John Muir Trail Part 7/11 – From Lyell Canyon Meadow to Tuolumne Meadows (.. Miles)
My water filter froze over night so I had to wait until it thawed. A tiny bit of water was left in my bottle and I used it to make hot chocolate and oatmeal. The pot warmed my hands and I slowly woke up. A friendly ranger came towards me to check my permit – imagine working here and being outdoors every other day!
The hike into Tuolumne Meadows was fairly easy, a sand trail cutting through soft grass. More and more dayhikers showed up closer to the campground. Once I got there, I asked a lady with sparkling eyes where the café-shop is – she told me directions and also lots of stories about bears as she had been camping here for 35+ years. I got hungry like a bear so I walked the short trail to the shop and ordered a cheeseburger and wedges – a nice and inexpensive treat.
While I talked with two friendly burners (burning man festival goers) from Lithuania, the woman from before showed up again and introduced herself as Carla. She wanted to give me free food, as she listened to my bear adventure – I got lots of delicious backpacking meals, snacks and even an instant berry smoothie!
I had period pains, so I took on her offer to stay one night at her campspot here in Tuolumne! We drove back the short distance and parked in the spot next to her big tent. Carla‘s car is full of hiking gear and crystals velcro-taped to the dashboard 🙂 She is originally from Oakland and works as an acupuncturist / TCM healer. I got my first acupunture session ever on smooth granite stones next to the river! How cool is that!! I‘m deeply grateful for meeting all these friendly souls.
She had gone to hike a small tour while I relaxed in the sun and cooled my feet in the river. From where I lied down, I could observe Lembert Dome and immediately imagined myself climbing it! Later in the evening, I helped to keep a small fire alive while Carla made a delicious dinner – fusili with a beef & basil tomato sauce and spicey ginger tea. She is really an angel, supporting me so much without asking anything in return.
When it got dark, we put on our warmest clothes and threw the sleeping pads in the car. A ranger program was supposed to happen that night, where they tell you about star constellations, but the parking lot of Lembert Dome remained empty and no ranger showed up. We walked over to the white and even granite surface and sat down on our pads where the talk would have happened. Carla and I watched the stars and milky way while talking about chinese medicine and its‘ different views on the body and health. Tired and happy, I fell asleep immediately after we came back to the campground.
Finn Goes West - Hiking & Climbing in the South-Western USA 