And it begins...

High Sierra Camp...here we come!

Starting point... May Lake! Heading to Glen Aulin Camp.

Heavy pack! Uphill heartbeat in my head. Thump....thump...THUMP! Backpack too small, digging into my left shoulder. Ouch. Quick dry towel as padding to the rescue.  But I am distracted by the amazing, craggly trails and views that display the top of the world meadows filled with lupines, asters, forget-me-nots, pestamon, columbine, and Tiger Lilies.

Exhausted. An uneven backpack. But the hiking is meditative, quiet and my footsteps, 26,000 of them, equal 9.5 miles as we reach Glen Aulin Camp. And it feels good to push ourselves until there is nothing left. We hike past the high sierra camp into the backpacker's camp...walking with nothing left to give. I barely make it up the boulders to our campsite. Fall over, like turtle onto his shell, as a group of teen boys hop up boulders like they carry no weight on their backs. But I push on...

We make our camp and enjoy a yummy dinner at sunset on a rocky boulders.

And then cozy in the tent, sleep, and ready to do it again!

Tuolumne Meadows... Returning to an Old Friend

It started with a request. 

A request from a good friend to hike some of all of the John Muir Trail with her daughter upon her high school graduation. No need to twist my arm...of course! Over ten days in the High Sierras plus my oldest and dearest friend decides to join us. Over the months, plans change. JMT permits not available. So we finally get a permit to hike the High Sierra Camp trail. Six, treasured nights! 

And so the adventure begins...

Always LOVE the drive up 395. Easy and a quick. Plus a tasty stop at Latte Da Coffee Cafe for a egg, avocado and sprout breakfast sandwich, and I appreciate every scrumptious bite. (My last real food for a while.) 

Meadows and marmots, red wine and old friends. Hang out on the bridge I've crossed for thirty years. Watch golden light caress the meadow grass. Perfect silhouettes of Cathedral, Unicorn and Half Dome. Camp fire and laughter. The perfect mix. 

Marmot LOVE 

Head to Yosemite Valley to do a warm-up hike up the Mist Trail (Vernal Falls.) Somehow, I am always in denial about uphill hikes. I block out the battle to fight gravity. It is hot, but we trek up and down at about 7 miles pre-trip. Mist welcomes us up  like cool and supportive friends cheering us on. Yet the steep, wet steps are grueling. At the top, I am once again reminded of the breathtaking views, like a surprise package rewrapped every year. It's a gift to do this hike and I feel even more ready for the adventure ahead. 

Honoring the sacred water