July 7, 2012 - A Cold Swim Cures All

Day 23
Eagle Creek
Five miles from Ebett's Pass
Elev: 8600 ft
Miles: 20
Trip: 383

This was the first day I had thoughts like "I don't want to be hiking today" and "I'd rather go back to town and have a nap". Even when mosquitoes were dive-bombing me in hordes and my arches felt like rusty springs, I didn't want to be anywhere but on the trail. But this morning I just couldn't find my groove - I couldn't even blame my feet, which are miraculously pain-free. I think the sluggishness was due more to mental fatigue that physical. There just wasn't any pep in my step, and it got me bad-down. I perked up after lunch, but still couldn't rev my engine over 2mph. Then we reached Kinney Lake - a very popular weekend spot judging by the clusters of tents on the shore. I talked myself into a swim and was surprised to find the water as cold as Chicken Spring Lake, 2,000 feet higher.

The swim woke me up, and the last three miles I felt like the old Grolar Bear (my trail name means I can switch from grizzly bear grumpy to polar bear cool with one swim). The mosquitoes have even given us a break tonight - we're finally sleeping under the stars again. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep and a chirpier me in the morning so we can bust out another 25-mile day. That would put us a lot closer to Tahoe and make me feel better about dragging my butt for the last two days. But what will be, will be. I'll just keep reminding myself of how lucky I am to be here, and keep moving along.

Shaggy says:

  The miles went by really slowly today. Lauren's feet and shins were feeling okay, but today she felt low on energy. I tried to walk behind her for most of the day, but it was painful on the downhills. The knees seem to take twice the beating when moving slower. So I did hike off a few times ahead of her.
   We took a nice long afternoon break at a lake. Lauren swam in the freezing water while I ate snacks and soaked my feet.
   We hiked another hour after that, camped by a creek. Did about 20 miles today, it seemed to go by really slowly though. We are probably going into Tahoe on Monday. Hoping we can get in early. I feel a bit anxious, wanting more miles. Hard to stop hiking with so much daylight left.

This scene could be anywhere...Africa, Utah, Australia...NorCal is kind of a chameleon that way.

You have no idea how many pictures I have of sequoia/mountain combinations.

If you are sensitive to extreme images, look away from Shaggy's massive calves. They border on obscene.

All out of captions for the moment.

This picture was for my mom, who loves irises. There were fields of wild irises, so I thought of her a lot.

Not sure who this flower is, but she looked very sophisticated.

July 6, 20120 - Hurts the Wallet, Hurts the Walk

Day 22
Near Golden Lake
15 miles after Sonora Pass
Elev: 9200 ft
Miles: 15
Trip: 363

Leaving Bridgeport was bittersweet. I'll miss the donuts and greasy food, but I won't miss overpaying for it. I still cringe at the thought of my grocery bill from that price-gouging market; for $80 I should have food more nutritious than Snickers and mini summer sausages. But we didn't choose Bridgeport for the bargains - we went for the show and the indulgence. Most of yesterday was a lazy succession of eating, chores, more eating and lounging around the hotel room. I like the historic hotel, and it was nice to have a private bathroom (most rooms didn't) but $95 seems like a lot of money when you're used to sleeping outside for free. Maybe a soft bed, AC and showers are worth a splurge now and then.

The hitch hiking was easy - we were picked up by Sleeping Bear again! Once at the trailhead though, it was obvious that the hiking would not so be easy for me. My shin splint made itself known on even the slightest downhill. If that wasn't painful enough, I quickly grew a blister on my right foot the size and shape of a jumbo cashew. My walk probably resembled Charlie Chaplin with one leg that's asleep. It was very frustrating to not make miles when I have so much energy, but Andrew was very understanding. I'm sure he's also worried that something like this could takes us off the trail for a while, but I won't even think about that until I can't walk a mile without stopping. Stubbornness is an effective painkiller.

Shaggy says:

    We took a day off the trail in Bridgeport yesterday. Ate so much amazing food and posted blogs. Also did a really expensive resupply at the general store. $4 pop tarts, $3 lipton noodles, and $1.25 for a snickers. I enjoyed watching TV for a change.
   Today we hit the trail again. We got a pretty quick ride to the trail after donuts at the wonderful bakery.
  Lauren has some shin splints that are bothering her badly on the downhills. On top of that, she got 2 new blisters! I received new shoes yesterday so have happy feet, but now hers are giving problems. So we didnt move fast today. We still covered 15 miles, which is excellent for leaving town with shin splints.
   I am eager to get to the parts of this trail I have not seen yet, after Tahoe. Just 60 more miles off this stuff I saw in 2006. Its really crazy to me how much of this I remember. Its so beautiful too, but I crave new trail.
   I ate an extremely large burrito yesterday. I think it weighed 4 pounds. Then I had ice cream, french fries, and pizza. I feel a bit disgusting now. I need a long day or 2 of hiking, hope we can get it in tomorrow.

"In the silence of the woods you will not be alone." -Chief Sealth

The word imposing comes to mind.

Oh, those teenagers with their spray paint cans...this is the 4th time we've had to whitewash the wilderness.

Trillium!!

Heeeeyy...isn't that a lake?

Sequoia trees in love.

More.

Apparently nature made concrete way before we did.

All clouds and no rain, just the way I like it.

Dusk approaches.

One of very few nights the bugs left us alone long enough to sleep under the stars.

July 4, 2012 - A Slice of Americana

Day 20
Silver Maple Inn
Bridgeport, CA
Miles: 9
Trip: 348

I have a feeling town days will hold a special place in my memories of this trip. In Bishop, there was Schatz, and in Bridgeport there is the fantastically quirky 4th of July celebration. We saw a woman who'd dislocated her arm in the arm-wrestling contest, dozens of kids ages 4-14 trying to shimmy up a greased pole for money (it's even more bizarre than it sounds), and the most eye-popping, ear-pounding, jaw-dropping fireworks display I've ever seen. Arriving in time for this festival was definitely worth the twenty-mile days we did these past few weeks. Ironically, it was just the last two downhill miles that have me limping around town now. I was so eager for a ride into town that I literally ran down the switchbacks, hoping to catch a day hiking couple I could see a mile down the trail, heading for their car. They turned out to be driving in the opposite direction from Bridgeport, but I had already tweaked my right leg into a majorly uncomfortable shin splint. I'm hoping some hot water and rest will ease it back into hiking shape so we can leave on Friday.

Our first real trail magic and trail angel appeared in the form of an older man named Sleeping Bear, waiting at the trailhead with a cooler of cold drinks, fresh fruit, and a smile. He's waiting for his son to come off the trail for a day, spend a little time together, then he'll drive his RV north to wait at a different trailhead. He very generously gave Andrew and I a ride to town, along with two young hikers from the Pacific Northwest. Stonefly and Tortoise seem like really fun, pumped-up hikers who were still having fun after 1000+ miles. They resupplied and left town this evening, ao they missed the amazing light show.

Honestly, it seems like this town lives for the 4th! The back road was lined with cars and trucks, and along the yellow line people set off their own fireworks, big boxes that shot flames and sparks of bright colors. The police cruisers patrolling had to wait for the flares to die down before driving through! Everyone was very nice though, and I found myself liking Bridgeport and its rather rowdy inhabitants. With one exception: the first motel I called for a room our second night. I was told they couldn't "accommodate" our "kind of guest" because they don't have the water capacity - "Hikers take a lot of showers". My first experience being discriminated against for being a thru-hiker, and it didn't feel good. But tomorrow it's back to the mosquitoes, mountains and making our way to Canada!

Shaggy says:

    The 9 mile crest to Sonora Pass is probably my favorite stretch of trail yet. Its so exposed with views in all directions. The colors are amazing. The rock is red, green grass in the valleys, snow on the surrounding high peaks, and crystal clear blue lakes. Amazing.
   At Sonora Pass we found trail magic! Sleeping Bear, the father of a hiker further south, was at the pass with a cooler of gatorade, soda, and beer. He also had chips, oranges, and other snacks, very nice! He offered us a ride into Bridgeport with 2 other hikers, Tortoise and Stonefly. We gladly took it, and the 5 of us crammed into the car. It seemed like a long ride. I guess its 30 miles, very curvy road.
    Bridgeport is a great town that loves the 4th of July. We found great fried food, and a lot of it. We had reserved a hotel room, which is a good thing, this town has filled up. We enjoyed the fireworks, which was probably the best display I have ever seen. The streets were filled with store bought ones going off, right in the middle of the street! Fun stuff to watch.
   We are taking a day off tomorrow. We both need some R&R. We plan to skip Tahoe in an effort to save money and not be overwhelmed by the craziness of that large city. 

Our trail to the 4th of July celebration of a lifetime.

We were higher than the mountains, higher than anything for miles around. Not a bad feeling.

Let me just tell you how much I love lichen - this stuff ROCKS!

Did you know that lichen is an evolutionary meeting of fungus and algae? It's an organism that broke across boundaries.

Yes please.

It's days like this that make a thru-hiker forget about pain, greasy hair and boring food. This is why we hike.

I loved this hike.

Everything a tired thru-hiker needs!! (the massage turned out not to be true, sadly)

If you can't see it, the writing in bottom left says "Port-O-Potties" So they pretty much thought of everything.

Greasin' the pole for children to climb for money. The kids in the back are singing "Bringin Sexy Back". Stay classy, Bridgeport.

But they do know how to do the 4th up right.

zzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ........

POW!!!

A very happy hiker greets a Super Burrito.

July 3, 2012 - Complain, Complain, Complain

Day 19
Ridge above Kennedy Canyon
Surrounded by luminous red mountains
Elev: 10,000 ft
Miles: 25!!
Trip 339

My first 25-mile day. And I had to work for it, definitely even suffered for it. In fact, there were a lot of firsts today. We finally broke down and used DEET for the first time - I think we might have gone mad otherwise. Keeping up with the swatting while hiking at top speed was exhausting and maddening. After two hours I finally caved. The relief I felt upon experiencing the protective shield of DEET repelling every tiny evil bug...it was a glorious euphoria I normally only experience on mountain tops. After that we could actually keep up a conversation while hiking, although going past Wilmer/Wilma Lake was still like wading through a sea of buzzing little bloodsuckers. They're even bad up here, a waterless ridge at 10,000 feet. This is the worst I've seen them, even worse than the Beartooths. I'll need some group therapy after this for mosquito PTSD...

My feet felt pretty strong, although a little tender, until about mile 15 (always 15!) when we started downhill. After a few miles, every step was painful and I was hobbling at a frustrating one-mile-an-hour pace. We stopped for dinner at a bridge crossing, where I propped up my feet and sat on my butt while DEET and the wind kept the skeeters at bay. We talked to another hiker couple, Cheetah and Iso, and by the time dinner was eaten my feet felt less swollen and more willing to tackle more miles.

I'd only gone a mile when I experienced another first...chafing. I never really believed people when they say how bad it is...it's bad. I felt like my backside was on fire; every step felt like two burning sticks rubbing together. I did the only things I could do: gnashed my teeth, did some major whining and played ABC games with Andrew to distract my brain from the agony. Thankfully the scenery was magnificent, or I may have cried had my first cry today too.

We climbed to the jeep road, snapping pictures the whole way and marveling at the uniqueness of the landscape. Now a full moon is shining on our tent, the Gold Bond powder has worked its magic on my chafing skin, and we'll be at the trailhead by 10am. Life is good.

Shaggy says:

The wrath of mosquitoes continued today. We both slept really well last night after fighting for our lives yesterday. I had hoped that our wishes had come true and that they had all died in the night. Well, it didn't happen. They were blood thirsty and hundreds gathered on our tent in the night awaiting our departure.
   We hiked through them again today. I wore my rain jacket and pants and Lauren continuously swatted her arms with her bandana. Very exhausting. After 3 miles we lost it. I was sweating profusely under my jacket and Lauren could not keep up with the flying devils. So we gave in. Pulled out the stuff with 30% DEET. It worked amazingly. First Lauren did it. She was so happy and content, no longer getting bit. That's when I gave in. Its not good for ya, but neither is getting bit by thousands of mosquitoes.
   The rest of the day was more enjoyable. Wilma Lake had the most mosquitoes I have ever seen in one place. I tried taking a breath of air and swallowed a few. Extra protein? We still found a bugless spot for lunch along a creek, felt so good.
    We are camped on a saddle on the way up the crest to Sonora Pass. It is so amazing here. The sunset was spectacular and I can barely wait for the sunrise. Should be chilly tonight. Die mosquitoes!

One of our top 5 campsites. Even mosquitoes, chafing and throbbing feet couldn't dampen my awe that night.

"Hello, Universe? Send down something amazing tonight for the hiker girl who just had her first 25." Thank you.

Can't. Stop. Staring.

Who feels pain when walking through this? Chafe, schmafe, this was worth it.

Very proud of this one.

Andrew was sponsored by Balance Bar (that's his representin' shirt) and got hundreds for free. If you're interested, he would LOVE to give some away.

Aaaaaand, we're back in Sierra country.

Hoover Wilderness!

Why does the hiker hike? Might as well ask why the bird flies or why the fish swims...because he was made for it.

Pollen has a beautiful purpose, but looks pretty scummy on water.

July 2, 2012 - Hungry...for Mosquitoes?

Day 18
A saddle between Kerrick and Stubblefield Canyons
Elev: 8819 ft
Miles: 20 Trip: 314

What a day! Andrew said that days like today think we're both badasses - I say days like today make me feel old. I wasn't into the hike for the first mile, walking like my feet were stuck in glue. The hellacious mosquitoes jolted me into reality - the only thing they're good for. I felt okay until lunch, when my growling appetite made me inhale twice what I'd normally eat. When that hunger hits, it needs attention. We fought mosquitoes every step of the way; it seemed we could never outrun them! I ate several of them, but somehow didn't feel like I was fighting back.

The best part of the day was swimming in a calm little lake by the trail - especially since Andrew got in too. I couldn't dive in fast enough, but it took some teasing before he'd actually submerge. Even he admitted it felt amazing, since the water wasn't nearly as cold as in the higher lakes. Still - a swim is just what I needed.

These mountains are so beautiful, especially with the partly cloudy skies we've been having. The filtered light makes everything a bit softer, like a watercolor painting, And the flowers - so many more than I expected to see up here! There's even some of the fuzzy little trillium we have back in Montana. Now, if the mosquitoes will give up the fight I can enjoy it all a lot more!

Shaggy says:

Mosquito hell. That's what one of our guidebooks describes the section from Tuolomne to Tahoe as. It is hell. If it weren't beautiful, I would curse it more. As bad as they are, at least the views around here are spectacular. The last few miles seemed to be the worst we have seen the skeeters. I think I killed thousands today, but also feel like I have thousands of bites.
   Luckily we found a couple spots without the blood sucking devils today. The first was our lunch spot, a windy, dry outcropping on the way down from a pass. I didn't want to leave!
   We also took an amazing swim in a crystal clear lake. It was also bug free for the most part. It felt amazing to swim in the lake, good way to wash up.
     I am proud of us for keeping it together today. We marched through the battlefield of mosquitoes and made 20 miles. I am really hoping they wont be as bad tomorrow, but suspecting that they will be just as bad.
   The sound of hundreds of them buzzing around outside is enough to make me go crazy. So glad we have a tent to sleep in.

Yosemite has a distinctive look to it. I would never mistake this scene for Glacier or Yellowstone.

The Wow moments never end.

Our haven from mosquitoes was right out in the middle of this little lake.

Just what I ordered: some clouds to texturize my photos.

Indian paintbrush and mountain heather. I really can't do justice to wildflowers with my camera (or my camera skills).

July 1, 2012 - How Grolar Bear got her name

Day 17
Matterhorn Canyon, below many-layered cliffs
Elev: 8400 ft
Miles: 21
Trip: 294

I don't know what I'd like to escape more: the swarms of people at Tuolumne or the swarms of mosquitoes here at Matterhorn Creek. They are apocalyptic. That may be an exaggeration, but not by much. They fly in mouths and eyes, crawl in hair, buzz in ears and even accost a person trying to pee. I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come.

Today's miles came pretty easily. It's unnerving how easily the 20-mile days get after only a few weeks. Now I can cover 15 before we stop for lunch - if we start early enough. The last two miles today were a wicked downhill, but I think Andrew suffered more than I did. His poor shoes, aka the bologna skins, have left his feet without much support. We saw a hiker named Siddhartha with a stress fractured foot hobbling into Tuolumne, and it spooked us both. Our strategy will be regular rest breaks, with cold creek-side foot soaks when possible. Tomorrow I'm really hoping for a cold swim as well, since I didn't get one in Miller Lake today. The polar bear in me needs some snow-melt to paddle around in. And right now the grizzly bear in me needs to sleep or become very grumbly...

Shaggy says:

Slept really well in the Tuolomne Meadows campsite last night. We stayed in the same spot that I camped at in 2010 and had 2 bears visit in the night. Nothing last night though. The campsite was quiet and peaceful.
   We got up around 7 and had a great but pricey breakfast  at the cafe. It cost about $15 for me to feel full. Oh well, camping was cheap in Tuolomne and we have been in our tent for 9 nights with no shower. So a little tasty breakfast is alright every now and then.
   We left shortly after breakfast. It was good to be back out on the trail, but still did not feel like the PCT. We passed hundreds of dayhikers and overnighters headed to Glen Aulin, a site with waterfalls and nightly visits by bears.
   The hike after Glen Aulin was wonderful, treed with great views from time to time. We are now camped in Matterhorn Canyon with two other hikers and millions of mosquitos. They are miserable. So glad we have a large tent to sleep in. So tired. Time for sleep.

"I believe that if you just stand up and go, life will open up for you." -Tina Turner

Yosemite would definitely be worth a visit after my thru-hiking days are over. But hopefully that never happens...

Solid rock. I just kept thinking of how cool it would be to ride down in a little red wagon. With a helmet, of course.

One of many cool waterfalls on the hike out of Yosemite.

Obligatory couple's shot.

A lake I would have LOVED to go swimming in if the mosquitoes hadn't been driving us forward.

This scene took my breath away. We hadn't had any clouds for weeks, then we see this...wow.

Getting this picture took a lot of fortitude and tolerance. Skeeters were RAMPANT.