We got up and going at our normal, 2021 start time…8:30, 8:45, never later than 9. This was our first morning without Strider. He usually wakes up around 4 and starts shuffling things. It’s become a morning comfort sound, kind of like Sassy’s snoring, or Sassy getting up to pee in the middle of the night, or Sassy getting up at 6 to go boom boom. Come to think of it, Strider makes Sassy seem like a church mouse.
Bunny and I did leave a few minutes ahead of Bear and Sassy. We remembered the climb up to Fontanillis Lake as being fairly steep and we are very aware of how slow we ascend. Not 3 minutes from camp, we hit the jackpot. We’ve been carrying some “all natural” insect repellent. To be honest, it’s as effective as smearing horse crap all over your body. In other words, it doesn’t work at all. It only seems to attract more bugs. Give me good old carcinogenic chemistry to keep the bugs away. Some poor nobo hiker had left their 100% deet on a rock by the trail. We didn’t hesitate a second before grabbing it. It was probably some smart ass punk anyway, so no guilt here.
We started climbing. Bunny had her head down and was pushing on not paying attention to anything. How true that was, I didn’t realize until we got to the top. A nobo thru-hiker had set up his tent in a flat spot right next to the trail. It looked to be a Big Agnes tent and he’d left his rain fly off. He was not a foot off the trail, so not only was he clearly seen sleeping in his underwear, he was close enough to the trail to smell him. When we got to the Fontanillis Lake overflow, Bear and Sassy caught up with us. Sassy asked Bunny what she thought of the nobo hiker sitting in his tent smoking a cigarette (he must have woke up just after we passed). Bunny said she hadn’t seen anyone hiking up.
Fontanillis was as beautiful as we remembered. The mountains on the other side of the lake were reflected in the water’s surface. It was gorgeous. We met a few hikers in the area. One was a girl from Israel. Her trail name was Barnes & Noble. We chatted for a bit and told her we wanted to hike the Israel National Trail—she had hiked it twice and loved it. (Bedouins will take hikers in!) She’s hiked all over the world and wants to hike the Camino de Santiago next year because she wants to have coffees in all the small cafes along the trail. She got her trail name when she was in San Diego and stopped in a Barnes & Noble for a coffee and nearly choked on it.
The four of us started the climb up to Dicks Lake where we planned to stop for a snack and get water for the climb up to Dicks Pass. Strider caught up with us just before we got to Dicks Lake. It seemed like all of us needed a little Dicks juice in our water bottles. Fontanillis is actually filled by Dicks overflow. I couldn’t swallow the juice without adding a bit of flavor to it first. I needed the salt, but only if it had a fruity taste. Everyone else seemed fine with Dicks water unflavored.
It’s a 2 mile climb up to Dicks Pass from the lake with a gain of over 1000’. It’s really not too bad. The back side descent is much steeper and exposed. Bunny and I took off just a few minutes ahead of everyone else and it looked like we might actually be keeping pace with them until we neared the top where Sassy and Strider passed us. Bear was still behind us, but only because he was talking to everyone he passed on the way up. All in all, we did better keeping up than we had been.
Going downhill was pure pleasure. The big climb was over and we could watch the crowds struggling up the steeper side to get to the Pass. Nothing gives greater pleasure than watching others suffer (even if it’s by their own choice). That’s probably why we, as a society, do nothing to tackle poverty. Nothing makes a person sleep sounder knowing that, somewhere, someone is worse off.
I had a goal of having lunch on Susie Lake. Bunny and I had lunch on a small finger into the lake last fall. It’s the last spot to stop before the climb up to Heather Lake prior to our goal of Aloha Lake. The spot on Susie Lake allows us to look back up at Dicks Pass while we relax. I thought everyone might take their shoes and socks off and soak their feet, but I was the only one who partook.
Bunny and I are getting better, but still slower than everyone else. We took off while the others were having a discussion on metaphysics. Bear and Strider were starting to get philosophical and my mind wasn’t up to it. Until my body gets adjusted to the trail, I just don’t have the energy to do anything other than feel sorry for myself…lord knows no one else does. Wo is me.
It was getting quite hot. I’ve been trying to drink lots of electrolytes, but I just can’t keep up with all the sweat I’m losing every day. The walk along the shore of Heather and then up to Aloha is all in the sun. To make it worse, it’s all rocks which have been absorbing heat all day. I just can’t take being in direct sun for long periods of time.
Sassy caught up with us before we got around Heather Lake. Bear and Strider were nowhere to be seen. She said they were full on into a philosophical discussion and she didn’t have the patience for it in this heat. I feel her pain (much more than I get from anyone). The three of us pushed on up to Aloha Lake.
The camping area is on the far end of Aloha from us. When we came by here last fall, the lake water level was much lower. We actually camped in the lake bottom between rocks. Now, we could only see the top of those rocks. The other thing we had forgotten is how long this damn lake is when you’re hot and tired.
There were lots of people out along the lake. People were swimming or camping almost everywhere we looked. We were afraid we might have a hard time finding a good spot. The three of us started looking for open spaces in the rocks. Sassy spotted a flat spot near the shore completely surrounded by huge boulders. She sent me to check it out. (Being the youngest, everyone feels free to tell me what to do, and I usually do it.) it was a beautiful spot that could easily hold 5 tents on two different levels. The best part, (don’t tell any LNT authorities) we were less than 50’ from the water with our own private Boulder access. In all fairness, no one on the lake could see us, nor could we actually see the lake from our spot.
Before we could get out there to claim the spot, Bear and Strider showed up. I yelled at them and motioned for them to come directly to me which was the easiest route. They were still so deep in conversation that they didn’t notice and walked on by. When they bumped into Sassy, they noticed we had found a campsite.
We set up camp in the depression. If someone walked by, they could only see us if we were standing up. Strider had gotten to go swimming in Middle Velma last night. Tonight, we all went into Aloha to cool off. Only Strider and I got completely under water. When I got out and back on the rocks, I about froze because a breeze had finally appeared. By the time we ate supper, almost everything was dry.
Most of the people around the lake turned out to be day hikers. The crowds cleared out fast as the sun started setting. We all climbed up to a boulder behind camp to watch the sun set and have a nice after dinner conversation. Tomorrow will be our last day with Strider. His wife, Tracy, is going to meet us at the Chalet to bring us burgers and resupply Strider as he continues his TRT thru-hike. I wish we had been in better shape for hiking with him. We did warn him ahead of time, so he was well aware. We’ve had a great week with Strider and we will miss him.
EFG