;)
Let me just take a quick sec before the journal continues. Despite my best halfassed efforts, I've fallen pretty far behind on the blog since getting back from the John Muir Trail. I've realized this is because I'm not exactly taking the path of least resistance, that is, posting one photo a day (like a traditional 365). In an effort to illustrate my journal entries fully, I've been posting quite a few photographs for each day corresponding to that particular day on the trail. I really want to show you all these photos, and I've never been great at editing my own work down :) But the time spent post-processing and creating each entry is getting a bit out of hand, and now finding that I'm at least nine days behind, I'm going to stretch out these next few rounds to help me get caught up. I hope you, dear reader, don't mind the change in pace. Also, thanks for all the support and comments here and on the social networks, please, keep it coming. I'm nothing if not a sucker for validation. Ok, back to the journal. Let's see, where were we...
Sunday, August 1st, our 14th day on trail. Long, leisurely morning before setting out this AM. Nightlapse was ok, firelight was kinda cool on the tree. Hopefully more to come. Moon is rising later now, so more stars are visible in the early hours of the night. In the shade of a large dome, our camp stayed cold until 8:30 or so, when we finally left. Gradual uphill for three miles, still very Wild West-looking, then steep switchbacks up to Evolution Meadow.
Pushed a bit further to McClure Meadow, beautiful little valley up in the high country, around 9640 ft. Had a swim in the river, wait, actually first had a nap that started as soon as I laid down in the tent to check if the placement was level, as in, before the stakes were even in the ground. Bri cooked some quinoa with miso and tuna as I napped, then we ate and slept some more. Felt like I never wanted to get up at all, and the thought of swimming was borderline repulsive. Finally forced ourselves up and into the river, which wasn't too cold, compared to some swims we've had so far.
By the time we had sunned and dried and walked back to our camp, Brad and Julie had arrived via the Piute Pass trail [Brad is an old friend I met while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2001, Julie is his new bride]. Cooked with them, sun set and lit up the peaks over the valley, gorgeous, and the mosquitoes descended. Shot as many pics as I could of the alpenglow on the peaks before the bugs really got to me and I bailed to the tent. Tomorrow, 10-12 to Muir Pass and over to Helen Lake.
-llg