Having walked over 50 miles in a period of three days, I was more than happy to spend the majority of the day resting and scarfing down hot food in Kennedy Meadows, the final trail “town” before heading into the remote wilderness of the High Sierra. Due to high snow levels in the mountains, even in late June the place was still relatively full of hikers. After a massive pancake breakfast (complete with fruit and M&Ms) I pitched my tent behind the local general store, took a rudimentary shower, and collected the food supplies from the box I had previously shipped to myself. A juicy burger and several beers later, I had a great time meeting people, watching the women’s world cup and just generally hanging out.
In the evening the store set up a projector for an outdoor screening of “The Princess Bride”, only half of which I managed to stay awake for before passing out at 9pm (aka hiker midnight). Unfortunately my ambitions for a good night’s rest were thwarted as the party continued long into the night, culminating in the breakout of a fistfight at 4am. Everyone eventually calmed down and went to bed, and I managed to sleep for a couple hours before the rising sun called me back to the trail.
Russell on the Road 