Mono Pass to Tuolumne Last Day

I was peaceful and reflective when I woke up.  Actually, I didn't really sleep.  I had a rock digging into my back all night.  But I was peaceful and reflective all the same.  The last day is always emotionally interesting.  There's some sadness about coming off the trail yet excitement to see loved ones, eat real food of course, and get clean.  It can be a little difficult to assimilate back into civilization as well.

Our obvious goal was to reach Tuolumne so we would be descending a few thousand feet into the valley.  It was heating up to be a scorcher.

We had to cross the river again but we chose to wade across in a shallow area.  The only rocks available for hopping happened to line up right next to a waterfall.  Um, no thanks. 

We started switchbacking down.  I just felt the calmness of the forest settling around me and couldn't help but think of John Muir's words, “I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”  So true.  I let the serenity melt into me.







As we continued down, we ran into more and more people.  Day hikers, JMT thru-hikers, section hikers.  They came in every size, shape, color, and age imaginable.  You could tell who had no experience and who had alot.  But kudos to all of them for attempting whatever dreams they aspired to.  Best of luck to all of them.











Last day selfie- whoa look at the swollen eyes and hair do!  Still smiling though.



My umbrella worked great in the heat.  So glad I had it.







Almost there!  We needed to get to Tuolumne Grill by 5pm to get our hamburger!





I was just coming out of the woods from taking a pee when this group of kids (in their 20's) came walking by.  One chick glanced at me and did a double-take.  She said,"Whoa, how many days you been out here?"  I said "8".  Then a dude said "Your pack is huge.  You could, like, go to the moon and back with that thing. Har Har Har Har!"  Then another dude started rapid-firing questions at me:  How long you been out here, how many miles, what trail you doing, bam, bam, bam, bam!  Too much, too soon!  I felt like going into Neo mode, dodging bullets like in the Matrix.

Neo dodging bullets:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc4cBiSXoCs  






The only deer was saw the entire time!



We had a long long walk through the flatlands and meadows.  Some ominous clouds started to gather and we could hear thunder in the distance.  We weren't too concerned about it though since we were on lower ground.

We should have been concerned though because we got the fury of the skies unleashed upon us.  We made it to the campground/lodge junction just as it started to sprinkle.  Which way to go, which way to go?  We debated it for a few minutes and a fisherman told us to go through the campground.  We were trying to figure out which way would be closer to where the car was parked.  To the campground we trekked and it started pouring rain, lightening and thunder.




The lightening was cracking too close for comfort!  At one point, Nancy flung her trekking poles away from her and onto the ground.  Metal, you know!  The rain was coming down in sheets and we didn't know which way to go so we ducked into the campground bathroom.  This was my first experience taking shelter in a public bathroom.  I'm here to tell you, it's no fun.  So gross. 

Ingrid came up with this plan to walk out to the campground entrance host and get directions.  I'm not sure what the plan was supposed to be after that though.  So Nancy and I went after her, still in the pouring rain.  We all met up at the campground entrance and realized how very close we were to the car.  HOWEVER, we would miss the hamburger at the grill because it was after 5pm.  I wasn't really that sad though because we were so close to the car.




And we did end up getting a hamburger after all- at the Whoa Nellie Deli that is conveniently located at a Mobil gas station right outside Tuolumne.  Don't knock it till you try it!  It was super amazing. 



Once our bellies were full, we made our way down to the Best Western in Bishop and crashed hard.  We slept like the dead.  The next morning at breakfast, who did we see??  Tutu Family!!!  So funny how things work out.

So what's next, you ask?  I don't know but I'm ready to go again!

Positive Thought
Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature's darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but nature's sources never fail. ~John Muir