Well I think I am getting my fill of bushwhacking. My map said the trail was bad/nonexistent to Heitz Meadows, 4 miles on from last night’s camp. This was true enough. What it didn’t say is that the trail is just as bad/nonexistent all the way down to the Cassidy crossing of the San Joaquin, 6 miles further.
Somehow, despite all my stick-breaking, I did manage to startle a large light-brown bear, who bounded off into the woods, showing me only its large round bear butt.
Reedy meadow near Rattlesnake LakeI arrived at the bridge hot, tired, disgruntled as well as fairly well scratched up and bleeding on my arms and legs. The only thing for it was to strip off my clothes and jump in the cold green water and paddle around for a bit. That did wonders for my attitude.
Even with pants on most of the way, my shins took a beating
Good thing there was a cold river to jump intoAfter enjoying the pleasure of lunching by a large beautiful river I dunked my clothes in the cold water, put them on, and commenced the 2500-ft climb out of the canyon on the rocky south facing slope. It was hot.
But a breeze appeared once I made the first ledge, and great views of domes and snowy crests developed as I ascended.
Balloon Dome on the way up out of the river gorge
The Sierra crest emerging behind the dome was a handsome sightThere is a lot to like about this part of the Sierra- big trees, big rivers, big views. I just wish they would maintain the trails once every 20 years or so.
Minarets poking up behind the hills along the trail to Clover MeadowDespite the bushwhack and the climb, I made it the 20 miles to Clover Meadow where there is a ranger station that is apparently operational and also features a small and pleasant (albeit mosquito-infested) car campground. The only other occupant was a Swedish woman starting the JMT from there; apparently it is easier to get a permit if you start outside of Yosemite Valley. We had a nice chat. She was a bit nervous, not having done a long hike before and I did my best to assure her that route finding would be easy, that she would meet other hikers and that the scenery would be amazing.
As I am running low on fuel, I experimented with doing an extended rehydration of my dinner (red pork chili with beans) in my Ti Bot during the last few miles of hiking. The Bot is a 700 mL titanium cookpot/cup with a sealable screw top lid. It also doubles as a water scoop and auxiliary water bottle.
The experiment was a complete success. The chili required only mild reheating and was ready to eat in just a few minutes. Also it was absolutely delicious. Congratulations to me, I deserved an excellent dinner.