Pre-Trail, Day 1
We roll into our Mammoth Lakes campground late at night after 15 exhausting hours of driving, pitch a tent and go straight to sleep. The sun gently nudges me awake with its soft glow at 6:30AM the next morning. The 8000ft elevation builds a dizzying pressure in my brain and weighs down my movements, imitating a mild hangover.
Nothing a little coffee and Advil can’t handle. Breakfast of champions.
Our next four days are dedicated to acclimatizing since we will be starting on the south end of the trail where elevation is higher and a Mount Whitney summit looms at 14,505 ft only a few short days into our trek. Taking time now to build crucial extra red blood cells will hopefully save us from acute mountain sickness (AMS) later.
My hiking partner (HP) and I take our time to enjoy the quiet of the still sleeping campground, sipping coffee out of our nalgenes and swapping dreams about the trail ahead. HP dreamed last night that all our down layers got soaked in the middle of a snow camp, exposing us to hypothermia. I dreamed that we only had one weekend to finish the 230 miles ahead and overslept half of the first day away, forcing us to forfeit the hike altogether.
Suffice to say, we have our anxieties about what lies ahead. Snow fields, wet gear, lightning storms over high passes, altitude sickness, the possibility of being waylaid by injury or gear malfunction…
But the overwhelming feelings within me are of fluttering excitement and growing curiosity. Curiosity about what adventures lie in wait. Curiosity about how this trail will change me, what I will discover about myself, how I will grow as a hiker, a veterinarian, an ever more powerful human being.
After a small breakfast of Idahoan mashed potatoes, we break camp and wander around downtown Mammoth to kill time before our 4PM condo check-in. During that time, I enjoy my first Epic IPA beer at Mammoth Brewing Company and bum an empty 5-gallon bucket off their kitchen staff to hold my Reds Meadow resupply. This sure beats spending $5 per bucket at a home improvement store and has been my chosen method for acquiring all of my JMT resupply buckets. Better for my wallet, better for the environment (#reducereuse).
We finally settle into the condo after a series of comically unfortunate, altitude fog fueled events, and I introduce HP to the hilarious Hulu show, Letterkenny, with bourbon on the rocks before we finally turn in for the evening.
Day 2: Mammoth Lakes CA
I sleep fitfully during our first night in the condo. I’m not sure if this is due to the altitude, the excitement I feel for the trail ahead, or perhaps the drunk, scream-laughing group of festival goers in the room adjacent enjoying life at full volume until 3AM.
After a relaxing coffee and a bear claw pastry, we grab our resupply buckets and take a series of buses and trollies to hand-deliver our final resupply of the trail to Reds Meadow Resort. We might have looked a bit silly carrying around 5-gallon buckets in any other town, but Mammoth Lakes sees hikers of all walks and is a frequent stop for backpackers needing resupply.
Walking out of the general store, we spot three southbound JMT hikers sitting at a picnic table sorting through their resupplies and enjoying a glass of beer. We excitedly walk up to introduce ourselves, and they tell us about the trail conditions, the “impressive” mosquitoes and a few stories about their journey so far. Since we will be headed northbound from the opposite end of the trail, we all hope to see each other out there and say goodbye for now.
Rather than take the bus system back out of Reds Meadow, we hike over Mammoth Pass and walk our way along the bike path back down to town. The 2000 ft elevation gain headed up the pass pushes my still acclimatizing cardiovascular system, leaving me winded as my furiously pumping arteries work hard to keep me oxygenated. My legs and my soul rejoice to be out on the trail, though, and I know my body is already hard at work building up extra red blood cells to carry oxygen to my tissues over the days ahead. Even still, I can’t help but think with a bit of nervous anticipation about my upcoming 6000 ft climb to the summit of Mount Whitney.
We make it over the pass, and it’s all downhill from there along a dirt trail then a concrete bike path all the way back to the downtown brewery. After a couple of cold beers, we make the trek back to the condo for a total mileage of 11.5 mi and 4000 ft cumulative elevation change. I rest my pleasantly tired muscles as I enjoy a well-earned dinner and an early bedtime.
Day 3: Mammoth Lakes CA
The focus of our third day is rest and addressing a few final preparations.
We stop by the ranger station for our permits and can’t resist meandering through a nearby mountaineering supply store. The biggest victory of the day though? Finally getting my prescription sunglasses! I had ordered them before leaving Washington state, but they didn’t arrive until the evening after I left town. My husband saved the day by overnighting them to the Mammoth Lakes post office, but I had quite a scare when they didn’t arrive by the next day (Friday) as planned. Thankfully, though the post office is closed on Saturdays, today I am able to pick up my express package. I almost do a dance as I take the package from the angel of a postal worker, giddy and grinning from ear to ear.
Over dinner, we pour over maps to rehash our daily mileage and expected camp spots. I lay out my gear for what feels like the umpteenth time and finally pack it all carefully in my backpack. The final weigh-in for the pack, with food and other consumables for the first leg, is under 30 pounds. Remembering my pack last year on this stretch of trail weighing over 45 pounds, I feel proud of all the research and gear adjustments that lightened my load this extensively.
Tomorrow will be our last day before finally hitting the trail bright and early Monday morning, and I could not be more excited. We will swing through the Inyo permit office to pick up our Whitney permits, then hand deliver the last of our resupply buckets to our expected hotel stop in Independence before driving to the Horseshoe Meadows trailhead camp for the night.
I will update my Instagram/Facebook as I have service, and I will release new blog posts as I am able throughout the next month.
Happy Trails, friends!
<3
Brittney
OMG TAKE ME WITH YOU 😍😭
So much planning and anticipation for this epic journey! May the miles treat you kindly, fill your soul, and nourish the adventurer within you! Enjoy, my love!