5 & 6 June – Days 46 & 47 – Zero Days at Kennedy Meadows

Trail Miles hiked these two days: zero

Pan here.

These are R&R days, getting our muscles rested, and our bodies restored to full strength. We ate and ate and ate. We repaired gear. We ate more. We got moved into trailers, as other thru-hikers departed. Over the next two days, so many other thru-hikers arrived. The place grew pretty crowded.

We also showered and did laundry. Exquisite! And then we went to the Kennedy Meadows General Store and got our boxes of supplies. Twenty boxes. People stopped and took photos. No one could believe we had so many. Arrgh. Have we messed up?

Photo courtesy of Mark Trail.

But no. We don’t think so. We have supplied ourselves with approximately 3000 calories per day (not ideal – but 11 days in the High Sierras without a resupply is a tricky business). We will probably be burning more calories than that, and we are mindful that if we start finding ourselves in trouble we’ll have to hike out of the Sierras at Kearsarge Pass, catch a ride with trail angels at Onion Valley, and then hitchhike from Independence up to Bishop. Not what we intend to do.

Dionysus gets new shoes.

Our time at Kennedy Meadows is restful. Some of our friends of the trail are here already – DirtyBrown, The Donald, Last Minute and others – and many friends of the trail arrive as we rest up, including 3Bears and our dear Rapunzel and Tina.

The Donald gets a pedicure and his toenails painted, while Last Minute gets in line for hair and beard trim.

Tomorrow, on June 7 we head up into the high passes – the snow fields, the icy snowmelt creeks, the high passes and the alpine meadows -- and we will have no internet and little phone coverage up there. So it will be quiet from us for about the next two weeks.

Tom went out to get pizza for those of us who got on the list. But by the time he returned (it's a lonnnnnng way to any restaurant), there were so many hungry hikers, the pizza vanished. We three Caballeros sang for Rapunzel's birthday -- and everyone else in line -- so we pretty much used up our repertoire. By the time we got to the line, all the food was gone. The cafe was closed and the store was closed. We scrounged around and found some odds and ends of power bars people had abandoned ... ugh.

It’s exciting to every NoBo hiker here to anticipate heading up from KM into the High Sierras; nevertheless, everyone experiences the "vortex" -- a swirling tug of comforts and relationships that make it difficult to leave. Everyone has to reach escape velocity. And everyone waves you off with big grins when you load up your pack and head out. That'll be us tomorrow. In the morning, after more of Tom's most welcome hot coffee (mornings are in the 30°s here, brrrrrrr), and some pancakes, we pack up and go. Last night in the trailer. Wish us well!

Cheers.