Mile 794.9: Pass the Garlic

Woke up at 4 am to rain. Carmen and I threw our sleeping bags under the rain fly and set up the tent real fast, and tried to go back to sleep on adrenaline. It was another leave-early type morning: we didn't leave Peanut Eater's trail magic until after 11 am.

With ten days worth of food (which is a lot, by the way) we climbed up and over Kearsarge Pass (11,845'), the prettiest, and then Glen Pass (11,978'), the steepest. The approach felt longer than two miles, and I certainly started feeling a little shaky after losing my footing a few times on steep, serious consequences slopes. It really wasn't that bad though. People overhype.


Backside of Glen Pass.

Unfortunately, my day was tainted by one thing (other than being top-heavy from a very heavy pack): garlic. I refilled our dwindling supplies of garlic salt while in Bishop/Independence. Somehow, the new stuff is so pungent that the smell permeated through it's own plastic baggie, the spice bag ziploc, the stuffsack that was in, and finally my pack. The smell of garlic drove me CRAZY all day long! We kept joking that we were in luck if the bears in these parts are vampire bears.

We got into camp (10,545') right before sunset, and there were some beautiful views of all the lakes, mountains, and colorful sky. It was very pretty. There's also a bear box for my garlic.

I am happy to be back on rhe trail again, where everyone is as socially stunted as I am.

Tao of the day:
8.2
In living, choose your ground well.
In thought, stay deep in the heart.
In relationship, be generous.
In speaking, hold to the truth.
In leadership, be organized.
In work, do your best.
In action, be timely.

If you compete with no one,
No one can compete with you."

Seems all like good advice.


- Typoed on my iPhone