Mackenzie and I both slept great and awoke to the early risers walking by us as we were camped near the trail. It was a great surprise as to what our views would be since we arrived at our campsite in the dark. Before us was a sloping hill into the valley that we walked from the evening before. All around us were large boulders mixed in with old red wood trees. It was such a morale booster for our whole group as we felt like we were officially out of the desert and into the Sierra.

We walked roughly five miles to get to our first stop, some conveniently shaped stones that offered great seats for us. The views were incredible through this section. Massive redwoods, both dead and alive, with grain that twisted around like a candy cane. The vibrant color of the wood and the morning light created wonderful color palettes. Water was plentiful during this section as well. We would stop in grassy meadows or valleys and filter. The sun still hot but we were cooled by a pleasant breeze and the shade from the pines and red woods around us.

We kept walking another five miles to our lunch spot - a small waterfall with shaded spots all around. We passed Flora and Fauna who has just awoken from an hour long nap. We were all grateful to be out of the desert… we’re sleeping better and breaks seem like actual restful breaks, not just a pause to avoid heat.

We then climbed up to the second highest elevation we’ve reached since starting the trail - 10,700 feet. We’ll reach Whitney in a couple days so I’m hopeful we will get used to the high elevation (Whitney is almost 15,000 feet up). The terrain felt very similar to the desert yet with cooler temperatures and tall red wood trees. The trees have so much character with their telling the passage of time and the elements at play in the area.

After a quick break, we made our way to a nearby meadow to grab some water and make dinner. The views are incredible so long as you can bear the mosquitoes. It was a short walk to our campsite where we pitched our tent near a stream running through a meadow. We’re loving the Sierra so far and stoked to see what else it has to offer.

Happy trails…