Today the cold wind slacked off from brutal to merely harsh, making for a much more enjoyable walk. My campsite behind the JoshuanTrees had an expansive view to the east, making for an excellent sunrise.
There really hasn’t been a morning when I wasn’t eager to put on the pack and start walking. And every day my eagerness has been rewarded by some sight or moment that made me glad. Today’s moment was on the flank of Stringer Mountain where I ate my lunch reveling in the view of the snowclad Sierras before me. They were calling me to keep hiking, and enjoy their sights and treasures.
And I’m sure when I finished the Sierras, the next mountain range would call me, and the next. Some people are born wanderers, who always want to see what’s around the next corner and over the next hill. I’m notorious in my family for always luring them out farther than they really wanted to go. I can’t help it.
But I can’t keep going, not this time. I have a wife I adore and miss dearly, and a daughter to see graduate. It’s down to Walker Pass tomorrow and then back to civilization. So it’s Adios Sierra, at least for now.
Looking back at the Tehachapis
Looking ahead to the Sierra, mile 635