Day 42 - Kennedy Meadows At Last

June 6-8, 2012

Day 42-44
Miles: 21
Total Miles: 702

Chilling in front of Tom's "Internet Cafe"

Kennedy Meadows!  After 702 miles of Southern California desert hiking, I have finally arrived at the "Gateway to the Sierra's".  This marks the entrance to the Southern Sierra Wilderness and the end of hot deserts, cactus and carrying liters of water.  In the desert we often carried four or more liters of water to get us through long dry stretches.  In the Sierra's, I will rarely carry more than 1.5 liters, and often less!  The weight I save in water (2 lbs per liter) will be replaced with extra food (longer stretches between resupply) and a bear canister which is a required food storage container that is bear-proof. (well...some brainy bears have learned to break into these canisters but the majority can not.)  Bear canisters are required until we exit the Yosemite Wilderness, 400 miles north.

But first - some well deserved R&R...and some beer and ice-cream...

Siddartha and Ben at the KM General Store & Cafe

Hiker Trash enjoying coffee at Tom's Place

My heaviest pack yet - 43 lbs!