7/4/2023
Section: Milepost 723.0 to 744.2
Distance: 21.43 Miles
Moving Time: 09:45 hrs
Elevation Gain: 3,192 ft
Click here for current location
Today is going to be short because it was a long one and I don’t want to go to bed late. Also, happy 4th everyone!
Last night was a menace. We had expected the breeze that was whipping up in the evening to stick around which is why we initially set up to cowboy camp - thinking it would keep the bugs off of us. It did not and they were vengeful. Also, without the wind, despite being at 10,000 feet it was warm and I was dying in my bag but i couldn’t stick any limbs out because they would get devoured. So I sat there, sweating until about the 10th bug bit my face and said “f*** it - I’m putting the tent up,” which I did in the dark, without staking it. Amanda joined me a little after and then, at 3 am, wouldn’t you know it - the wind came howling back and whipped at our unstaked tent all night. At around 4 am we had had enough and just said screw it, got up and left. Wildfire was gone and we assumed he had grown tired of our antics and left earlier.
We made our way deeper north into the Inyo National forest. The mosquitos were relentless. Eventually, as we were passing under the west side of Olancha peak we ran across the 3 ladies we had ridden in the car to the trailhead at Kennedy Meadows with. We waved at them and continued on. Just beyond their campsite, Wildfire caught up to us. He had actually had an almost worse night than us and said he was getting bit so bad he got up at 3 and descended a few hundred feet where he thought about pitching his tent but instead decided to make coffee and stir in anger at the evening. We all laughed about what a terrible night it had been and then headed on, Wildfire going ahead.
We started running into snow on a little further, still well frozen but not enough of it to warrant microspikes and eventually we headed down a hillside cutting the snow covered switchbacks which put us back close on Wildfire's tail. The trail wound down for a while until we reached a seasonal stream at 723.3 and stopped for a snack and water. The squeeze pouch has really developed some holes and it is all I can do to keep it from leaking as I filter. We sat and ate with Wildfire at the creek and took our boots off to give our feet a rest. The boots are brutal, especially compared to the trail runners but so much better in the snow.
Eventually we all left and began the climb of the day, taking us up over 2000 feet to a dramatic ridge. It was a brutal climb in the heat of the day but I day dreamed about how we could expand Auto Train services in the United States one day which helped pass the time. We hopscotched with Wildfire as we climbed, eventually cresting at the top where we stopped for lunch and great views at the Owen’s valley - its wide reservoir of water far fuller than it had been in a long while.
From the top we desceneded a long way down to Ash meadow and then climbed a short bit to Dutch Meadow. Amanda told Wildfire and I we could go along and that I should set the tent up when I got there. The last 2 miles seemed to take forever but we made it. I filtered water and set up the tent and learned that Wildfire was an engineering consultan for the Aerospace industry. Eventually Amanda showed up and we ate dinner fending off Mosuitos the whole time before they drove us inside for the night.
