- Today’s Miles: 11.0
- Ascent: 1,984 ft
- Descent: 2,374 ft
- Total Miles on Trip: 49.1
Kevin and I both wake-up at 5:50 A.M., the latest we’ve slept on the trip so far. We go about morning things such as getting water, taking down the tent, brushing teeth, and meticulously placing all of our small items in their proper pack spots. In the midst of this, Kevin informs me that we have run out of fuel for our stove. Damn. We still have tonight, all of tomorrow, and the morning after before we get to a resupply. Cold soaking it is.
We cross our first river right away, at 7:15 A.M. It’s ice cold and although the river crossing probably takes 45 seconds from one end to the other, my legs hurt from the cold temperature of the river. I hurriedly put on my trail runners to avoid being devoured by the morning mosquitos.
We climb up the last 1,000 ft or so of Donohue Pass which features a couple of patches of icy snow. It’s not a problem though and we reach the top by 8:30 A.M. I see a sign saying we are exiting Yosemite Wilderness and entering Ansel Adams Wilderness. One misconception about this trip was that most of the hiking would be done in Yosemite National Park. Not so. On the morning of Day 5, we were exiting the park and wouldn’t be returning.
At the top of the pass, Kevin mentions that we may have service. He turns his phone off airplane mode and for a few minutes nothing happens. And then all of the sudden- Ding! Ding! Ding! The sounds of text messages on Kevin’s phone flood in. I check my phone but get a no service message. We break for about 45 minutes and I borrow his phone to text my parents and let them know I’m alive.
Kevin and I take a second midmorning break around 10:15. We break at a swimming hole along a river and I peel off my shirt and hop in. After the dip, as we grab a snack, I have the ingenious idea of globbing coconut oil on trailbars. I brought a giant squeeze packet of coconut oil that I was beginning to think was a waste of space and weight (12 oz). But now, it’s a great way to add calories as a double serving of coconut oil is almost as many calories as a bar itself. Kevin likes it so much he globs some into his beard, calling it his replacement for the beard oil he normally uses.
Kevin and I hike the next 6.5 miles at a steady pace, not stopping for more than 2-3 minutes at a time. We reach an overlook of Thousand Island Lake, where we will stop for lunch. The lake lives up to its name as all kinds of granite islands, some small and some big, sit on top of the lake’s surface.
As we approach the base of Thousands Island Lake, Kevin filters water while I stop and chat with a PCTer. He tells me it’s hard to believe he has only done 900 miles from the border of Mexico. His body language indicates that he doesn’t mean this in a good way. I compliment him on his brand new shiny Osprey Pack, and he tells me there’s a story behind. Apparently, he started out with a Zpacks Arc Haul that got so beat up from the southern section of the trail, he had to get a new pack at an outfitter. Unfortunately, the outfitter only had a women’s model of the Osprey that he really wanted. He points to his upper body and say that the straps dig into his shoulders horrendously and it was a terrible decision. I wonder how many hours he has spent walking and thinking about this. It’s not like there’s a lot else out here to distract oneself. He tells me all of this with a sad smile and I wonder what his chances of making it to Canada are.
After eating lunch, I immediately fall asleep. I awake feeling confused and unsure of where I am. Oh ya, Thousand Island Lake. JMT. Right. And then I notice an aching that seems to come from somewhere deep in my legs. I’m feeling the 10 miles we have done today, along with our past couple of days of hiking. We have two more miles to our camping destination at Garnett Lake. When I finally get up to pack my stuff, hiking is the last thing I feel like doing. But that’s one of the things I love about being out here. Hiking is just what you do. There’s no one coming to rescue you and as the saying goes, the miles aren’t going to hike themself. The trail doesn’t care whether you feel like hiking or not. And you really don’t have a choice in the matter- you hike.
Sure enough, 15 minutes later of hiking, and I feel great. We see several amazing beautiful Alpine Lakes, such as Ruby Lake and Emerald Lake, that have all sorts of neat and peculiar features. It’s impossible to compare sections of trail but I do love me some good Alpine Lakes.
We reach Garnett Lake at 3:30 P.M. and set-up camp. Kevin had the great idea of building a fire tonight which serves a double purpose. Keeps mosquitos away and we can have hot water with our meal tonight.
After dinner and a successful fire (good work Kevin), I sit down and stare out at the amazing view of Garnett Lake. There’s nothing else to do, nowhere to be, and I soak it in. Not too shabby out here, I think.
