Start: 0700 - near Rush Creek
End: 1730 - Lee Vining (Mona Vista RV Park)
Miles (today): 16 (15.5 PCT, 0.5 off)
Miles (cumulative): 999.5 (854.5 PCT, 91.5 alternate, 53.5 off)
Fun times were had by all today.
Nick and I went up and over Donohue Pass, which wasn't bad at all. On the way down the pass I ran into Ellie/False Alarm and we ended up hiking together the entire way to Tuolumne Meadows. Nick and I were going to meet for lunch (and usually I'd need water) but Ellie and I were moving so fast and we were in such a groove that I didn't want to stop. Ellie let me use her Sawyer Squeeze to purify some water and I sent a message to Nick via a southbound JMT hiker that I wasn't going to stop and wait for him for lunch. It was a great day - we got to Tuolumne by 1330.
At the top of Donohue Pass - we're in Yosemite!
going down Donohue Pass
Along the way we picked up Shortcut, a female hiker from Australia. All these new faces! I really do hike faster with others pushing me and it feels great. I also LOVE hiking with other women as it makes me feel almost normal.
Ellie told us of a live music event at the Mobile gas station in Lee Vining, a small town about 19 miles from Tuolumne Meadows. Her friend, Peter, told her the live music is on Thursdays and Sundays; Since today is Thursday I took it as a sign we should go (although neither Nick nor I was ready for a town stop). Peter (who turned out to be the section hiker I met on top of Selden Pass) said the food at the Mobile is great, too. Food and live music? Sounds fantastic.
Nick showed up at the store/post office in Tuolumne shortly after I did (I did spend quite a bit of time talking to Smiles and Dilly Dally, who were on their way back to the trail, before I got to the store). We got our resupply packages, we shared a pint of ice cream, we ate sandwiches, we shared another pint of ice cream, I ate a banana and an apple, and we mingled with other hikers (to include Sunny and Killer, Moses, Turquoise, and Rosewell). We sat on picnic tables outside the store and talked and ate. It was great to talk with other hikers but I was disturbed by all the food I ate - in my 'real life' there is no way I'd eat so much low quality food, but out here it's just... necessary. In the end several other hikers decided to join us for the food and music at the Mobile in Lee Vining.
Ellie found a girl, Liz, who could fit some of us in her car. Nick and I didn't think getting a hitch would be too difficult since there was a lot of traffic, so we waited a little longer so my phone could charge (it was charging in the store).
Sadly, it seemed like nobody wanted to pick up hikers today - I swear, I'll never look at a hitchhiker the same way again! We were out on the road for a while with our thumbs up and I was starting to feel very unloved when Natasha drove up and said she'd be back to get us in 15 minutes. She held true to that, too.
Natasha is a really cool person - she's a hiking guide, she's a mountain climber, she does biological field work... Anyway, we convinced her to camp with us at the RV Park and join us for the music and food at the Mobile. The more the merrier!
Natasha chose the hedgehog
Liz chose the taco. She's starting the JMT tomorrow AND is a world champion roller derby player (she plays for the Rose City Rollers)
The Mobile (it's the best damn gas station I've ever been to) was a lot of fun. The food was great, the music was fun, and the company was amazing. I had been a little torn about coming to Lee Vining - I've been in such a hiking groove that I didn't want to stop - but I'm glad I did. The miles are important but so are the experiences along the way... And this was a great experience. :)
Cedric, William/So Done, me, Nick, Ellie/False Alarm, Natasha (our ride), Casey/Shortcut, Peter (section hiker we met on top of Selden Pass
our group (minus Liz) from the other angle
the band
Along the trail:
