Sonora Pass(1016.9) to Tentsite(1027.9) 11 Miles
I stayed up way too late last night. After dinner, which consisted of a chili cheese burger and fries, I stayed around the camp store chatting with Sonic Boom aka Mailman. By the time I left the store it was dark out and I had no idea where I was supposed to camp. I ended up wandering around for forty-five minutes trying to find the backpackers camping area. I finally gave up around eleven o'clock. I found a patch of woods behind a parking lot. I was going to stealth camp there when I heard voices and saw a red headlamp. I had inadvertently found the backpackers campground. I didn't even bother setting up my tent. I threw down my tyvek, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag. It was the first time I have cowboy camped since starting the Sierra. Luckily, all of the mosquitos had already gone to bed. I slept in until seven o'clock. As I was packing up my stuff, Mailman, asked me to go to breakfast with him, so we walked down to the restaurant together. Breakfast consisted of coffee, biscuits and gravy, three pancakes, and two sausage patties. I love being able to eat as much as I want!
I decided to take a shower before heading back to the trail. I think it has been nine days since I showered last. I was pretty ripe. After showering I resorted my food and finished charging my electronics. I was planning on heading back to the trail around noon so I could finish some blog posts and write a few emails. I didn't have service to post any of these, but I knew that I would hit a mountain pass in 36 miles where I would have service. I ended up leaving earlier than planned. Someone offered us a ride back to the trailhead and I couldn't turn it down.
Once back on the trail I crushed out some miles. The first part of the hike was a pretty good uphill climb. I hiked past more lava rock mountains, which was really cool.
The majority of today's hike consisted of trying not to kill myself hiking downhill over slippery rocks and a few snow bridges. I almost fell a couple of times, but I managed to stay upright. My streak of not falling down on this trail is still intact!!!
After the downhill portion of the day I decided to camp early so I could finish writing some blog posts and planning out my next few resupplies. Before I could set up camp I had one more mountain to conquer and it was a steep climb. On the way up the mountain I passed by a really cool flower. I'm not sure what it is called, but I haven't seen it since the desert portion of the hike.
I made it into camp at four o'clock. I think that is the earliest I've made camp since my first day on the trail. I was able to accomplish everything that needed to be done. I sewed up a hole in my sock, finished two blog posts, and planned out my resupply strategy for the next 150 miles. It was a very successful day.
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." -Buddha
Beautiful flowers - I'll be anxious to see if someone knows what they are called. Such a gorgeous contrast against the rocks! Glad the mosquitoes were better today!!!
ReplyDeleteNice narrative and beautiful pix; glad you had a good day. At the rate you're burning calories I'm sure you don't need to worry about intake. You remain awesome. Yoda doesn't do you justice. GO HERO!
ReplyDeleteI was so surprised to see this post. I didn't think there would be any more for a few days. Good thing you could go around snow bridge since you had already sent snow equipment home. It is a beautiful flower. You are going to make it to Tahoe for your birthday. Talk to you then. LY
ReplyDeleteIt's called snowplant, it comes up soon after the snow melts. It doesn't have chlorophyll. It's a saprophyte.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information. It's beautiful. Yoda's mom.
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ReplyDeleteI pasted into Google Image and got snowplant but I see someone identified it already
ReplyDeleteNo falls in 1000 miles! That's impressive. Either that or it's a sissy trail... ;)
ReplyDeleteThe bloody snow plant of Northern Ca. Snow plant is a remarkable and beautiful bright-red flowering plant that grows in the mountains of California. Once you have seen it, you will always remember it as it is like no other plant in our area. Its scientific Latin, sarcodes sanguinea, name translates roughly as a bloody fleshy-like thing.
ReplyDeleteThis plant is in the heath family, the same family as manzanita. And if you look closely at the flowers, the resemblance will be clear, drooping urn-shaped flowers with five very small petals -- little projections -- at the tip of the flower opening. It grows from 6 to 18 inches tall with red bracts, but no true leaves. As the flowers mature, they turn light pink and eventually brown.
Despite its name, snow plant doesn't grow in the snow, but only pops up from the forest floor with warming temperatures after most of the snow has melted in springtime, although there may be some snow nearby or a late snowstorm may have partially covered the plant. You can find it growing on the forest floor duff under conifers at Lassen Volcanic National Park and around Mt. Shasta, usually above 5,000 feet in elevation.