Saturday June 30, 2012
Start: Mile 821
End: Mile 835
The first half of the the day is down. Way down, to 8000 ft. We go down to the lower of the Palisade Lakes to swim. We need a new word for refreshing: bbbbrrrefreshing? A marmot on the trail ignores us completely, so we almost step on it. Later, a deer does the same thing. What is up with animals pretending we don’t exist? The trail continues to be full of surprises. Magnificent waterfalls in the Le Conte Canyon alternate with a slow flowing river in the meadows (with deer of course) and pine forests that show just a glimpse of the 13000 ft mountains in the distance. Too much! What are they going to come up with next? I often wonder. The second half, as you would expect is up. Way up. To Muir Pass, at 11970 feet. I think it would be a good idea to camp just before the pass and take it on tomorrow. And so it happens to work out. The climb to the last campground before the pass is painful. My feet hurt from the sharp rocks on the steeper sections of the trail. I want some luxury and comfort. I make chocolate milk and even set up my tent.