Day 15: Selden Pass and Little Italy!

Hiker love is one of the most pure kinds of love one can ever experience. This morning I mistook Replay's bag for a grass spot where I could toss my breakfast "gray water." Yes without really looking I turned, tossed and THEN looked with horror as my food particles covered her entire pack. This wouldn't be such a huge deal in a normal day hiking situation, but out here where bears love the smell of food this was an issue. I quickly attempted to clean her pack of all the food smells and somehow she forgave me. We did leave quickly after my blunder and I think the pureness of the surroundings helped to ease any bad feelings.

Selden Pass was 2.8 miles away from Sally Keyes Lake. The bugs were not too bad and the path undulated over little creeks and through alpine meadows. Once I reached the top I noticed Replay bathing in the sun on a rock without any snow! So this really is the summer at 10,900 feet. After a quick chat with a hiker from Yosemite we both headed down the pass to the lakes below.

One thing that the SoBo hiker did mention was that up the trail there were tons of bugs. He was hoping it was just a weird morning thing, but suggested we gear up before we descended to much. Unfortunately he was correct. Whenever we stopped we were immediately covered from head to toe with bugs. I attempted to fill up my water bottles, but it was impossible. We had planned on stopping at Little Italy to have lunch, but it was impossible. Both of us flew past the lake and it wasn't until after a couple major river fords that we finally settled into a bug free spot for lunch.

All too soon we were up and moving- bugs trailing in our wake. The afternoon climb was intense. The mapped showed that we climbed 1,000 feet in 1.8 miles. My heart was pounding just as if I had completed a 50 meter sprint once I reached the top of the Bear Ridge Trail yet the intensity didn't stop. 4.5 miles down the moutian wasn't so nice for the knees but a lake was waiting for us at the bottom. Replay suggested we stop early for dinner, take a dip in the raging waters of Mono Creek and stroll the last 2 miles to our home for the evening. The river shower was just what I needed to get rid of the bug crawly feeling and my clothes totally needed a rinse. While I finished scrubbing my socks on the rocks, Replay fixed a lovely dinner.

Our nighttime stroll was 2.4 miles up the trail. Ah 17.2 miles really isn't that bad.