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May 30, 2016
The longest day yet! I was up promptly at 4am because I wanted to get an early start and avoid some of the extreme heat that the day had in store for us. I made quick work out of breaking down camp and getting everything stuffed into my pack. I am so surprised that sleeping in a tent doesn’t bother me- I heard little critters outside the tent a few times and was able to keep them at bay by simply shining my flashlight and making the tent glow. I guess the glowing tent made me look really big and it scared them away.  

The hike from Fox Hill Spring to Kennedy Meadows was a roller coaster ride for me emotionally. I was very excited thinking about making it to the camp ground so I could finally have cell service and contact my kids; that kept me pushing hard. The heat was scorching and the trail was mostly either deep sand or rocks. It is tough to walk on both of those surfaces and required total concentration coordinating the hiking sticks with my steps to maintain balance and avoid an ankle injury. The heat made it difficult for me to have an appetite and the thought of eating almost made me nauseous- so I powered through the day on a half of a granola bar and 3 strips of dehydrated mangos with about a gallon of water. 
The trail started off with 5 miles of steady incline which unfolded from desert to tall pine trees and black soil. The views in the passes are amazing and make every painful step worth while. It is something that every hiker experiences when encountering some type of injury or pain- it is all you think about with every step. I was struggling with that issue while my back and shoulder blades screamed with every step. I finally fashioned a way to help hold my backpack up to the level that it should be on my back and ease the pressure on my shoulders by tying my bandana around the straps and pulling them in as tight as possible. It eased the pressure on my shoulders some but caused me a whole new set of stomach issues- I’ll save you the gory details! Lol 

The hike down the other side of the pass was fun. The trail gradually switched back many times while staying snug against the mountain side. I kept imagining the same situation ahead in the Sierras with snow and used each turn as mental practice for conquering the ridges coming up. 

As the trail wound down deeper into the canyon the heat rose considerably. It was very tough to hike in the heat and keep a clear head- but I kept imagining Kennedy Meadows store as an oasis and pushed on further. 
The trail started another slow incline over the rolling desert with knee high bushes bordering the trail. This slowed down my progress because I would make sure to clap my hiking poles loudly before each bush in hopes of not startling a snake. It worked because the next snake I saw slithered quickly across the path and darted into his hole. I figured it was better him than me! Lol

It is amazing how quickly the terrain can change when you are hiking because with the steady incline I found myself in the middle of a forest and luckily shaded from the relentless sun. The forest leveled out and as fast as the nice pine trees appeared, they were gone and I was back on a desert sandy trail.

I could hear the splashing if the Kern River before I could see it and that was exhilarating. I will never forget turning the corner and all of a sudden seeing a rapidly flowing river. Actual water that came from more than a little drip was a relief in more than one way. It meant the end of desert hiking with a back pack weighed down with 3 liters of water and worrying about having enough water to make it to the next water supply. I was so happy to be able to stop and put my bare feet in the water and watch the steam come off! As much as I was enjoying the respite, I had one thing on my mind and that was to reach an Internet connection and contact my kids. 

The final 5 miles into Kennedy Meadows were very tough for me. The turn off for the campsite/store was up a steep paved road and it almost seemed cruel to have to hike to the top of the hill- it felt like someone was stretching the road out and it would never end. 

Finally we made it to the top- I’ll admit I was almost crawling! Then there was a roar of clapping and cheers from all of the hikers that were hanging out on the patio. It was pretty cool to be cheered into the finish line. The store was about to close but we were able to get some cold water bottles and some snacks. My heart sank when the clerk told me that they didn’t have WiFi at the store and that the pay phone was broken because some hikers had jammed it with pennies. Yes, I cried! I was so exhausted and then was disappointed that I couldn’t contact my kids until the next morning. We hiked to the top of the campers’ hill set up camp shortly before the sun went down. I only remember one thing after getting my tent up because I jumped into my sleeping bag and was fast asleep before I could even unpack- but I checked my Health app and it said I hiked 23.81 miles! Goodness no wonder every inch of my body ached.