This morning the whole bunch took the first shuttle to Grumpy Bears, where we had breakfast (third day in a row; pancakes with eggs, bacon and potatoes, never gets old). Jimmy’s father had arrived in the morning and joined us for breakfast too. After our another great meal the others went to the local outfitter across the street, and I sorted out some of my previous entries. We took a shuttle back and the rest of the day would mostly regard getting ready to leave Kennedy Meadows. We got our laundry done, which in the sizzling afternoon heat dried within 15 minutes. I broke down my tent, and tried packing my new pack. Since the Hyperlight only has a 40-liter capacity, I had to make sure that I would not bring too much stuff, because it would simply not fit. I hoped I’d send away enough of my redundant gear along with my old pack. The new pack is crazy light, and very minimalistic. No bells and whistles on it, yet very functional. There’s no frame in the pack, besides two metal pins which position the pack along your spine. After trying it out for the first time, I was able to get all my gear in there, including 5 days worth of food in my bear-can. So that was nice. After packing up, I was wandering around the campsite on my (new) flipflops (I send my crocs home, which were very, very comfy, but also super clunky, and flopping on the outside of my pack, which was kind of annoying). All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my right heel (the foot that was unaffected by the Planar Fasciitis). I’d stepped into a thorn which had pierced a hole straight through my flipflop, puncturing in my foot.
Fortunately the puncture-wound was not deep, and only bleeding slightly. However, with the strain on my other foot, I thought my feet were going through enough as is. Apparently mother nature disagreed. Everybody was trying to fit their packs as good as possible because now we all have to carry the clunky Bear-Canisters with us. Seems all of us got it, but I’m pretty sure that there’s not much shared enthusiasm for carrying the extra 2-pounds through the mountains.
Around 1600 we were all packed up and ready to head out. Unfortunately I took a side-trail off the PCT a couple of days back, so I had to catch up on some miles. The rest had hiked further up the trail before they took the side-trail to the general store, so they’d have a head-start on me. We took some group photo’s and hiked down towards the trail. Our group is joined by Julian and Amanda. Julian is an former colleage of Jimmy, and they plan to hike for 3 weeks (several hundred miles) through the Sierras. 
I said my goodbye and hiked in South-Bound direction, to backtrack the 1.8 miles I hadn’t hiked yet. I turned around at the point I’d gotten off before and started chasing the others. On my way though, I remembered that I’d forgotten to buy cheese at the store, and without it I’d have to deal with the prospect of eating very bleak lunches the following 5 days. I headed back to the store, picked up some cheese and finally started down the part of the trail winding up to the Sierras. I arrived at camp pretty late and based on the others designated campsite I think I’m approximately 6 miles behind. Jukebox had taped up my left foot, and it held up well. Unfortunately I started feeling a similar strain in my right foot now. It kinda makes sense that the other foot would start to act up too I guess… I feel like I am equipped now however with several exercises to relieve some of the pain, so I will keep at it and hope I will keep it under control.
Today we’re finally headed into the mountains, the High Sierra’s await. For which I’m pretty excited!
I know that it feels like summer,
but it’s fall I have
The dark fades and my heart starts beating,
when the sun comes out
And I wanna say
That I can’t explain
And so I try…
And so I try…
And so I try…
And so I try…
I know when I’m frail or broken,
you are all I have
You move me in ways I needed,
like no one can
And I wanna say
That I can’t explain
And so I try…
And so I try…
And so I try…
And so I try…
All I have – Until June
