Stats

Start: Tent site – Mile 572.9
End: Tent site – Mile 600
Elevation Max: 6,231
Elevation Min: 4,639
Elevation Change: 4,672 up & 4,851 down
Average Heart Rate: 116
Walking Time: 8 hrs 48 minutes
Date: 5/8/2022

The Walk

It was a windy night. I don’t regret sleeping on the mountain, because I was tired of getting wind blasted.

I woke up every hour in the night. Half afraid a tree branch would blow off and land on me. But the wind was mostly blocked and I was thankful to be in my tent.

It was 5:30 by the 10th time I checked my watch. Finally time to get moving. An early start to set up a big mile day is a positive from a rough night. Maybe I will catch up to a few friends ahead.

I opened my tent and saw fog covering the mountain. I could only see 30 feet in front of me. There were even a few water droplets when the wind gusted. But I was already committed.

I headed out straight away. My best option was to get off this mountain top. A few miles later I was off the peak and the sky cleared up. Wind wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but I was definitely still in windmill country. No matter how fast I walked I couldn’t get warm. It’s going to be a long walk to Kennedy Meadows!

The mountain views were beautiful and the morning went by quickly. 6 miles in I saw Mounty and hiked with her for a bit. Then I ran into Smurf and Cacoon who I hadn’t seen in a week. We hiked together the rest of the day, it was fun to catch up and share stories from the last 200 miles of trail.

The trail wound its way through wind farms and mountaintops it was filled with beautiful views. But it was chilly all day with no sun to warm up. Cold enough that you didn’t want to take a break. The most annoying part of chilly hiking is staying the right temperature. I need a puffy jacket to stay warm normally. But If I wear a puffy while climbing it turns into a sauna. I must have stopped to switch it on and off 5 times.

We stopped for lunch at 1:30. I had already hiked 21 miles. My body felt great. I could do another 50 mile day if I wanted. Maybe even more. That day gave me perspective of what I’m capable of. But I had no reason to try it.

Lunch was refueling and the afternoon hike had two big climbs. Smurf and I knocked out the first climb then found a sunny spot fo lay down and wait for Cacoon. We listened to music and chatted. After 40 minutes it was odd she hadn’t stopped by, so we waited another 30 minutes and texted her to see what was up. Eventually we gave up and started walking 4 miles ahead to the planned camp spot.

2 miles later she replied and said she was already at the camp spot! She was walked by and we don’t hear her because of the wind. That was a welcome relief. The last two miles were downhill. Through a green, tree-filled landscape.

The wind picked back up and I could see the damage it cause. The section was covered with downed trees. They couldn’t stand up to the wrath of the wind. I even jogged past a few trees because they were wobbling. Only a matter of time before they came crashing down.

We found a spot out of the wind at mile 600. Still a few miles from the next water source, but good enough. The FarOut comments had sightings of mountain lions and bears in this section. I haven seen anything yet. Maybe that will change tonight!