Day 11. Tuesday, June 30, 2009. Mileage: 805 – 816.5 (11.5 miles)

My left quad felt so tired and resistant as we climbed Pinchot Pass this morning. The scenic rewards for the bodily demands are constant though. I've never seen such fascinating environmental variety and expansiveness quite like this in my life. Nevertheless, my body was dragging.




During the descent from the pass, the drizzling rain turned into a brief 15 minute hail and thunder storm. Once the hail became consistent, I waited until Dangermouse caught up with me and attempted to find us some semblance of shelter underneath some trees. I don’t think we’ve come across many bridges yet, and the suspended one up ahead was shaky as heck. So funny the primary sources of laughter out here. Really? A shaky bridge incites giggle fits??

Not long after this, we met hikers (Skywalker, Pat, and Lauren) at a major river ford. Some of these fords are tough because we are going barefoot and the water can be swift.

Dangermouse and I planned to summit 2 passes today: Pinchot Pass, which we climbed this morning, and then Mather Pass. However, we met a southbounder who advised that Mather was steep and snowy and should perhaps be postponed until the morning. Dangermouse was feeling it regardless and wanted to get over Mather Pass that afternoon. Around 4 pm, we agreed to go for the summiting Mather Pass option when it hit me. We were about to repeat the same mistake that we made on Forester Pass: summiting a high elevation pass in the afternoon when the snow was too soft and we were too tired for the experience to be fun. At one of the many creek fords we walked through that afternoon, I told Dangermouse that I didn’t want to summit the pass today. I felt surprised at my saying this and a small sense of pride that I went with my gut despite the pull to keep walking. We spent the evening bathing in a creek and drying in the warm sun instead.

My heart swells when I leave my night’s campsite to brush my teeth and return to a space that minutes before didn’t exist for me as such and now is a symbol of comfort and shelter and so much more. I should explore the territorialization of a temporary campsite and the meaning of home in the wilderness. So much fun to think about.