PCT - Day 59: 6/16/2018 - Broken Tent, Resupply, and Delaney Creek

Trail miles: 17.9 from 933.6 - 951.5
Miles walked: 18.8

The zipper on the mesh part of my tent had been giving me some trouble for a couple weeks. After getting up to go to the bathroom at 4:45 am, it failed completely. This is always nice when you are deep in mosquito country. Since there’s no cell service out here, I asked Sleeping Beauty to help me by contacting my wife when she finishes the JMT on Sunday. Hopefully I can get a new tent soon.

In the morning we left camp at 6:30 am and hiked nine miles to the Tuolumne Meadows Post Office which is on a main road in Yosemite National Park. The morning was frigid and we hiked quickly past grazing deer and a beautiful meadow. The trail was quite muddy and in one particular section I attempted to jump a mud puddle and slipped on the landing. I ended flat on my back in the mud, sort of like the character Vinny in the movie My Cousin Vinny.

Tuolumme Meadows Post Office (and Grill?)

We arrived there around 10 am and went into hiker trash mode rather swiftly. Within minutes we had pack explosions on picnic tables. I was sorting out resupply items while I ate a breakfast sandwich, a cinnamon roll, a side of bacon, an ice cream bar, and a bag of Chili Cheese Fritos. I was also alternating between drinking Pepsi and beer.

Nothing like Chili Cheese Frito's and Beer

Hiker Trash Mode

There must have been 20 thru hikers just loitering out front of this place that was a Post Office, Grille, and General Store all in one. The only downside of this place, other than the nonstop flow of tourists, is there are no showers or laundry facilities here. Ziploc didn’t let this stop her from washing her socks, underwear, and shirt in the bathroom sink, and then lay it on a rock in the sun to dry. I was too lazy to do that so guess I’m going to have to go four more days without clean clothes or a shower.

Drying Panties and Socks

We chilled in the sun by the road looking like homeless people. After a few hours, we finally extracted ourselves from society again. We hiked a half mile or so together until we got to the JMT/PCT split. We hugged Sleeping Beauty, said goodbye and wished her the best on her last day on the JMT. I then watched as my friend hiked away. I’m really going to miss her. She has been my best friend over the past two years, and I hope our argument from a few days ago doesn’t kill that.

Sleeping  Beatuy on JMT

Ziploc and I still had over 1700 miles left in our journey, so we decided to keep moving. We hiked for about another half a mile and while walking on perfectly flat ground, I again sprained my right ankle. It’s about the hundredth time I’ve done this so it’s not new for me to hike along slowly in significant pain for hours or sometimes a couple days. Let me clarify, it may not be new, but it still hurts and it still sucks. Ziploc hiked on ahead while I crutched along with my trekking poles grimacing in pain with each step. I took a couple Ibuprofen and a pain killer and within forty minutes, I was moving at an acceptable pace again.

I hobbled down a rocky trail towards a intense sounding waterfall. It was the Tuolumne Falls and they did not disappoint. It was spectacular! Little rainbows appeared in the misty spray in the breeze. I found Ziploc waiting for me there too.

Tuolumne Falls

After the falls, I stopped at a smaller waterfall and rinsed my gross smelling shirt. We then plodded along for a few more miles gaining elevation and losing light as the forest thickened around us.

We setup camp and as fate would have it, I broke a tent pole while setting up my already broken tent. Ziploc helped me repair it enough that I could get it to work, but now my need for a new tent is even higher.

Ziploc and I decided tonight while eating dinner that we would not take a zero day until we get to South Lake Tahoe in about 140 more miles. Assuming my body doesn’t come apart at the seams like my tent is doing, this would mean we will have hiked the entire Sierra section of the PCT without a zero day. Some say that’s crazy. I might be one of them saying that too, but at this point it sort of makes sense to just go for it.

(editor comment: This photo was in the set of pictures Adam set, without any description about it.  

However, it is a creek named after a special person. 

I  put in here to let he know she has a creek named after her.)