Day 74: ⛺@ mile 936.3 - Tuolomne Meadows

Date: 20.06.2018 Miles hiked today: 6.5 Miles Total Mileage: Mile 942.5 I slept like a stone last night! And when the alarm went off at 5 am I was thinking off turning it off and sleep in. But then Joanne, Giggles and Peter hiked to Tuolomne Meadows already yesterday and may they want to hike out to Yosemite NP already today so it's better if I'm there soon too to discuss our plans. Plus I can have breakfast there at the restaurant. That was my motivation and I hiked the 6.5 miles in exactly 2 hours! But fairly spoken it was a flat hike today. I got there and bump into Hauser, Stuck-on-the-ground and Noodles and many more hikers. Also i gathered some information on how to get the Half Dome permit. I heard there was a lottery and if you are lucky you get a permit. I was hoping to be a lucky one but guessed that my chances are rather low... Hauser informed me better. You have to go and wait in line in front of the wilderness centre just about 0.5 miles from where we are. At 11am they will issue the permits, first come first serve. Hausers group is waiting there since 4am this morning! I will go and check it out later, but thanks for the info. I was also informed that Joanne, Giggles and Peter had a party last night. Missed out on that one but that's fine. After breakfast I checked out the campground and the first tent I run into is the one from Peter. That was lucky! I had no clue where I could find them. The camping is rather big! Peter's up but Joanne and Giggles are still in the tent sleeping. I check out the post office as it should open at 9am and I know that Kermit has send me a parcel here with food from back home! I'm so excited. And look at this, she has even added a birthday present for me!!! How cute is that. Well I had to open it to check if I can carry it with me right? There were sweet and sour peach rings (love them), the super yummie ovomaltine crackers (love them too!) And additionally she send some ovomaltine chocolate powder for hot chocolates in the evening, cheese fondue and Swiss chocolates. That's absolutely amazing Kermit! Thanks a million! I only dont know how i carry this now all! 🙈I might send some of it forward. For sure I want to do the cheese fondue with her! I return to the camp site, Joanne and Giggles are still not up. I decide to head to the wilderness centre to check out how things work and may get a half dome permit for tomorrow if we are lucky. Peter joins me. There are already a bunch of people standing in line but we shall try it. I talk to the wilderness agent and also mentioning that my birthday is on Friday and how cool it would be standing on half dome then :) we are the last one's in the line and my hope was dropping. But see there, I don't know how she managed but when it's our turn she was already on the phone and we got the permit!! I can't really believe it, that's simply awesome! So tomorrow we shall hike out, about 15 miles and hike the last couple of miles to the top of Half Dome on Friday. Im so happy about this. Its already lunch time afternoon and I decide to get a hitch down to Lee Vinings a little village just outside of Yosemite, but they have phone service there plus some restaurants. I get a hitch together with Turbo, who sadly is quitting the trail here. In Lee Vinings I pump into Hauser again. He and his group are having lunch and I join them. I ordered a full baby pork rib. The left overs will be my dinner. The afternoon we spend in the village until it's 6pm and time to get a hitch back!