MapSource
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Google Maps Terrain
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Up at 5am. Still dark... Got packed up by headlamp...
43 degrees last night. The high hit 80 yesterday. So far, bringing the
Montbell SS#1 was not necessary. Oh well, maybe later down the trail it
will get colder and I will be glad to have it. Started hiking at
6:15am. Climbed up to Lake Virginia. The lake in the dawn light was
beautiful. The next section of trail, the descent down to Tully Hole,
is one of my least favorites. The switchbacks are steep, with loose
gravel, and it is a dry, dusty, sharp descent. At least this year I hit
this section early in the AM so it was not hot. Tully Hole and Fish
Creek are beautiful, however I didn't stop to soak in the scenery since
it was loaded with hungry mosquitoes.
Purple Lake at dawn |
Lake Virginia |
Lake Virginia
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Next
is the climb up to Silver Pass. It was harder than I remembered from
last year. Still, it is a wonderful climb, with many small lakes to see
and explore. There was some snow to cross on the North side of Silver
Pass, maybe around 300 feet across. It was slippery but a fall would
not have been serious unless I twisted a knee or ankle.
I set a fairly quick pace once I started the descent on the South side
of Silver Pass. I had a lot of miles to cover. I didn't keep an eye on
the time, I just figured I would either make it, or not. I wasn't going
to start running if it was getting late, so I just kept a good pace and
would see what happened. The one concession I did make was to cross the
Mono creek crossings in my boots, and not stop to put on my water
shoes. I can see how these crossings would be hairy when the water was
higher. Last year I didn't even get my boots wet. This year it was a
knee deep crossing.
Lake Virginia
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Tully Hole
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I
stopped at the Edison Lake Trail Junction to see if I was going to
continue down to the Ferry, or if I was too late and would make camp
here. It was 2:45! Way early! I took a break, then continued to the
Ferry Landing. I arrived at 3:30, so was over an hour early. I was feeling pretty darn good for just having hiked 16 miles! I took a short nap, and talked some with the others who were arriving to catch
the ferry. The ferry arrived on time at 4:45, and we were on our way to
VVR. The ride was interesting this year. The wind was up so the boat
was hitting a lot of rough water and the folks in the front of the boat
were absolutely soaked from the spray. They all seemed to have some
sort of rain gear so they were OK. I got wet, but not soaked. It was a
bit of a chilly ride. Next time I will have my rain gear at the ready
just in case.
Heading to Silver Pass
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Wildflower
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Snow near Silver Pass
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VVR was just as I remembered it. I had reserved the 'Big Red' trailer
this year. It has a bathroom, shower, bed, table and a fantastic view
of the lake. Like everything at VVR, a bit rustic. Probably not
something I would consider for a romantic weekend, but perfectly OK for
a hiking trip, fishing trip, etc. I showered (yes!!!) and headed to the
cafe for dinner. Steak!!! And a good one at that. I am continually
surprised at the quality of the food at VVR. All of my meals were quite
good and the serving size generous. I met Marie, who was enjoying her
first year working at VVR, and of course, the always interesting (and
outspoken) Ms. Olive, who did her best to keep mealtime lively with her
interaction with the guests. I picked up my
resupply and headed to 'Big Red' to retire for the evening. One of the
best ideas I had this year was to include in my resupply a lot of
things that were NOT going with me on the trail. A pair tennis shoes
and clean socks. A clean cotton shirt. A book. Since I had a zero day
planned for tomorrow, I had items that made my stay quite comfortable
and I will donate them to the hiker barrel when I leave. This year I
get to do laundry at VVR wearing clothes instead of wearing my rain gear!!
Silver Pass
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John Muir Wilderness boundary
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Vermillion Valley Ranch Ferry
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Videos from Day 6
Additional pictures from Day 6
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