After a discussion last night about whether some people could forego a hot drink in the evening in order to put hot water in a water bottle to warm their sleeping bag, I didn't sleep all that well because I was too warm; how can people possibly be cold?? Anyway..... the issue was that we only had so much fuel with us and the guides weren't sure we could spare the fuel to provide hot water to warm sleeping bags. I don't recall how it was ultimately resolved, but I think part of it was simply acclimatization as I didn't hear much about it on subsequent days.
We had a bit of rain overnight, but clear skies by morning which gave us a gorgeous reflection on our little lake while we were packing up. The packing-up process was already more efficient than day 1; what a group of quick learners we are!
Our first task was a stream crossing; our first of many, many during the remainder of the trip. Some people were more comfortable with this than others, although everyone improved this skill as the trip went on. While the entire area has been in drought for 4 years, there was still so much water to behold every day! Creeks, rivers, lakes, etc. - so pretty! For me, the water features were a definite highlight of the trip. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy their beauty without any dangerous stream or snowfield crossings.
Once across the stream we had a few hundred metres of meadow before the climb to Donohue Pass (about 1000 feet) began in earnest.
I believe the mountain in the distance in the photo above is Mount Lyell (13,114'), which is the highest peak in Yosemite National Park. The snowfield in the picture was once the largest glacier visible from the JMT, but in 2013 it was redesignated as a permanent snowfield, indicating that it no longer has sufficient mass to move downhill.
A look back toward our campsite.
And forward toward the pass.............
A beautiful tarn and a bit of a break before leaving treeline...........
A picture with our outstanding (and very strong & fit) guides, Katie and Alex.
Let the plodding continue.........
To Donohue Pass at 11,073'
The next two pictures were taken at the pass, looking forward to our direction of travel.
Donohue Pass delineates the boundary between Yosemite National Park and Ansel Adams Wilderness which lies within Inyo National Forest.
We reached the top by about 9am and after a short rest and congratulations all around we were ready to resume our hike. The hike down was very pretty - meadows, creeks, and a few tarns. I've managed to develop a nasty heat rash already so I took a break at one of the tarns and soaked my legs in the cold water. It felt great and the rash started to fade by the next day so maybe it even did some good.
The Ritter Range comes into view. Left to right........ Banner Peak (the pointy one), Mount Ritter and Davis Peak.
A little yoga while we wait for the stragglers..........
I think we're lost..........
A lovely spot for a lunch break.
We had a long lunch break by the creek here - smoked salmon sandwiches with real tomatoes, green onions, cheese, and peaches. We didn't leave here until about 2:15 and still had lots of ground to cover. One of our party was starting to get quite ill (altitude sickness perhaps?) and really struggled for the rest of the day. Next up was another pass - Island Pass. Not particularly tough, but at 10,221' it was still a challenge for some of the flat-landers. We waited for quite a while here, but enjoyed these lovely views on the approach and at the top. Apparently the section between Donohue Pass and Island Pass is the only section of the JMT that is east of the Sierra Crest.
Back on the west side of the Sierra Crest again, our next landmark was spectacular Thousand Island Lake. We had another extended wait here, so a few more photographs............
At this point we still had about 4 more miles to go, which meant we had only covered about 8 miles in about 8 hours - yikes! Back on our feet and off to the next re-group spot via a few more lovely lakes - Emerald, Ruby and Garnet.
We traveled through beautiful scenery today - mountains, lakes, streams, and granite boulder fields. The trail itself is pretty good, although a bit rocky in places. We met lots of folks going the other way; many PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) through-hikers. While we felt pretty proud of ourselves for having rolled out of the tent to undertake day two, their nonchalant answers to my question of "how far have you come?" were things like "Mexico" or "900 miles" - wow! We also met an 11-year-old girl doing the JMT with her family. She was sure making it look easy..... Our next re-group point was a footbridge at the outlet of Garnet Lake.
However........ by the time we had regrouped again and were ready to head out, the sun was starting to set and we knew we would be hiking in the dark before we got to camp.
By this time, Sarah was quite ill. I honestly don't know how she managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Alex was bringing up the rear today and was carrying her pack as well as his own 110L pack. But with the campsite still over 2 miles away and really no camping options between here and there, I put my headlamp in a handy place and increased my pace to keep up with the fast group - Alex (now leading since he knew where the campsite was), Mike T., Kaylee and Linda. Here's a picture of super-Alex carrying 2 packs, and Lighting McQueen (Mike).
The remainder of the way into camp was about half up and half down. The last photo op of the day as we headed down the last hill and then lost the light....
Just as dusk descended on us we turned off into our "secret" campsite. A bit of a confusing route, then a log crossing, along a creek for a bit, and up one last hill to a fabulous campsite. We got in about 8:45. Too bad it was dark and we couldn't see very much. Alex had dropped his pack at the junction where we left the main trail so that people behind would know enough to turn off. Once he got us safely to camp he went back to his pack to get some stuff for us - food (some crackers, some left-over snack mix from yesterday and a bag of dry granola/oatmeal - woohoo!), a water filter and all the dirty dishes & garbage from lunch - and some stuff to take with him as he went back up the trail to find the others. J & Mike K came in together, young Alex ("Professor") came in on his own as did Jane. Kudos to each of them for making it in safely on their own in the dark on less-than-easy terrain. I was feeling pretty happy to be with the first group (with the guide). We set up tents in the dark and a few folks crashed into their sleeping bags right away. The rest of us nibbled on crackers and tried to clean up camp as best we could. Did I mention that we had salmon for lunch? I kept envisioning bears being drawn to camp by the smell of lunch dishes & garbage. A few people took the filter to the stream and pumped a bunch of fresh water. The remainder of the group finally made it to camp around 10:30, with Alex once again carrying two packs. It was late, but actually a bit earlier than I had expected to see them. Katie & Alex made dinner (pad thai), and while it was very good, nobody ate very much; I think everyone was just ready for bed, and happy for the day to finally be done. Sarah seemed a bit healthier than last time I saw her. We were down to about 8800' so maybe the descent had helped. She managed to get some food down and then crawled into bed. On the plus side, though, we had a beautiful clear sky above us just filled with twinkling stars.
What is it about "day 2"? I seem to recall that our day 2 on the Coast to Coast walk across England last year was a bit of an adventure too.......... And like that day, I pressed wrong buttons on my altimeter and didn't get any readings at the end of the day. I also discovered that it only records for 12 hours in any case, so I would have had incomplete readings anyway. Suffice it to say - lots of ups and downs; way more than yesterday.
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