Day 73: ⛺@ mile 920 - ⛺@ mile 936.3

Date: 19.06.2018 Miles hiked today: 16.3 Miles Total Mileage: Mile 936.3 What a beautiful morning and what a beautiful camp spot! I could see the sun colouring the peaks on the other side of the valley straight out of my tent. It's a 22 miles hike to Tuolumne Meadows from where we can take a bus down to the Yosemite Valley. I'm so looking forward to Yosemite NP. But the PCT doesn't really go through the Yosemite NP that's why I plan to take a couple of days off the PCT and do some hikes there. So basically we could hike to Toulumny Meadows today, but there are two passes to hike in between. They look like small passes though. But let's see, I have planned for more days and hence carry enough food with me even if we don't hike there tonight. Peter and me start hiking at our usual time, which is 6am. Joanne and Giggles still need a couple of minutes to sort their stuff out. But today is not going to be my favourite day, I can already feel it. It's not much of uphill hiking to get to the first Pass, Island Pass, compared to other passes and it's also not far away, about 5 miles. Plus it's also not very steep uphill. But I have no energy at all. My legs are rubber and I start to sweat cold sweat immediately. What's that?! I walk very slowly but still I'm out of breath and sweating. Joanne and Giggles pass us, that's how slow im hiking! But also my left foot which i twisted just shortly before Mammoth Lakes is hurting me. The landscape however is beautiful! Eventually I make it to the top of Island Pass, and Peter and I stopp for breakfast. As we sit there Jason (trailname now is Eastwood) passes by. He rests with us for a minute and together we hike down and approach the second pass. The second pass, Donohue Pass, is again only 5 miles away from the first Pass. With 1'350 feet uphill also this is not a very hard climb. But for me today it is! My left foot is still hurting, and I have no energy even so I've just eaten breakfast and I'm really tired (Ok that's explainable because I was writing blogs last night till 11pm, which then only gives me just about 6 hours of sleep). The good news is that after Donohue Pass it's only downhill. I hardly made it up to Donohue Pass. Up there the Yosemite Wilderness officially starts, how exciting! The downhill is very very steep and rocky for the first 4 miles, but thereafter very gently, more like walking straight ahead than down. But these 4 miles were hard for me and my foot. I hope the pain is going away soon as I want to hike el Capitan and hopefully also Half Dome in the next couple of days. Eastwood has bigger troubles. It looks like he has a stress fracture on his left foot and he is also in a lot of pain (for sure worse than me!). Peter is taking care of me and hiking together with me. Joanne and Giggles are far ahead already. We stopp for lunch and take a nap (or try to but there is always a moskito or an ant on me not letting me really relax), while Eastwood passes by again. What? I've seen him leaving Donohue Pass and thought he is ahead of me! Apparently I passed him without noticing him...! From here it's 9.5 more miles to Tuolomne Meadows but both me and Eastwood are not sure if we want to hike it all today or rather set camp in a couple of miles. I feel so tired and worn out that I actually would be happy to stopp a little earlier. 3 miles later Eastwood and me decide to call it a day while Peter wants to hike on. Joanne and Giggles are only a couple of minutes ahead and he for sure will catch up. It feels so go to call it a day. Tomorrow only 6.5 miles are left to get there and we shall be in Tuolomne Meadows in the morning too. 

View down to Yosemite Valley 

Yeaha yosemite wilderness here we are.

Sun rise