Friday, July 13th: Today I hiked over three passes! Although Agnew and Island passes don't really count. Donohue pass on the other hand most certainly counts. Last night I camped with Pappa Smirf and his girlfriend (who is out here for a 4 day section). It was a false alarm last night with the rain. It was all ready to storm when a wind blew in and took the storm with it. A similar thing happened this afternoon on the way up Donohue pass. The sky grew dark, rain clouds were overhead, cold winds brought a little sprinkle of rain. I thought that at any moment the sky was going to open up and there would be a downpour. There was in fact a downpour but it turns out it was on the other side of the mountain. I could see the rain on the other side but was standing under blew skies. I lucked out again!
By the time I got up Donohue pass it was already 4:30pm. I guess The fact that I didn't start hiking until almost 10 this morning had something to do with it. I ended up pushing the last 7 or so miles to get to my chosen camp spot for the night. I'm next to a river in a valley just 5.6 miles away from Tuolumne Meadows. From Tuolumne Meadows you can hitch to Lee Vining where there is a gas station/deli. The deli at this gas station was rated one of the top three delis in California. Therefore, I've decided to make this 16 mile hitch to see for myself.
The 15 miles following Tuolumne Meadows is apparently the worst section for bears. They say if you haven't see a bear yet, you will here. If you have not had a bear playing with your food at night yet, you will here. Now, I do think bears are quite cute and cuddly, however, I've decided to try and hike past this section of trail as quickly as possibly and I will desperately try not to camp here. Knowing myself, I'll spend too much time in Lee Vining and not have the time in the day to hike an additional 15 miles after I fill myself up with deli food (big salad!). So, chances are I will end up camping smack dab in the center of bear heaven. *sigh*
The big accomplishment of the day: finishing the Sierras!! I am officially out of the Sierras and in Yosemite. There are still a few high passes ahead but they are not in the Sierras. It definitely feels strange to already be done with the Sierras. I realized I have no idea whats ahead after tomorrow. I don't suppose I've ever looked ahead to see.
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