A week apart

Explagrance's week without Golden Boy went surprisingly well. She kept up her motivation just fine, thank you very much. She did, however, learn that no matter how much space it would save in her pack, a 12 day resupply of just beans and rice is quite stupid. Luckily, Baby Face and Crazy Knees kept her laughing and distracted her with snow slushies by day and campfires each night. The only let down of the week came at the 1000 mile mark. She and Baby Face had planned to share a liter of wine in celebration, but he unknowingly walked right past the ill defined stone monument and, lacking a GPS, continued to look for it for three more miles. On top of a broken heart, she had an allergic reaction to the thousands upon thousands of mosquitoes that attacked every inch of her body. Needless to say, Explagrance finished her book and drank alone that night.
The scenery that week terrified her into thinking she wouldn't be able to look at her first born child with as much reverence as she had for the mountain ranges. That week was one of her favorites, not because she wasn't hiking with Golden Boy, but because it put her in a good frame of mind; her reasons for hiking resonated. Upon reaching the highway, an Irish gentleman picked the three of them up in less than two minutes to take them into South Lake Tahoe, where they each enjoyed their own large pizza and waited for Mom and Mike to arrive.

Golden Boy's week without Explagrance went well but came complete with extreme highs and extreme lows. He was ecstatic to leave the hustle and bustle of Yosemite National Park, finding the crowds slightly overwhelming. He swam in Glen Aulin waterfall and made new friends, Chik Chok and Starfox. He and Rainmaker celebrated the 1000 mile mark with bottles of champagne, despite having to drink them in the tent away from the threat of mutant mosquito swarms that a huge fire could not keep away.

It had been a good start to the week; however, the following day, he fell into the dreaded 1000 mile mental funk. Reaching the 1000 mile mark, although a huge accomplishment, often puts hikers in a bad frame of mind, making them think about how long it has taken them to get there and how much further they have to go. They aren't even half way yet! It has been so long since they've seen their loved ones back home. What is the point of this? Golden Boy spent the day working out these negative thoughts and trying to remember each of the thousands of reasons he is hiking this trail. It really helped improve his mood and remind him of his previous excitement when the trail again revealed its awe inspiring beauty, changing from the non-novel granite that had become wearisome to volcanic ridge lines that offered new and amazing sights. After earning a hitch in a clunker into Upper Kennedy Meadows Resort for a cooked meal, ice cream, and a hobo bath, and acquiring a hitch back to the trail in a leather upholstered Audi, he took multiple breaks to climb out on volcanic rock ledges, even finding the perfect rock protrusion on which to meditate. He really enjoyed passing through the unique meadows of the area and pondering the random igneous rock mounds that seemed to be piled there on top of a ridge by a dump truck. He and Rainmaker indulged in snow slushies. The two of them were also provided with trail magic from the volunteer rangers of Carson Pass, receiving cookies, fresh fruit, and pop! They were further spoiled when they were given mango by a group of 12 men who were spending a guys' weekend on the trail. The only thing that made that day better was knowing that they would be in South Lake Tahoe the following day, where Mama Zazu, Mike, and Explagrance were waiting. Golden Boy was excited for that little piece of home!