Mile 978.2 - 999.4

Today's word of the day is: Mosquitoes! They were horrible today and safe to say for the near future as well. It is almost impossible to take a break with these nasty creatures covering your body as you stop. It is barely tolerable when in motion, but once you stop, All bets are off. The mosquitoes will win. It's a numbers thing, millions of mosquitoes and just the two of us. 

Today I was covered head to toe. The only skin I had exposed was from my knuckles to my finger nails. That's so I can pinch and kill as many needle heads as possible.

Balance on the other goes a different route and uses deet, which seem to be working. She has to apply several times a day but she can wear short sleeve shirts. We both had headnets on today.

After hiking 20 plus miles we are exhausted, but setting up the tent as fast as possible is mandatory. In a matter of seconds we each had hundreds of blood sucking mosquitoes all over us. As soon as the tent is set up, we jump in and stay in until dark. I really wish I could say that the mosquitoes were going to be all gone tomorrow, but that's not going to happen. They are here for the season and we better get used to it.

Other than the mosquitoes we did have a few big climbs today. Right off the bat this morning we had two unnamed 9,000' mountains and then late in the afternoon we climbed Dorothy Pass at 9,546'. At the top of Dorothy Pass was the boundary of existing Yosemite National Park and entering the Hoover Wilderness. We found an excellent camping spot just a mile down the summit of Dorothy Pass on Cascade Lake.

Balance was able to cross this creek with just her feet wet. Y-Knot wasn't as fortunate. I got soaked. Still not sure how she didn't get wet.

Mosquito proofed.

The mosquitoes love these wet swampy meadows. 

Dorothy Lake.

Our camping spot for tonight. Right on Cascade Lake. Beautiful spot but millions of mosquitoes.

These are the bear canisters that we have to use until South Lake Tahoe. We hope to be there by the end of this week. It is mandatory that all hikers carry these canisters from Kennedy Meadows to South Lake Tahoe. That is about 400 miles that you must carry these 3 pound bear canisters. It may not sound like much but believe me, every hiker can't wait to get to South Lake Tahoe to mail home these cans.