The day didn‘t start great – but it got better every hour. I ignored my alarm clock set for 6am – got to get into hiking mode again! – and slept an hour longer. When I finally got up, I felt sleepy and stiff. My lower belly hurts again, so I took painkillers, put water and a few snacks into my daypack and started off towards Crystal Lake. It was only a 1.4 mile trail, but I got lost both ways… while dealing with the recurring stomach pain and other weird issues my body has which have sadly become normal to me. I can definitely feel the altitude (around 9000 feet here) this time, I‘m having a hard time breathing when I‘m hiking upwards.
Crystal Lake however, was absolutely stunning. I got there when it was still a bit cool and no one else was there. I waded into the clear, turquoise water with confidence but when the first gush of wind came, I turned around with just my arms and legs wet, sitting in the sun and shivering.
When arriving back at the campground, I brew coffee and hid in my tent – for the first time since I‘m in the United States, rain started to fall. It wasn‘t a lot but strong enough to cool down the air. I had to get back to Mammoth Lakes though to obtain my backcountry permit and resupply on food for the next 12 days.
Luckily the rain stopped whenever I was inside a shuttle or store. On the shuttle, I met Ed, a charming bus driver who was one day before his retirement and decided to have as much fun as possible at work. He would stop the shuttle next to tourists and asked them for the correct way to a certain lake – as everybody was asking him the same question, day in day out. He also made lots of Dad jokes („Is anyone an artist here? Well, I draw… attention!“) and entertained us with facts about the area. I told Ed it would be funny if he dressed up as a bear during work.
The rest of the evening, I enjoyed the lake view with crime podcasts and red wine, before laying all the food out and sorting it after days. As I already dreaded, it did not all fit into the bear canister which puts me in a bad situation – I have to hang my food from tree branches or it will get eaten by a bear. It is nothing I have looked into during the research phase, so I‘ll have to experiment a bit!
kitschy picture I‘ll post!
It‘s very peaceful here – pink clouds contrast an otherwise blue sky, the wind carries sounds of the lake and the pine trees to my tent. Everything is sorted for tomorrow and I‘m tired from the red wine and the altitude. Good night!
Finn Goes West - Hiking & Climbing in the South-Western USA 