Thursday, July 25, 2013
Distance Hiked: 9 miles
Post by Melissa:
Distance Hiked: 9 miles
Post by Melissa:
Today is the day that Nick and I must part ways on the trail. I am going to finish the John Muir Trail (JMT) and Nick is going to continue on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to hike on towards Sonora Pass. In order for me to finish the JMT I need to obtain a wilderness permit. My PCT permit will not cover me on the JMT descending into Yosemite Valley. Nick and I know that there is a small number of permits available on a first come first serve basis so we get up super early and start walking towards the Ranger Station in Tuolumne to stand in line for a permit.
Early morning picture of the walk to get the permit. I think it's around 6:30am here.
Picture of the river from the bridge
The walk to the ranger station ends up being over a mile and I can only move so fast in Crocs. Nick walks on ahead of me to get there sooner and reserve a spot in line. We are stressed about getting a permit. I didn't want to risk getting stopped by a ranger and getting cited for not having one. I had been on the JMT since we hiked to the summit of Mt Whitney and I wanted to finish it. I may not be able to complete the entire PCT from end to end but I could finish the JMT. It was within reach.
Below is a picture of Nick speed walking ahead of me on the road to the Ranger Station
We finally reach the Ranger Station and I am third in line. There are two men in front of me. I needed to wait about an hour and a half for the station to open. In the meantime Nick walked over to Tuolumne Lodge to try to get breakfast for us. As time went on the line of people waiting for permits began to grow quite long. When the Rangers showed up they asked who needed a permit for the next day and the 2 guys in front of me raised their hands. They told them to stay in line as the permits for tomorrow would be issued at 11am. It was 8am and they were only issuing same day permits at this time. I walked into the station first and was super excited to be getting first dibs on a permit. I was issued a permit without issue and met up with Nick who had picked me up an awesome breakfast to go from the lodge. Yay!!
On the way back to our campsite I stopped to pick up our resupply box and care packages from the post office. I was so excited to see so many care packages! My friends and family are so amazing. <3
This amazing care package is from my friend Stephen. He loaded it up with dehydrated mango and white peaches, Justin's peanut butter packets, some amazing bandages and other various goodies. Nick and I immediately took the dehydrated fruit and set it aside to snack on during our hike today.
These blister pads are uh-mazing! Totally helps cushion raw and sore blisters. We've used a few of them already!
This package is from my friend and triathlete buddy, Elda. Oh man...she put some yummy stuff in here! She knows us too well! Skittles, Starbursts, Jelly Bellies, Gummi Bears, Ginger Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Marshmallows and more. We couldn't wait to tear into these!!
Yay for mini marshmallows!!
Kathy and Conrad spoiled us with some delicious cookies, a really cool emergency whistle/compass necklace, temporary tattoos, Aquaphor and a few other goodies. It was a box full of fun surprises! Nick and I immediately started munching on the peanut butter and ginger snap cookies. Yum....
Cookie Monster!
Nick using one of the cleaning wipes. Ahh...feels good to have a clean face!
After going through all of the supplies we realize we have too many supplies for this leg of the hike so we ship a box of goodies home with plans to send them back to the trail in future resupply boxes. We dare not put all of this love in a hiker bin! We want to use it all :-)
We finally get all of our gear loaded and make our way back to the trail...I'm starting to get sad because I know we must part ways in a few minutes. On our way out of camp we wave goodbye to Rob (Tubby) and make our way back to the PCT/JMT junction. As we are walking to the trail Nick starts reminding me of things I should do to be safe. I can see that he is worried about leaving me alone on the trail. I must hike 23 miles into Yosemite Valley and it will take me the rest of today and part of tomorrow. I will be camping alone for the first time on the trail and will be without a tent, stove, and other common gear. I had bought 2 emergency space blankets in the Tuolumne Store to put under and over me to make a makeshift shelter tonight. I felt surely that would be enough to survive. I planned on eating jerkey for dinner. I only needed to get to Yosemite Valley tomorrow and my sister would be waiting for me around 3:30pm.
We reached the moment where we must part. We had a day hiker snap a quick picture of us to capture the moment and then I looked into Nick's eyes and a sadness came over me. I didn't want to leave him but I knew I had to. We hugged and kissed each other goodbye and as we walked away from each other I kept looking back at him until he was out of site. I didn't get more than a few steps when my eyes filled up with tears. I had been with Nick nearly non-stop for 92 days and I was already missing him minutes after we parted.
Me with my sad face on walking away from Nick.
I walked on alone and it was a strange feeling to know that I was now on my own. Completely alone and could hike as fast or slow as I wanted and take as many breaks as I wanted to. I was used to being on a routine with Nick and making joint decisions. Now each decision was mine alone to make. I needed to get to Yosemite Valley by tomorrow at 3:30pm. I had 23 miles to hike and started to focus on my hike and putting one foot in front of the other.
I saw these strange looking mushrooms while hiking.
My initial goal was to make it to Cathedral Peak and then reassess how many more miles I could get in for the day. I could see the peak from the trail and it seemed so far away but I knew it wasn't that far. I needed to keep marching.
I was hiking for about 15 minutes when the skies opened up and rain and hail started coming down. Thunder and lightning soon followed. It was pretty intense and I quickly stopped, put my pack cover on my backpack and pulled out my umbrella. I had sent my rain pants home so I'd have to settle with keeping my upper body dry. As I was hiking I came across several day hikers who were soaked. They were trying to quickly make their way back to Tuolumne Meadows while I hiked further into the wilderness. Many of them commented on my umbrella and how lucky I was to have it. They were drenched and freezing.
The trail quickly became muddy and small little streams started flowing down the trail.
Here is a video of the crazy weather
Little rivers forming on the trail...not good for keeping shoes dry!
At one point the rain was coming down very heavy and sideways so I sat under a tree and tried to wait out the storm. I was getting cold and put on my rain jacket. I must have waited for nearly an hour for the rain to let up. When I did saddle up to leave it was still raining but it was more like a light drizzle. The heavy rain had stopped and I wanted to push on to get some more miles in. The more miles I got in today, the less I would have to do tomorrow. That motivated me to keep moving despite the crappy weather conditions.
I kept hiking on and started trying to figure out where I would sleep for the night. I had already passed Cathedral Peak and wanted to put more miles in. I didn't want to be out in the middle of no where without a tent and alone. I was afraid. I decided I would hike until I came across some other hikers and I would set up camp near them. I did finally come across a lone male hiker who had set up camp but something didn't feel right. I didn't want to camp in that spot near him. I pulled out my map and noticed that Sunrise High Sierra Camp was about 2 miles away. The sun was setting but I felt like I could make it there before night fall. I was hoping this camp would have a lot of hikers so I would feel safe.
As I got closer to the High Sierra Camp the rain stopped and the skies cleared up. I was so relieved. I wouldn't have to sleep in the rain sandwiched in between 2 emergency space blankets. When I arrived at the High Sierra Camp I was ecstatic to see it was a legitimate camp. They had tent cabins, bathrooms, and a main hall for those that were staying at the camp. I walked into the main hall and asked one of the employees what the place was and he said there are many of these camps around Yosemite and people can backpack from one camp to the next and sleep in the tent cabins and they get fed and have access to showers, etc. Kind of a "high end" backpacking experience. I asked if they had a cabin I could rent and the guy laughed at me. He said they were booked over a year in advance. I then asked if I could cowboy camp there and he said of course and showed me where the "other backpackers" sleep. I made my little nest in the middle of a bunch of tents beneath a tree. I put my sleeping bag down on top of one of the emergency blankets and called it home. I ate some beef jerky, pringles, and cookies for dinner. I then put in ear plugs and passed out feeling warm, dry, and safe. Whew...it worked out perfect! Tomorrow I would need to hike 14 miles to get into Yosemite Valley.
Early morning picture of the walk to get the permit. I think it's around 6:30am here.
Picture of the river from the bridge
The walk to the ranger station ends up being over a mile and I can only move so fast in Crocs. Nick walks on ahead of me to get there sooner and reserve a spot in line. We are stressed about getting a permit. I didn't want to risk getting stopped by a ranger and getting cited for not having one. I had been on the JMT since we hiked to the summit of Mt Whitney and I wanted to finish it. I may not be able to complete the entire PCT from end to end but I could finish the JMT. It was within reach.
Below is a picture of Nick speed walking ahead of me on the road to the Ranger Station
On the way back to our campsite I stopped to pick up our resupply box and care packages from the post office. I was so excited to see so many care packages! My friends and family are so amazing. <3
This amazing care package is from my friend Stephen. He loaded it up with dehydrated mango and white peaches, Justin's peanut butter packets, some amazing bandages and other various goodies. Nick and I immediately took the dehydrated fruit and set it aside to snack on during our hike today.
These blister pads are uh-mazing! Totally helps cushion raw and sore blisters. We've used a few of them already!
This package is from my friend and triathlete buddy, Elda. Oh man...she put some yummy stuff in here! She knows us too well! Skittles, Starbursts, Jelly Bellies, Gummi Bears, Ginger Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Marshmallows and more. We couldn't wait to tear into these!!
Yay for mini marshmallows!!
Kathy and Conrad spoiled us with some delicious cookies, a really cool emergency whistle/compass necklace, temporary tattoos, Aquaphor and a few other goodies. It was a box full of fun surprises! Nick and I immediately started munching on the peanut butter and ginger snap cookies. Yum....
This care package was from the Rodriguez clan and was jam packed with all kinds of goodies! I immediately put the pringles in my backpack and the cheese and crackers. Those were going to be eaten straight away! I LOVE me some pringles! The box was full of all kinds of yummy candies, energy bars, oreo cookies, toiletries, etc. It was like Christmas opening up this box! My favorite part was the letters and well wishes. Thank you so much Auntie Delma, Ariana, Nina Jetty, Nino Jorge, Auntie Sharon, and Lindsay. Love you all!
Loving the facial wipes, lotion, and smell good stuff <3
Nick using one of the cleaning wipes. Ahh...feels good to have a clean face!
After going through all of the supplies we realize we have too many supplies for this leg of the hike so we ship a box of goodies home with plans to send them back to the trail in future resupply boxes. We dare not put all of this love in a hiker bin! We want to use it all :-)
We finally get all of our gear loaded and make our way back to the trail...I'm starting to get sad because I know we must part ways in a few minutes. On our way out of camp we wave goodbye to Rob (Tubby) and make our way back to the PCT/JMT junction. As we are walking to the trail Nick starts reminding me of things I should do to be safe. I can see that he is worried about leaving me alone on the trail. I must hike 23 miles into Yosemite Valley and it will take me the rest of today and part of tomorrow. I will be camping alone for the first time on the trail and will be without a tent, stove, and other common gear. I had bought 2 emergency space blankets in the Tuolumne Store to put under and over me to make a makeshift shelter tonight. I felt surely that would be enough to survive. I planned on eating jerkey for dinner. I only needed to get to Yosemite Valley tomorrow and my sister would be waiting for me around 3:30pm.
We reached the moment where we must part. We had a day hiker snap a quick picture of us to capture the moment and then I looked into Nick's eyes and a sadness came over me. I didn't want to leave him but I knew I had to. We hugged and kissed each other goodbye and as we walked away from each other I kept looking back at him until he was out of site. I didn't get more than a few steps when my eyes filled up with tears. I had been with Nick nearly non-stop for 92 days and I was already missing him minutes after we parted.
I walked on alone and it was a strange feeling to know that I was now on my own. Completely alone and could hike as fast or slow as I wanted and take as many breaks as I wanted to. I was used to being on a routine with Nick and making joint decisions. Now each decision was mine alone to make. I needed to get to Yosemite Valley by tomorrow at 3:30pm. I had 23 miles to hike and started to focus on my hike and putting one foot in front of the other.
I saw these strange looking mushrooms while hiking.
My initial goal was to make it to Cathedral Peak and then reassess how many more miles I could get in for the day. I could see the peak from the trail and it seemed so far away but I knew it wasn't that far. I needed to keep marching.
I was hiking for about 15 minutes when the skies opened up and rain and hail started coming down. Thunder and lightning soon followed. It was pretty intense and I quickly stopped, put my pack cover on my backpack and pulled out my umbrella. I had sent my rain pants home so I'd have to settle with keeping my upper body dry. As I was hiking I came across several day hikers who were soaked. They were trying to quickly make their way back to Tuolumne Meadows while I hiked further into the wilderness. Many of them commented on my umbrella and how lucky I was to have it. They were drenched and freezing.
The trail quickly became muddy and small little streams started flowing down the trail.
Here is a video of the crazy weather
Little rivers forming on the trail...not good for keeping shoes dry!
I kept hiking on and started trying to figure out where I would sleep for the night. I had already passed Cathedral Peak and wanted to put more miles in. I didn't want to be out in the middle of no where without a tent and alone. I was afraid. I decided I would hike until I came across some other hikers and I would set up camp near them. I did finally come across a lone male hiker who had set up camp but something didn't feel right. I didn't want to camp in that spot near him. I pulled out my map and noticed that Sunrise High Sierra Camp was about 2 miles away. The sun was setting but I felt like I could make it there before night fall. I was hoping this camp would have a lot of hikers so I would feel safe.
As I got closer to the High Sierra Camp the rain stopped and the skies cleared up. I was so relieved. I wouldn't have to sleep in the rain sandwiched in between 2 emergency space blankets. When I arrived at the High Sierra Camp I was ecstatic to see it was a legitimate camp. They had tent cabins, bathrooms, and a main hall for those that were staying at the camp. I walked into the main hall and asked one of the employees what the place was and he said there are many of these camps around Yosemite and people can backpack from one camp to the next and sleep in the tent cabins and they get fed and have access to showers, etc. Kind of a "high end" backpacking experience. I asked if they had a cabin I could rent and the guy laughed at me. He said they were booked over a year in advance. I then asked if I could cowboy camp there and he said of course and showed me where the "other backpackers" sleep. I made my little nest in the middle of a bunch of tents beneath a tree. I put my sleeping bag down on top of one of the emergency blankets and called it home. I ate some beef jerky, pringles, and cookies for dinner. I then put in ear plugs and passed out feeling warm, dry, and safe. Whew...it worked out perfect! Tomorrow I would need to hike 14 miles to get into Yosemite Valley.
Gosh, I got emotional too at your separate ways shot, but sometimes the right thing to do isn't the easiest. Good for you on following your instinct.
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