Day 38 – 5/30/13 – 14.2 mi (685.5)

The snuggling worked well. I was plenty warm last night, even delayering halfway through the night. But it was certainly cold out. Stryder’s and Wired’s water bladders had thick ice in them, and all of our shoes were frozen solid. LoveNote and I formed an impromptu frozen sock rhythm band for some morning cheer.

The miles were very slow today. The snow made staying on the actual trail not always the best route, so we ended up doing things like walking along frozen lakes and powering straight up slopes instead of taking switchbacks. The first day of snow made me fondly nostalgic for the PCT, today it’s just a wet and cold annoyance.

The trail often traversed steep slopes in and out of drainages, some of which we followed, some of which we just dropped straight down and back up the other side. The weather was cold and windy, with brief moments of sun to warm us between fast moving clouds. Being cold is not my idea of a good time, especially during the day.

We did manage to have a little fun. Just before lunch the three of us girls took a long glissade down a steep slope, and Stryder boot skied it.

Tonight, an early camp was our best option, as we were are about to climb over 12,000′ and stay high and exposed for another 10 miles or so. Hopefully we will make better progress tomorrow.