Side Trail

Day 62

After five days of snowy, slow-going Sierras we found a side trail down to Mono Hot Springs Resort! It was just in time, the mosquitoes and massive passes we climb every day were starting to wear on our bodies and minds again.

Diving off the trail we headed down out of elevation and into a heat wave. Most of the trail looked like the bayou down in Louisiana and the mosquitoes literally covered any exposed skin. By the time we hit the bottom we were itching and sweating like crazy. Luckily there was an ice cold Lake Edison to wash away all the muck from the past stretch. Diving in felt like a shock, then heaven. After washing up in front of some day hikers we hitched down to the "resort" - really just a little restaurant that serves awesome buffalo burgers and a general store. We are camped out behind the employee cabins and are planning the next stretch of adventure, only a few days till Mammoth.

The Sierras, especially this year, are one big workout. Today, before heading down, I was feeling lightheaded, had zero appetite and my muscles have been tight. It's all what you would expect, but until you're actually doing it, for these long stretches you don't know how you will respond. I'm glad to be down out of the snow, even if for only the night- for there is much more work to be done till we can say goodbye to our friend John Muir.

- Andy