I feel strong. I can knock off the morning training hike without needing a transfusion: 30 pounds, 800 up, 800 down, 700 up, 700 down, 800 up and 800 down. My feet and hands are now calloused in the right places. I'm ready. Not JMT ready, but ready.
Don't get me wrong. These morning hikes are despicable. But to my astonishment, there's been a few unexpected pleasures.
For example, I don't grunt when I get off the sofa. I've been sleeping through the night for the first time since I can remember. And, while I've been eating like a glutton, friends are asking if I've lost weight. It's been such a joy saying, "I don't know," when I know perfectly well. But, best of all is this new respect at REI. I noticed it when I went to renew my stash of Picky Bars. Even that snarky bastard in the backpack section deigned to chit-chat. Believe me, I was standing tall in the checkout line.
Duane and I have been talking all week. Our plan has gelled. Come this time next Wednesday, we'll be hiking up Piute Pass on my first JMT ORT*. I can barely contain myself.
We'll meet at our place. I'll drive up. We'll stop in Lone Pine for lunch at the Alabama Hills Cafe for one of the best burgers on the planet. After lunch we drive up to Bishop to pick up our permits. Then we'll head into the Sierras for North Lake where we'll camp at 9,350. We should arrive at North Lake early enough for a day hike up to Lower Lamarack Lake. Hike high, sleep low they say, but neither of us is prone to altitude sickenss. That night Duane has promised to cook a fancy dinner. He's hinted at canned chili. We'll climb Piute Pass the next morning.
Our first day is a modest 8-miler up to Desolation Lake. The next day we'll climb over the col near Pilot's Knob and find a camp site near Elba Lake. That'll also be a short day. I'll probably take a day hike over to Steelhead Lake. On day three we hike down to French Canyon and camp near the North Lake trail junction. On day four we have a 10-miler out.
I'm sure to forget something, which is fine, so long as I don't forget to have fun.
* ORT is the acronym for Operational Readiness Test. A term I've opted from my old colleagues at Space Systems Lab to describe the final days of testing prior to launch.
Reports from the real and not-so-real trail