Day 69,    25 miles     Donner Pass

Ok, so I’m not the only one that goes “exploring”

This afternoon Sweet was certain the trail was “up there.”  And so we scrambled.  Steep up and up, over boulders and snow.   45 minutes later we were at the top.   “Oh, we’re 600 feet from the trail.  It’s down there!”

It happens.

Today we passed Moaglee and Goliath going north.   It was sooo fun to see them again. They are hiking with Speedstick and Little Spoon.  I also saw Anke today.  She is from Germany.  We all think she is a machine.  She hikes far and fast,  almost always alone. She went up Mount Whitney with holes in her boots and no spikes.   She made it through the Sierras alone and without gps!?

Sweet is excited, as she will be hiking into Sierra Camp in two days.  She worked there as a backpacking guide, when not at Stanford.  She is looking forward to visiting her friends that work there.  So, more miles hiked means getting there quicker.  She had ambitious plans of us pulling a 32 today.  But at 5:30, and after 25 miles of route finding,  sloshing through snow, climbing over fallen trees,  and hiking up and over a few mountains, I had to give her the bad news.  I’m done.  Just pooped.  She was very kind and gave in graciously.

Later that night I woke to a wicked sore throat and a blister on my upper lip.  Ah, that explains my fatigue today.