if you’ve ever spoken these words to yourself hey you just might have what it takes to be a thru hiker.
I shipped out from VVR around midday, after writing my last post. I had a couple clif bars, a couple ramen, and a full package of double stuff oreos to make it the ~30 miles to Mammoth Lakes. VVR isn’t on the proper PCT, and i set out on the trail to the Trail after also getting a choco taco.
the rocks were watching their friend rock put on a one rock show
First i got stopped by Two Cup. I hadn’t even made it onto the trail to the Trail before he called out to me from his friend’s campsite. They offered me bloody beers, bloody marys but with beer instead, so that was exciting to both learn of their existence and also drink one that close together. We hung out and drank beers with their old sassy dog for a few hours, then another of Two Cups friends showed up with his dog. That one was a little tremble dog but he was still cute. I managed to pull myself away at around 5 i think.
I made it almost fully back to the Trail when i got stopped again, that time by the sounds of a bunch of people and the sight of a large bonfire. I set off to make some friends when I came across a large water crossing blocking my path to them. There i met Nightcrawler who had the same thought process as me and ended up hammocking there. He’s a cool dude with a big personality and a youtube channel, we talked about future tech and glow in the dark paint and moths. As sunset approached i set off again, vying to at least make it back to Trail before it got too dark. didn’t make it tho
The next morning i made a big 25 day to get as close to Mammoth Lakes as possible, it was during that long push that i spoke the title to myself, since i had to ration out my oreos by calories needed, not by how much of a glutton i am.
My time in Mammoth was spent hurriedly running errands. I tried to find new headphones, did laundry, got a new book, got new boots, got a resupply of just bread and cheese and meat (and jam) in honor of John Muir, and i still had time to watch Incredibles 2. I made it in and out of town the same day, and spent that night around a campfire with hikers i thought were way ahead of me.
I took a leisurely two days to cruise into Tuolumne Meadows while listening to Giantbomb’s E3 coverage. The last bit of trail as i approached Yosemite proper was pretty rad.
At Tuolumne Meadows i got a Game Boy Color and Pokémon Gold in the mail thanks Sarah. The adventures of BUTTLUL, the best pokemon trainer of jhoto, have been fun ways to end the days out here. Shoutout to Fence Post, the toughest Furret of the lands.
Also in Tuolumne Meadows i got recruited to go on a field trip with Patient Zero down to the valley floor. After a series of 4 hitches we made it down and back to the trail at around 11 pm.
Our night hike started off nice, the trail went through a little day hike section with all kinds of learning scrawled on plaques. We saw two sets of eyes gleaming back at us from the darkness that gave us a spook but none of the eyes we saw that day or night were aggressive.
As midnight hit it was my birthday but also hike naked day so we did that. We struggled to find this campground and ended up cowboying mere yards away from a log we had to cross to get there.
The next two days were all smiles and not miles. I think i did double digits each day at least? During the day i was the only hiker i saw hiking naked which was disappointing because i had a bottle full of whiskey that i was to offer to anyone rad enough but it was not so. I took an early stop at Benson Lake and did some good reading on that second day.
this is a good stopping point because there’s about to be a tonal shift. next time on man i dunno: gadget goes to war
-please stop eating oreos-
sad i didn’t spend any time in mammoth really. the next few days i heard about the neat places people stayed.
wow incredibles 2 just came and went huh. what a clumsy sequel. at least a lot of the action was fun. shame only the first one had good action and also a good plot.
during the e3 coverage i heard an interview with phil spencer, one of the chief cheeses of xbox. he had positive gamer energy in a way i wouldn’t expect a ceo to have and it enedeared him to me.
entry into yosemite. a store sick with tourists with the congealment of hikers orbiting. mail room full to the brim with care packages.
-field trip down to the valley- what a powerful yada, yada, yada. one of the hitches was in a convertible. another was with a woman who was having uncertainties about her journey, we did our best to ease her.
i had interest in a half dome climb with my hiker legs but i was stonewalled by the potential of bureaucracy and opted against it. another coulda woulda shoulda, eh?
man i dunno 