Mile 174.2 to Mile 192.0
We woke up to a bit of a surprise, as the warm weather had shifted so abruptly as to give us snow. This was a good reminder that we were, in fact, outside, and that our plans were entirely dependent on the whims of mother nature. There’s nothing like waking up to moist tent fabric in your face, after it had been weighed down by almost and inch of snow. We started a few hours later than usual to avoid hiking in sleet.
Late morning we entered Yosemite, immediately being greeted by cars, people, and roads. It was almost uncomfortable seeing signs of civilization after so long on our own. We joked about turning around and just hiking back to Mt. Whitney, if only to make the trip last a bit longer.
Even with all the roads and cars, this was still Yosemite. Even the ugliest parking lot had towering peaks of granite framing it.
Thankfully we got back into the wilderness by that evening, and could briefly escape the crowds before getting into Yosemite Valley. Our day ended with some dramatic Yosemite peaks, and an even colder night than the last.
RocketWalk 