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* Shelly’s second log of her hike …
Shelly Skye has sent more to the Fast Track To Work Office with a continuation of her experience on her hike this summer.
Day 4
1:04 pm
Well, according to my maps, I am about 4 miles from Donohue Pass (11,056'). The steepest part is yet to come. My goal was the pass today. We’ll see what happens. It was 12 miles from Tuolumne Meadows to the pass. I guess I’ve done quite well since I left Tuolumne Meadows at 7:11 am. Onward and upward.
Later
I am camped at Lycee Fork (9,650'). Decided not to go to the top of Donohue today for a couple of reasons. First, I woke up dizzy today. Vertigo can sometimes be a problem for me if I’ve been under pressure for a long time. So I’m a bit wobbly, balance-wise, and don’t have as much energy as I normally would. Secondly, if I did go to the pass, which is only three miles away, I’d have to go farther to find a camping spot. The place I stopped is beautiful for camping with the creek rushing by. I’ve put my dinner on to soak and will probably cook across the river from where I am camped. Then stash my canister somewhere off 100 feet or so.
Met a guy today who is doing the JMT solo and I had hoped I could camp at night with him. But he went on from here to the Pass and beyond. Safety in numbers.
I sure hope I don’t get sicker. I guess that is another reason I stopped. If I wake up really sick tomorrow, I could still go back. I don’t know how this will play out.
Still Day 4
Maybe the lesson here is for me to conquer fear. Everywhere I turn someone tells me something else that triggers my fear. I was visiting with some folks across the way (San Diego Sierra Clubbers) and one gentleman told me my bear canister might not hold up to bears. Like I needed anything else to worry about. All I can say is that the woman who sold it to me used it for years before getting her new one. Plus I don’t even think a bear would know where to look as I stashed it away from my camp.
It was a beautiful day today. Sunny, warm but not hot. The mosquitoes weren’t too bad till late afternoon/evening. The creek (looks like a river to me) is crashing and sloshing its way downhill. Very nice. And now I can hear birds twittering away. A totally idyllic place so why don’t I feel safe? I feel very, very vulnerable and it isn’t comfortable. I don’t like it.
If I feel the same or better tomorrow morning, I will go on. If I feel worse, I will go back to Tuolumne Meadows.
The fact of the matter is, I’m lonely. It’s not that I mind being alone, exactly. It’s that I would like someone to share this with.
This reminds me of when I traveled around the US. Come to think of it, the very first time I got vertigo was on that trip. Geez. I remember not enjoying things as much, and always being on edge. Waiting to make sure something doesn’t happen to me. It isn’t a restful place. Not relaxed.
The good news is that I walked nine miles today and nothing hurts, not my legs, hips or feet. And I have a full 7-day pack, too. So, at least physically, I can do the walking. My emotional state is the issue.
Day 5
We are what we think.
All that we are arises without thoughts.
With our thoughts we make our world.I took this quote from a quote book (1 oz.?) of Buddhist sayings that I brought with me. I read it last night and it helped me understand that I am creating my own fear and anxiety by the things I tell myself. I thought I wanted to share my fear but really I need to address it. So, when I woke up feeling pretty good I decided to push on. Right off the bat I stumbled on the trail. I heard myself say, “You’re going to fall and break your ___. You won’t be able to walk, they’ll have to rescue you and you will be humiliated.” No wonder I felt a surge of fear. Then I remembered the quote above and instantly decided to focus on the placement of my feet. To notice each rock, its color, texture, etc… In no time at all I was feeling joyful and thoroughly enjoying my walking. When I stumbled once later I caught myself and said, “How well you recovered.” It seems to be working. I’m at the top of Donohue Pass. It took me two and a half hours to get here, and feels great. I’m off to Garnet Lake.
11:54 am
Just finished lunch here at the junction of JMT and Marie Lakes. I’m now in Ansel Adams wilderness — no more Yosemite, it’s been left behind. The school group from Chapel Hill, NC is here. They are getting credit for spending six weeks on the JMT. A conservation/ecology class, I believe. The next lake is Thousand Island Lake then Garnet Lake. I’ll probably stay there as it’s 5 miles away and the trail guide says it’s a nice one.
7:01 pm
Garnet Lake
I had a 12.7 mile day, but it felt like longer. I walked from 6:38 am to 6 pm. With many breaks and lunch/dinner break as well. I guess I walked for 8 or 9 hours, all things considered.
I just added up tomorrow’s mileage and it looks to be 9 or 10 miles. Not too bad. It is a good thing I humped it today though or I’d be pulling into Reds Meadow too late to take care of business. I need to go into town and buy another bear canister so I can stop thinking about the bears getting into my food.
I hope I sleep tonight, as I’m tired. And I didn’t sleep well last night either. But, the good news? No dizziness. I think I have that one conquered.
I hope. (?)
8:29 pm
I’m laying in my cozy sleeping bag, listening to a little creek trickle by, looking out my tarp tent’s screen door, laughing at the mosquitoes that can’t get me and seeing a sliver of moon in the sky, as the light of the day starts to fade. My hips, legs, and feet hurt like heck but I don’t care. I had a good day.
Day 6
July 5th
I’m getting a slow start here this morning. I probably won’t get out of here till 7 am.
I blew one of the “leave no trace” ethics last night. “Travel and camp on durable surfaces.” Truthfully, I did try to pitch my tent on a flat point that was gravely/stony, but I couldn’t get any of my stakes in the ground. Since my tent isn’t freestanding, I need to stake it. Rather than sleeping under the stars (which were glowing by the way), I moved to a sort-of-flat spot near the creek. Didn’t think about it till this morning, but when I got up I saw many little tiny plants trying to break through the ground. The snow must have melted in this part of the world and what looked grassy and dead last night is the beginnings of what will be a glorious display of flowers. If I haven’t trampled too many. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
Rolled into Red’s Meadow about 4 pm and ran into Allan, the guy I met the 1st day out. He had gotten here early today and he and another guy, Steve, were sitting at a picnic table drinking beer. I joined them in one and we yakked it up for a bit. Steve is a recently retired wild land forest fire guy and this JMT trip has been the carrot at the end of his job. Keeping him going. He is very nice and lives in Del Rey Oaks.
Day 7
7:47 pm
Quite a tumultuous day. Had breakfast with Allan, Steve and Kelly from Boston. (She is going to be doing a story for dandilionmag.com). Afterward I called everyone: Mom, Dena, Angela. I think maybe I shouldn’t call home — makes me want to go home. But I didn’t and spent from 11 am to 6:10 pm on the trail. Went from Red’s Meadow to Duck Creek, a distance of 12.7 miles. I would have quit earlier but there was nowhere to camp and little water. So, Duck Creek it is.
Got my first blister today. Well, I probably got it yesterday on my last, hot decent into Red’s Meadow. Long and hot. And I didn’t do what I said I would do and stop every hour to air my feet. So dang, I have a blister on the outside of my left heel. And it’s a doosie. I tried moleskin but it didn’t seem to protect it very well. Hope it doesn’t get worse.
Hooked up a bit with a couple from San Mateo. Bob and Dana. They know Henry Shire and also have a tent by him. We seem to have about the same pace …I got here about 10 minutes before them.
The kids from NC were supposed to get here tonight but they aren’t here yet. Hope they make it.
It was another beautiful day. Clear blue sky, hot down below but cooler once I reached altitude. Speaking of altitude, the WHOLE DAY was climbing. Not steep but constant. At least till I got to the last quarter mile down into Duck Creek.
I’m tired.
Day 8
I don’t normally think of myself as a quitter but last night when I rolled (hobbled?) into Duck Creek, it was hard to know all I had to do today was walk 8 miles to Mammoth and get a bus to Lone Pine and pick up my car. The biggest worry was my feet of course. However, I think I have solved the problem. My insoles were too long and bunched up in the back, rubbing on my heels. I shortened them up front so they don’t poke out. Hopefully this will fix the problem.
I’m sitting about 10,000 feet overlooking Cascade Valley and towards Lake Virginia, my day’s goal. An easy one — only 4.3 miles total. There is a shallow lake just on the other side of the big lake that will make a nice swimming hole!
1:22 pm
Lake Virginia. Caught up with the students eating lunch on the amazing shores of this lake. I already had mime at Purple Lake, 2.1 miles back. Don’t know where to park it for the night — on this side or over by the pond …it might be buggy over there. The wind seems to be blowing on shore in this spot. Too much trouble to decide. Time to lay in the sun.
Later
We moved over to the pond and had a lovely swim and clothes/body-rinsing afternoon. Bob and Dana are quite nice and have been great company. I’m sorry I’m going to have to go on without them tomorrow as they are going out by way of McGee Pass.
I didn’t get any more blisters today but I didn’t walk far. I was afraid of the pressure on the left heel so I opened the blister and put triple antibiotic inside the opening. I hope that was the right thing to do. I have a long day tomorrow so hopefully all that walking won’t make it worse. I’m planning on a 13 mile day tomorrow. Up early and out by 6ish.
Day 9
12:31 pm
Just had a lovely lunch beside Silver Pass Creek. I left Lake Virginia at 6 am, knowing I had a long day ahead of me. I didn’t have my usual breakfast or tea because it was too cold to eat cereal and too high up to properly brew tea. So at about 9ish I began to bonk. I tried to snack as I went but I just couldn’t seem to recover. Finally at Silver Pass (10,880') I stopped and tried to get some sustenance. That was 10:20 am. Whatever I did seemed to pull me through to — wherever I am now. Somewhere along Silver Pass Creek before Pocket Meadow and the junction of Mott Lake Trail. I still have 4 or 5 miles to go and 3 fords of various creeks that are described as being very dangerous in early season. Am I nervous? Yup.
Of course, all went well. Only the 3rd crossing was a bit scary and one of the TA’s from the NC class was there to give me a hand. Somehow everything continues to work out.
Continued …see
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