June 6th – Layover Day in Kennedy Meadows
Somehow, chores always seem to fill the time available. And with many other hikers hanging around on the deck of the general store the tasks at hand are harder to do and take longer. Important trail news like who is where and hiking with whom, or swapping stories of what happened at each place takes precedence. Even before the store opened at 9am there was a good sized crew of hikers hanging out.
Among our boxes was a pair of new shoes. Very good timing, as my old ones were on their last legs, worn down on the inside. Still they lasted for 700 trail miles plus another 100 or so while I was wearing them before the hike, about an average age for my shoes.
After sorting out what gear to use, what to add, what to send home or send ahead we weighed our packs. With about 3 days of food and a quart of water mine weighed in at 32 pounds. This included the ice axe and bear canister that we added for the Sierras. We decided to “bounce” our water filter ahead to Tuolumne Meadows, since the water in the Sierras is generally of very god quality. We did keep some Aqua Mira treatment just in case.
One of the locals cooked up a $5 “all you can eat” spaghetti and salad feed for the hikers. We made sure to get our money’s worth!
After dinner we walked the 3 miles of the PCT from the general store to the campground. We wanted to get a start from there in the morning to avoid getting caught up at the store as well as to have a jump on the next section. Gordon and Sue took our packs with them in their van so we could walk unencumbered, also known as “slack packing”. So we ended up with 3 miles for the day, not exactly a “zero” day but as close to it as possible; you might call it a “nero” day.
Gordon and Sue are traveling trail angels who usually support a specific thru hiker, someone in need. The couple they were supporting this year has quit the trail, so they are wandering to various stops helping out what hikers they find. They both are very special people, overcoming their own obsticles to assist others. Gordon takes care of his sister Sue who has lost her eyesight and one leg to Diabetes. But inside her beats the heart of a hiker, having walked the “sea to sea” route across America in her earlier days.
We camped with Gordon and Sue and two other thru hikers, Dr Feelgood and Alex, beneath the most brilliant stars yet. A result of a late moon rising, higher elevation, dry climate and far less smog. Everything’s clearer in Kennedy Meadows.
