Rae Lakes. This is a beautiful place, though there are so many different kinds of beauty that I hate to say it’s the MOST beautiful, as many people have said. Tiny sliver of moon disappearing behind the mountains. Today was grueling–with too much uphill in the sun. But how else can you see all this? I could easily have spent two days, maybe three, hiking the eleven miles we did today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow Betty hikes out to Independence to resupply, and I have a day to myself here at the lakes. I broke my reading glasses, right in the middle of the frames, so it’s difficult to read, but I can still write. I tried duct-taping the glasses together, with rather unsuccessful results, but they’ll do in an emergency map-reading session, should one arise.

Saw Kenny on the trail this morning. She may catch up with her hiking partner today. that would be good, as the partner is carrying the hiking permit, and I can’t help but worry, though Kenny seems completely self-sufficient and not worried a bit.

It was a really hot afternoon, going up from the suspension bridge to Dollar Lake and then on to Rae Lakes. I saw a gorgeous nearly black lizard, of a kind I don’t think I’ve seen before. Shiny and sleek, and probably 10” from head to tail. Gone in a flash. (NOTE: I looked it up later, and it was a Sierra fence lizard. These guys are very interesting because if a tick infected with Lyme disease attaches to a fence lizard, something in the blood of the lizard prevents the lizard from getting Lyme disease, and cleans the disease from the tick! Of course I have seen fence lizards numerous times, but never one so dark and so big)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are at a large, otherwise deserted campground with bear boxes, a little ways above the lake. I appreciate not having to open the bear canister. That thing is so difficult for me. I feel like an only-slightly-more-agile-than-average bear when I attack it.