Journal pages, no. 2

July 10, 2012, Day 2 - 17.5 miles 

We're at the T[uolumne] Meadows. My feet kill, but only one blister, so I think they'll acclimate. We hiked 17.5 miles today. It was a rough start. The uphills still hurt a lot, but it's mostly my breathing. I think I'm still getting used to the weight of my pack. And my feet ached. But Ben stayed behind me to keep me motivated. And we got to the meadow. Were directed to the cafe by rangers on horses, ate a lovely burger, and talked for awhile to a Santa Barbara couple that has hiked the JMT. They had awesome stories about their homemade equipment. This afternoon, we met Bill. Bill reminded us to take the time to really enjoy this hike - "God's country." He was finishing a southbound (this is wrong...he was northbound) thru hike for a reunion. He hiked it 40 years earlier. He was on his last 14 miles when we met him. He looked so happy. Cool people today. P.S. Bear vaults work!

John Muir Trail revisited - Last summer, Ben and I thru-hiked the JMT in California. A recent rediscovery of my trail journal has led to a daily update from the journal with associated pictures from the hike. Read day 1.