Day 24 - Coming of Age

Monday, August 9, 2010 - Day 24
Stats for the day: started at Reymann Lake (10,062') at 7:45 - ended at Tuolumne Meadows (8,660') at 10:30am. Total ascent 642'. Total descent 2013'. Total Distance 5.08 miles. 2 hrs 12 mins walking.

With visions of the Tuolumne Grill in our heads all night we awoke to 30 degree temperatures and thick layers of frost on the tent and equipment. We cooked breakfast as we waited for the sun to appear over the ridge. When it finally hit us we were able to dry the tent and finish packing, then climbed the 600' ridge to exit the lake and descended through a neat chute in the bluffs into the Elizabeth Lake basin. We found the trail and quickly followed it the 2.3 miles to Tuolumne Meadows store and grill.

Today was my coming of age! For years I have watched the thru hikers (PCT and JMT) congregate on the two picnic tables in front of the Tuolumne Store, sorting gear, resupplying their bear cans and swapping stories. Today, Andy, Gary and I deposited our packs on those very same tables, proud thru hikers in our own rights (SHR) and sorted our gear, resupplied our bear cans and swapped stories with other hikers. A day to be long remembered. ;-)

We also got to the grill at 10:30 and had ham and eggs, hash browns, biscuits and buckwheat pancakes for breakfast (second breakfast), then when they switched to the lunch menu at 11:30 we entered again for hamburgers and fries. In the late afternoon I was driving the van to our exit point while my sister Karen followed in her van which we left there so I missed dinner, but Gary and Andy had vegetarian chili and a salad.

With gear sorted and repacked Gary, Andy and I are camped at the backpackers campsites while Karen and Matt are in my van spending the night just outside the park. They will hike into Gaylord Lakes from Tioga Pass, saving about 8 miles of trail walking that Andy, Gary and I will do on this their first day out. We will meet them tomorrow about 1 PM at the uppermost Gaylor Lake, then continue out of the park to camp for the night near the Sierra Mine site. We have to wedge ourselves outside the park because they don't allow camping in the area, yet outside the Monroe Natural preserve which borders the park. So we are tucking ourselves into a nice little corner outside both but in the Inyo National Forest high on a ridge where camping is allowed.