See you soon!

Ok. This is my last post for a while. I'm not sure when/if I will have internet connection again. 

Today we are headed into Yosemite. I am going to pick up my permit, explore Yosemite a little and then set up camp a few miles away from my starting trailhead. 

Tomorrow morning, around 7am, I will set foot into the Glacier Point trail and start my hike. My first day is set to be around 13 miles. 

I should finish around July 22. Be sure to check back every so often to see if I have updated, but definitely mark July 22nd as the day to check for my finish. 

Of course, several things could happen that postpone my finish date, such as weather or injury. Unfortunately, there will be no way for me to communicate that to anyone. So, while I am hoping to finish by the 22nd, it could be a little later if I run into any unforeseen circumstances. 

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers over the next 3 weeks! 

Thank you all for your support and encouragement!!

Lake Tahoe

If you have never been to Lake Tahoe, I highly recommend you take some time to plan a visit! I've been here a few times now, both in the winter and summer, and let me just say, it is awesome. No, not just awesome. That is too lame a word to describe this place. It is.... amazing, beautiful, inspiring... magical. 

We spent the better part of yesterday looking for a campground. For some reason, "somebody" thought we could get a walk in site on a Saturday night in the middle of the summer before Juky 4th. What was he thinking!?!? Haha. But it worked out and we found an open spot just up the Truckee River. I twisted my knee at the campsite though, and really started to freak out. This is NOT something I needed before starting the trail. Thankfully Donny had a knee strap, so I put that on. It helped and the pain is completely gone now. Thank God! 

Once we got camp set up, we headed into town and ate at a place called the Bridgetender that was right on the edge of the Truckee River. Great atmosphere and staff! We both got drinks to relax us after spending about 3 hours looking for a campground and me getting nervous about my knee. My drink had a bug in it, so like the cool kid I am, I used my straw to get it out and continued on drinking it. Can't let perfectly good Vodka go to waste! The bartender was impressed and felt bad, so he gave me another for free! Good times! The taste was so familiar but I couldn't figure out what it tasted like. After a few sips, it hit me! Tutti Frutti baby food! Haha! 

(He is such a goofball...)

After dinner we walked over to the Truckee River dam and then drove to a small rock beach on the shore of Lake Tahoe. 

After we left there, we toured the Squaw Valley Olympic grounds. Oh my. The view coming into the valley was breathtaking! Unfortuately I did not get a picture of the valley. 

After that, we went back to camp, cooked some Chili Dogs and chilled to some music. 

This morning we got up and stopped at Inspiration Point at Emerald Bay. I have been to Emerald Bay, but at a different look out. This one was pretty neat. You could see the Scandinavian Castle, which I did not know existed. Next time I visit, I want to take the mile hike down to the house and see it up close. 

We are now on our way to Yosemite. So excited!!! Can't wait! 

 

Partner in crime

It should be a crime to have so much fun with one person. This trip has been awesome and I'm so ready to hit the trail tomorrow. But I can't keep writing this blog about my trip without introducing a special person. In my other posts, I say "We did this..." and I know most of you have no idea who the other part of the "we" is. 

Meet Donny...

Donny and I met several months ago in a JMT group in Facebook. He has been a tremendous help in my preparation for the trail. See, he has done the trail 3 times already, so he is a wealth of information! He has given me movies and books. He has helped me shop for things I need. We've gone on a few training hikes together. He's just a pretty laid back and awesome guy. He has definitely been a huge source of encouragement for me. I don't know that I would be as prepared as I am if it weren't for him! 

So now, when I say "we", you'll know who I have been talking about on this trip! :)

Road tripping

It's not even 9am and I've already had a freaking awesome morning! It is an absolutely gorgeous day! 

We started off packing up and headed out of our campground and Mammoth. It was really quaint and quiet, so we got a great night of sleep. 

Once we left the campground, we grabbed some breakfast and gas (at $4.59, which we thought was expensive, but we have seen close to $5, so we are glad we got gas when we did!), and then headed out of Mammoth. They had another cool sign with a John Muir quote.  The scenery there is just beautiful! I can't wait to go back in August! 

We're on our way to Tahoe, but we made a pit stop at this really awesome and very popular Mobile gas station. They are so popular that they have their own memorabilia and clothing. 

When I stumbled upon CARROT CAKE Cliff bars, I squealed! I have been wanting carrot cake cliff bars but never have seen them! I grabbed a handful! Super excited to eat these on the trail!!! 

And, I spotted National Parks Monopoly!!! I didn't get this, but will definitely look into finding one off of Amazon or something later! 

After we left, the weather was just perfect for taking the top down. I definitely love convertibles! Someday I may own one myself, though I will still need to own a Jeep because I don't want to give up my off roading capabilities! 

(My pack is loaded and ready to go. It's strapped into the back seat! She still needs a name...)

Mammoth

"The mountains are calling..." ~ John Muir. Such an appropriate quote for the journey I am embarking on. I was excited to see the quote welcoming me to Mammoth, CA. 

Mammoth is a ski resort in the winter and a mountain bike park in the summer. The whole town has the outdoor feel to it. All of the buildings have wooden rustic frontage. It is such a cute town! It's really an outdoor lover's dream town. 

I went to a few outdoor stores looking for some canister fuel. They have some great local hike stores. It's good to know so that if I run into problems on the trail, I can take a side trip and come into town for gear repair/replacement. 

We drove around a little and my friend showed me some places I'll need to remember for when I come up in August for JMT Round 2. At the end of the road where I will park my jeep for JMT2, there was this huge statue of a mammoth. It is pretty neat. The sun setting made it look like a shadow, so the B&W edit of the picture is just awesome! 

Time for some chili dogs, drinks, good music and conversation. Off to Lake Tahoe tomorrow! 

The end is just the beginning...

Just dropped my Jeep off at Whitney Portal. It will be waiting for me when I take my last step off of the trail in July. The ride up Whitney Portal Road was amazing. I had to stop a few times to take pictures! Here are a few:

Packed and ready to go

Knots in my stomach. Quickened heartbeat. A lot of excitement. A lot of nervousness. Mind blown.

You know, there were several times in the past couple months where I almost backed out of this adventure. Something would come up with my family and I'd tell myself "You need to go home. The trail can wait." Or, I'd start thinking about the hardships I will face on the trail and I'd ask myself "Seriously. What ARE you doing?" That's a good question. The simple answer is "I'm hiking. Duh!", or, better yet, "I honestly do not know!" I do know. And I'm not just hiking. I'm conquering myself; my fears and my anxiety for sure. I'm reflecting on my life. Where I am, how I got here and where I want to go from here when I'm done with the trail. Deep soul searching, if you will.

Yeah. I almost backed out, but I didn't. Today my adventure starts.

At around 9:00 this morning my friend and I will be headed up to the Sierras. Our first stop is Whitney Portal. Whitney Portal is the starting point for those who are summiting Mt. Whitney. At 14,500ft, Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Many people flock to the Portal to conquer her. Whitney Portal is also where most people who are hiking the John Muir Trail finish up. I'll be leaving my Jeep here while I am hiking so that when I finish the JMT, I won't have to hitchhike back to San Diego.

After we drop the Jeep off, we're going to do some exploring at Mammoth, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite Valley. Good times.

On Sunday, I pick up my JMT permit at the ranger station in Yosemite. You have to have a permit in order to hike the JMT. They started regulating how many people go out per day, as the trail was getting so popular and an increasing number of people were wanting to enjoy all the beauty of the backcountry. Once I have the permit we'll explore Yosemite a little. Maybe do a little warm up hiking.

Monday, it's on. With a full backpack and permit in hand, I will be stepping onto the trail with 230 miles of glorious wilderness awaiting me. I'm sure many emotions will be running through my head with that first step. With each step I take, the emotions will change. I know I'm going to cry. I know I'm going to laugh. I hope to sing. And maybe dance too (When no one is looking). I'm most looking forward to just being in such a peaceful environment. I want to lay in the grass, with a babbling stream running nearby, enormous mountains looming in the distance and a deep blue sky above me. Total peace.

I'm not sure how often I will be able to update after today. I might be able to get a few posts in this weekend, but I know that I won't have reception on the trail. I might get some at one of my resupply stops, but who knows how good the connection will be. Please do not give up on me if you don't see a post for a long time. I'm set to finish on July 22nd, so do check back on that day for sure.

Thank you all for your support. It is so encouraging to know that I have friends and family who are rooting for me!

 

 

P.S. The bandana on the bottom of my pack says Scotland. John Muir was from Scotland. The JMT hiking group that I am a part of on Facebook decided to designate this particular bandana as our group symbol. When we are on the trail and see someone with this same bandana, we will know that they are a part of our group, and therefore, a friend. This bandana was the one thing that I did not have. Last night when I was finishing packing, I mentioned to my friend that I never did order a bandana. Low and behold, he had ordered an extra! It was meant to be! Now, I feel my gear is complete and I am ready to go!