Breaking camp in the morning is always a slow process for me. As everyone packed up & got ready to go, I was surprisingly not the last one. In fact as everyone strung out like a pack train down the trail I ended up line leader for most of the morning. We are still in Kings Canyon. With two passes to climb and a lot of miles to cover I pushed hard. At the top of Pinchot pass I had lunch with Peanut, one of the Yukon hikers, and a couple others. On the way down I listened to music. The vocal version of California Dreamin came on and I danced down the trail to its rhythm. I flailed my poles around and executed a couple turns extending my poles out like wings for balance. It is not easy turning with a pack & tennis shoes on. I didn't fall. However, I've been falling a lot - 3 times in two days. Put a hole in my pants and bruised my knee. Every time I stumble &/or fall, I hear That Guys voice in my head saying 'this is a no fly zone Helicopter.' After Pinchot pass it was up and over Mather pass. I saw a lot of new faces at the top of Mather. There were 2 Chris's, and 4 others whose names I can't remember. I never saw any of the hikers I started the day with after Pinchot pass. I got way ahead. Now I'm camping in a little canyon above the Palisades river by myself. Chris & Chris went a few miles further but I was too tired to continue. Plus it was already 630. I had a big smile on my face all day. The only thing that would make it better would be a signal so I could post this blog and send a couple texts.
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