Today we have a long but beautiful climb up to Muir Pass. The trail follows the Middle Fork Kings River up into the snowy alpine, where it begins. The first 3 miles of the trail is through the Le Conte canyon. It’s a peaceful place. The meadows are soggy with recent snowmelt and wildlife is abundant, enjoying the warm, sunny morning.
After nearly 12 hours, we emerge from our tent. Apparently, adjusting to physical exertion at elevation is exhausting. We are feeling rested this morning, and ready to tackle our fourth pass in four days.
I make us coffee and breakfast and then after packing up, we immediately ford the South Fork of the Kings River. It’s a cold crossing and I can hear my own voice in a high pitched exclamation above the roar of the river.
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Thursday, August 2, 2018
Forgive me the cliche. But I slept like a baby last night. And today I wake up feeling elevated. Maybe it’s because I’m on a ridge looking into a valley, granite peaks to my left and right. Maybe it’s because we survived two days of thunderstorms, and I’m awake, dry and alive.
I look down to the valley to a patch of trees that surround the river. Steam and myst hover around the edges. Somewhere nestled in the trees are our fellow hikers, shaking dew from their shoes, and tents. Burrr…. I do not envy them.
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Wednesday, August 1, 2018
I am alive. For now, that’s all I need.
I awake refreshed to the sound of water. I inhale the smell of dew on sand, and my heart is put at ease. The sun is hitting our tarp, preparing to dry the tiny drops of moisture that have settled over night. I watch them roll from our shelter’s peak, and collect upon the bottom seam. Soon the moisture will evaporate, and return to the clouds that drenched us yesterday.
I wonder if it’s possible to be hit by the same exact molecules of water, two days in a row.
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