I awake to the smell of smoke. We slept near one of the snow lakes, and this morning the smoke has blown in. I’m not sure where the smoke originated but I assume it’s from the bootleg Fire which is currently consuming wildlands and woods to our west.
We eat breakfast and drink coffee next to a small lake near our camp. The setting feels more like home, with trees scattered around us and huckleberry bushes standing petite and low to the ground.
…Today is July 25th and we are now in Oregon, just south of Crater Lake. Tonight we’re camped next to one of the Snow Lakes, which is more like a small pond. Today was one of our prettiest days in Oregon yet. We passed by miles of huckleberries and green forests then climb upward at the end of the day to walk along a ridgeline, obtaining our first scenic view in Oregon. Now we lay under the stars as I reflect on where we’ve been.
It’s been hundreds of miles since we last made a post, and I apologize to all of you who’ve been following along on our adventure. When we last left off, we were in South Lake Tahoe. Since then we’ve been through a number of small towns speckled throughout Northern California, and benefitted from the kindness of strangers on several occasions.
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Today we awake, glad to be alive after Lupine’s brush with danger yesterday. The weather has been warming over the last several days, so we sleep without the rainfly on, and I awake to the buzz of mosquitos hovering around our tent. I roll over and look at them as they hover then land randomly on the mesh fabric of our tent. They are desperate to eat me.
I apprehensively rise from bed and am amazed that I am able to leave our camp relatively unscathed. We quickly pack up all of our gear then make our way down the trail, hoping to find a more peaceful place to eat our breakfast. When we eventually spot a large stone slab sitting in the sun, we branch off the trail and begin our daily regimen of coffee and muesli. At first, our place is peaceful, but before long the mosquitos have tracked us down, and we disappear under our bug nets.
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Last night we had one of our best camp spots of the trip. We camped at mile 1,046 and our tent sits atop a ridge where I fell asleep watching the sky turn pink in the horizon, a ribbon of color above the mountains. Now, this morning the mountains are glowing again, telling us the sun is on its way. We best prepare to start our day. But it’s so comfy in our tent. My legs hurt last night, aching in my sciatica. So I’m hesitant to get up, but eventually I must rise. I summon the courage and rise.
Yesterday we did about 20 miles. The plan is to do the same today.
We leave camp around 7 am, and bid good day to a fellow hiker camped nearby. We do not see him again today.
…When I awake to the alarm at 5 am I can hear the wind swirling around overhead, stirring above the trees. I envision the clouds swirling and twisting like liquid in a caldron. I remember watching the clouds last night move quickly across the sky. Before falling asleep I slipped in some earplugs to help clear my head. Fortunately our tent sits sheltered beside some boulders, avoiding most of the wind.
I ask Lupine how she’s doing as her eyes barely open. “I’m tired” she says as her eyes then seal back shut. I’ll lay here a little longer and then get moving I decide. Lupine wakes up at 6, and writes a quick and simple account of the day.
Woke up at creek. Slept in till 6.
Breakfast and coffee at our campsite. We are tired this morning and need come caffeine to get moving.
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We wake up at Deadman Campground under a huge cedar tree – slept well, but woke up hungry. Jon was so tired the night before he put on two right shoes, one of them mine, to use the bathroom. I reapplied Jon’s KT tape, packed up and headed down to Kennedy Meadows for breakfast around 7:30. Only one table occupied so far, the normally bustling cafe was very quiet. The local dogs in the adjacent lobby looked at us, but obediently did not enter the cafe. I ordered biscuits and gravy, 2 eggs, 1 pancake and ham. I’d been craving biscuits for the last 200 miles or so. Jon got 2 pancakes, 3 eggs and sausage. Coffee was excellent, not too strong or weak, just right. The food at KM has been really good, and affordable. I feel rejuvenated from our last 3 meals here.
While packing up last night, I made a horrible realization – I left my treeking poles in Steve’s car. I am unable to buy, borrow or steal any trekking poles at Kennedy Meadows North, so I resolve to hike the next 75 miles without poles. I can borrow Cactus’s poles for snow crossings, if needed.
The shuttle back to Sonora Pass had 9 hikers and their packs piled into a van. Our driver, a soft spoken older man, pointed out old wagon trails from the 1850’s along the way. Amazing that settlers haven’t been here very long, just in the last 200 years? I once stayed at a friend’s house in Austria. It had been in his family for 400+ years. The driver told us a story about a hiker who found a 15 lb rifle along the wagon trail, dating back to the 1880’s.
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We sleep near the Kennedy Canyon Creek. Last night I fell in while getting some water, just as the sun went down. It was unfortunate, but today is a new day, and my clothes are likely dry now as they hang from a tree branch outside our tent. The rain fly was off last night so I can see them.
My alarm goes off at 4:30 am. Lupine and I were ambitious when we agreed on that time last night. But we are excited to get to Kennedy Meadows North today, because it’s supposed to have good food, and we’ve heard only good things. This is also our first chance to get rid of our bear canisters, the large plastic cylinders that have plagued our backpacks since entering the Sierras 300 miles ago in Kennedy Meadows South. They’re required to keep your food safe from bears, but they are bulky and heavy, thus won’t be missed. Sure, they’re only about 2 lbs or so which doesn’t sound like much, but when your hiking 15-20 miles per day or more you really really want every pound to count. Suffice to say, we can’t wait to lose this 2 lbs today.
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Last night we slept at Wilma Lake. It was swarming with mosquitoes. Everywhere seems to be swarming with mosquitoes lately. I put the rain fly on the tent last night to provide an extra barrier from their entry. This morning I can see a couple still hanging out on the top of the tent. I assume they had a cold night and are probably looking forward to a warm meal.
We set the alarm for 5:00 am this morning. We don’t usually set alarms, but today we wanted to be sure to get an early start. We’re aiming for a 20 mile day, and to do so comfortably, we’ll need more hours. When the alarm goes off, there are already birds singing, and starting their day. I hit snooze twice and we get up at 5:30 am.
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It’s another tranquil day in the Yosemite backcountry. Again I smell the wild onion as I open up my eyes. I lay in our tent and imagine what my day will include – granite stone, rambling streams, and bright green meadows. Not a bad day at all.
As we prepare breakfast in the early morning light, several hikers pass by our camp heading upward, making their miles for today. Our deer friends again join us scampering through the forest. We watch them as we eat, sipping our coffee. The young ones look at us suspiciously, and we move smoothly so as not to startle them. Another hiker spots them as he walks by, and they scatter as he walks to the stream for water.
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It’s cold again this morning. In the twenties, I assume. 25? 28? I’m not sure exactly. I watch the sun as it makes shadows on our tent. The shaded imprint of branches wave across the rain fly. When the sun is sufficiently illuminating the bottom of the tent, my motivation rises, bringing me upward to my feet. Again it’s time to hike. It’s time to go to work. Today will be a good day I tell myself again. I’m hopeful for beauty, wonder, joy, and a pain free day.
The snow from last nights dusting is mostly melted, with only hints of it in the shade of giant conifers. A little bit of ice sits at the bottom of our tent, where the snow began to melt then freeze again. Near our camp is a river, we must cross first thing in the morning. We do it before our coffee. So, does it even happen or is this just a dream? I skip across the rocks, precariously placed. But, I make it with dry feet. Unfortunately, Lupine is not so lucky, dunking her foot into the stream. Burrr…
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