Day 39- Nero into Kennedy Meadows

Mile 699 at the Kern River to Kennedy Meadows at mile 702
 
Once again I was camped on a slope.  I need to test out these spots before I'm cozy in bed.  It wasn't bad though.  I listened to the river and had stars to look at overhead.  My alarm went off at five a.m. for a four mile hike to Kennedy Meadow.  I wanted to be there early--breakfast if there was any to be had.  Although I ate breakfast of a sort in my sleeping bag.  I had a bit of chocolate peanut butter left, a handful of chocolate chips, and a few spoonfuls of oatmeal from my last resupply.  I mixed it all together and tried to pretend it was some kind of no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies.  It was okay, and I figured it would get me pretty far into my four miles.

I left camp before six.  There was a tiny uphill that took me away from the river and within ten minutes of hiking I crossed the 700 mile mark.  I guess I hiked a little farther last night than I thought.  It felt nice to shave off a mile from the hiking day.

The trail continued through the same valley I ended in yesterday.  It was really pretty in the cool morning light.  The mountains were light up.  I was motoring along through the valley.  It's hard to enjoy the beauty when there is somewhere you want to be.  Luckly at 3 mph it is easy to take it all in.  The trail was still sandy--it feels like the desert isn't going to let me go--but I didn't have to look at the tread very much as there was nothing to really trip over.

I could see where I was going and the trail kept taking me away from where I wanted to go, but we've been 700 miles together and I trust the trail to take me where I want to go, even if it takes me away from where I want to go to begin with.

I hit a paved road, walked east for a half mile and there was Tom's place with hikers meandering about drinking coffee and waiting for breakfast.  I plopped down in a chair at Dr. Sole's and was soon offered three breakfast burritos, which I ate greedily.  Then it was pancake time.  Then time to relax and enjoy a nero and a zero day at Tom's.

(A note:  From Kennedy Meadow I will hike into the Sierra Mountains.  For six days I'm expecting not to have any cell/ internet service on my phone.  So that means no blog entries, but I will be writing them at night still.  I will be hiking into a town on the sixth day and if I have phone service with internet I'll be able to upload blog post.  If there is no service I'll have to wait five or six more days to upload my entries.  Happy hiking.)