Sonora

Thursday, June 26
Mile 1018, Kennedy Meadows North

That wind last night was carrying weather, to our surprise. Magic Stick felt the first drops at 3am and woke us all up. Because flat tent spaces were few at this site, I climbed in with Put-Put, the only one of us with the foresight to set up his tent. He has the same one as me, and it is very roomy for a solo tent. I was out like a light after that.

I woke up to a steady gray drizzle, the low clouds cloaking the peaks surrounding the lake. Put-Put and I loitered in our shelter until my deflated sleeping pad and a growing puddle of water necessitated movement. I packed my damp things and started walking down the flooded trail.

Somewhere between my accepting my wet feet and admiring the way mist changes a landscape, I realized that I really love walking in the rain. The last time I did this was day 2, and I was too busy worrying about drying my things out to enjoy it much. I've gotten a lot more relaxed about this whole hiking thing since then, and know that the rain will let up eventually and that maybe a dry bed will be waiting for me in 20 miles.

What i didn't realize was that an EPIC ridge walk awaited me over Sonora Pass. Yogi barely mentions it in her guidebook, but it is a serious pass! Exposed, cold, snowy, and incredibly beautiful; this was my favorite pass in all the Sierra, I think. All ten miles of it.

When we made it down to the highway, we were all shaken and exhausted by the intensity of it. A passing angel with beers and food eased our transition, and me, T-Bow and The Zone are headed to Kennedy Meadows North to find some hot water and warm beds. Magic stick, Laugh Track, Tuneboost, and Put-Put are headed into Reno for a couple nights with a friend, and are kindly taking my ailing air pad to hopefully get fixed at REI. I'll meet them back on trail the day after tomorrow, but now it's time for a much-needed rest.