July 18
Chicken Spring Lake – Whitney Creek (751 – 766)
There are a lot of people here. I hear voices. I guess they all hiked up from Lone Pine. It’s weird. I don’t know any of them.
I got lost coming back from my morning toilet. Turns out my Big Agnes looks just like a boulder. The Sierras are full of gray tent-shaped boulders, some with an edging of yellow.
So I guess I’ll have some company for when I climb Mt Whitney. Tomorrow. Ooh, that just gave me chills to write. I’ve been trying to not think about it too much but I am freaking out a little. I feel like some knowledgeable Park Ranger should show up and inspect me, give me a checklist of things to know. It seems weird to just walk up to the top of a mountain without permission. I guess technically I have a permit. I have that piece of paper that I printed out a million years ago on my dad’s printer. Yeah, that’s reassuring.
I saw my mule team again. They’re cool – asked my name and we had a chat. I’d really like to know what they cook. How much is the mule catered trip anyway? Maybe it’s totally affordable and not that fancy at all.
Talked to Debbie- she’s waiting another day to go to the mountain. There are tons of people camped around here. Really amazing big bags full of all sorts of chairs and books and probably more than enough camp food. Perhaps if I were friendlier, I wouldn’t be facing the hike over Kearsage Pass with nothing but refried beans and peanut butter.
Sitting by a river eating lunch, I heard a noise. A deer poked her head around a tree, large ears alert, starting directly at me. I stared back and then she was gone.
I found the cutest campsite but the bad news is that I have to cross a log bridge over the steam in the morning. I crossed two log bridges today and they are scary! The first one was super sketch, with a bunch of spindley logs that bowed into the water. I used my poles to poke at the rocks and steady myself. There were a couple of moments when I could have fallen. But I made it and the second crossing was much better. I wasn’t as slow the second time.
Spinstera 