Day 6- Resupply and Burgers

Sunday, June 22

"Sometimes angels don't have wings." Sometimes they have packs and trekking poles.

Beginning: Rosalie Lake (Mile 51)
Ending: Upper Crater Meadow (Mile 64.5)
Daily recorded distance: 14.1 miles
Total recorded distance: 75.1 miles
Daily recorded elevation gain: 2,385 feet
Total recorded elevation gain: 18,468 feet

    Today was mostly an easy day followed by our first resupply. After a short warm-up climb to Gladys Lake, we hiked downhill for almost seven miles to reach Devil's Postpile National Monument and Red's Meadow Resort. The trail through this section was short on views, but the weather was perfect for covering miles. Much of the trail is covered in loose, sharp shale or large, awkward granite steps, but this section was smooth, hard-packed dirt. There was one notable creek to cross. Being unable to find a dry crossing, I marched through the shallow water in my hiking shoes. Before long, we reached the bottom of the canyon where the trail crosses the San Joaquin River. At the entrance to the National Monument, the trail to the Postpile split off the official JMT. Here I met Dad, who had hiked a mile or two up from Red's Meadow. He continued up the trail to find Weed Man, who was characteristically lagging several miles behind. I left the JMT to walk by the Devil's Postpile so I guess I really can't say that I've hiked every step of the John Muir Trail. Someday I will have to go back and catch three miles between Red's Meadow and the San Joaquin River. The Postpile is a formation of 60-foot high basalt columns that looks like... well... a pile of fenceposts, I guess.

    When Bryson, Casey, and I arrived at Red's Meadow, Mom was waiting there with our resupply. There is usually a genuine blacktop road to the resort, but it is closed for construction for the entire 2025 season. They had hiked the four miles by trail from the town of Mammoth with all the food we would need for the next five days. The shelves were still being stocked in the hiker store, and the restaurant was only open for a couple hours a day, but we were able to order several hamburgers before they closed. I think hiker hunger is the main reason these burgers are good, but they worked magic after nothing but trail food for almost a week. (I have no complaints about my trail food, but it's just not quite the same as a burger. Or pizza.) Soon most of us were refreshed, and ready to hit the trail again.

    Starting the trail, I had a nagging worry in the back of my mind: "Will I really want to keep going after Red's Meadow?" Hiking is fun, but it can hurt. Trail food is good, but real food is better. Sleeping pads work, but a bed is much nicer. You can wash off in a lake, but it sure is cold. With blacktop, comfort, and civilization only a choice away, would I have what it takes to go back out into the woods? These things weren't even a temptation. We were soon back on the trail again.

    All but Weed Man. His foot was hurting him too bad to keep going. From Red's Meadow, the trail goes through another burn scar from the 1992 Rainbow Fire. This meant that we were hiking through the same sharp thorned shrub we encountered on our first day. (Maybe it's manzanita?) There were trees growing, but not enough to keep us sheltered from the late afternoon sun. To the north, a beautiful bank of thunderheads built imposingly, but they stayed far away from us. We were thankful. Our camp that night was one of those where we finally set up our tents in the only spot available because we were tired of hiking for the day. It was barely off the trail on sloping ground. (Pro tip: If you can't find perfectly flat ground, make sure you sleep with your head uphill.)