Rose: watching “The Princess Bride” on a big projector screen, feeling like I’m settling in to this bubble maybe Thorn: doubt about my plan, my abilities Bud: getting back on trail on my terms

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Our trail angel picked us up at nine. It took two hours to get to Kennedy Meadows. Even up here it’s in the 80s. It’s borderline uncomfortable for me. I’m glad I skipped ahead.

Grumpy Bear’s is a bar. 2 Foot Adventures and Triple Crown Outfitters are shipping containers and airstream trailers that can be moved away when the season’s over. Grumpy’s and TCO are about three miles from the General Store, but they run a frequent shuttle. Not gonna lie, it’s a little underwhelming. I was hoping for a small cluster of a town. Instead it’s spread out vacation homes, kinda like Yankee Jim.

I went to TCO to pick up my bear canister (ugggghhh!!!) and returned to a huge line at Grumpy’s, a mix of hikers and bikers. I ordered a double cheeseburger and a 20 oz beer. I wandered to a few standing spots, trying to decide which lunch group I was going to infiltrate. It felt like the first day of school all over again. I lost my nerve and found the one stool available at the bar.

After my sizable meal and beer, I repacked my pack around my bear canister and took a nap under a tree. I’m nervous to get back on trail. Kinda nervous and lonely to do it alone. Kinda nervous about my ankle. About my ability. About the obstacles this trail throws at us. I called Casey for a pep talk, but it didn’t quite hit home. This week has given me doubt. Being the slowest in my last group gave me doubt. My aches and pains have given me doubt.

At four I jumped in the shuttle to the general store, which was swarming with people. I bought a beer and ice cream sandwich and joined a picnic table. I hemmed and hawed about another beer, about whether I just wanted to get out of the social scene and back on trail, but I gave in. Bubbles told me that I would be making memories that would last me. She’s right. When I come back here in the fall, it won’t be like this at all. I need to enjoy KM at its height of hiker season. Time to make some friends and enjoy some of the WiFi.

I set up my tent in the sparse woods behind the store. At eight we started a movie on a wooden movie screen the store had erected. It was “The Princess Bride.” There was surprisingly little heckling. I’ve never seen that movie all the way through. Guess I didn’t this time around either, because I was in and out brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed.