Two Summit Day

August 26, 2020

It’s clear that I’m not the woman I never was. What was I thinking? We only made 9 miles today. Sure it’s up and down on trails with large steps and rocks. And we’ve stayed between 10,000 and 11,073 feet. But 9 stinking miles?

The scenery is incredible at every turn. And that is why we’re here.

I must write about my solo hike gig. I make all my own decisions and have no one to blame. It changes your thinking. Shortly after the Covid SIP, I felt like I was suppose to disappear some where for forty days and forty nights. I would surely discover the real wilderness by being alone. Then my friend, Robin, put me onto the series Alone. It makes you feel as though you can do things you haven’t considered. So I took my own mini alone hike, forty miles from Donner Pass to Sierra City. It felt empowering.

Terry and I missed out on a number of planned trips this summer. So we were looking at the possibility of backpacking in the Sierra. But everybody is backpacking because the wisdom is “It’s Covid safe.” It was hard to get permits for the popular shorter hikes. Terry said he really wanted to do the JMT again. My first thought was that it was too much work. But I submitted three trip agendas and we got a pass. But by then Terry was roofing his house and couldn’t go, so I thought it was a good opportunity to go it alone.

Now I feel broken. I’m comparing this to my hike in July. I was averaging two mile an hour and now it’s closer to one mile an hour. But of course this is so much harder. My body hurts.

It’s not possible for me to go on by myself without planned food drops. I can’t carry enough food for my slower speed. Food drops have to be arranged in advance. So I’ll exit with Terry at Red’s Meadow.

Disappointing, by well worth the great weather, no smoke and no mosquitos.