Easy Miles

MP 973   Benson Lake.     The fish, trout, each about a foot long, are jumping all around this isolated lake.   Had to go off trail to get here.   Wish I had a fishing rod.    In fact, I wish I had my fishing rod for the entire John Muir trail.
      This place, Benson Lake, has broad, long, windswept sandy beaches.   Almost tropical in appearance.    It was very windy last night but I set up the tarp as I am tired of waking up cold because I am covered with dew.   By this morning the wind had died down and I found myself in a cloud of mosquitoes.
     All of my socks are in shreds.    Have gone through five pair.    I find myself experimenting, mixing and matching to find combinations that don't allow holes all the way through.   My shoes, second pair, are splitting at the seams.    Looking ahead, it may be another 2 or 3 hundred miles before I can buy another pair.

     I see that I haven't made an entry since MP 904.   Will try to fill the gap.   I hiked out from Mammoth Lakes to Red's Meadow.     Initially I had planned to hike with Gnu and/or Bobcat but the plans were scuttled when Gnu said he was having problems with his girlfriend in Japan & had to stay in Mammoth Lakes so he could talk to her on the phone.   I did hike briefly with Bobcat with whom also shared a room in Mammoth Lakes.     Can't seem to get into the rhythm of hiking with a partner, though, and I continue hiking alone.
     From Red's Meadow I hiked North past the Devils' Postpile National Monument towards Yosemite & Tuolumne Meadows.   Camped on a gorgeous outlook with Hi, a Korean fellow who speaks little English.
   Resupplied at the Tuolumne Meadows General Store and spent several hours lounging outside with fellow hikers.    The news of the day is that the US Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Care Act.    This is just about the only significant news item since I started the hike. I certainly don't feel that I have missed anything.
   From Tuolomne Meadows I begin gradually descending from Yosemite National Park down through the Glen Aulin in this land of steep granitic cliffs and domes.   Camped next to a small creek at about MP 955.    Started a fire to keep the mosquitoes at bay, something I don't usually do.    Scout showed up and camped with me and was good company.
     The hiking has been more difficult than anticipated in this stretch descending from Yosemite.    This is not only because of the steep gains and losses of elevation but also because of the broken, rocky surface of the trail.   It is probably the hardest hiking I have ever done.    I had to pack 8 days of food from Tuolumne Meadows which makes for a heavy pack.   Have to be sure to get my miles in so as not to run out of food before Echo Lake which is about 150 miles distant.
     The shin splint situation is finally getting better.   Hiked without the aid of vicodin for the past two days.    I think I have a better understanding now of what causes the problem; walking too fast and hard on downhill, rocky, broken surfaces.    Hopefully I will be able to avoid a recurrence. The last 250 miles have been very painful.    I no longer believe that walking long miles, in itself, is a significant factor.
   Stumbled on a grouse hen with half a dozen chicks. She is funny because she thinks she is hidden from me, but she is not.

This is a picture of Hi. That is my bedroll in the background.    Like most of the thru-hikers, Hi prefers to cowboy camp. There are a few that don't even carry tents or tarps in case of emergency. Bobcat simply carries a sheet of tyvek that can be used as a cover if it starts to rain.