1st Day Hiking

Had a great day hiking.  Currently camped at upper Lyell Base camp with a whole bunch of women.  

Lovely Lyell canyon is a joy to walk up. I meet a ranger and my permit and bear canister get checked.  I pass a young man named Jordan and Tony from Washington.  They both seem nice, maybe I will see them again.  I pass Rachel and Arthur that I met yesterday in line.  They are already injured and limping slightly.  I wonder how they will make it.   I take a leisurely 1 hour lunch break and wash off in the Tuolumne River and dry my gear and send my husband the, "I am at lunch" message on our inreach device.  I told him I would try and send out a morning, noon and night message, but not to expect all three.  This solo hike is especially hard on him.  It is always harder on the one who stays home, isn't it?

 

 The clouds are starting to boil up, so it looks like some thunderstorms are coming.  I hike on enjoying each step.   It begins to sprinkle.  Then thunder and rain.  I put rain gear on and the pack cover and enjoy the cool.  Lightening flashes.  I count to 7, I don't think that's too close.   Right?  I'm always under a cover of trees anyways, so I keep hiking with a few butterflies in my stomach. I pass three grey and grizzled men hiking downhill, their eyes crinkle at the corners when they see me, big smiles split their faces.  "Keep going," growls the one in front as they step off the trail for me.  Trail etiquette says the one going uphill gets the right away and that's me.  I'm climbing now, still with stunted trees around me and granite all around. The meadows of Lyell canyon gone.   I meet three ladies from Washington. They are hunkered down on the trail having lunch.  We chat.  We count the time between flashes and thunder,  5 is the closest they had counted, it is  at 6 seconds now, then 7 then 8.  The storm is moving away.  I hike on wishing I had lady friends that like backpacking.   My heart beats loudly as I climb, but it's not too hard a climb.  I feel like I was born for this. 

 

Arriving at the bridge over Tuolumne I see a couple people hunkered down in the thick trees, waiting out the storm.  I walk over to one older man.  Jim from Alaska.  We chat and discuss the storm.  I move over a bit closer to the river and take some photos and stretch and enjoy the sound of the rain, river and thunder.    The storm is really slowing down.  I take off up the trail.  I just love the endorphins that come from a good climb.

I arrive before 4 pm at my camping spot for the night.   The ladies from Washington arrive a bit later and I have  sweet leisure time of chatting.  There is another woman, named Kit, here as well and a couple from Britain.   Kit charms me.  She hikes alone a lot.  It is hard to guess her age because her face is disfigured with scars, but her elequance and beauty shines out.  I wonder her story as I just watch her talk. 

 

The sun comes out chasing the clouds away. It is incredibly beautiful here.  I make my dinner of chicken chili and sit on a granite rock all alone to eat with a view of  Lyell Glacier.  I have a cup of tea. I stretch.  So much time till sunset, but after my lovely day yesterday I've decided to not rush, not push my limits too much. I'm not even going to keep track of miles or elevation gain.  I'm going to try to savor  the hike, to just saunter along,  but I have to admit I still enjoy passing people.