Miles 733.0 to 750.2 (plus 3.6 down Cottonwood Pass)

I woke up this morning and got going around 8am because the sun was shining and creating warmth in my tent (early for me... how am I ever going to get up and going in the wee cold hours to clear these mountain passes ahead???).... still no hound :(....and still no service...

I think sleeping at 10,000 feet... helped my body acclimate a little better ... because my legs felt good from the get go this morning and the climb up to 10,900 took way less time than I had planned... after that it was pretty level trail... some descent... some ascent... but I was cruising... I had planned to get to Cottonwood Pass and down to Horseshoe Meadows (a campground a couple of miles off trail that serves as access to the town of Lone Pine) tonight and get a ride the 18 miles into town in the morning.... but as the day went on, I realized I was going to make it around 3pm... and could get to town tonight and get cell service in town.. it had been over a week since I had actually spoken to Charlie and I wanted to reach Nathan somehow...

Motivated and legs feeling strong... I made it to the campground at Horseshoe Meadows and started down the road... not a single car... this was supposed to be an easier place to hitch... after walking down the road a little over a mile ... I set up shop in a turn out... practicing my friendliest thumb out maneuvers.... an hour goes by... not a single car... (in hindsight: you would think I would of noticed that none of the parking lots in this huge campground nor the equestrian camp had cars either...). I give in and try to use my garmin to satellite message a guy named Lone Pine Kurt that offers shuttles for hikers.... not sure if it went through... and knowing Charlie was in a big budget meeting... I reached out to Rebecca in Georgia to try and call him as well... (thanks Bex!) ... for $60 bucks I had a ride down the mountain that was on his way ... sitting in my little turn about on the side of the road...finally a day hiker comes trouncing down the road... she asks if I am injured... nope just waiting on a ride... I answer... and that is when she tells me the road is closed by a gate about 250 feet up around the bend that I am sitting at.. I walk with her to the gate... and there are all the cars... three people immediately offered me rides... darn it... I had already scheduled the shuttle... I sat there a little miffed at myself to be out $60 because I didn’t walk 250 feet further....

However... that $60 bucks turned out to be worth it... Kurt was a wealth of local knowledge... giving me a history lesson of how the Alabama Hills (where were driving to) got its name... you can Google it... but it was from Confederare sympathizing miners rebelling against the Union troops naming the area Kearsage... the USS Kearsage sunk the CSS Alabama... he told me stories of his wife growing up in Lone Pine during its heyday of being the set of western films... and said I had to stay at the Dow Villa Motel... just because of the history... it was a really enjoyable ride...

I checked into the motel... the dirtiest I have been ... and immediately began the first of three consecutive showers.... went to grab some Mexican food... and while waiting for my entree... Hound called... he had thrown out his back early the second day of us leaving Kennedy Meadows... he had not been able to move at all... he was able to get a message to his dad... who hiked to him without his pack and carried Hound’s pack back to Kennedy Meadows as Hound limped in pain the 14 miles back... so glad he was able to get help... and to know what happened....and yet, my next dilemma arrives..

Hound was getting off trail for at least a week... he and I had planned to go through the High Sierra together... because of snow and dangerous river crossings... people usually group up to cross this section... Scout and his group weren’t coming into Lone Pine... and everyone else I know was taking a few days off... and I am so slow up climbs...I wouldn’t want to hold anyone up... it is a really low snow year (they are saying it is the equivalent of July conditions for an average year)... I know about a dozen people have already crossed Forester the highest pass and have a good sense of what I will find there... after weighing everything out... I have decided to push forward... hoping it will all work out and I will meet someone I can hike with at least up Whitney and over Forester Pass...if not, I am smart enough to turn around and I need to trust my abilities and limits.

So a day off in Lone Pine today... staring at the giant of Whitney that lays ahead of me on trail (and man it looks really tall from here)... then i venture into the real majestic section of the Sierra starting tomorrow... I won’t have service until I come back down - depending on conditions and how I am doing that will be in four days or eight (still undecided on whether I will take Kearsage Pass down or if i am feeling good go all the way to Bishop Pass)... will update when I can.