PCT Day 65: JMT Day 2

Sunday, 9 September 2018

Sunrise High Sierra Camp (13.4) – Lyell Canyon (27.4): 14 miles / 619.7 total miles walked

Last night was the first time I actually had to wear my puffy to sleep. I even closed the clasps on the quilt to make it more like a sleeping bag, and then pulled the quilt over my head. And still I was almost chilled.

When I woke up (or rather my alarm startled me awake) I looked at the thermometer and it was somewhere below 30°F/ 0°C.

I really didn’t feel like packing up and walking in this cold, but you gotta do what you gotta do. But I didn’t put on my shorts yet.

Dawn was just breaking when we headed out into the meadow and up the only climb of the day, a measly 600ft.

My face was frozen and it took my thighs a long time to thaw enough to make some decent time. Thankfully the sun ce out and started to warm things up. At the top of the climb we took a breakfast break and I was able to put my puffy away, walking in just my hiking shirt and sleeves (it was still only 50°F/10°C).

The trail led through a beautiful meadow and later through some light forest. I came upon a deer grazing and was able.to watch it for a while. It didn’t even mind my being there, simply enjoying its own breakfast.

You can always tell when you get close to a road, because suddenly there are a million people on the trail. And because it’s Sunday, there were even more.

So I was pretty much running down the hill, dodging dayhikers left and right, darting like the deer I had seen earlier.

Just before Tuolumne Meadows the trail takes a pointless loop around another meadow and that part ifnflat, gravelly trail was like a super highway. Pretty annoying.

But we made it to the store by noon! 😁

Sink was able to pick up her package and we got some burgers and just hung out for a while.

We sat for a while in front of the store, on the pavement, just enjoying the sun, and a guy walks by and just hands us two beers. Magic. 😊

We finally managed to get out of the vortex and kept walking around 4pm, taking a stroll along Lyell Canyon. It’s so pretty here.

Tonight is the first night where we can’t rely on a metal bear box to keep our stuff safe. So we put everything that has any kind of smell into a bear canister and set those up a ways away from our tents. Hopefully nothing big and furry comes sniffing and rumbling about in the night.

Keeping you posted…

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