June 24, 2012 - Miles, Not Smiles

Day 10
La Conte Canyon, along Middle Fork Kings River
Miles: 19
Trip Miles: 147

Another day of miles, marmots and magnificence. We approached Mather Pass separately, me taking lots of pictures in the soft morning light and Andrew moving quickly now, without my weight slowing him down. It feels good to be hauling all my own weight again - something I haven't done since our first day. I noticed it slowing me down today, but didn't really have much discomfort. My feet seem to know when we've hit the 15-mile maker and start protesting any more hiking. I know they'll toughen up and take more mileage without complaint, but that might take a little while. By the time we're out of the Sierras and in the Northern Cali desert, I'll be cruising. Who wants to go fast through the Sierras anyway?

Last night I started feeling a little homesick. I didn't think I'd miss my family until at least a few weeks in, but I had the urge to talk to my parents, brothers, friends, anyone else who knows me well. Being with only one person for days on end can be a challenge, even when those two people get along as well as Andrew and I. I'm so happy to be hiking with him, but I miss talking to my girls about things he doesn't understand: gossip, female body issues, hair emergencies...intellectual stuff. I'm sure we'll meet other hikers who will relieve the pressure of being everything to another person. It would have helped to start in Campo, get to know the rest of the 2012 PCT class. There are advantages to hiking in the desert, even if it means putting up with dehydration and cactus spines. Adversity brings people together.

Tomorrow we'll do another 18-19 miles, or push on to a spot nearer Muir Trail Ranch - a 23 mile trip. I did 22 to Independence, and in un-supportive shoes. Shouldn't I be able to hike further now that I have shoes resembling blue marshmallow Peeps?

Shaggy says:

Got the much needed sleep last night. I always try to find a site that has many pine needles, nice and soft, even for my well used z-rest. Every time I look at Lauren's, two inch thick thermarest I am slightly jealous. I am considering buying one in South Lake Tahoe. But for now I make sure we have a soft spot to sleep!
   We woke up early and were hiking by 7 am. It was so cold! Lauren has a gadget that told us it was 33 when we started hiking. But the uphill climb to Mather Pass had us sweating in no time.
   I decided to hike at my own pace and meet Lauren at the top of Mather. It felt so good to be outside early in the day, headed up a pass that I am fond of. It looks like it did in August a couple years ago. Nothing like the June of 2006. I still love the pass, so beautiful all the way up.
    The descent down to Palisades Lakes felt so good. When at the lakes we took a long break. I played in the creek trying to catch fish with my bare hands. I had my hands on more than one good sized fish, but they slipped away. Hopefully one of these days I will snag some trout for lunch.
   This is really livin though. Sitting on a shore of a crystal clear lake. The outlet cascades over a cliff, over a thousand feet before it begins to level off. The trail does the same in a series of short steep switchbacks, eventually leading us to the Middle Fork of Kings River. I cooked a quick dinner of a Mountainhouse I bought on clearance a few months ago. It was  cheap and tastes great, but contains 37 grams of fiber, 142% of your daily value. Needless to say, it offers gas that is almost painful sometimes.
   Luckily we walked another three and a half miles to a beautiful campsite along the river. Some of the gas escaped, some will escape throughout the night. I suppose the smells may really be a test for our relationship. But hey, she farts too!
   We made 18 miles today, and it felt great. Happy to be here. We will head up Muir Pass tomorrow. I cant wait!

The trail goes ever on and on...

Wouldn't you follow this guy into the mountains?

Just a cool rock, nothing more or less.

Fearless lizard facing down my hiking pole.

This was the day of waterfalls, and this was the best one.

Zero is easily impressed by things larger than him, but these shooting stars really are twice the size of Montana's.

WATERSLIDE!!

So tempting, but I couldn't find an exit from this pool that did not involve crashing into solid rock.

People pay money for miniature versions of this waterfall...

Marmots rule in the Sierras.

June 23, 2012 - Trail Pains

Day 9
Clearing near Pinchot Pass, just before South Fork Kings River
Elevation: 10700 ft
Today's Miles: 18
Trip Miles: 127

More delicious pass views today. The mountains between Glen and Pinchot Pass are so different from what we've seen so far; dark red veined with cream, black streaked with white...some crumbling and some looking like they just rose from the Earth's crust. I couldn't help ogling them, sometimes tripping over rocks on the trail, themselves exotic-looking and colorfully patterned.

We started from Rae Lakes at 7:30, a little later than our usual time but still within my range of respectability. I think Shepard (a 17-year-old speedster who camped with us) would have hiked with us, but he got cold waiting for me to pack my bag. He's probably ten miles from us by now, over Mather Pass. His question yesterday, of why the girl of girl-boy hiking couples is usually hiking in front, amused my but also brought up some insecurities. I laughed because it seemed so obvious to me: the girl is usually (not always) slower. If the guy hiked in front, you wouldn't see them together! That's how it is with us anyway, and it can cause tension. I take more breaks, more pictures and more time to look around than Andrew. He focuses on making miles, getting to our destination, pushing himself. I know he still appreciated the scenery and being where he is, but his drive to always move forward tends to clash with my desire to soak it all in and capture every possible memory. But I know that the fact he's out here with me means that the compromises we make are worth making, to be out here together.

Walking along the Woods Creek might have been my favorite non-pass stretch so far, The solid rock chutes with churning pools, the wide cascades, the sapphire color of the water...it all did a great job of occupying my thoughts as we made a gradual climb. The day went by so fast, I was surprised to find out how many miles we'd gone. My feet knew the truth though; although the Hoka have removed my arch pain (miraculously!) the last five miles left my ankles and toes complaining. But I'll take that over aching arched any day.

Shaggy says:

Yesterday while Lauren enjoyed a polar plunge in Rae Lakes, I walked around and saw thousands of fish rising. I really wished I had my fly rod. I found a PBR on the side of the lake. Looked like it had been there since last year, the colors were all faded. I drank it with dinner. Amazing way to end a great day.
   This morning came too soon. I did not sleep the best, and it was chilly, about 35 degrees at 6 am. We were on the trail quickly though, and enjoyed the amazing views on our descent.
  A National Park service employee stopped us on the way down, asking for our permit. We were trying to hurry past him so we would not have to show the permit which was buried in my pack. After unpacking, he said he wouldn't have asked if he knew it would be so much work. He looked at the permit, and sent us on our way.
   The downhill today to Woods Creek was so smooth. We made great time and had a good time chatting with everyone out for the weekend.
   The climb up to Pinchot wore us both out. 8 miles to the top. It was very pretty though, the colors of the rocks are amazing up here.
   We are both hiking about the same pace now. I am still carrying a little bit of her weight, but really glad we are hiking about the same speed.
   Today we are camped about a half mile before South Fork of the Kings River. We were both exhausted and need a good night's sleep.
  I am excited to climb Mather Pass tomorrow. Its one of my favorite passes and tomorrow will be the third time I will climb it.
   Dinner consisted of dehydrated spaghetti, sauce, dried venison, fresh sierra onions, tabasco sauce, cheddar cheese, and a cheese roll. Who said we were roughin it? That's good eatin'.
   17 miles today and I am sleepy.

June 22, 2012 - Sticker Shock

Day 8
Rae Lakes, below Glen Pass
Elevation: 10538 ft
Today's Miles: 13
Trip Miles:109

Our zero day yesterday meant I was too busy to journal, but here are the highlights: Breakfast at Schatz Bakery, a theme park of baked goods, got day-old bargains on apple-raisin-almond monkey bread (even better than Mom used to make - sorry Mom) and resupply bagels. Fruit tart blew my mind while talking with Just-A-Test and Challenger. Hit the danger zone of outfitters and goodie stores. Challenger spent $250 on gear, I semi-restrained myself to buy only underwear and socks - exciting times. Then the real danger: discovered Hoka OneOne shoes at running store, Short story: I later paid an undisclosed amount for the dorkiest running shoes in existence, But they proved themselves on Glen Pass today: NO major foot pain, almost running down the trail. Hope they stand up to linger miles. Had my first grocery store resupply and choked. Bought too much food, spent too much money. Hope to get more streamlined in the choosing of boxed meals and candy. Tried updating my blog on hotel computer - ridiculous. Slow connection, and I'm finding that these pages hold a surprisingly high volume of words. Took an hour to type 3 entries, no pictures added. Not worth the stress, plus I missed out on hot pizza with Andrew. Still ate it, cold, while chatting and laughing with lovely hiking partner, good friend.

Set out early this morning for Independence after too little sleep for me (still not streamlined in other areas of prepping and packing) and right to the trailhead. Andrew was anxious to put distance between us and the road - even skipped trail magic! I was grumpy because of that, but it's hard to feel much negativity around here. Rae Lakes feels like a fantasy world, like Jurassic Park meets Avatar. I swam for fifteen minutes or more in the frigid water, feeling euphoric to be a floating island surrounded by mountains and sky.

Shaggy says:

Yesterday we took the day off in Bishop. Though we had only hiked 6 days and 100 miles, we were in need of some rest. We ate really well and spent time with Challenger and Test. It was a really good day, and we both got a lot done. Lauren bought some new shoes with a ton of cushion hoping they will help with her feet problems. I ate a ton of baked goods from Schats bakery, and a watermelon.
   Today we were both super happy to be getting back to the trail. We took the 7 am shuttle back to Independance. We shipped a good amount of stuff home today, including gloves and thermal bottoms, all an effort to lighten up. We got a ride up to Kearsarge Pass in good time, but the guy asked for $5 for each of us. By this point we had met Sheppard, an 18 year old hiker, headed back to the trail too. If I had known it was $5 for each of us, i would have turned the ride down, as there was plenty of traffic headed up that way anyway. Oh well, it worked out.
    The trail up to  Kearsarge Pass was very busy. Passed a lot of hikers headed down, and many headed up. The climb wasn't bad either. But the further up we went, the more smoke we started to see. Not sure where its from, but it is smokey up here, not terribly, still a little worrisome. The pass seemed easy and felt good. The temperature had dropped since a few days ago.
     Then we were on to Glen Pass. Also felt good. We are camped at Rae Lakes with our new friend Sheppard. 13 miles today. I had a lot of fun today too, with both Lauren and Sheppard. Very happy to be enjoying this amazing place with amazing people!
   Lauren seems to enjoy her new shoes. I enjoy them too! The colors are amazing and fun to see her wearing =). She is going to give me a foot massage tonight because I have helped carry her food. I am excited. I even washed my feet. 

Preventative measures for achy arches and blisters = mummy feet!

One happy, happy hiker (he also had donuts earlier)

Watermelon is the key to happiness. Cold watermelon on a hot day? Euphoria.

We're back! Kearsarge on the second go-round. Zero is officially the highest-flying penguin on Earth.

The hikers began to lose their minds early on in their journey...

Full of baked goods, in both tummy and backpack. Hence the big smiles.

"And over there is where I'll put the guest cabin, with indoor pool and sauna..."

Prettiness.

Our biggest (and only) snow crossing thus far - Glen Pass.

Love the colors in these mountains.

Rae Lake, the best swim I had on the whole trip. Like being in a beautiful snow globe - without the snow.

Possibly the dorkiest picture of me in existence. I'm just so darn excited about those shoes!

June 20, 2012 - My Highest High

Comfort Inn in Bishop, CA
Todays Miles: 22
Trip Mileage: 96

Another amazing day, thanks to a pair of feet that have finally (hopefully) accepted that this trip is happening whether they like it or not. We woke up this morning at  5:30 and hiked merrily toward Forrester Pass. Well, Andrew hiked merrily. I shoved my hands in my pockets and let my poles drag behind me, trying to hike myself warm. It's hard to stay uninspired with the high Sierras jutting up around glassy alpine lakes, and a deliriously happy, scruffy hiker guy singing Disney musicals in front of you. Andrew is the best motivational hiking partner ever.

I'm not a talented enough writer to to describe Forrester Pass, or anything that came after. Just be glad I took pictures. I couldn't believe Forrester Pass was Forrester Pass as we approached, just a jagged knot on a sharp ridge. But that's where the switchbacks led us, well beyond the point I thought a mountainside could accommodate a trail. Trail builders are a remarkable breed. So are the hikers that hike those trails, for that matter. The feeling of elation I had after reaching the top is indescribable. I realized that I was a) standing at the highest point point I'd ever been at, and the highest point I'd ever be on the PCT; and b) the scene was so breathe-taking I, I felt no pain anywhere in my body. That phenomenon was repeated several times on today's hikes, hence the 22 miles and two passes I was able to achieve without crumpling. Nature's magnificence can be a very effective pain reliever.

So we hiked over Kearsarge Pass (a treat we get to repeat after our day in town) into Onion Valley Campground, where an enterprising and entertaining trail watcher named Paul gave us a ride to Independence. That's where we crossed paths again with Challenger and Just-A-Test, who were easily convinced to join us on the bus to Bishop, land of Schatz Bakery and untold other glories.

Shaggy says:

We woke up early. The sunrise was amazing. Camping up high is the way to go, no bugs, and amazing views. We sang songs the first mile, I was stuck on some great Disney songs, the bear necessities in particular.
  Forrester Pass was a good workout. Its the highest spot we will ever hit on the PCT, and is really beautiful. Last time I was there, I glissaded down the other side. This time we had one patch of snow, and it was about 10 feet long. No way to get lost, or even off trail. One really nice thing about the lack of snow is the flowers. On the top of Forrester these little blue flowers were intoxicating. I could not get enough of the smell!
  After Forrester was the long, slow decent into the valley below. So beautiful though. Lauren decided about this point that she wanted to hike over Kearsarge Pass, and down into Onion Valley, trying to get to Bishop tonight. We made it too! 22 miles, 2 passes, amazing views all day.
  We caught a ride down to Independence very quickly, there was a car leaving, just as I reached the bottom. Then we caught the 5 PM bus to Bishop. Challenger and Just a Test joined us, and are staying in the same hotel. We ate dinner together and now may all take a zero tomorrow. I love Bishop... cheesebread is amazing. It is so hot down here though, probably close to 100. Time to rest.

"I notice well that one step from the habitual path leads irresistibly in a new direction."

The sun crept slowly over the mountain. Very slowly...my hands stayed in my pockets until I reached the switchbacks of Forrester Pass.

Look at the bottom left corner of this picture. Now slowly look up until you see a VERY tiny black  speck in the rocks. That's Andrew. And that crevice he's walking toward is Forrester Pass. For reals.

I'm often in awe of the work that goes into building these mountain trails, but this plaque gave me a new appreciation. Thank you, Donald I. Downs.

Sky Pilot became my new favorite flower because it grew only at the highest, rockiest passes and smelled like sweet cotton candy.

The reflection of Forrester Pass looks almost as bad-ass as the pass itself.

A very unusual sight: Forrester Pass with almost no snow. This is normally a heart-pounding crossing of a steep snow slope, one few people would attempt at 7am like we could this year.

Imagine blasting and scraping away this trail. I'm very thankful.

Andrew finds a rockbar and shows off his trail-building skills. We'll make our own trail to Canada!

My highest elevation ever, until I conquer Whitney on my next visit.

Suncups! So glad we didn't have to hike through any of these.

Once we crossed Forrester Pass, we were in another world. I love this world.

Bullfrog Lake, en route to Kearsarge Pass. This may have been our hardest, and my favorite, day of hiking in the High Sierras.

View from Kearsarge Pass. Thankfully, we got to do this trail again on the way back from Independence (Kearsarge isn't on the official PCT)

Shaggy leading the way over Kearsarge.

A jeweled tarn on the other side of Forrester.

Coming down the Pass into Onion Valley. Yes, you want to go there.

June 19, 2012 - Fear the Pika

Two miles from Forrester Pass
Elevation: 12,200 feet
Today's Miles: 12
Trip Miles: 74

If there are even a few more places like this on Earth, then we have been spoiled. Since walking up to Bighorn Plateau, with that single tiny topaz lake, surrounded by sharply-cragged mountains, the views have only gotten more unbelievable. Taking pictures seems futile, since they never come close to the real thing, and when I write about it I always seem to run out of adjectives. So I guess everyone will just have to come see the Sierras for themselves.

I added a few critters to my witness-to-wildlife list today. A funny little bird, beautiful little grey-blue thing, would streak alonf the creek a few inches above the water, stop on a rock to hop up and down a few times, then do it all again, peeping a high-pitched tune the whole time. I'm sure he was catching bugsm but he had a very entertaining way of doing it. We also saw several marmots, which look like woodchucks trying to be wolverines, all chubby and waddling in their beautiful brown-gold fur. They're not very afraid of humans, unless you make the high-pitched squeak of a pika, which sends them scurrying into their marmot holes. The pika is a chipmunk-sized critter that will loudly declare its ownership of whatever rocky terrain you happen to be walking through. It also has razor-sharp teeth capable of shearing through a food sack quicker than you can say bear canister. The marmots are wise to fear the pika.

We'll make it to Bullfrog Lakes tomorrow without a problem, and if my feet are still talking to me we'll start down Kearsarge Pass.

Shaggy says:

We decided last night that we would take an easy day, not going up Whitney meant we had time to do whatever. So this morning we slept in. Then Lauren went walking down the creek, while I walked up creek for awhile. I was trying to catch some trout with barehands, but no luck. Then I started to look at maps and got anxious. We are doing great, 12-18 miles a day, but its still hard for me to stay still. It will likely be this way for awhile too, waiting for Lauren's flat feet to get stronger. I dont know why I get anxious. It may have to do with all of the other hikers constantly passing us. Not to sound like a jerk, but normally not many hikers pass me.
  We did good though today, 13 miles after noon. We are camped about a mile or so from the top of Forrester Pass, the highest point on the PCT. Views are incredible. Its going to be a cold night though, up here at 12500 feet.
  We only have 20 miles to Onion Valley, where a hitch will take us to Bishop. But we may do it in 2 days, depending on how the feet hold up. Time for rest.

Climbing up, up, up and into the meat of the High Sierras!

Pretty neat, if you like trees, rocks and dirt...

Every now and then I'd turn around to see Shaggy snapping a picture of me. There are MOUNTAINS to capture, man!

Near our campsite before Forrester Pass. See that crack between two ridges, just right of center? That's Forrester.

Eggshell that wanted to be photographed.

Our campsite was relentlessly scenic, but we try not camp on these fragile tree-less areas.

I love this picture. It's like our bear canisters are enjoying a quiet moment together while the sun sets.

The very first patch of (nearby) snow we saw on our trip. It measured roughly 5 ft x 10 ft.

June 18, 2012 - Of Wind and Whitney

Crabtree Meadows, below Mt. Whitney
Elevation: 10,500 ft
Today's Miles: 16
Trip Mileage: 62

Today felt good. We had mostly easy miles, with some very steep but short stretches then a steep drop into this meadow with a ridiculously picturesque creek winding through it, Mt. Whitney looming over all. The boulder pile I'm sitting on now is warm from the sun and looks down on a little waterfall pool where fish dart around. Not bad for a Monday.

I am disappointed to be so close to the highest peak in the lower 48 states, and not climbing it. I could pull it off, all 18 miles and 4,000 feet of elevation gain, but the aftereffects would be unknown, likely unpleasant. Just a few miles of downhill today made my arches ache - Whitney's switchbacks make them quiver in fear! If only the whole PCT could be uphill, I know I"d be fine.

We've met more of the full-distance (started at Mexico) thru-hikers here. Just-A-Test stopped at Chicken Spring Lake just as we were leaving it and then we met formally here at Crabtree Meadows, where we're all camped for the night. She commented on Chicken Spring's obvious beauty and lamented not camping there last night. There was definitely beauty, and cold water for swimming and frogs for singing you to sleep, but there was also a major wind situation at night. Out tent kept us up with its constant flapping and the wind with its loud howling. Then around 3am the tent collapsed, and we slept peacefully with ti over us like a blanket, thankful for the quiet, while the wind howled itself to sleep.

Anyway, I didn't relay any of this to Test, because I was too distracted by mosquitoes. They've finally made an appearance (even though there is still NO snow to melt into puddles for them) although they don't seem very motivated to fight for our blood. Challenger (another PCTer) came down from Whitet just then, glowing from a day of powering up and down the 14,504 foot peak. His was the funniest reason I've ever heard for summitting a peak: he needed cell reception to pay a bill that would be due before his next town stop. Just one more way technology is changing the way we hike.

Just-A-Test had an even better trail-meets-technology story. She accidentally (and unknowingly) set off the 911 function of her Spot GPS emergency beacon. For those who don't know, a Spot is one way a hiker can call in the cavalry when far from roads or phones. And the cavalry did come for Just-A-Test. She said she could see a helicopter circling for a while before she got suspicious, check her Spot and sheepishly called off the search (she was actually at a campground which had cell reception). She was only three days in the PCT, so of course she immediately received her trail name: Just-A-Test. I'm still waiting on mine, and any story that might come with it.

Shaggy says:

Woke up many times last night to the wind flapping the tent around. Finally it was so strong it pulled a stake out of the sandy soil, and the tent collapsed on us. It took us awhile to give in, but we finally decided to take the tent down and sleep under the stars. They were beautiful too. Not sure why we didnt do that at first!
  We started late due to the lack of sleep. The trail was beautiful today. I was really surprised that we didnt see anyone else while hiking today. It seems like the PCTers are really spread out this year, likely because of the lack of snow.
  We made it to Crabtree Meadows by 430. Camping really early to let Laurens foot rest. It is beautiful here, I love the Sierras. The view from my tent yields a meadow with stream running through it. Deer are in the meadow, chowing down. The mountains in the background are huge slabs of granite jutting up from the ground. Whitney is one of them. Right now we are considering an easy day  tomorrow, give Lauren time to rest her foot. I may opt to climb Whitney, unsure right now.

"The tragedy of life is not what we suffer but rather what we miss."

Zero was all for a long break at the creek to soak his...um, wings.

Bouldery creek that I once knew the name of. One of the raging creek crossings we had to deal with...

The mighty fisherman stalking his prey.

Lightning-quick hands catch fish for dinner! Well, they would if the fish had been any bigger than sardines.

Not sure which one is Whitney (it might be in the back) but I still stared longingly in its direction while I rested aching feet.

Deer grazed in the meadow beneath Whitney, begging someone to paint the scene.

On my solo-explore morning, I followed this creek full of tumbling waterfalls.

Even Zero was speechless near this cascade - it was deafening!

June 17, 2012 - Swimming in Spring Chicken

Chicken Spring Lake, camped at the base of  a mountain
Today's Miles: 15
Trip Mileage: 47
Oh, alpine lakes; who needs heaven when you have an arc of stone cliffs, dotted with snow banks and pines; a see-to-the-bottom sapphire lake with a fine gravel shore that begs you to wade in. Sigh. I went for a (very) cold swim when we made camp, and now that the sun is going down I don't think I was to leave tomorrow. I know I'd get anxious to hike after a few hours but it's nice to fantasize about a long sunny day at the lake. Some younger people are doing just that - Hwy 395 isn't far from here and it looks like a lot of people camp long weekends here. Some kid in neon shades even gave me some Jolly Ranchers. My first trail magic!

Hiking today was stop-and-go for me. My arched are becoming more insistent that this long-distance hiking thing is not what they agreed on. I thought I could go at least a week before my feet affected my distance but apparently they require my immediate attention. Today we wrestled with the question of whether to keep our course to Mt. Whitney and then hike over Kearsarge Pass, or to drop down to Horseshoe Meadows this morning and get a ride to Independence. The idea was I'd buy a new, hopefully more supportive pair of shoes there and take a few easy, low-mile days. After much torturous indecision, my aversion to a hotel and civilization, after only three days out here, won out out over my aching feet. But I did concede Whitney, knowing that the tough climb might be too much too early, and the time we save by skipping it means fewer miles each day. So, my first difficult decision on the PCT: done. We'll see how it works out.

Shaggy says:

Today we hippied it up. We walked 14 miles to a lake and while Lauren swam, I did some stretching (yoga). This lake has some cold water in it. This didn't stop Lauren from swimming to the middle and back, I will tip my hat to that.
  I didn't sleep super well last night. Drank a lot of water before bed, so was forced up a couple times. Sometimes its so hard to get up though. So comfy wrapped up in my down bag. Its also strange to me to be camped near a large group of folks, and several were gone before daybreak. We followed shortly, leaving just after 7 AM.
   The Sierras slowly showed their true colors today. The colors are mostly grey! No snow, except in tiny patches high in the mountains. The meadows are really green still, but I suspect that even the greenest of meadows will die this year as well. It makes me wonder about a few things. Will the bears be more actively searching for food? Will there be fires on the trail further north? And most importantly, will there still be berries up north? These questions and more ran through my head today along the dusty trail, only time will answer them.
   Lauren's feet were a big part of our discussion today. Her feet have bothered her everyday so far, but mostly after yesterday's 18 mile day. I wish we could have trained for this more, hard to get big mileage days in winter, but we should have tried. We debated for awhile if we should go into Lone Pine today so Lauren could find new shoes and rest up her feet, but we opted not to. Instead we will try to hike slower and skip hiking Whitney in a few days. I have done Whitney before, and Lauren says shes ok skiippin it. So we will. I just really hope her feet can handle the beating that our feet are in for. The numbers are frightening. 2000 miles in just over 100 days. But anything can happen. Tonight we will enjoy Chicken Spring Lake.