Day #33 Hiking = Instant Gratification & Instant Soup

John Muir Trail Part 2/11 – From Barney Lake to Deer Creek via Duck Pass (8.2 Miles)

Today it almost worked getting up with the alarm clock at 5.15am. It was windy, dark and cold – I could never go mountaineering like other people do – into the bitter cold of ice and snow fields in Patagonia or the Himalayas. Raindrops were still clinging to the tent but fortunately the food bags remained untouched – both by bears and squirrels – but mostly by the rain which fell throughout the night. If any of the bags collected too much water, the whole thing would have crashed down.

Today‘s trail was exceptionally beautiful and fun – the last mile doesn‘t count, it‘s always excruciating 😖 Hiking has bits of instant gratification: after hiking a few switchbacks up, I looked back down and directly saw my progress: the view back into the valley of Barney Lake, where I camped.

I quickly made it over Duck Pass and reached Duck Lake. The sheer size of the lake and the surrounding peaks was magical, the view extending into a valley and guess what… more snow-capped mountains!

While crossing the meadow next to Duck Lake I noticed how smooth the rocks in the ground are – many glaciers have polished them over the centuries. It felt like a really special, timeless place. Soon after, the trail ended in a junction and there it was: the famous John Muir Trail (JMT)! I had planned to hike a section from that junction all the way to Yosemite Valley in 8-10 days, taking my time.

I had to cry when I saw the extensive valleys and peaks the trail revealed while ascending on the rim of a canyon and thought – why does this make me so happy? Nature has never disappointed me or betrayed me for an experience – other than people. It is always a safe, yet intimidating space – it makes me feel humble and think about ways how to be a better person. I feel most confident and focused in nature – no distractions, no information overflow. Steadiness and peace. And a direct exposure to raw elements without the luxuries of cities.

After passing many squirrels, vulcanic red rocks and hikers, I met an older hiking lady who broke her nose and blackened her eye when she tripped over a root – and still continued JMT after only two days! I also saw a teenage girl hiking with her (I assume to be) grandmother – how cool is that? There are lots of strong women out there, doing their thing. There was also a team of two witty girlfriends, going fast and ultra-light – their backpacks were tiny and they both revealed that they only packed one change of clothes. We chatted about the options I had but honestly, other than the climbing gear, I don‘t know what to leave at home next time.

On the way down, my backpack suddenly became too much for my feet – it hurt so bad that I had to force myself to walk further, the campsite at Deer Creek did not want appear. How far can 1000 feet be? I kept checking my Osmand app desperately and even mistook dome-shaped boulders for grey tents – granite fata morganas!

Then at last, a green meadow with a refreshing creek running through popped up. Lots of tall pine trees provided enough shade to make this a decent campsite! At least my ability to estimate my hiking speed vs. distance and arrival time is on spot – I arrived at 12:45pm and could choose from many campsites. My lunch was hot – I made instant pho and added chili flakes and a big spoon of crunchy peanut butter – to my surprise it was incredibly tasty, honestly it was better than the soups I had in some restaurants!

I‘m laying in my tent, drinking coffee and stretching my sore muscles, using the golf ball to get in deeper. I have to think of a way how to support my feet by taping them – the weight isn‘t going to be less tomorrow or the day after. Anyway, I made good progress today, giving myself a headstart as I initially wanted to camp back at Duck Lake.

Sadly there are lots of flies outside who are, unlike mosquitoes, unaware of the bug spray and harass me continuously. There‘s a fire ring and if I can motivate myself later, I‘ll make a small fire to keep the bugs away.