Walked to the Breaking Point

Greetings everyone! Been out of touch for longer than expected, but that will be explained at the end of the post. Mark and I are anxious to share our experience finishing the John Muir Trail!

My first visit to Devil's Postpile, Mammoth Lakes, CA

On top of the world - Clouds Rest, Yosemite Valley

Sunshine, sunflowers and natures best

Greetings from Mammoth Lakes, California!

Mark and I got into yesterday after spending yet another 6 days in the gorgeous High Sierra Mountains. Surprisingly, this leg went very smoothly (once we got up and out of Independence), with lots of great photos, people, and stories. Our first night we camped at one of the Rae Lakes past Glen Pass (which probably means nothing to you guys, but it was absolutely incredible.) A tiny strip of land separates Upper and Middle Rae Lake, and we camped smack in the middle. Two lakes mirroring the surrounding mountains, pine trees, and tons of fish jumping out of the water to catch their evening meal - so cool!

Muir Hut, a sanctuary on top of Muir Pass in case of bad weather.

Finding a zen moment after an early morning summit.

A few days in, a section of the PCT runs through a burned out part of forest, which "reminded me of Candyland and other happy childhood board games. I felt like I was in a video game, but my only villains were mosquitoes and myself." It's a constant internal battle to connect with all the beauty around you, and just recently I feel like I have successfully made that connection. It's incredible how much your perspective and relationships change when submerged in nature for so long! For the first time in my hiking history, I ascended over 1,000 feet and my heart rate didn't go up one bit. Now that's fitness!

Saturday Thumbin'

Town days again - more than we had hoped for this time, but C'est La Vie. Mark and I have spent the last week trekking from Kennedy Meadows to Independence, CA which was personally my absolute favorite part of the trail so far. Massive granite peaks cut vertically to beautiful grass covered meadows. Crystal clear alpine lakes were around every corner and I climbed to some of the highest elevations I've ever been at!

As a side trip, we decided to summit Mt. Whitney, towering at over 14,000 feet it is known to be the highest peak in the continuous United States. And we did it in about 4.5 hours! Such great views, but when all the tourists roll in you know its time to head back down the mountain. The next day we hiked to the highest point on the physical PCT, Forester pass at 13,200 feet. The hike up was worth every second - it started with a nice gradual grade for several miles and then switchbacked up the pass for the last mile. Oh, and snow! There was still snow despite this ultra hot and dry year! Way to go nature.

First patch of snow on our way up Mt. Whitney!

The infamous Sweet Jesus

Guitar Lake with Elizabeth and Sweet Jesus

Click to enlarge - 360 view of our campsite on a ridge!

The last few days we took easy and only hiked about 14 miles a day. Initially we had planned to hike out of Kersarge Pass (down to Independence,  not on the physical PCT) and camp by the lakes for our last night, but the weather had a different idea. Right as we reached the top, the fluffy white clouds turned evil and began dumping snow (yes, snow in June) on us! We booked it down the 6 miles and luckily caught the last hitch down before the storm got bad, staying the night at Mt. Williamson Motel with Doug and Strider - two great fellow hikers who gave us rides and provide unmatched hospitality. They offered us a job as "runners" (people who hike over the pass to deliver packages to thru-hikers) next summer, so don't miss us too much Independence!

Beautiful sunset off of Forester Pass.

I got sick with who-knows-what when we hiked out, so we ended up staying an extra few days in town, taking two zero days. Feeling better, but won't know until we are on the mountain again! Off to hitch!

-Stink Bug

P.S. Hello and thank you to Sue, a lovely lady we met at the farmers market yesterday who graciously donated some delicious vegetables and provided great conversation.

One of our top 5 camp sites so far! Mark enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

Our Current Hiatus

I extend my apologies to everyone who's been attempting to contact us in the last two weeks. Our last hiking days have been interesting to say the least. On May 15th we decided that it would be best to let Amanda's feet heal up for a few days and so we stopped around 50 miles from Idyllwild in the town of Banning, CA (very close to Palm Springs, CA).

Stink Bug

I just wanted to share with all of you that I have finally received my new shoes!

The Facts:

• Ordered via Amazon.com
• Sent via Planet Shoes
• Model: Salomon XR Mission Running shoes (women's)

The Verdict:

• They are super comfortable
• Fitted near the heel and nice, wide toe box
• Good arch support
• Fit very well with blue Superfeet (highly recommended for thru-hiking)
• Super cute and colorful!

In other news, The park ranger at the state camp ground bought Mark and I two full boxes of Fig Newtons, which I had been craving since the start. I love people.

Also, I officially have my first trail name. Hello, I'm Stink Bug. I count all the living stink bugs on the trail and fart at inconvenient times. Thank you Abby for not letting go of that.

Off to hitch,
-A