18 September 2017, Monday

Before retiring last night we watched the mountains behind our campsite turn rose-colored with alpenglow. It was cold overnight, but we actually woke up sweating around midnight from an excess of warm blankets. We emerged from the tent to view the incredible stars. The Milky Way seemed near enough to touch.

This morning is chilly, and we each are wearing all of our layers, with the exception of our rain gear. We are warmed by our spinach mushroom frittata and our coffee. At about 8:58 the sun pops over the ridge and almost immediately we begin shedding layers. We do not depart camp until almost 10:30. Today we hike less than 2 miles, past a scenic pond and over a rocky ridge.

We arrive at Dingleberry Lake sooner than expected. O explores the area while I enjoy the sunshine and a flock of chickadees as I lie on an expanse of lakeside rock. The campsite we choose is well away from the trail. We have an excellent view of the lake, but it is a bit of a hike to get cooking and cleaning water.

We have decided to stay here for the next three nights, until our Thursday morning departure. We will day hike further into the John Muir Wilderness rather than breaking camp each day. On the map it looks as if we are within a few miles of several scenic alpine lakes.