Since I’ve settled in at camp a bit earlg, and I still have internet service from town, I thought is try out the WordPress app on my phone. Sugar Mama, a mobile trail angel, was in Mammoth lakes this week. She lined us all up for rides this morning. I was last in line, also with Day Hiker, joking that I’d get lost on the trail back to where we left the PCT Wednesday. Well it wasn’t long before I noticed the lake we passed coming in never appeared. We were at least headed back to the PCT, but we left at mile 904 and the trail we were on, Reds Meadows Trail, was taking us to 906. So I missed two officials miles of the trail. It was amazing seeing the wreckage of downed trees that everyone has been talking about… So I’m glad we missed our turn.
Nearing the PCT we also were nearing water… With that, hordes of mosquitoes. We spent a brief moment taking in the Devils Postpile National Monument but couldn’t take the little blood suckers attacking our bare skin. We decided to stop for the night at 914.8, then hauled ass to get here. day Hiker moved at nearly 4mph and I barely could keep up. Stopping, or merely slowing my pace, meant the swarms that followed us (literally) would attack.
Once at camp, it was a fight to get to my head net, pants, and jacket to stop the bites. Once protected I sat on a log resting next to Lucky, an older man and Tripple Crowner, as many dozen little buggers came to rest on his back and sleeves. The Deet seems useless against the predators and this is just the very beginning… Oy. But for now I’m in the safety of my tent with just a few that get in whenever I open the net. I may loose a lot of blood in the coming weeks… If its not one thing out here, its the other…
Now… Where oh where are the others that were dropped off before us? I suppose they took the correct trail and they’re somewhere behind us.
