Tuolumne Meadows
You Forgot What?
Something always goes wrong! You'll have car trouble on the way to the trail-head. Someone will get sick or back-out at the last minute. If you avoid these big headaches at the very least, you will forget something! That was my fate.
I was doomed! I had a great list, and the night before leaving, I packed everything and left it near the door. My most important items; my camera and knife, were next to my clothes, so I wouldn't forget them. But I did! On the drive up, it dawned on me. I was daunted to say the least. Craig realized I was going into panic-mode, and said not to worry, he had a knife and camera, and we could share.
While I appreciated this, it's not exactly the same. When we stopped for gas, I made a call home. My wife had already left for work, so I left her a message, "please send my stuff to Vermilion Valley Resort."
By the time we got to Red's Meadow, both Craig and I had things on our mind. I was wondering if my wife would be able to get my camera to V.V.R. on time, and Craig was struggling with sore feet.
I tried calling my wife from the pay-phone at Red's Meadow, but missed her again and had to leave another message. I was still in limbo, and didn't know if the camera would arrive or not.
Later, when we got to V.V.R. and I found the camera waiting, I felt a great sense of relief! In the end though, one just hikes on even when everything isn't perfect.
We started by picking up our permits at Tuolumne Meadows. Craig and I were joined by another snow-camping friend, Gurjeet, who hiked with us to Red’s Meadow. The start of a hike is always exciting as we leave our everyday lives and begin a new adventure. After all the pre-planning we had done, this was especially uplifting. Our first day’s hike was short since we wanted to get acclimated, and get used to our pack-weight. Camping is not allowed within five miles of the trail-head., so the end of Lyell Canyon collects a lot of hikers, and even horse and mule packers. That night after dinner, we listened to the bells of stock animals feeding in the meadow. Later that night there was a great commotion as a bear began to make the rounds looking for some easy food. The wranglers banged pans and there was excited shouting. We were near the end of the group though, and weren't’t bothered by the bear. We imagined that we would have several bear encounters along the trail, but this was not to be.
Donohue Pass:
The next morning, we started out early on our first significant climb—Donohue Pass. In stark contrast to our previous day’s hike, this is a serious uphill trek, but in due course, we got to the top and took some pictures. The top of the pass provided a beautiful new view, and we soon continued on. Our second day was a long one, and we were very tired when we finally got to Thousand Island Lake. There are few good campsites along the lake, and after looking around, we settled on a stony hillside. Skies were clear, so I just laid out my ground-cloth and sleeping bag, and skipped the tent.
The next morning, we hiked past the “gem lakes,” Ruby, Emerald, and Garnet, and began a long uphill climb. Gurjeet is younger and in good shape, but Craig managed to keep up with him while I lagged behind. The thin mountain air had dried out my nostrils and after blowing hard, my nose started to bleed. “Oh, great,” I thought, “this isn't a good start!” This slowed me down even more, and by the time I crossed the top of the ridge, I could see my friends taking a dip in an inviting pool. After the expected, “what took you so long?” I joined them and cooled off in the little stream. Our next target was Red’s Meadow, which was mostly downhill. Craig started to lag here, and unknown to Gurjeet and I, his feet were really starting to bother him. As related earlier, by the time we passed Devil’s Postpile, Craig was really struggling. Nothing is worse on a hike than sore feet!
Red's Meadow:
We finally got to Red’s Meadow and sat down in the cafe and ordered some “real” food. It’s strange, after a few days on re-hydrated trail fare, a greasy cheeseburger looks great! A shuttle bus stops at Red’s Meadow, and if needed one can get to Mammoth. Fishermen and short distance campers use Red’s Meadow, so they have a little store and a pay phone. You can arrange to pick up a re-supply there too, allowing one to carry a lighter load for the first few days. Not a bad idea.
Our meal finished, we said good-bye to Gurjeet, and hiked off to find a camp for the night. About a mile beyond Red’s Meadow, there’s a burned out area. It was not very pretty, but it had a stream, and we were too tired to go further. It turned out to be a comfortable camp, very sandy, so we had contour beds! The next morning while we were breaking camp, a couple passed by and asked if we had seen the bear. “What bear,” we asked? “The one at the edge of your camp,” they said. Well we hadn't seen the bear, and he hadn't bothered us, but this was our first introduction to Doug and Tamara. Doug had hiked the Appalachian Trail previously and now he and his wife were doing the JMT. Craig and I would play leap-frog with them for many miles.
Hitting Your Stride