Addressing the mountains once again

This morning I packed in silence around 5 in the morning and prepared to go. All others were still deeply asleep and without hurry. That I definitely understand. For many people, this Sierra section will be one of the parts that require a lot of time from the entire path. But if everything goes as planned, I would really like them to do in less than 2 weeks. Then that would make me average around 30-35 miles per day. It will only depend on the conditions and how much snow is left behind.

Once I was ready, I met Jay and he led me along the way where the path rose. Apparently there was a camp in approximately 3 miles, so he told me that he could leave my backpack in his truck and that he would find there. A last slack pack before heading to the Sierra. For that next hour, I flew down the path and felt really good. I am pleasantly surprised that even after sitting in a car for hours and then on a plane for hours, my previous injury did not feel very tight or uncomfortable today.

It didn’t take long to address that camp where Jay was. I grabbed my backpack and said goodbye. I would leave my food and booty boat in one of the bears boxes in Cottonwood, where I can pick it up at some time tomorrow. It is so early that if I do more than 30 miles today, I will be in the camp at some time quite early tomorrow.

My package was really light and I felt good when I left there. Kennedy Meadows’s first day implied that it was basically uphill all the time. The path rises to 10,000 feet and a little above that. Although the climb itself is quite gradual if I remember correctly. A gradual climb is probably my favorite type of land of everything. Even more than a gradual descent or a flat part of the path.

The weather was fantastic and was very happy to move at a predictable pace. After being on the path of the Apalaches and going slow, it was a relief to move it 3 mph. The path here is typically of flat earth with pine. Sometimes, the parts of the path can be slow. But because the path is classified for stock animals, it is usually very gradual up and down.

When I was about six miles a day, I passed some people who were still loaded. Everyone is at their own schedule, but I am always surprised to see that the tents were installed after 7 am. Especially after 8 am or 9 am but I am only a type of person who likes to go early and reach the miles. I prefer to be in the early camp on the day than to start late and be late for the camp.

The path was woven up and down along the curves, but it was really pleasant and easy. I listened to music and let time died. Then, when I was about 14 miles a day, I crossed a great bridge and decided to stop for water. There were a couple of other hikers about to leave too. I recognized a boy from yesterday whom I met a grumpy. It must have been last night in place of staying in KMS. I sat there for a minute or two and grabbed some water. Then I continued throughout the gradual climb.

Entering the Sierra!

I knew that during the day the qualification would collect a bit. I had such a strong memory of descending to Kennedy Meadows during my walk southern 2022. So I knew it was just a matter of time until it became a little more steep and got into a wooded area. He took a while, but finally I reached the two guys who had left the water source before me. Then, an hour or so after that, I reached another hiker who had been out of the distance. I took another opportunity to fill the water when I could and talked to that hiker for a moment. Wine from Japan to walk along the path.

I could not say if this snake was a coral snake or the non -Poison imitator.

As the day passed, the temperature became hotter and hotter. Going up to height would help a little, but we were talking about temperatures around 90 °. When I looked at the climate more recently, I saw that the temperatures of the whole week were around this. But I thought it could be a little better in the mountains.

As the day continued, I could not say if it was heat or altitude, but I felt very tired. In general, my body fits very well to greater altitude. In my two experiences in Sierra previously and in the San Juan, I had almost no side effects of altitude. Generally only a little slow during the first day or so. But I think the little tiredness combined with heat was using me.

Someone left these skins in the pretty heart shape.

However, time passed quickly, and it seemed that it would be in the camp around 5:30 pm and that was even doing a day of 33 miles. I definitely missed how pleasant and predictable the land is here. He spent so much time on the path of the Apalaches walking every day to go to a distance so short that this.

It was really great to see the terrain so much today.

Any possibility that I have, stopped and filled the water. I was drinking as much as I could, but I still didn’t feel enough. When I got to the bottom of the next descent, I filled once more and spoke with a hiker called Cabra de Cabra that was there. From there it was approximately 4 miles to the top of the next climb. That would rest at about 10,600 feet and implied a good increase in elevation.

Addressing the mountains once again.

Usually, I really don’t mind climbing at all and doesn’t tend to exhaust me too much. But the heat was definitely using me. Maybe it also had something to do with not eating enough food. And even having drunk a lot of water, I still think it was not enough. That next section of 4 miles was really difficult. I found myself stopping a lot to stop and recover my strength. It was not necessarily breathless, as much as he was very tired. But I think that considering that it is the first day to altitude and also so hot, that this is not very surprising.

There were several times on the climb that I considered stopping before. There were tons of places for camps along the way. But I really wanted to move on and get to my planned camp. It is very easy to get into his own head and scales in his plans later in the day. That is something I try to avoid if I can.

This is how it looked the last time of the day most of the time. I love this section of the path because there are endless camping places.

Slow but sure, I went up and finally reached the top of the climb. There were tons of super pretty tent spots, and it was still very early. The climb definitely took more than I expected. Probably because I stopped a couple of times different to rest. But it was only 5:30 pm when I set up the store. I could not say if it was of altitude or perhaps because of the heat, but I had a bit of migraine. So, once everything was located, I got into my store and took some exceeding. Then I drank a liter of water, ate something and put an alarm for an hour later. It was so early that I could take a fast nap and try to feel a little better.

I ended up very happy to have done that. Because after an hour, I woke up feeling great and my headache was gone. It was still very early, so I ate a little more dinner and decided to make a hot chocolate to get more water. And for the rest of the night, I really felt very well and quite energized. Two hikers who spent many hours before ended up arriving at the top of the climb around 8 pm. I could hear them around the corner of me obstructed by a large rock. But I don’t think they knew I was there.

I really liked this big beautiful tree.

Somehow, I had enough energy to do video work and even a little writing. Then I ate a little more and drink more water before finally calling it one night. Today I made about 7500 feet of elevation gain in 33 miles. And for the first time this year, I obtained more than 10,000 feet. I think at 10.600 for tonight it is approaching to be really good for me. In general, sleeping to greater elevation makes it easier to acclimatize. And although I tend to do it quite well at great altitude, it never hurts to accumulate success and even better acclamation.

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