Lopey's Adventures: JMT Day 14: Goddard Creek to Sapphire Lake

July 17, 2008

3:30p: We made it to Evolution Lake. I've been hearing a lot about it and how pretty it is up here. Everyone is right. Again it's something you just have to see. A camera can capture it, but it doesn't do it justice. We have hiked about 9 miles already today but we are going to keep going. Too early to stop. I like to hike until at least 6p. We are going to try to make it to Sapphire Lake, about 2 more miles. The original plan was to get over Muir Pass, but that would be 6 more miles up hill and I would be hiking in the dark. Yeah, if you know me that not a good combo. I would rather do the Pass in the morning when I've had a good nights rest. We have five more passes left to go over before the summit of Whitney. Now I've gotten into the count down of the passes rather then the mileage. Ok I just like to count things down; days, mileage, hours, rice packets left to eat...

7p: According to the book, there is suppose to be campsite around sapphire lake. We saw them but there was no way I was walking down the side of a mountain without a trail. Mugs and I took off our packs and tried to find the safest way down and we decided that even if we could make it down, there was no way we would make it back up with packs on. We decided on a ledge just off the trail to spend the night. Just big enough for the tent. We had to use rocks to stake the tent down because of the lack of space and the sand isn't very deep. We are praying that there is no lightening tonight since we are the highest point.

Oh I also heard my first rock slide tonight. Mugs