01
DAY 1 : 14 MILES DUCK PASS ( 10,797 FT .) TO DEER CREEK ( 9,115 FT .)
Just hours into our start at Duck Pass , my pack felt heavier than I ever could have imagined . With just 20 lbs . on my back I carried half as much as my husband , yet with each step I felt like I was being crushed . I resolved to repack my load as we huffed our way up the switchbacks to the top of the pass , still covered in snow in late July , but yielding a view of Duck Lake that seemed endless , shimmering with pristine blue water .
It was fitting , I thought , that this section of wilderness is named after Muir , who had an insatiable appetite for natural beauty . Though he grew up loving the outdoors , his passion for nature grew even stronger after he was nearly blinded in his right eye in a factory accident at age 29 . He worried his eye would never again look upon “ a single flower , nor more lovely beauty .” Muir had a full recovery of his sight , and soon after , he abandoned all worldly pursuits and went on a walking tour through the American South , vowing to see as much natural beauty as he could while on this earth .
Later that day , my husband and I were walking on the crest of Mammoth Mountain with lodge-pole trees on our right hiding deer and a few chipmunks under their cover . Now 14 miles in , we succumbed to our shaky legs and set up camp by a small creek . My first night ’ s sleep in the wild proved to be challenging as I still had an irrational fear of bears , something that each day ’ s exhaustion would soon overcome .
A WHOLE NEW WORLD " Just moments after stepping foot on the trail , we were surrounded by streams of crystal blue water , meadows of wildflowers of every gorgeous color , and Alpine lakes with hues of deep blue ."
02
DAY 2 : 11 MILES REDS MEADOWS ( 7,480 FT .) TO TRINITY LAKES ( 9,340 FT .)
Today we agreed to try to make it to Gladys Lake by evening , which meant we would have to do 10 miles on our second day with a stop at Red Meadows for lunch , where a café would be our only luxury on the trail . Along with a hot meal , I bought a proper pair of hiking socks at the general store — the best $ 12 I ever spent . My blisters were thanking me .
Before rejoining the trail , we opted to take a minor detour to see the Devil ’ s Post Pile National Monument . A geological wonder , these rows of what appear to be perfectly crafted linear pillars were created about 100,000 years ago when a cooling lava flow cracked into multi-sided columns . The unusual rock creation would have captivated Muir , who was fascinated by the earth ’ s natural formations . Though not a trained geologist , Muir was the first to theorize that glaciers had sculpted many of the features of the Yosemite Valley — a striking break to the accepted theory of the time that the formation of the valley was caused by a catastrophic earthquake .
We made our way back to the trail , huffing again up another mountain , this one swarming with mosquitos due to the increased snow melt of an El Niño winter . With fatigue setting in , we examined the map again to find a good camp before the sun set and the mosquitos came out in full force . After a series of “ lakes ” proved to be just mucky wetlands , we made it to Gladys Lake around dusk , still plagued by those relentless bloodsuckers . “ I ’ m too tired to eat ,” Michael declared once we were in the tent . “ Me too ,” I said , managing to eat one dark chocolate peanut butter cup before drifting into sleep .
30 TRITON | WINTER 2017