As I rode the crowded tour bus up to the trailhead, I felt shaky at best. I hadn't had enough rest in town. I'd definitely lost more weight, and not gained it back in the slightest. I looked over the maps, and thankfully the next stretch wasn't a long one, and didn't look to be terribly difficult in terms of terrain. Still, I just wasn't quite ready to get back out there. But I couldn't bear to stay in town another day.
On the bus, York, a section hiker from Oregon, came over to sit with me. He and I chatted and compared our gear and quietly made fun of the tourists on the bus. I didn't say much, since I wasn't feeling quite like myself, but York was lively and animated and asked lots of questions and was very kind to me. When we finally got up to Reds Meadow general store and campground where the trailhead was, he offered to buy me a milkshake as a pick-me-up. I'm not one to turn down free ice cream, so we went inside to find a table and order. Just then, Corey walked in, the JMT hiker who caught trout for our hiker fish fry at Guitar Lake weeks ago. It was his birthday. York bought him and his friend Ryan a shake as well, and we all caught up and enjoyed the air conditioning for a while.
After milkshakes, York decided to hike out ahead to get some miles in before sundown, but Corey, Ryan and I stayed behind and laid out on the lawn to enjoy sunset from the front of the the cafe. The boys had gotten their resupply packages, and were making a rather amusing attempt to fit all their food into their bear canisters. I watched and did yoga while I waited to scavenge among the food they would undoubtedly discard.
The day hikers visiting the campground for the weekend were all lined up by the store, waiting for the trolley to come. They stared at us in curious bewilderment, the strange, dirty, animal-like hikers sprawled on the grass with smelly packs and tattered gear strewn about. We stared back at them, just as bewildered by their clean, fashionable hiking clothes, obnoxiously fragrant perfumes, and electronic gadgets. It was a very odd juxtaposition of worlds. I imagined this is how animals in a zoo feel.
The sunset was nice until it became obstructed by storm clouds rolling in from the east. The guys and I realized we should probably hike a little that day, if only to avoid paying for a campsite at the resort. We started out, but Corey didn't want to walk very far. Since it was his birthday, we obliged, and only walked about 2 miles. We got to the junction where the PCT and the JMT split for a 15 mile stretch. The PCT climbed up to skirt along a ridge overlooking the many scattered lakes below, while the JMT descended down to explore each one individually. The mileage was the same for both routes, but the rumor was the JMT detour was harder but more scenic. The boys, JMT hikers, would obviously take the JMT route, but I had a choice, since the detour would eventually link back up with the PCT at Tuolumne Meadows. I stood at the junction for a minute, not sure where to go. Then Ryan, who'd done the JMT once before, said
"Trust me Happy Feet. You're going to want to see this."
I didn't think about it. I just turned and followed them up the hill. Best decision of the trail yet.
I spent the weekend of the 4th of July with the guys, averaging a nice and easy 12 miles per day. We hung out at each lake we passed, jumping off rocks into the freezing water, catching fish and cooking them up for lunch, camping as far away from the weekenders and southbounders as we could, just for the solitude. We sang songs by the band America while hiking on the Fourth, and weird bluegrass songs the rest of the time (Yes sir!). We came up with funny trail names for the guys. Corey got Barista (he carried a backcountry espresso maker), and then later Dr.Slick, for the brand of fishing lures he carried. Ryan was Horse With No Name, until we started calling him Dad because he stopped all the time to take tons of pictures and was always nagging Corey and me to hike faster.
When we reached Tuolumne Meadows, two days later, we already felt like family. But the trail was about to diverge and send us our separate ways. The JMT dove down to its northern terminus in Yosemite Valley, while the PCT headed north towards Lake Tahoe area. Sometimes PCT hikers could get a permit to finish the JMT, just to see the incredible domes and waterfalls, but it was a holiday weekend and it was really unlikely there would be any permits left. The guys pressed me to at least ask the ranger at the visitor's center. We weren't quite ready to break up our little gang. So I went to ask the ranger, fingers crossed, but with little hope.
There's a saying out here that the trail provides. It gives you what you need right when you most need it. That weekend, I needed to stay in the company of my new trail family and take a little vacation from the monotony of making miles. There were two permits left to go down into the valley when I stepped up to the info desk. The ranger asked if I wanted one, and I said yes. She then asked, "Do you want to climb Half Dome?"
"Absolutely."
And that's how I finished the John Muir Trail, with two new friends who became more like brothers to me in just 5 short days. That's how I got to hike into a storm and watch it overtake and light up Cathedral Peak, how I got to spend a morning at the lake below cooking eggs and bacon while the guys had a fishing contest, how I got to climb Half Dome and watch the sun go down from the top in complete magnificent solitude, how I got to walk into Yosemite Valley and meander through the throngs of tourists, and how I got to say goodbye to Corey and Ryan as they completed their 200+ mile journeys before I continued on with mine.
One of many amazing lakes on the John Muir Trail. This was the view from our campsite one night. On a boulder. In the middle of the lake.
Dr.Slick catches a fish! Celebrating 4th of July, hiker style.
Entering Yosemite
Swimming hole near Tuolumne Meadows
Cathedral Peak after a storm
Meadows near Cathedral Lake
My last day before arriving in Yosemite Valley to finish the John Muir Trail
Watching light leave the valley on top of Half Dome
Morning sunshine on the domes
Corey, Ryan, I know you both will read this, and I just want you both to know how thankful I am for those five days. Goofing around with you two knuckleheads on the JMT was exactly what I needed to remind me how fun the trail can be, how beautifully simple. You guys are awesome, and I hope the trail provides another opportunity for us to hike together again one day.
Family photo!
(Left to right, Corey, Ryan, and myself)
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