Day 49 - 6/13/12 - Girl Power

Contents:  Cow Creek Camp - Mulkey Pass (22.9 miles)

Today was a great day, one of my best days on the trail yet.  Smiles and I cranked out 23 HARD Sierra miles.  We did a ton of elevation and spent much of the day well above 10,000 feet. We both rolled into our camp at Mulkey Pass (10,380 ft) feeling super strong.  The scenery was fantastic, and it was great to have a girls-only day, especially in such a remote area.  We saw very few people.  I almost always do back-country trips with guys and it's so empowering to just be with a girlfriend.  The two of us formed a solid plan for the day and executed it in style.

Water was a bit scarce today and I definitely ran low.  I'm drinking more than usual due to the altitude.  The Water Report, which was my bible in the desert, ended at KM, so we're just relying on maps and a "data guide" now.  We're currently in the middle of a 20-ish mile stretch of no on-trail water, but our beta indicated a few sources that were a short hike off the trail.  The first of those sources was barely a stagnant puddle, so I skipped it hoping for better luck at the next source.  Unfortunately, the next source was completely dry.  I definitely regretted not taking a liter of the stagnant water which I'd bypassed.  I was starting to consider the possibility of 15 miles plus and overnight on a single liter but luckily the third source that we checked was flowing well.  The low snow pack has definitely had an impact on water out here, and I'm not going to cut it so close going forward.  No complaints though!  I couldn't have picked a better year to hike the PCT!

My feet feel good overall, but I'm nursing a new blister on my left pinky toe.  I guess you're never out of the woods as far as blisters are concerned out here.  Despite receiving a new pair of shoes that are a half size bigger in my KM mail drop, I wound up cutting a hole in my left shoe to allow a little more room and breathability.  I already feel like I could go up another half size.  I don't know if any of my shoes, ski boots, etc. are going to fit after this trip!

Smiles and I are about 22 miles from Crabtree Meadows where we plan to base camp for our Mt. Whitney climb on Friday.  We're both looking forward to another awesome day in the High Sierra tomorrow!