Tuesday, August 30, 2016 - Chores

Much as I'd like to call today a zero day, it had too many chores to earn that title. I must admit, I was bone weary in the morning from the 17 mile romp of the day before. After a morning shower (what luxury!) we met the Craig and Barb and went to the lobby for breakfast. Back to the rooms to organize food for the next leg of the high route, from Mammoth to Tuolumne Meadows. Since Craig had given me food to get me through the second leg (because they forgot to bring my food from Sally's campsite to the food drop) we were not sure if he had enough. Sorting through his supplies we discovered he had ample rations to finish the third and fourth legs. Sally had mailed my resupply box of food from Yosemite Valley, maps and fuel (Yikes!! She didn't realize I had alcohol fuel in my resupply box when she mailed it) to the Mammoth Post Office and had picked up there while Craig and I hiked out yesterday. I was all set with food. 

We checked out of the hotel and drove to the laundromat to wash our hiking clothes. First washing, other than hand washing on the trail, in two weeks. While the clothes washed, Craig and I tried to anticipate everything I would need to do the front brakes on the van. The front pads failed on Sally's drive back from dropping us off at Road's End. She made it to the Valley, but the shop told her not to drive it after they diagnosed the problem. I had rotors, pads, wheel bearings and King nuts shipped from Van-Cafe to Sally in the Valley. I bought bearing grease, brake fluid, brake cleaner, etc at the local auto parts stores in Mammoth and put them in Barb's van so I would have them in the Valley when I finished the high route and could redo the VW brakes. Trips to both thrift stores for missing or improved gear rounded out the early afternoon. 

We treated the Oens to dinner at the Base Camp Cafe in Mammoth, then stopped at Vons for food and Schats bakery for goodies. Finally, it was time to part. We drove to the ski resort where Sally and Barb dropped Craig and I at the bus depot. The only way to get to Reds Meadow, the start point of the next section of the high route, from Mammoth, is by bus. The road down to Reds is only one lane for a few miles so the Forest Service instituted a bus only service due to traffic issues. 

We boarded the bus and Sally and Barb headed back to Yosemite Valley. We exited the bus at stop eight, walked the quarter mile to the campground and slept in the group site set aside for backpackers. We shared the site with about 10 other parties, all JMT hikers. Tomorrow, we are back on route.