I can tape it up tomorrow to ease some of the pain and pressure off.

I took my lunch around mile 11-12. There were those huge black ants everywhere so I couldn't really get comfortable. I noticed ever since I started eating bars, I don't usually eat all my snacks before or after lunch. I guess they're pretty filling. ET and Heffe came and joined me for lunch. She's always so surprised to see me bc I always somehow pass them when they don't see me hehe. I'm sneaky. After lunch, I wanted to hike up to the last campsite before Muir pass but I heard it was probably snow. The next few miles were climbing stairs in the direct sun. It was HOT. It felt like the desert again! I had to take a break mid climb to cool down and get water.

There was this amazing meadow hidden above all the rocks. Some people camped there but I wanted to go to the next one. I see ET and Heffe there and was happy to see them since I thought they maybe would've pushed to the hut today. I was so glad to get to camp at a reasonable time where the sun was still out and I could dry my things. I was getting pretty hungry so I ate dinner after setting up camp. Then all of a sudden A-Game and Undercover shows up. Then mike and Jackie. All my favorite people at camp! It's funny how I have to get a head start in the morning just to keep up w everyone or else I'd never see them again. I really love our wave right now. These couples are so fun to be around. We all hung out till after the sun set.

I'm starting to get this rash on my legs from scratching myself with my spikes/shoes. It burns and is very tender right now. I had to set an alarm for tomorrow bc I want to wake up at three. I refuse to posthole. Good thing muir pass should be our last sketchy pass, or so they say. I can't believe we're like halfway through the sierras already. These last two weeks has been non stop climbing. It's so insane.

DAY 64: MILE 802.6 TO 819.4

This morning, I woke to the smell of cigarettes coming through the campsite and into my tent. Not sure how stoked I was on that. I mean, it's cool that people can hike all day and smoke and be ok with their lungs but for some people, they come outside to get breathe fresh air and want to keep their lungs healthy. So for some reason, I haven't been able to wake up super early. Maybe it's bc these days are just much harder and I sleep more but I just can't seem to do my 3am wake up times. I didn't get up and out till like six or so. I really wish I would've though.

Red rocks started appearing as I climbed down Pinchot.

The climb up Pinchot pass was long and sleep. I think it's safe to say: everyday in the sierras, you do the stair stepper and then drop 5k ft, ford at least five rivers and will have soggy feet/shoes/socks all day. My thighs were actually sore today from yesterday's long descent. Downhills really kill you. Pinchot was a bit sketch bc of lots of steep loose rock. The snow was super slushy already also. I wanted to get to the very bottom before I took my lunch, it's also where there was another ford that had the strongest current to date. There was a moment there where I thought I was going to lose my balance. I took a quick lunch before the ascent to Mather pass.

A bunch of people had already gone by and there wasn't many left who were trying to do Mather. I figured I'd keep going until the last campsite and see how I felt. I tried following the couple from Canada for awhile but I was just too slow. All of the snow was so so slushy and slippery bc it was late afternoon. I finally reached the base and we were only a mile out so it's like we have to go on. I went up with digger and frost. There were a couple spots where we had to climb straight up loose scree. Then we had to climb up a steep snow wall using only previous foot holes made. There was a nice Asian man named data who has stayed back to help others up, what a nice guy! Once we reached the pass, going down would be the next challenge. This part pretty much sucked bc we were off trail and climbing down steep loose rock and slushy snow. There were so many times where I thought I was going to die.

Getting closer and closer to the base of Mather.

By now, my feet have been soggy for over six hours. They were also starting to hurt a bit. I was so scared what they would look like when I took off my shoes. We finally found the trail and followed it to the next closest campsite. I just couldn't go on anymore so I am here with the Canadian couple, the old guy and some JMTers. Data was so nice and kept behind me the whole time while I slowly descended from the snow but he hiked on after I stopped. Alright, I hope to wake early tomorrow.

DAY 63: MILE 790 TO 802.6

Last night, I slept surprisingly well and warm! It was really quiet and no wind. So peaceful. Even being on a slope, I think I only fell off once. We got started till after seven but it felt good. It was a steep climb up one mile up over glen pass. It wasn't too bad until we came over the other side. It was really steep and lots of snow. There were also multiple glissade chutes (kind of). The first one I didn't want to go down bc it was steep snd I was in shorts so I took the steep rock and scree way down. There was also lots of slush coming down when I hit the snow and I fell several times. Ouch. Hard snow scratching your butt is painful. Then there was another chute but it was the only way down so I tried wrapping my rain jacket on my butt but it still hurt. Glissading is not as fun when you don't have rain pants or a trash bag.

The rest of the way down, we dropped almost 5k ft. It was a long way down and lots of slush. We had only went like three miles by 11am. It was such a slow day today. It's Nate and Meg's anniversary tomorrow so they were trying to make it over the second pass today. I am starting to see that it's sometimes hard to stick with couples bc they always have their own agenda, which is totally cool but then you get kinda stranded on your own. If I'm with another solo person, it's so much easier to make plans bc we're usually pretty flexible. With that being said, I actually really miss hiking with GB. I miss having someone at my pace and making simple goals together each day. Everyone here is so much faster and it just gives me anxiety for some reason. I mean, I absolutely LOVE them but I'm just having flashbacks on how much easier it is to just stick with one other person. Basically I've been hiking the sierras solo so far. I might text GB in my next available service stop and see if he wants to hike with me again even though I left him in the first place. He's ahead by like one day so he'd have to be willing to wait a whole day for me if he really wanted to partner up again. We'll see what happens.

I am starting to confuse all my photos on where they were taken at. I think this was this day?

I didn't take my lunch until 2pm and wanted to make it to my mileage quota at 805 but just couldn't do it. Neither could a bunch of others. I arrived to the last campsite before the pass to find EVERYONE there. It looks like most people felt exhausted from the steep descent off glen pass. The campsite is pretty big under some trees. The wind is blowing pretty hard above us but we are semi sheltered. There are a ton of mosquitos and gnats though. We are definitely in bear zone and I still can't fit everything into my can. I probably have too much food again this time. I want to wake up early tomorrow. I noticed I just cannot make my mileage if I don't start early enough.

DAY 62: INDEPENDENCE TO MILE 790

I slept surprisingly well on the floor. I think it's bc I had two really great pillows and my feet were propped. We woke up starving so the Texans and I went to get breakfast since mike and Jackie sleep in usually. There's not many options for food in independence so we first checked out subway. Didn't exactly sound appetizing so we went to the food co-op market and they had breakfast sandwiches that were pretty good.

We went back to the room and the others were slowly getting up. Since no one was on my original bed, I laid down and slept a little more. It was getting close to 11 so we all started packing our bags. We're always reluctant bc we know it's going to be so heavy. As usual, mine barely closed. It felt maybe a tad lighter than km. Purple princess (JC) took all five of us back to the trailhead. Four of us squished into the back and mike sat up in the front with Megs pack. It worked out. PP had spent most of the morning giving rides. He had so much fun playing trail angel this time around. We are all so thankful for him! I'm so glad his little getaway synced up with my sierra schedule. We blasted fergie's glamorous as that is our theme song now. We said our goodbyes and we were off!

The climb back up kearsarge was slow and long. Not terrible but it's just always hard climbing with a full pack from town. I still probably have too much food again but maybe not. We finally reached the top of the pass and planned on going to the pct junction and hiking another mile or so to camp before glen pass. After the junction, it was another steep incline and I was just exhausted. I could barely hike. Maybe it was late afternoon but I was so tired. It was mainly ridgie but found some mediocre tent sites at 790. It should just keep climbing up after this until we get to the top of the pass. My ground is totally slanty right now and I rolled off my pad earlier. I'm super sleepy though. I will probably sleep well tonight. I ate my leftover pasta for dinner. So good, I am full. Not sure how many passes we'll do tomorrow but hopefully we can just do 15's this section.

DAY 61: ZERO IN INDEPENDENCE

This morning we woke to Mariah Carey blasting next door. Turns out it was JC next door haha. I guess he didn't realize it was only 745am. I went over to let him know and he went over to lone pine for breakfast. I sat in bed early morning transferring over blog posts. The Internet was pretty bad so I didn't get to finish all of it. But I tried doing all of my internet errands before everyone was up. I had to change my schedule around in the sierras to 15 mile per day since my packages have been arriving pretty early.

GB texted me that he was on his way on the bus from bishop. I went over to the post office when it opened just as his bus was dropping off. So weird to him after over a week of doing the sierras separately. We were only a day apart the whole time. I've definitely missed hiking with him, it was really nice always having someone who was so close to my pace but he was heading back out this morning. I picked up my box and sent home my umbrella and old socks. I walked outside and GB texted me that he got a hitch out already, so we only got to catch up for like three minutes. Hopefully we'll actually get to cross paths soon again.

I went back over to the room and spent the next few hours organizing food. It takes forever. Nate and Meg were going to spend the night in our room too so it was very crammed in there. JC headed out to give some rides over to the trailhead. It was finally afternoon when I finished most chores and JC drove us over to bishop to the outfitter and get dinner. The drive down the highway was so beautiful. So long and flat but we were surrounded by desert Mts on the right and the sierras to our left.

The town of bishop was so cute. They had everything!! Even a chase bank so I went and got cash out. We walked over to the outfitter and did some things. Nate got new tips his poles, Jackie got new socks and I got a thermometer and container for olive oil. I really really wanted to buy a new sun hat but I held off. It's hard not buying things you don't actually NEED but want, you just always have to remind yourself you have to carry it out. After that, we went and got dinner at the upper crust pizza company. I've been craving spaghetti forever and the rest of the group wanted pasta. Perfect! The menu was so amazing. I couldn't make a decision bc all noodles sounded so good since I can't do them on trail. I ended up just ordering two entrees so I could eat half of each and pack the rest out to eat on trail.

My two entrees: spaghetti and meatballs and chicken fettuccine Alfredo.

After dinner, we went to Von's to get a few groceries. The drive back to independence was so pretty. The sun had already set and the sky was so colorful. We jammed to some dr dre, Britney, Mariah and nfg. We came back and ate our talenti we got from the grocery and it was bed time. I ended up sleeping on the floor and giving the married folks the beds. It was actually pretty comfy.

DAY 60: 775.7 TO INDEPENDENCE

The morning looking back from where I came.

This morning I woke at 230a. When I finished packing up, I noticed that the Texans weren't up yet. So I went over to wake them up and I think they alarm didn't go off. I headed out since it was super cold. I hiked in the pitch dark for awhile but saw the stars so clear. I came across three sets of eyes staring back at me in the dark and it was quite frightening. Every time I would turn my head towards them, they were looking right at me. I had no idea what kind of animal they were but I finally lost them. I had to filter some water in the freezing cold but I was totally out.

The sketchy looking snow path on forester pass.

Made it across! Looking down to the sketchy part.

The very top of the pass! Someone made a cut through the snow so we didn't have to climb over it to get to the other side.

It was a slow climb but I finally reached the forester pass approach just as it was getting brighter. It was absolutely FREEZING. The wind was blowing so hard, my whole body was numb. I really wanted to wait for Nate and Meg but I had to keep moving so I wouldn't get too cold. As I got closer and closer to the pass, I kept getting more nervous that I would be climbing by myself but I could see another guy up there. I finally reached the "sketch" part which was crossing a somewhat short snowfield but had a very steep drop off. I first watched the guy cross and he was ok. Then some other people passed and it was fine. I kept waiting for Texans but I was just too cold so I decided to just cross on my own. I put on my spikes and took out my ice axe. I mainly just used the axe for a better hold on the inside slope and made sure to kick in my spikes for each step and I made it across just fine. The sun was getting close and I made it over the pass into the sun. I was finally up forester pass! It was such a great feeling.

Nate and Meg looking like legit mountaineers.

I met the Texans up at the top and there was no wind and we were in direct sun. The descent down was all snowfield but it was nice. Not too slushy yet. We got to a part where we got to glissade. I was still in my long underwear but didn't want to change so I just went down in it. I already had a snag at the butt so it just grew a little more. :( We finally started getting lower and lower till we were finally done with the snow and was able to take off our spikes. It got slushy pretty quick. We entered into kings canyon and it was soooo pretty. All of the Mts were so huge and close. There were also marmots everywhere. The snow was melting so fast and most of the rest of the trail was running water or muddy. It was kinda annoying trying to avoid our feet getting wet the whole way. We pretty much tried to book it down to the next junction ASAP so we could do lunch.

We finally reached the junction and it was another mile straight up 1k ft to the bullfrog lake junction. It was really tough doing another steep climb that afternoon. I was slugging hardcore. We finally made it to the top and just took a lunch at the junction. There was still 7.5 miles left until the exit to the onion valley trailhead. We got after lunch and all of a sudden I hear someone call my name and it was John Zahorian!! So crazy to run into him on trail. Never would've thought I'd see him! He's been going so fast. It was so fun to catch up and talk. I hadn't seen him since Seattle just a few weeks before I left for San Diego.

Took a pic together bc it's probably the only time I'll see him this summer.

The view looking down as we climbed up to kearsarge pass.

We reached the bottom of the kearsarge pass and it was yet another climb steep up the whole way. It was beautiful though. It was hazy out bc of a controlled fire burn but it made breathing really hard. Our throats started burning pretty bad. We got to the top and tried getting service. We got some and made some reservations at the courthouse motel in independence. Met a hiker named Craig who was super sweet and asked if we were keeping trail journals - hi Craig! From there, it was already around 4pm so we hauled it down kearsarge pass in order to try to get a ride. We heard it's a hard hitch since it's a trailhead so I started trail running down. We saw a bunch of hikers coming up that we knew so that was fun.

We finally made it down but had no luck getting a ride from any day hikers. It was just late in the day and no one was really on their way home. We sat around but no luck. I finally recalled the motel and they hesitantly came and picked us up since we were staying the night. They wanted to charge us all $20 for the ride but negotiated to $10 each so we took the offer. We would've not had any other ride back out. A man named Paul who was helping his sister run the motel picked us up. The road down from the trailhead was SO windy and he was driving a little crazy. We finally made it all way down from 10k to 4k ft in town. What a huge difference in temperature. It was in the 90s at the bottom!

I ended up sharing a room with Jackie and mike who already had a bed for me. Nate and Meg got anther room. We met them at the taco truck for dinner. It was awesome. I got chicken quesadillas. My friend John Cody from Austin was in town randomly and came over and brought us pizza. He was staying in the room next to us. We caught up a bit and passed out. It was nice to finally sleep on a bed.

DAY 59: CRABTREE TO MILE 775.7

So once again, my monthly visitor came last night, but 8 days early. It must be all off bc of all the processed crap I'm eating and the hiking. My hormones are all whack. It wasn't that bad this time or maybe it's just something to deal with that I'm getting used to. I'm out of tp so I started using my red bandana, guess I'm going to have to get a new wash cloth now.

We took it easy today, had no specific wake up time. I think I headed out around seven. I hiked to the first water crossing and waited for the Texans. It was shallow and not too bad. Then we had yet another crossing .7 miles away. This one was a little bit stronger. Nate and Meg went upstream and found a lot to balance beam. There was no way I was gonna do that so I went back down to cross. It wasn't that bad. I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of them now and it's not as scary anymore...yet, until we get to the waist deep ones.

Today was really beautiful. We crossed a meadow with views of the mts all around us and passed several JMT hikers. They have such huge packs! We climbed up to this area called bighorn plateau and it was so pretty but windy and frozen. It was wide open with 360 views. As I headed down, I passed a ranger who asked for my name and if I was carrying a bear can. I guess she was asking all pct hikers going by. I've heard Rangers will tap your pack to see if you have one in there but I guess this one trusted that we were all being honest.

We crossed our final third creek for the day before lunch. Yes, three. They're mainly annoying bc you have to take off your shoes and dry off every time but also the water is so cold that it hurts. I went numb halfway through the first crossing since it was a longer one. After lunch, we decided to go and see where we feel like camping before forester pass. Our original plan was to camp right at the base at 12k but it'd be really exposed and freezing. We ended up 3 miles from the approach and figured we can get up at 230am tomorrow. The pass is the highest point on the pct at 13,152 ft. I have a feeling it'll kinda be like Whitney but much steeper and a bit sketchier. There's been so much talk about it that it psychs you out. I'm just really hoping it's not as scary as people talk it up to be, kinda like Whitney. And hoping I won't have to use my axe. It's going to be cold and windy up there. I'm also hoping the ice isn't insanely slick. And coming down early enough before it goes to slush.

My hair is looking whack these days. Also I am tired, can you tell?

We camped right before the tree line but it's still windy here and there. I hope my tent stays up. I feel like my walls are going to tear soon bc the fabric has been so stretched out. I am not sure how long it will last since I've had it for almost two years now. We're supposed to do a 20+ tomorrow. It's going to be a long and interesting day. Our bodies are going to hate us for doing the pass and then exiting through kearsarge pass to independence. I think we can push it through though. I'm looking forward to a bed and I really need to do laundry since I have blood on everything. I might just get a hostel. Everyone probably thinks I'm dead bc I haven't scheduled any blogs since lake Isabella nor updated anyone in 7 days. Guess that's the sierras for ya. I have a lot of things to do so we talked about zeroing. Can't believe the first section of the sierras is just about done! Independence seemed like so far away and now we're supposed to be there tomorrow. This stretch was definitely tough. There was not a single boring day.

DAY 58: MT WHITNEY SUMMIT

Today was one the most anticipated summits of a thru hiker's journey: climbing to the highest point in the lower 48 at 14,504 ft is Mt. Whitney. The Texans and I woke around 2am and headed out just before three. There are so many stars out here in the sierras. I sometimes really wish I could take night pics but can't. There were two creek crossings we had to do in the dark. It was super slippery since some logs and rocks were frozen over. We got to one of the alpine lakes and you could see the snow glowing faintly on the mountains behind it. It reminded me of Washington. Meg's ankle was starting to hurt real bad for awhile in the beginning. :( I felt so helpless.

We made it to guitar lake when the sky was starting to get light. It was amazing. The Texans were just in awe with all the snowy mountains around us. They've never seen such a thing before. I totally know how they feel bc the enchantments were the first time for me and I fell in love with backpacking after that. There were a couple snowfields to cross after the lake but nothing crazy bc you can just walk right on top of the snow since it was still frozen overnight. My feet were frozen pretty much the entire time. I just don't know how to make it better. We had to keep moving in order to stay warm. I took it super easy on climbing and made sure to take sips of water often. Meg started to feel a little altitude sickness. I had trouble breathing on the uphills.

Finally reached the junction. Still 1.9 miles to the summit.

When we reached the switchbacks, the snow was frozen still so it was easy to walk on. There were some patches of ice that were super slippery. The ascent was gradual with some steep sections, which is good to help you acclimate with the altitude. The views were incredible. So many jagged cliffs everywhere and it just kept getting better the higher we climbed. There were a few times I thought the Texans were going to turn around bc Meg wasn't feeling well but they pushed their way up. I would've been so sad if they didn't make it to the summit. When we reached the junction to the Whitney portal, there was still 1.9 miles left to the summit. So crazy. One way was 7.5 miles and it took us six hours!! There were never ending switchbacks. We put on our spikes when we got to the junction bc I thought it just looked more icy the rest of the climb up. It was my first time wearing my new spikes and they were pretty good. It was squeezing my right foot a little too much so I had to readjust a little bit.

Jagged peaks as I went up. So much to see.

Climbing over the snowfield before reaching the summit.

The rest of the way up was just long and slow for me. I also took a million photos. I didn't feel like I felt scared or unsafe on the climb. There's a trail that cuts the whole way so the hike is very normal. We just had snow/ice covering the whole thing. My feet and socks we're pretty soaked the whole time too. I finally reached the summit and there is a shelter up there. It was pretty windy and chilly but not too bad since the sun was out. I heard you can get service on the summit and it was true. I turned my phone on and got some LTE and then it shut off since it was so cold up there. We hung in the shelter with some hikers before heading down. I wanted to get down ASAP since my feet felt frozen and I really hate slush.

The whole way coming down just seemed like forever. We had to take it slow since the snow has become slush already. We also passed many day hikers coming up. Some were even in jeans! Amazing. I also passed a few people who were walking all tired and delusional. So scary! And people were also coming up so late in the day. I don't know how they do it in slush. We made it all the way back to camp after what it seemed like an eternity. I was so exhausted and my feet/sciatica were hurting so bad. We were maybe thinking of going out a few miles to camp but we just couldn't do it. We hung around in the afternoon and went to bed early. I have a small headache right now. I hope it's not altitude.

DAY 57: MILE 746.8 TO CRABTREE RANGER STATION

Today was a long day. We did 21 miles in the sierras, which is a tough day. A lot of elevation gain all at high altitude. And two creek crossings. I woke at three with the Texans to make our big push today. Our tents were completely frozen over, covered in frost. It was a frigid morning heading out but stayed warm but keep moving. My feet were frozen the majority of the time though. It got to the point where it started tingling, so I knew I couldn't stop for too long. We hiked out in fresh powder following foot steps left from the day before, now turned into ice. The snow beneath our feet were crunching with every step. We saw the alpenglow on the huge snowy mountains from the distance. It's so amazing to have these views now. And to think, we were just in the desert three days ago!

Chicken spring lake in the early morning. Frigid.

We reached chicken spring lake and it was amazing. The very first alpine lake you see where you start feeling like you're truly in the sierras. It reminded me of the enchantments so much. There were tons of tents set up as I walked by them all early in the morning. My feet started hurting really bad so I couldn't stay long. The sun felt so good on my body as it slowly came out, still chilly but felt warm if you stood in it. My feet didn't really thaw out till we started descending. They felt super soggy though. Everywhere was so beautiful, I couldn't stop taking photos! All of the fresh snow on the trees were quickly melting in the sun.

We finally made it to rock creek at around mile 14. Man I was tired. We wanted to make a big push before lunch. Rock creek is our first river ford. It was a little frightening but we all made it through safely. The water came up to just above my knees but it was soooo cold. So cold that it hurt real bad that I didn't even focus on the fording, I just wanted to cross it as quickly as I could. After that, we were finally able to set out everything to dry. We were still all carrying the snow on our tents.

Didn't get to nap during lunch but we needed to make the final uphill push to Crabtree meadow, where the pct and mt Whitney junction is. That afternoon uphill was tough for me. Every incline was so hard. I finally reached the junction and we took the trail to the ranger station. All of a sudden we had to do ANOTHER creek crossing. The worst part is that it was unexpected and in the evening so there was no sun to warm up. We finally made it to camp and saw ET and Heffe and bunch of other hikers. Got to talk to some who already made the climb so we could get an idea on when to go up but I think we're gonna wake up at 2am. The climb should take about six hours and coming down, we want to avoid the slush so getting down before noon is best. I am a little nervous but also stoked. We heard from others that the 14k altitude really affected them on the way up and at the summit. Dizzy, light headed, nausea and wheezing. Yikes!! I can't wait.

DAY 56: MILE 736.3 TO 746.8

Last night was so intense. It was thunder storming all throughout the night, even into the morning. I could hear thunder still as it got light out. I finally forced myself to get out to go potty. The sun was peaking out so nicely. It finally stopped raining. I slowly packed my things and decided I'd start walking and hang my tent off my pack until I found a good sun spot. I stopped a few times to dry out as the sun was coming in and out in case I lost an opportunity. I got to the water source junction and exploded my things out to dry out. Thankfully everything dried out pretty quick and the rest of the gang regrouped.

Pitching right before the storm rolled in.

We wanted to do five more before lunch so we pushed up this hill. About two miles from the next water source, we could see clouds coming in. We knew there was another storm this afternoon. I started feeling drops for a bit and then decided to put the poncho on. We started hauling to find mike and Jackie at the crossing. Then it started hailing and we all just did our fastest pitch of our tents. I jumped in my tent and ate lunch while it hailed on us. It started getting colder and I slowly started pulling out more clothes. Then out came by sleeping bag and pad after I started shivering. The hail then tuned into snow and it continued for the next three hours. We just laid in our tent waiting for it to stop.

Nate's snowman guarding our bear cans for the night.

We only went ten miles today and it was after four when it finally stopped snowing. There was about four inches of snow on the ground. We debated on hiking another four or five miles but it'd take another hour to just pack out so we decided to just stay out and hopefully push for a twenty tomorrow. It's gonna be rough but we have to do it in order to make it to Whitney with enough food. The sun finally was peering out and the sky was SO pretty, dark gradient clouds and snow covered mountains in the distance. I finally got out my tent to take pics. Nate made a snowman. We ate dinner and now it's bedtime. I didn't eat much for dinner since I ate a bunch for lunch and we didn't end up hiking afterwards. I have way too much food. My bear can is only 3/4 of the way down. It sucks knowing you've been carrying so much extra weight in food. It'll be good to see how much I actually end up with in independence so I'll know how much to actually fill my can for the next stretch.

DAY 55: MILE 719 TO 736.3

I woke up first this morning a little after four. I packed my bear can a different way and I think I might like it better. It didn't take too much longer to pack up but once I get a routine down with the can, it'll be easier to pack in the morning. I decided to wait to get water at the last cow creek crossing. For some reason, I didn't really check the water report and hoped that guthooks was right. Big mistake. I was only running on 1/3L from the night before and when I got to where I was hoping to fill up, it was dry. This stretch is actually a big climb and there's no reliable water for ten miles. I panicked a little and wasn't sure what I should do. I considered dropping my pack and hiking all the way back down to the last creek crossing and then I thought maybe I would be able to just takes tiny sips and run off of what little water I had until mile ten. The up hill was only about four miles and the rest was downhill so I thought maybe I could do it. But also we're climbing over 10k so altitude might get to me and I will need water. Or maybe I would wait for people coming up and beg them to pour a small amount of their water into mine.

I decided to hike on and prayed that there was water at a seasonal stream half way up the climb. I kept thinking there's no way it'd be flowing if the other crossings were already dried out. But I got to the creek and there was a very shallow slow flowing stream!! I was SO happy. I really don't think I would've made it ten miles without water. I would've been so dehydrated and maybe have passed out. I took a long time there bc I filtered 2L but has to redo it bc I got mud in my bottle. The hike this morning was so pretty. You could see it slowly turning into the sierras. More rock formations and mountain views started popping up. It was overcast with sun spots all day. A little chilly when you stop moving but perfect for hiking. I saw so much wildlife too! I saw a marmot, a mother quail with five babies and a red robin.

My pack still felt heavy with pains in my shoulder but not quite as bad as day one. I still had to frequent breaks to take the load off. I made it to the water source around mile ten and set my things out for lunch break. I went to get water and came back to find the married folk there! I was so happy they made it the same time for lunch. It's crazy how we all left separate times but since our paces are variated, we were able to end up at the same place and time. I'm just really slow and need those extra two hours in the morning. It's also definitely getting buggy here, lots of mosquitoes to deal with. I won't use deet unless it's a swarm though.

There was another climb after the creek to camp. We ended up pushing further than we planned after making our mileage quota. We are now set up in this nice area with trees all around with flat ground. Big open flat ground for camping is new to us! It started sprinkling a bit on the way up and now I hear some thunder. It might rain and/or thunderstorm tomorrow. First one! I'm a little nervous.

It's now 818p and the storm has moved into our area. Lightning, very hard hail, thunder. I'm quite terrified. It's so weird being right in the storm. You hear it from afar and it starts getting louder and heavier when it's moving closer. All of a sudden it starts dumping hail and the thunder is right above you. Then I see bright purple lightning strikes through my cuben fiber walls, hoping it does not strike near me but have no clue what it actually looks like out there. I can only see hail collecting on the ground though my mesh. Even though we're all camped together, I feel like we're so far apart from each other. I'm so thankful I'm not alone right now. The hail is collecting so much on the ground that it looks like snow. I cannot sleep. I wonder what tomorrow morning will be like packing up all wet. Now it is just raining hard and I can still hear thunder. I worry for the people trying to do mt Whitney tomorrow. Can't imagine what the storm is like even higher. This is officially my most scariest night so far.

DAY 54: KM TO MILE 719

Today I finally left Kennedy meadows. What a great day to be alive. I had an eczema flare up last night. I have no clue from what, I haven't had a reaction yet on trail. So weird. It was my first time packing all my things with my bear can and man, did I have trouble. I packed and unpacked everything about four times. I literally could not get my bag to close, so I dumped everything out of stuff sacks and just filled the spaces with pieces of clothing. I tied my ice axe and spikes onto the outside and finally got it to barely close. I went over to the scale to the weigh it and it was 39lbs. Damn! Probably heaviest to date. It felt pretty heavy but didn't feel the pain till later.

I hiked out with my fav married friends: Jackie/mike and Nate/Meg! I was so happy to be with them again. They remind me of all my friends back home. It's weird that we all started from campo on the same day and both couples were off trail for several days and now we're all at the same place. I was so happy to be on trail again. It had been way too long loitering at km, they were starting to remember my name when I ordered stuff. At the trail register, a man came up to talk to us and told us that they dropped off their kids, Emily and Jake, who just started their thru hike. We were excited to meet the couple. The whole trail today was so nice. It was overcast with some sun. We went through open meadows, trees and even a burned section.

Every time I overpack my bag 35lbs+, I get terrible shoulder pains. So painful that I have to shrug my shoulder and take some weight off every 15 minutes. It was so rough. And I can't just lighten the load quickly either, I'd have to slowly eat the food after a few days to feel a difference but good thing there's water almost every five miles or so. The longest stretch now should only be 10 miles. The pack weight was also making my feet hurt pretty bad. If I had a normal pack that could carry a heavy load, I would be totally fine. It's the pains that really get to me and make it really difficult to walk. I really need to figure out some things to send home or maybe not pack so much food.

Meg and I got to chat a little which was nice. She is one of the few people to genuinely asks how I'm doing etc. We got to a nice river with such pretty green grass and views. We hung out with ET and Heffe there. I really like them. First new friends I've met in a long time that aren't super annoying. I hope to see them more through the sierras and in town. We decided to hike another few miles to camp and Emily and Jake are at the tent site! It was fun to finally meet them. Now we are all camped together here. It feels pretty weird to be camping in a group but I really love these people. I'm so used to solo or one other person so it'll be interesting to see how I adjust.

DAY 53: DOUBLE ZERO IN KM

Today I felt like I've been here for like five days. All the tents around me have already rotated three different times but I am still planted here. I sat around the store this morning trying to read that book but I just couldn't get into it and felt super distracted. Every time I heard an applause I would check to see what hikers were coming in, hoping it was Nate and Meg. Then they finally were here! I ran up to them and gave them huge hugs. It was a great reunion. Nate looked a little different and had some fuzz growing on his chin. They told me they finally got trail names, "pinky and the brain." So fitting! We sat on the bench catching up a bit and mike and Jackie come in! Also so happy to see them. We decided to go to grumpys yet once again for breakfast haha. I've been there like every morning I've been here. They are starting to know me by name, ugh oh.

It was such a chill morning at the restaurant, there weren't very many hikers and I was able to update people from home on my status one last time. We headed back to the store and it was such a good day. I sat with ET from Pasadena and Heffe from Minnesota for the majority of the time. I really like them. And Nate/Meg and mike/Jackie also came over to hang out in the corner patio that had the best shade. I love this group of people. I was so happy to be around them again. I've missed my married friends so much. I also met a man named mr. Tree that is friends with the Texans and he was wonderful. He asked me how he could be praying for me before he headed off. It meant a lot coming from a stranger.

It got closer to evening and we saw some hikers come in with a bunch of pizza boxes. Apparently a trail angel dropped them off for us. Within 60 seconds, the pizza had disappeared. Me and the married folk ended up going back to grumpys for some dinner one last time. We talked about some plans for the next day. We are heading out tomorrow morning. I am excited to get back on trail with some old friends. It has been too long. I'm kinda dreading the bear can in my pack and how heavy it's going to be but also anxious to see how it's all going to fit. I am so sleepy and need to go to bed. But as usual, there's loud music playing from the store and hikers talking.

DAY 52: ZERO IN KM

Walked around the store in the morning taking detail pics.

Today was another loitering day. I woke up early at dawn and took detail pics around the store. The air was so fresh and cool. I even wore my fleece hoodie but my feet got cold really fast. I hung out in the patio with Dudder and some other older guy. It was chill. I decided I wanted to catch the ride to grumpy bear for breakfast so that I can check to see if Meg or Jackie texted me. I hung out with Andy and Laura and this other couple I don't remember their names who live in England now. They were pretty chill. I hadn't actually had much time to spend with them so it was nice to talk with them a bit more. Jackie texted me that will get to km Thursday morning with Nate and Meg. Yay. I'm glad I actually heard from them but it also mean another day of loitering or more if they decide to zero the following day.

Andy, Laura and the guy I can't remember the name of on the way to grumpys.

Pinky, the chihuahua at grumpys that barks at everyone coming in and then begs for food. She's so cute. Basking in the sun.

We headed back to the store and did a bunch of nothing. I found a book to read and tried reading it in my tent but passed out after the first two sentences. I woke up to annoying laughter and headed over to the store. Laura showed me her string to make friendship bracelets but was sad bc I ended up losing my piece I started somewhere along the way. :( Then I basically sat around for hours observing hikers and small talking with those around me. A few hours after lunch time, I figured it was probably time to have some lunch so I ordered an Italian sausage and got an ice cream sandwich from the store. I bought some hand sanitizer and needed sunscreen but all they had was a huge bottle so I ended up just finding a face stick one in the hiker box and I guess that will suffice until my next town. I finally got to talk to the two kids that work at grumpy and at the store. There's one kid who is 14 that is usually running around the store who serves us food and collects the trash. He's so cute and sweet. I asked if he had fun working here and he said yes. And the other one is 16 who does the shuttling between grumpy and the store. It'd be such an interesting experience to help your parents' businesses serving all these dirty thru hikers but I guess we give them most of their business during hiker season.

It felt a bit weird knowing that I was parting ways with the boys today, we have been together for so many weeks. I will probably be about two days behind and even when that happens, you can go for several hundred miles without ever running into each other. Rusty headed out around four and we said our goodbyes. We have no clue when we'll see him again bc he's going straight to vvr. I sat around with GB and then it was his time to leave. I feel bad for leaving him since we've literally been hiking almost everyday together for 500 miles. I think we'll both miss each other but it'll be good to branch off for a bit. I washed a few things in a bucket and am now waiting for it to get cooler so that I can start reading my book. It's still pretty toasty in my tent but I don't wanna go out anymore. I no longer am really friends with anyone here at km. A few acquaintances but rusty and gb were the only ones here I knew well and have spent a lot of time with. I feel alone but also not so much. It's a strange feeling. It's like we're all moving onto another stage in our lives and we won't be able to share and experience the same things so frequently. It'll be really interesting if we ever meet up again and catch up on things. I feel like I'm gonna be this same way once I see Nate and Meg. The entire time I was doing life with these new people, they were not with me.

DAY 51: MILE 698 TO KENNEDY MEADOWS

This morning I slept in and took my time getting up. I only had four miles into km. It was a bit chilly in the morning since I was near the water. I so excited the whole morning to be doing the km walk. It was nice to do it alone too, I never once saw another hiker. The meadow was filled with so many flowers and rolling hills. I finally reached the Sherman pass road and signed the trail register at 719am. For some reason, I didn't think of turning onto the road to the km store so I kept following the trail. Then I realized I had missed the turn and ended up back tracking a total of .4 miles :( always so sad when that happens.

Sherman pass road, I forgot to turn here.

The road walk to the store was a little under a mile. As I approached the store, there were two off leash dogs that came darting and barking at me. I literally thought one was going to jump on me and start biting my ankles. I walked up to the store entrance and there were a few hikes out on the patio who applauded. Apparently that's a thing at km: people will clap when hikers finally reach the store. All those 700 miles of desert is a big milestone. I heard it's still desert though until you actually start climbing into the sierras. I saw rusty there and lots of unfamiliar faces. The store was not open yet so I went into the back to set up my tent. The camping area was a combination of hiker heaven and Casa de Luna. It was a small tent site but more spread out. There was a giant teepee that people could cowboy inside of, pit toilets, trailers, couches and other random things in the huge lot behind the store. I tried to find a semi shaded spot and pitched my tent.

Literally cannot get all of us in a pic.

As I was walking back towards the store, this kid climbs out of a pickup and asks if I want to come to grumpy bear. It's a restaurant three miles from the store and they give rides back and forth. I guess bc most of their business comes from thru hikers, they are willing to shuttle us. I wanted breakfast so I immediately jumped on the offer. I got into the back and then the hikers just kept piling in. There were probably about 15 of us all in the back of the truck! GB arrived as we were piling in and he ended up getting in as well. The ride was so nice with wind blowing into the back. When we got to the restaurant, there was basically just one menu: eggs, bacon, potatoes and "all you can eat pancakes" aka a huge pancake that overfilled the plate and was so big you can't even finish it. It was delicious though, everything was made to order homemade. There was very bad wifi there and it took forever for me to figure out the pw but I wanted to check in with people that I made it to km.

Looking up at the antler chandelier at grumpys.

We then packed another big group into the truck and headed back to the store. There was so much going on when we got back. All the hikers were awake, the store was open and everybody's boxes were being picked up. I put my name on the list with how many boxes I had and waited about 15 min for them to find it along with a ton of other hikers. I walked around the store to see what options for resupply were. They actually had a pretty good selection of things but were limited in quantity, so once they're gone, they're out until the next time they restock. I want to buy a thing of summer sausage and cheese before I go, hopefully there will be some left. I picked up all my pkgs that nancy had sent me. They all made it! Thank you so much!! The ice axe box was hilarious. Apparently she took it to sip and ship and the guys made a special box in the shape of the axe to ship out. Thankfully, the box was just a little loose when it arrived but it was not damaged at all. Everyone thought it was so funny bc it looked like a hammer haha. I can't imagine what the back room of all the hiker boxes looks like. It must be super organized in order to find them so quickly for us.

I brought my stuff out to the patio where so many hikers were out drinking beers or organizing their resupply. I opened my boxes and started going through my things. So much of my food has gone stale or just doesn't seem appetizing anymore! If I would do this again, I would definitely make boxes in a few towns before and mail ahead to my next stop that doesn't have a good grocery. The things that once sounded good a long time ago, really does change when you actually arrive. I dumped a bunch of stuff into the hiker box and some girl literally took all my food. I then just got a few things from the store to mix in with my food from home. It'll be good mixture I think. The sun got pretty intense throughout the day so we had to keep scooting under the shade. I stuffed what I could into my bear canister and the rest overflowed into my food bag. Everyone else's cans seem so much heavier than mine. I am worried I don't have enough food for seven days. I am sure it'll probably be fine but sometimes I am food paranoid. Since we won't be carrying more than 2L now, our food and extra gear will take most of the weight. 7 days of food smashed into a bear can is H-E-A-V-Y. It's gonna be interesting trying to fit it all into my pack.

Organizing and trying to cram everything into a bear can.

The rest of the day was just loitering around the store. I am so tired of loitering and socializing. It's only been three days since the last loiter so today was pretty rough. I did get to see dudders though! He's always so happy and likes to call me Wang Chung. I did meet this one couple who has felt the same way as me about all the loud party people. I can see why a lot of people just get in and out of towns fast. I ended up paying for a $3 shower out in the back and it was great. I rinsed some of my things in the shower and it was awesome. My shirt was still crusty but it's better than before. Then I loitered a bit more. I just wanted the sun to set so I could lay in my tent.

The sun has finally set and the air is cool. I can hear voices from others but it's not bad. It's actually quite nice here. I am really hoping to see Nate and Meg tomorrow. I have no clue if they will show or not since I haven't had service and they don't have any through Walker pass. It'll totally make my day to finally reunite with them. It's been 500 miles!!

DAY 50: MILE 676.2 TO 698

I overslept this morning till after four. It's ok though, I slept really well last night when the wind was calm. It's nice to catch up on some sleep. It's been really nice to be solo this last stretch to KM. I think I really needed some quiet time and not talk to anyone. There were a ton of bugs buzzing around my face the whole day though. There would be flies that land on my eyelashes while I walked. It was pretty annoying. I thought about putting on my head net but maybe it would be overkill.

There was a small water cache at chimney creek and I just got 1L. I signed the trail register and looks like rusty was there the day before. I'm sure he is already at KM. At the spring, I packed out 4L for the rest of the way until the next water source and I had just enough. I finished all the climbing by late morning so it wasn't too bad. At the top of the climb, I rounded the corner and the sierras were right there in the distance! It was so awesome to see the snow capped mountains so far away knowing I'd finally be there in just a few days. The rest of the day was downhill on exposed ridges. I never took a real lunch break bc there was no shade around. I did find one but took a small break. I got to talk to two new hikers who joined me too but have no clue what their names are.

I rounded the corner to see the sierras in the far distance.

After the downhill, it was just open and flattish. But man it was HOT. I was on my last 1/3 L of water but it was so hard to drink bc it had become hot water. I was originally trying to camp before the river but I just HAD to make it to the south fork kern river to drink cold water. So effing thirsty. I made it to the last crossing and it wasn't crowded with a bunch of hikers. I never usually get in the water but I totally did today. The water was lukewarm, semi cold but better than drinking hot water. I rinsed my shirt and some other things out. If you put on a wet shirt, it actually cools you down. It's cold but the shirt dries very quick.

I ate some dins and pondered whether or not to go find a better tent site. I just didn't want to walk again and tomorrow is already going to be a short day at four miles. It's pretty windy here but I just pitched my tent on the sand. The ground and air is still super warm but the wind is a nice breeze. I want to sleep in tomorrow since there is no rush. But it'd be nice to get into KM in the morning. Maybe I can get breakfast at the restaurant. I have no clue who will be there so it might be interesting to be there with a bunch of people I don't know. I've decided to wait for Nate and Meg at KM so I'll be there for a day or two.

DAY 49: MILE 656 TO 676.2

Well today has officially been the hottest day. I woke around three and started hiking just a little before 4am. It was super windy out on ridges but the temperature was so perfect. My feet and ankles were definitely feeling the pain from being off trail a few days. It's weird how not doing it everyday can affect your body so quickly. The sunrise was so nice this morning in the desert slopes. The peaks seem to be larger and more jagged. I love being up so early bc you pass up so many people and see where they ended camping at.

It was a solo hike day. I took more breaks than usual since I felt overly tired from lack of sleep. The only water source today was 100 ft up from the trail with a little trickle. Slow water is always a little annoying to collect but it was coldish so that was nice, but it wasn't long before all my bottles turned into hot water for the rest of the day. I could probably make a cup of hot tea with this water. I took my siesta at a pretty bad spot exposed off the trail. Under a tiny tree where the shade would be moving constantly with sun as it rose higher. I had to keep moving my groundsheet several time but half of my body was always in the sun. I was so sweaty and hot for most of my break but did manage to fall asleep for a tiny bit.

Since my spot was so bad, I decided to start moving again around 2p which is still pretty hot but I couldn't stand laying in the sun anymore curled under my umbrella with pine needles poking me. The sun was so intense. I could only take like twenty steps and would have to break. I had zero output and sweat was actually dripping down my face which has only happened a few times so far since I started. I took multiple "cool down" breaks which helped bc I would be overheated and each step was so hard. I did see two snakes today that were right on trail. The first one I almost stepped on as it was sticking its neck out from the bush on the right. It kept doing the tongue thing. He was yellow with some spots so I don't think he was a rattler. Then I walked right over a rattler's tail just as he was crossing to the left. It was medium so it wasn't too scary.

After I reached the top of the climb, I started looking for camp spots. It was very windy but didn't mind actually bc it's been so hot. I knew I wanted to pitch my tent. Sometimes I just miss being in it and I don't have to worry about bugs getting on me. I found a little spot at mile 20 and did a perfect pitch. My new msr groundhog stakes were amazing. Maybe bc the ground with soft sand but it was nice to not worry about it bending. I have all my doors opened so lots of air flow with the wind. The sweat today was unheard of. My shirt is so crusty and the salt from the sweat is starting to itch on my back and bum. I made sure to wipe before bed. Only 1.5 days till Kennedy meadows! It doesn't feel real yet.