June 29, 2008 Pacific Crest Trail

Destination: Marie Lakes Trail Junction
Miles: 20

Adrian:
We slept well in the guest bedroom and the quality bed was so appreciated. Up at 5:15 a.m., we had a quick breakfast and hopped in the Tundra to get dropped off at the trail. On the way we got to see Chris in photo mode when he wanted to get some shots of a hot air balloon near his house. It was an inspiration to see a master at work :)

We thanked Chris for a great time and said our goodbyes. It was tough leaving. The first few miles up the dusty trail from Red's Meadow went slow.

Further on things got way better. We took the more scenic John Muir Trail when the PCT and it diverged for a few miles. We passed amazing lakes such as Garnet, Ruby and Emerald. One was named Thousand Island Lake after; you guessed it, the numerous islands. We lost count at 10. The JMT is said to be more strenuous and therefore longer too, but it was worth it.

I somehow dropped the map and data sheet while getting water and didn't notice it until about a half mile later. After rifling through my stuff to make sure I didn't pack it, I jogged back down the trail to find it. Thankfully I was successful.

For lunch we had a bagel with cheese and salami plus misc. snacks. For dinner it was mashed potatoes supercharged with a southwestern chicken filet from a foil packet. Both were good.

We are camped at 10,030 feet and are 2.6 miles from the border of Yosemite. This is where it gets good!

Kirsten:
I dragged for most of the day until we reached Garnet Lake. I always struggle the day we leave town and today was no different.

All of the food and just lounging around is necessary. Town stops also are a complicated endeavor because there is a lot of running around involved. Grocery stops, phone calls to family, locate an Internet terminal and try and upload photos, find a camping store and replace a broken item, find denatured alcohol for our stove at the hardware store. I'm not complaining. It's just that town stops are always more hectic than you realize they'll be. And then once you're back on the trail, it takes a few miles to leave it all behind.