Mile 942.0 - 956.3

We could sleep in this morning at Tuolumne Meadows Campground because the store doesn't open until 9am and we need to top off our food canisters for the next 150 mile stretch. We are planning a 7 day 150 mile hike between Tuolumne Meadows and South Lake Tahoe. We can't carry much more than 7 days worth of food. That amount of food will not all fit into our bear canisters so we need to cheat a little and carry some food in just a waterproof sack. 7 days of food is also around 15 to 18 pounds including the bear can. In 150 miles at South Lake Tahoe we can ship the bear canisters home. They are no longer required at that point and every hiker cannot wait to lose that bulk and weight from their packs.

Right at 9am we rushed to the store and bought more food. We looked like some circus show to all the day hikers who watched us jam a shopping cart full of groceries into a tiny bear can.

We got a late start hiking today due to the resupply, but it was a mostly flat and downhill day. A highlight of today's hike was the magnificent Tuolumne Falls that drop rushing water hundreds of feet. Those falls led us to Glen Aulin Camp. This is the only high camp that sits directly on the PCT and it just opened today for the summer months. People can stay at this camp overnight and have all meals provided. They get to the camp by either hiking in or taking a horse. No roads to this camp, just a trail. We were lucky they were open because we got all the lemonade we could drink for just one dollar.

After the Glen Aulin Camp we hiked through several long grassy meadows only to be attacked by mosquitoes. It got so bad that Balance even used her headset for the first time. 

We found a nice camping spot on the McCabe River along with Sizzler and Teddy Rose. We just met this girl Teddy Rose today for the first time. We all ate dinner around the campfire ring. No fire though. Fires are still not allowed because of the drought season they are having here. We are far to tired to even think about a fire anyway. Time for bed, it's 8pm and I'm not kidding. This is hikers midnight, but it's not even dark yet.

The Tuolumne River.

Balance loaded up with 7 days of food traversing the rockscape.

Y-Knot blends in with the bridge and mountains.

Tuolumne Falls.

Y-Knot and Balance in the background hiking the meadow section of today's hike. At least we didn't have to climb a mountain pass today. Although more passes are coming up. Just not as high as the ones we have already done.