Mile 735 to 745.

We awoke to the Silver glow of moonlight as we crawled out of our tents and started down trail. The horizon was a light gray and the moon hung heavy in the sky. We passed twisted trees and bolders smoothed by the winds as we slide through the night.

As we came into a small clearing, the Sierra rose high and sparkled in the silver light. With dawn approaching, a band of pink and orange light slowly drifted down to the snowy peaks lighting them a fire. We climbed a group of rocks and sat to watch Nature’s grand finale unfold.

Thump, wack, pow! A body falling. I looked to my right and saw something hit the rocks as it fell 35 feet to the ground ejecting objects as it went. I bent to get a closer look as it rolled to a stop. Black, red, and curled up. I squint. Not a bloody body, but a backpack. I look up. Shades has dropped his backpack off a cliff. Everyone exchanges a look grateful it wasn’t worse.
As Shades collects his scattered belongs and does a walk of shame to retrieve his pack, we look back to the mountains catching the last bit of color before the sun’s rays strike.

We continued on the trail 9 miles to the first junction. Vipr was in the lead and I expected to see her, but she was nowhere in sight. I waited and Bedazzled and Fun Dip  came up. We waited a bit more and then started down Mulky Pass toward Horseshoe Meadow when no one showed up.

The meadow is ringed with mountains and has a small river snaking through it. We walk the river looking for a dry crossing, but end up taking off our socks and shoes and crossing the freezing cold water.

We continue across the marshy ground and run into another fork of the river, but find a small log that we can tight rope walk across. The rest of the group still hasn’t entered the meadow and we start to wonder where they are. Perhaps they missed the trail junction and took the second route down via Trail Pass? We walk into the Horseshoe Meadow Campground and don’t find them so we walk the .5 miles to the Trail Pass Trailhead. No one there except for a group about to head up the trail. We ask them if they have seen our friends, but no luck. We debate on what to do, but figure they might have already got a hitch so we decide to ask the lady who dropped the backpackers off for a ride to Lone Pine and she kindly agrees.

Lone Pine is a tiny little town that is famous for its views of the Sierra and Alabama Hills as well as being the set for many a western. During past years of the annual Sierra Film Festival, movie stars such as John Wayne even walked the streets. We were less interested in the history, however, and made a beeline for the Alabama Hills Cafe. It had an excellent breakfast. We texted the group while we waited, but got no answer.

Next we went to the outfitters and I picked up a mosquito headnet, some gaitors, and waterproof gloves. After that we stopped at the grocery store so Bedazzled could buy enough food to make it through this section of the Sierra. While shopping, we got word that Burnout and Voldy were in town. Thank goodness! We met up at the outfitters and about an hour later Vipr and Shades arrived. They had all gone down Trail Pass instead of Mulky.

People weren’t as ticked off as I expected, but we agreed that we need to communicate more explicitly like we were doing the weeks before Kennedy Meadows. We are also feeling that a group of 7 is a little too large.  A group of 6 is probably the most you want and what we expected to enter the Sierra with.

We grabbed some Subway to pack out and called Kurt, who offers shuttles back up to Horseshoe Meadow for $60. As we climbed from 3,000 feet to over 10,000, the temperature kept dropping and eventually reached 36 degrees. By the time we setup camp it was 32 degrees. Tonight is going to be the coldest night on trail yet. Bedazzled and Fun Dip are crammed in Vipr’s two person tent for extra warmth. I hope I don’t turn into a popsicle.