Day 68
June 25
Tuolemne Meadows- Glen Aulin
mile 942.5-948.5
6 miles

I decided that I would rather take advantage of the time I had in the room I had paid so much money for, rather than rush to catch the one bus. I would try hitchhiking instead. After another shower, I headed over to the cafeteria and looked over my options. It didn’t seem right that the only thing I could eat was the healthiest option with the lowest number of calories! All of the other thru-hikers were eating plates of pancakes, entire pizzas, huge hamburgers, and brownies and ice cream! I decided that I couldn’t deal with eating dairy-free anymore and went ahead and ordered a bacon and egg breakfast with pancakes on the side. The server asked me what I was hiking and was impressed and interested in my journey. When he gave me my food, he told me to “walk in beauty.” I still asked for soy milk in my latte.
I sat down at a table to myself, next to one with a father, toddler, and grandmother. Eventually, the father started talking to me and told me that his wife had seen me yesterday and wondered which trail I was hiking. She had read “Wild” and guessed I was hiking the PCT. “I’m going to tell my mother-in-law that you’re here,” he said as he left. “She might come running down to ask you some questions.” I hung around for awhile, but no one showed up.

I returned to my room and used the bathroom. Nothing had changed, which was very disappointing. I packed everything up, checked out, and walked to the backpacker’s camp where I was told I would have the best chance hitching. I stuck out my thumb, but car after car passed without stopping. Eventually one pulled over and wanted to know where I was headed. He wasn’t going the same way. Later, another guy stopped and told me he could only bring me part way and that it was up to me if I wanted to accept. I decided against it based on what had happened in Bishop. He thought I would have better luck if I held out a sign that said where I wanted to go. I walked over to the check-in booth at the campsite and asked the man if he had a marker and a piece of cardboard. He was only able to find a single piece of scrap paper and a thin marker, so I stood there, doing my best to make the letters as large and as thick as possible. I returned to the road, tucked my PCT bandana into my shorts, and held out my sign. I wished someone could have taken a picture of me! Several cars slowed down to see what my sign said, but then kept going. This was much harder than I expected! After about 30 minutes, a car pulled over and asked where I was going. They didn’t know where that was, but said they could take me as far as they were going. I decided that a little progress was better than nothing. Once on our way, the wife asked the man where the falls that they wanted to see were. He did not know and tension ensued. Suddenly, we were at a split in the road and near an accident scene. A helicopter had landed in the grass and ambulances were waiting nearby. They asked one of the officers how to get to their destination and discovered it was back the other way. Before I knew it, I was being dumped out at the accident spot! I walked back to the road and resumed my hitching attempt. Now, however, no driver would even look at me! Every eye was drawn to the accident scene! I had made a horrible mistake! I walked back in the direction I came from and waited in a place where the road had widened. Still, no one would stop. I thought about all of the time I would spend waiting for someone to give me a ride back to the trail on this journey. I felt a lot of pressure to get in my miles, but I had no control in doing so. Eventually, I started getting mad. I didn’t know what to do! I had to keep reminding myself to put out positive energy. I hoped that a nice blue car would stop for me. Every car continued to pass by, however. No one knew about the PCT in this valley.
After two hours, a car finally pulled over. They pulled off the road so far ahead of me that I thought they were checking their maps or something. Then the driver got out and motioned me over. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“Tuolemne Meadows.”
“That’s exactly where we are going!” he said and he opened the trunk for me to put my pack in his blue car. How wonderful!
He asked me if it was okay if they made a stop. His wife wanted to see El Capitan. Of course, that is okay! They were a very nice couple and I felt very comfortable with them. Peter and I remained in the car while his wife got out and stood in a field with others who hoped to catch a glimpse of the diminutive figures climbing the rock face. Peter said that they were two peas in a pod and that they always had trouble getting anywhere because one of them always wanted to stop and look at something. Once back in the car, she showed us the photos she had taken. Only when zoomed in to the most extreme could a semblance of a figure be made out. Peter told me that it took the climbers six days to climb the rock, which I found unbelievable. They told me about their sight-seeing vacation to the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and now Yosemite, and how varied each climate was. Peter is an engineer in NYC and was fascinated by the rock tunnels around Yosemite.
We stopped at an overlook so he could get out and stretch his legs. Unfortunately the clouds remained heavy in the air, and we couldn’t see anything. He lamented leaving his sweatshirt back in his room.
At last, we arrived back at the Tuolemne Store.

I offered to buy them lunch or coffee, but Peter said he wanted to buy me a coffee! I figured I had better eat some lunch, so I paid for my hamburger and fruit cup and he bought us each a coffee. I joined them at the picnic table and pointed out the group of thru-hikers congregated on the other side. “Look at all of those homeless people!”. I saw Dinnertime and stretched out my arms to hug him. I love seeing people that I know! I think he is not typically the affectionate type, but when he heard I was still sick, agreed that I deserved a hug. I couldn’t believe he had already caught up to me after taking 11 days off to visit his girlfriend!
Peter and his wife went on their way to explore the area a bit and I went to retrieve my resupply boxes. The man found my name on the list and told me to meet him inside the store. It turned out that they were storing all of the the thru-hikers’ boxes in a storage area above the cashier counter. The postal employee had to wait until the cashier was ready to step away, step up on the counter and then be boosted up to the storage area. Once he located the box or boxes he needed, he passed them down to the cashier and then hopped down. I was amused at the process and that made them happy, as well!

I was really hoping to receive an extremely light-weight full sized journal that someone from home said they would send me here, but only my own boxes were there. I had had two boxes sent because I thought I would need one to get me into the Valley and one for the next stretch on the PCT, but it turned out that I had enough food to get into the valley. I still didn’t know if I could eat anything with dairy in it, so it was hard to figure out what to pack. I ended up having more than an entire box of excess food!

Cuddles came by and said he needed more food to supplement what he had. He asked if his wife, Emma, could also look through the box. When she was done, she asked if their friend, Fun Size, could come over and look through it. I had never met him before, but he was super nice and grateful for the food I gave him. He thought it was high quality stuff. Several people were planning on camping nearby, but I wanted to get in some miles.
By the time I finished sorting and packing, it was 5:00! I handed the rest of my food to a store employee to put in the hiker box and then walked back along the road.

A woman in a car stopped and asked me if I was hiking the PCT. I thought she asked me if I knew “Carrot Cake” and “Zucchini Bread”, thinking they were hikers and I shook my head no. She was actually telling me that she made those things for PCT hikers and had come looking for us! I accepted a carrot cake muffin and told her there was a big group of hikers at the store who she would make very happy.
I crossed the road and looked for the PCT. It was not at all apparent. I tried every direction and wondered when I was ever going to take the time to look at my maps before I set out! Finally, I found the path. It was surprisingly flat!

There were information sign along the way and I stopped to take pictures of them, so I could read them more fully later. Then, I saw Peter’s wife wave to me! She said they thought they would run into me here! Peter was photographing a group of very tame deer, but she was worried about the ticks in the grass.

She grew a little impatient waiting for him. I smiled, remembering the “two peas in a pod” phrase. We chatted a bit more and then I moved on.

I came to a stone building and suddenly had to go to the bathroom. I had to drop my pack and find a place quickly. I wished I could just enjoy these places without having to worry about that problem.

I walked around and saw the little bubbling sulphur springs in the ground and then decided I better get a move on it. I wanted to get to Glen Aulin, where it was highly recommended to stay since there was a bear box there. The scenery and light was very pretty in this area.

I entered the woods and a man soon after headed towards me. He asked where I was going and told me to introduce myself to his two lady friends behind him. He said I will be so inspirational to them. They already knew what I was doing before I could say anything and wanted to know if they could ask me a few questions. They asked me where I was stopping tonight and told me that there were several nice young guys there. I wondered who!
Not too long afterwards, I again had to quickly go to the bathroom. This was extremely frustrating! I continued through the woods and then emerged into a section of exposed granite. A huge waterfall of rushing water appeared on the other side. The sinking sun was illuminating the rocks in shades of red. I thought this was one of the pretties sections of the entire trail.


I walked over exposed granite and started making my way down toward Glen Aulin. As I grew close, I could see a big group of hikers gathered on a rock, watching the sun set. I wanted to set up my camp and go join them. I crossed a bridge, walked by a large canvas tent and then headed back towards the tent sites. A group of guys were standing around a campfire. None of them were thru-hikers. It was strange to be around so many campers, none of whom I knew. I continued back and up a hill to find even more tents. I did not feel like hiking farther and father back, so I cut up a hill and found a flat spot to set up my cowboy camp. Then, I brought my food bag down to the bear box as I made my way back to the rock, just as everyone was leaving. I had missed the sun set. The mosquitoes were out in force and after sitting alone while I ate a chocolately snack, walked back to my spot.

Only once I was in my sleeping bag, did I realize that I was on the path to the outhouses!

Day 65
June 22
mile 6.1 on JMT (about PCT mile ) 914-933
19 miles

I got up just before 7 and realized that I had rolled off my sleeping pad. It was SO cold! I was hopeful that it was going to be a good day for my stomach, but when I went to the bathroom, it was obvious that I was still sick. I packed up and walked down to the edge of the water to see the view in the morning light.

By 8:05, I was back on the trail. As I walked around the small lake, I saw numerous tents sent up and was thankful that I had found my own space last night. The trail contoured pretty lakes and then climbed along cascades of water.

I began to see snow covered mountains in the distance once again.

A couple of hours later, I sat down along the side of the trail and ate a bagel with blackberry jam.
About an hour later, I felt a strong cramping sensation in my intestines and immediately had to expel the contents. For the first time in my life, I found out what it was like to have explosive diarrhea. Something was very wrong. I had heard many people talk about having this as a symptom of giardia, but I felt fortunate not to have experienced that part of it both times that I had had it. Something had definitely changed in my sickness, however. It seemed to have moved from my stomach into my intestines and now I was having a different set of problems!

I encountered many day and section hikers in the area, but luckily, they did not appear when I needed privacy. I crossed over a bridge and briefly lost the trail, not realizing that it wrapped back around the lake in the other direction.

Three southbound women passed me, wearing mosquito head nets. The mosquitoes were becoming more of a problem, but not enough to make me wear one of those things while walking!

As the trail climbed, I encountered several groups of day hikers. The JMT was far more crowded than the PCT!
Gradually, I made my way back down to the intersection of the PCT at a beautiful setting of alpine lakes. I sat down and had a lunch of beef jerky, a kiwi, some salted nuts, and an acai dark chocolate bar. The mosquitoes immediately swarmed me and I had to wipe myself with Deet. This day seemed to be progressing so slowly. The miles were taking much longer than I had hoped.
A couple of hours later, I ran into Billy Goat, heading southbound. He was worried about the thunderclouds forming in the sky, which I found surprising for someone who has spent so much of his time out on the trails. He said he was headed back to his car, so he didn’t have to be too concerned about getting wet. A big storm was supposedly on its way, just in time for my visit to Yosemite! We discovered that we are both from the Boston area and I learned that he used to be a conductor on the same commuter rail trains that I took every day to work! What a small world! He asked me why I was hiking this trail and we talked about what being out here does for our spirits. Billy Goat told me that he doesn’t want to have a home. He said that it is nice for the first night to be inside, in a bed, but after the second night, it starts getting old. I felt the same way during my time in Mammoth! After telling him about my stomach illness, he advised me to find a cheap place to stay for a couple of days where I could rest and agreed that going home would mean the end of my hike. He believes that the body will always catch up to what the mind wants. “If the mind wants it, it will bring the body along.” My mind most definitely wanted to hike the entire trail! He told me about his experience climbing Half Dome in the 90s and that he would likely see me the next morning during his hike south from Tuolemne Meadows. He also said that there was a girl named Tortoise not far ahead of me, who I would probably catch up to. After thanking me for taking the time to chat with him, we went off on our separate ways.

The trail took me along clear pools of water that I seemed to recognize from past hiker’s photographs. Even though I felt like I wasn’t making good progress, I decided to sit down at the edge of one of the lakes for a few minutes. I discovered that I had a little reception and texted Muk Muk. She wrote back and told me that she and UB were at VVR, but that they were going to hike separately from there on out. She had to re-organize her system and was feeling sad about the situation. I let her know that I was planning on taking a couple of days to hike Half Dome, and that maybe that would give her a chance to catch up to me.
I put my pack back on and continued up the trail. I had one steep climb of about 1,000 feet in elevation gain ahead of me.

I felt tired and had to muster up some energy and keep my mind positive. My pack felt heavy and the altitude made the going slow. I felt like I was out of shape. All I could do was keep putting one foot in front of the other and stopping as often as I needed to take in more air.

I had another patch of snow to get across once I neared the top. At last I had made it. I tried to find the trail along the top of the ridge, which turned out not to be so easy. I lost it a few times on the rocky descent, as well, but eventually I could look down into the valley and see the contour of the path. I passed by Tortoise and then found a nice rock to sit on and cook my spaghetti dinner, while a couple of curious marmots approached. The meal was a bit too spicy for me, but I really appreciated having a different taste.

I headed down the trail, instinctively turning away from a big pool of water in front of me, only to realize later that that was actually the trail. I had more fording to do and couldn’t manage to keep my feet dry. Several people had set up their tents in this area. I continued to descend into the forest and saw several other campers. A couple of guys still hiking warned me about how bad the mosquitoes were at Tuolemne Meadows and to be prepared.
As the sun started to set, I had to start looking for a place to set up camp. I had hoped to make it to the bottom of the descent, but I had run out of time. I noticed a flat area in the woods and went over to see if there was a spot for me to camp there. As I walked further in, I saw a couple of fire rings! I found a real campsite! I picked a patch of dirt to spread out my ground cloth and unroll my sleeping bag. Then, I noticed some leftover garbage close by, including a radio. It gave me an eerie feeling for awhile, but I settled down and tried to go to sleep.

Day 63
June 20
zero

My stomach was still hurting in the morning, although the intensity of the pain had dissipated during the night. It was clear that I would have to spend another day in town where I had a bed to rest in, even though that meant spending a lot more money than I had planned. I headed over to the cafe next door to have a lactose free breakfast wrap. Omelets were now off limits. (I hadn’t even realized that restaurants add milk to their scrambled eggs).
On the way back to the motel, I saw the Swedes! They were invited to shower in Butter’s and B-rad’s room and then planned on hitting the trail. Yesterday, I had seen Anastacia (Ice Queen) when she came running out of the pizza place as I was walking through the plaza. “Wendy!” she called. “We haven’t seen you since the Saufley’s!”. She looked so tiny in her little town dress.
I decided to be social and knocked on Butter’s door next to me. The Swedes, Archie (Sailor Moon), Butters, B-Rad, Spoonman, and Skinny D were all hanging out. I wasn’t fitting in so well, so I excused myself shortly after. My achilles was still hurting when I bore weight on my right foot and I couldn’t even dance in my room. I was both sick and injured and my spirit was not alive.
I read through my guidebook pages for the upcoming sections and noticed that the Northern Kennedy Meadows store only accepts UPS mail, which I didn’t think I had caught in my planning. I had a slight panic attack and then texted my resupply people to let them know. Then, I took a nap. I fell into the deepest sleep I had had since starting the trail, and immediately had dreams of being in the forest. My subconscious wanted to be back on the trail!

As I headed back to the organic cafe for some dinner, I ran into Seeking and Razor. Seeking couldn’t believe that my stomach was still hurting! I told him about my achilles tendon and Razor started in on how my feet probably didn’t point straight ahead and when I showed him they did, told me how I needed to be stretching. Seeking invited me to have a beer with them, but that was the last thing my stomach needed.
I brought a Kombucha drink back to my room, did some sorting and packing, and wrote a message to one of my yoga teachers who does a long distance reiki group session a couple of times a month for anyone in need. I explained what I was trying to do and that I have been in a lot of pain for the last three and a half weeks and asked if she could include me in the group. She wrote back saying that this was too much pain, that what I had done was impressive enough, and that it was time to go home. She didn’t want to see me dragging myself unnecessarily to Canada like Linus’ blanket. I was initially surprised by her response. She was the second person advising me to quit, and I had to take her opinion more seriously than the other person’s. However, I couldn’t agree that hiking only 1/3 of the trail was impressive enough and I could not imagine flying back home and returning to my couch as a failure. Who would want to celebrate me hiking only 900 miles and what was I going to do when I got home? I didn’t even have a job anymore. All I wanted to do was keep hiking this trail until I reached Canada. I came out here to hike the entire PCT. This is where I wanted to be.

Day 62
June 19
zero

I sought out a breakfast place in town that I thought would be healthy, bypassing the place that most of the hikers were eating at. There were only a few other patrons there, and I felt a bit lonely sitting by myself. I asked for soy creamer in my coffee, which did not look or taste as good as coffee with cream. It was a disappointing feeling not to be able to enjoy my normal treats. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to hike without being able to have my morning coffee to boost my mood in the morning. After looking through the menu, I ended up ordering the artichoke omelet that they had listed as one of their specials. Being new to a lactose-free diet, I was learning what I could and could not eat. The omelet had cheese in it, and I did not realize until a few hours later that I had made a big mistake in choosing what I did for breakfast.
I walked back to my room and gathered my clothes to put in the washer, started cleaning my stove and other gear that needed washing and began to sort through my resupply. I headed over to the healthy cafe after a couple of hours and ordered a latte with almond milk and a gluten and dairy free strawberry coconut muffin. A group of hikers were seated around a table and one of them, a young guy that I recognized from the yoga class I taught at kick-off, motioned me over. I thought he was going to say something to me about the class, but instead said “Hey, did you have the scariest ride of your life from that guy that took you up to Onion Valley?” I smiled. Somehow, he was far more terrifying to the guys than he was to me. We exchanged stories about our rides with him, and then I just sat at the table next to them sipping my latte while they tried to figure out how to get to a music festival that was beginning tomorrow.
I headed back to my room and skyped with my Swiss friend. My stomach was already hurting and the pain continued to increase throughout the day. The only thing I could do was lie down in my bed.
I thought that a sushi dinner might be good for my stomach, so I headed out across town, stopping in the natural foods store again to find out if they sold a non-dairy powdered milk alternative for my coffee. I ended up buying some soy milk powder and a few more lactose free snacks. I ran into Hermes and Lotus on the way to the sushi place and told them about my injured achilles and painful stomach. I was not able to enjoy the sushi at all, and had to practically force it down, while the pain in my stomach increased. My breakfast had done me in for the day. As I attempted to walk back to my room across town, I had to keep telling myself that I only to make it 10 minutes more before I could lie down again. I focused on each step and continued to tell myself that I didn’t have much farther to go.
Once back in my room, I lied down and texted a friend who was not sympathetic to my pain. He told me it was time to quit and go back to Boston. I tossed the phone down. I had hoped to get back on the trail tomorrow, but right now, all I could do was rest and hope the pain in my stomach would subside.

Day 61
June 18
mile 894.7- 906.7
12 miles

I saw a couple walk by on the trail while I was still getting ready in the morning. The man was moving slowly uphill and I quickly caught up to him and saw that it was Sharky from Silver Pass. His wife, Bibo, was waiting for him up ahead. I continued on alone in the forest until a hiker I had never met caught up to me during a pack break. He said his name was Prophet and was intent on getting to Red’s Meadow in time for lunch. I had no such goal. Twelve miles was still a good distance to hike and I just wanted to get into town.
When I caught back up to him as he was taking a break, he asked me if I had gotten a ride up to Onion Valley from a really scary man. He realized after I said that my name was Wendy, that I was the same person who had gotten a ride up to the mountain from the same man that had given him and Sagi a ride down. “Did you leave your snow basket in his car?”.
“Yes, I told him that, but he said that I didn’t.”
“Well, he found it and was shouting your name up the mountain. Wendy…! Wendy…!”
I shrugged. He said that that was the scariest ride he had ever gotten. He kept slamming on the breaks and driving in the middle of the road and was telling them the strangest stories. He asked them for money before they got in his car, as well. Only Sagi had a few bucks to give him.
I found it interesting that the guy drove them down the mountain and did not camp there after all. He obviously knew that we needed rides and was on the lookout for us. I was disappointed that he lied to me.
I took a break and let Prophet move on as Bibo and Sharky caught up. I dug into my food bag for some candy, which boosted my mood for the moment.
It didn’t take long for that pleasure to turn to immense pain, however. I crossed a creek where Bibo and Sharky sat on the other side eating and stood there, holding my stomach, unable to move. My face expressed the pain I was feeling in my stomach. I didn’t know how I was going to make it. One of the two asked me if I was okay and I said no. I told them the antibiotics had made me lactose intolerant and that I was in great pain. Bibo asked, “Do you want some cheese?”.
No! (I just said I was lactose intolerant…!).
I moved away until I found my own space and went to the bathroom. Then, I continued onward, walking mile after mile in the forest as the trail gradually descended. A southbound hiker headed towards me and told me I was almost there. (I still had about 4 miles to go. “Almost” means different things to different people..). He tried to boost my spirits by telling me that the restaurant had really good milkshakes. I frowned and said that I was now lactose intolerant and couldn’t enjoy a milkshake.
Later on, I ran into three day hikers. One lady exclaimed, “You look like you’re ready for anything” based on the size of my pack. I smiled and nodded. The man said that I had a challenging creek crossing coming up. My eyes grew wide. “Yeah,” the other lady said. “You get to walk across a big log!”. I smiled, wishing they could know half of what I had gone through in this last stretch. To them, this creek crossing was the big challenge of their day. For me, it was one of the easiest crossings I had done. It’s all about perspective.
I soon entered one of the ugliest parts of the trail I had seen. A massive storm had blown through, cutting through hundreds of thousands of trees, leaving a scene of destruction behind. The wind picked up and the sun glared overhead, and the walking became quite unpleasant. My sickness was making my mood decrease, as well. I walked past downed tree after downed tree, slowly descending towards Red Meadow. It felt like it was taking forever to get there.

Finally, I reached an intersection at which I got a bit confused. I saw the sign to Red’s Meadow, but couldn’t figure out where the PCT continued north. I followed the side trail, still not knowing if the buses were running or not. A hiker headed my way. It was Drama! “Well, hello, hello!” I said. I told him that I was still sick and he made a joke about it. I didn’t find it so funny. Our interaction was brief. He told me that a bunch of people were in the parking lot getting ready to hitch and I asked if I should hurry to try to get a ride with them. He said no, and we parted ways.

As I headed to the store to ask about the buses, I saw a group of thru-hikers standing in the area between the restaurant and store. One of them was the hiker who had told me to stop the psychosomatics. I did not want to be near him! The others I did not know.
I went into the store and upon asking, was told that the buses would start running on Saturday. Really? It was a low snow year and on a normal snow year, they were supposed to start running on June 15th. I went back outside and saw an Asian man heading towards his car. I followed him and asked if he was going to Mammoth. He was. “Could I get a ride with you?”. He looked at his wife, who was helping her daughter up the stairs. “How many of you?”.
“Just me.”
Luckily, she agreed! I put my pack in the back and got in the seat with the cute little girl. Her older brothers were in the seat behind us. The parents were interested in my hike and the father, in particular, had several questions for me. He wanted to know what the hardest part had been for me and what I liked best about it. He seemed to understand my answers and I could tell that he was looking for some of what I was finding on the trail in his own life. The girl wanted to play peek-a-boo with me, and kept asking her parents if they were almost at their hotel. When they told her they would be going out for lunch, she groaned. She said that sounded “awful!”. I guess the car ride was making her stomach hurt. I could totally relate! Every meal had sounded awful to me for over three weeks now.
They brought me to the Motel 6, where I had my packages sent, and went on their way.
After checking in, I ran into Greg (Sprinkles, now known as Butters), which was a surprise. He was with B-Rad, Spoonman, and Skinny D. Greg wanted me to show him some stretches for his IT band which had taken him off the trail at Tuolomne Meadows last year. It was acting up again. I told them about my lactose intolerance and Skinny D said that her friend had become permanently lactose-intolerant after taking antibiotics. Great!
I took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and headed out to find something to eat. There was a healthy cafe close by and I ordered a veggie burger that came with a side-salad and some corn chips. I felt so grateful for some real, healthy food, that I started to cry a little.

I headed across the street to the outfitter to see if they had my shoes and found out that they did, but not in my size. They did have a half size smaller. After trying them on, I decided to go ahead and buy them rather than wait at least another 100 or so miles. The man also helped me find some lactose-free dehydrated meals, which was nice. I headed over to the natural foods store and looked around for any snacks that did not contain dairy. All of the food that I had pre-bought for my hike had dairy in it. I didn’t know how long I was going to be lactose intolerant and the thought of needing to buy all new food for the remainder of the trip had me very worried about the expense. Bambi appeared in one of the aisles. He asked me how my stomach was and I told him it was not good. I said that I ran into Purple Haze in Lone Pine and that he told me that you need to take flagyl for five days! Bambi said his dose was extra strong. Great. I took a huge dose that proceeded to destroy everything in my stomach. He told me that there was some really good pizza next door and upon realizing I wouldn’t be able to eat the cheese, said that they probably had one with just bread and sauce. No, thanks. We walked back up the road to the motel and went to our separate rooms.
I opened up my two care packages. One was from a woman from my yoga mentorship. She said she was going to buy me the specific things I asked for, including a package of Love Crunch granola, and a lot of packets of Starbucks via! She also bought me some grapefruit seed extract for my belly, as well as a box of probiotics. Luckily, the granola turned out to not have any dairy in it! She also included some gluten/dairy free cookies and oat bars. (Thank you so much, Susan!) I also got a super nice package from a woman I went to high school with and just re-met at our reunion last year. She bought me some delicious snacks that were the perfect back-packing size. And her kids drew me a sweet, encouraging picture. I felt so honored! (Thank you, Tanya!)

I returned to the cafe for a snack and after a little electronic communication, went to bed.

Day 60
June 17
mile 873.1-894.7
21.6 miles

I did not take a single picture for six hours today because the smoke from a nearby forest fire prevented me from seeing any views. I was in the forest for the first half of the day, ascending another 1,000 feet, and then descending 2,000 feet down switchbacks. The air was hazy and I could not see anything in the distance. I wondered how close the fire was and if I should be concerned. I was just following the one path I was on without knowing any of the happenings outside of it. I wished I could send out a message to someone who had a computer and access to information, but I had no cell service. I decided it was best not to worry about it. The couple I had seen yesterday caught up to me on the descent and asked me if I knew anything about the fire. They were concerned, as well, but there was nothing we could do except continue to walk!
Awhile later, I ran into two men hiking southbound and asked if they had any information. They said the smoke was coming from a fire outside of Yosemite, in Mariposa, and that it was not close enough to where we were to worry about it at this point.
I reached the junction to VVR and found the couple nearby eating their “second breakfast”. They were digging into a jar of peanut butter and looked like they were really enjoying it. While I was happy for them, I was so sad that I was not able to enjoy food, myself. Eating caused so much pain. This hike was not at all enjoyable in this condition.
I started up the 3,000 + foot climb to Silver Pass. By the time I got to the open, rocky landscape, my energy was drained.

I sat down on a rock and watched a couple of marmots play. Looking back, I could see the snow-covered mountains that I had just come from, and waves of emotion swept through me. I had hiked up and over those mountains in such a sick state and felt so sad for myself, but proud at the same time. My Achilles was still hurting badly and I didn’t know what was going on with my stomach. This was not how I imagined this hike to be at all.
I put my pack back on and slowly moved on.

After I crossed the rocky landscape, I still had more climbing to get to the top of the pass. A man started to gain on me, but I was stronger on the climbs and managed to stay ahead of him.

I couldn’t figure out where the top of the pass was, but continued to plod along and eventually saw two guys that I did not recognize sitting with their backs pressed up against a big rock. I thought that must be the “peak”, but then saw two other hikers a little higher up on the other side of the trail. I went up there and found my own little spot to snack on some goldfish crackers and whatever else I could find that wouldn’t hurt my stomach too much. I was not in a good mood. Several minutes later, one of the guys came up to chat with the older couple across from me. “Are you two thru-hiking?”. He told them that he had thru-hiked in ’06. I listened to their conversation and started to feel a little better. This hiker was from New Zealand and had a very positive attitude and I couldn’t help but smile. He told Bibo and Sharky that he only had to set up his tent five times during his hike- that is how little rain they had. Sharky and Bibo couldn’t believe it. I asked him if the rest of the trail was going to be easier. I had never hiked such a tough stretch in my entire life. It was tougher than the toughest part of the Appalachian Trail, and I didn’t know how much longer I could take these big snowy climbs and endless fords. He said it wasn’t going to be easy, but it wouldn’t be as tough as this stretch. He told us about bumping into Donna Saufley, the trail angel in Agua Dulce, when he got onto the BART after flying into San Francisco and what a small world this is. He was out here hiking a stretch of the trail with his father now. He talked about how he had taken the Cloud’s Rest trail to Half Dome when he thru-hiked. I hadn’t heard of that trail before, but it sounded beautiful, and now I wanted to do the same! I had been planning on taking the extra time to hike down into Yosemite Valley and climb Half Dome, from the beginning, but with my stomach illness, I knew I might have to forgo that plan and rest in Mammoth instead.
The other couples headed out and I asked Sun Catcher if he could take my picture. I decided to do another jumping shot and I was amazed that he got the picture in the very first take. No problem!

I took a picture of him and his father and when they just stood there, asked them if they wanted to do a pose. They said that was their pose!
We all took off together and after I descended a snowy slope, I watched Sun Catcher “ski” down the hill. I really appreciated the injection of good energy from him!

I got farther and farther ahead as I descended, noticing the red algae on the snow and wondering if I had been drinking that…

I walked along alpine lakes and then forded a series of streams, my achilles still shooting pain whenever I put weight on it.

Dusk approached and I made my way down through a rocky section and then into another forest, heading to Purple Lake. I could smell smoke from a campfire and eventually saw a couple of tents set up. I stopped to collect water and then saw the couple I had been seeing for the past couple of days. We finally introduced ourselves. Their names were Pleats and Side Project. They asked if I was stopping here for the night and I said I didn’t want to camp so close to water because of the mosquitoes. They told me that there were some campsites ahead on the hill that they had checked out, but they were already taken.

I headed on, passing the tents and continued to climb. Surely there must be flat spots ahead. As the trail rounded, I saw another couple of tents set up. This was a crowded area! I looked around the woods and found a possible spot and stood there contemplating whether or not to stay. I finally decided that I didn’t want to be so close to other people and continued on. I climbed to a grassy area, dotted with rocks and went off the trail to investigate the area. I picked the flattest spot I could find and spread out my cowboy camp while I boiled water for my pasta dinner. Tomorrow, I would reach Red’s Meadow, where I would be able to get into town after the longest stretch of trail I had ever hiked.

Day 59
June 16
852.3-(approx.) 873.1
20.8 miles

I watched the early risers pass by while I performed my morning rituals and was glad to be well enough off trail so as not to be seen. My mood had not greatly improved overnight. Somehow, Dust Bunny ended up sneaking up on me and scaring me! She told me that I made a wise choice in continuing on last night, as the socializing reminded her of a bar scene. She was in need of her own space and decided to scout out a spot to have her breakfast. In just over five miles, she would take a side trail down to the John Muir Ranch in hopes of finding some food to carry her through the next section. She also planned on stopping at Mono Hot Springs. I was going to bypass both spots and just get into Mammoth. I headed out and told her I would probably see her soon.
I crossed the bridge spanning the creek I had camped near and followed the creek back in the opposite direction. As I came to another ford, Commando hiked up to me wanting to know how crossing Evolution Creek had been for me the night before. I was still not over my feelings about having to cross it three times. “Fine,” I told him. I wondered why everyone was talking up these crossings with such fear. If there was no one out here dispensing their own fears and advice, I would just keeping following the path in front of me. He asked me if my shoes had dried out overnight. “No, they did not.” How would shoes be able to dry out in the dark cold air?
He moved swiftly down the trail and I tried to relax into my own space. The trail climbed and followed the path of a gorge. I didn’t find it to be the most beautiful of environments, but maybe my mood was clouding the view.

I walked on and took a quick break along the side of the trail. A quiet man dressed in camo walked by in the other direction. He seemed to be about as happy as I was and I wondered what his story was. What was he in search of out here? The trail turned right as it crossed a bridge. I passed several nice campsites that were tucked away and thought about what it would be like to spend the night there. Then, I came to a steel bridge, where someone had left a note for another hiker. He had gone ahead when his friend didn’t show up and hoped he was still alive. The note was written several days earlier.

I had been wondering if the buses from Red’s Meadow to Mammoth were running yet. Service was supposed to start mid-June, but often started earlier in low snow years. I asked a couple headed in the opposite direction if they knew, but they did not. The woman recommended I hike to the Ranch, where I was sure to find out the answer to my question. She told me I could find internet and other luxuries there. I thanked her and moved on. I found a rock to sit on and take another break and watched a father and daughter hike southbound, as well. I was surprised that Dust Bunny had not caught up to me. I never did see the trail that headed toward the ranch, but turned right at the upcoming intersection to follow the PCT as it began to climb.
The annoying man and his brother were taking a break at the stream at which I needed to collect water, but luckily, I was able to walk down and find my own little piece of land to collect and filter my water before heading off.
I later heard the man talking extremely loudly behind me. It was very jarring and luckily not something that I had come across much on the hike so far. I managed to stay ahead and then found a little inlet on the lake to stop and sit at.

As he passed by, he shouted out, “Hi Wendy from Boston!”. My mood sunk even lower. I ate a snack and watched the dragonflies flying above the water. I wanted to take a picture of them, but found it impossible. They kept moving! I started looking at things on the earth and noticed how beautiful the concentric patterns of a pinecone were. I was reminded of how we really only see things when we stop and take the time to look around us. My mood started to lift a bit.

I packed up and walked by a tree with a tremendous curvature in its lower trunk. I touched it with empathy, noting the similarity between its curvature and my spine.
I continued to climb back into the granite rocks that were dotted with pink flowers and green grass. Four young female hikers were headed down and I stepped aside to let them pass.

I stopped to look at another alpine pond and continued the climb, slowly making my way towards Selden Pass. I looked behind me and noticed a hiker steadily gaining on me. He overtook me just as we were reaching the top. I told him he was looking strong- the very opposite to the way I was feeling. I crossed a small section of snow and dropped my pack at the height of the climb and we introduced ourselves. He said his name was Doogie Howser and that he was getting off the trail at Echo Lake. The mosquitoes started attacking.

I wandered over to the south side of the pass and found that the view was much more beautiful over there, so I returned to get my pack and bring it to a rock farther down for my lunch break. The mosquitoes were even more horrendous on that side of the pass, however! I took out my Deet wipes and slathered it on my skin. These bugs weren’t going to allow me to enjoy my lunch or the view.

I headed down the pass and walked along a pretty path, where clear streams cascaded down the hills and made the grass ripe with wildflowers.

I eventually reached another ford and saw a fallen tree to help me cross it. I was growing tired and once I saw a large flat spot to the right of the trail, decided to stop and cook my pasta dinner. I was still feeling physically ill, which affected my mind and attitude, as well. A couple passed by looking in much better spirits than me. In the last section between Kennedy Meadows and Kearsarge Pass, my stomach was in a tremendous amount of pain, but the rest of me felt strong and happy. This section was a different story. I was still in a world of pain and now, it seemed like I had lost a lot of my energy, as well.
I reached the next “dangerous” ford according to my guidebook notes and looked across the water to see the couple changing back into their hiking shoes. The woman waved to me and then hiked on. I decided to change into my crocs and keep my shoes as dry as possible. The water only reached my knees at the highest height. It took much longer to change into and out of my shoes than to cross the actual creek. I headed onwards and was not happy to discover that I still had more fords ahead of me! As I carefully placed my feet on the rocks, the mosquitoes suddenly attacked. I felt as is they knew my hands were completely tied up, trying to keep me upright with the placing of my poles. “She’s fully occupied. Get her now!”.
It happened again when I was forced to climb over fallen trees across the trail. The sunlight was fading and my body was tired of all these obstacles. I stepped over little streams and finally saw a flat spot to the left of the trail, where I would make my home for the night. Despite the mosquitoes, I set up my cowboy camp and turned on my phone to see what mile I was now at. I was incredibly surprised to discover that I had reception and was able to chat with a friend from home for a few minutes. I covered my head with my sleeping bag liner and tried to fall asleep.