Due to the holiday weekend and the broken pay phone at Kennedy Meadows I was not able to get ahold of my kids until Wednesday! I knew that they would be worried because I thought that I would be able to contact them on Sunday or Monday at the latest. I knew they would be worried and it upset me deeply knowing I was putting them through stress or anxiety not knowing how I was doing. It felt very selfish of me and that bothered me immensely.
I was able to get to Grumpy Bears Retreat on Wednesday morning and was happy to hang out there all day so I could text with my kids. The time also allowed me to chat with other hikers while giving my ankles time to rest. They were swelling and I was concerned about hitting the trail again too soon. I was also considering my options because I couldn’t imagine taking another step with the backpack that I was carrying- a new one was priority number one. The snow reports revealed that the Sierras were still under 4-10inches of snow and that would require some new hiking boots as well. Lots of $ to consider and lots of time to mull over the options.
While talking to other hikers and considering my options, someone ran into the restaurant and told us all that there was a fire brewing right over the hill. We were kept up to date about how fast the fire was spreading over the extremely dry country side and our options were looking grim. I was faced with the fire coming from one side or the 4-10 inches of snow on the other side. It became evident that we would have to get back to camp- 3 miles down the road- and start hiking towards the town of Lone Pine.
I have to say that with the state of my ankles and the thought of carrying my backpack another step had me asking the universe for another option. I was hanging out with a delightful couple from England that were hiking the entire trail. They were resting at the restaurant allowing her foot to rest due to a stress injury and hoping for a ride into town so she could get some much needed rest days before getting back on the trial. I had all of my gear with me and just when I thought that we would have to make a run for it back down the hill to camp, a car pulled up and dropped off 3 hikers. We decided to ask the driver if he would mind giving us a ride back to town with him and he was very happy to oblige. Trail angels are really amazing people. My luck changed on a dime and the next thing I knew I was on my way to Ridgecrest. They closed the road to Kennedy Meadows right after they let us down the road and we made it out with no time to waste.
One response
Wow, your adventure is turning into a real adventure. But I know you, you would not change this experience for anything. I noticed you “twisted” your ankle. Are you ok? I’ve twisted many in college. What works best is icing it for 20 minutes and then elevate your leg for another 20. It should help with swelling and recovery time. Be very careful OK? Keep enjoying your new found adventure. Anyone else would have thrown in the towel but your toughness keeps crossing a new thresholds every time. Well, keep safe and keep sending pictures. Aside from the fire, it looks like a beautiful place to be.