Monday, August 28, 2000

Beautiful meadows south of Cathedral Pass,
aka L-O-N-G Meadow

Looking back up the trail at Chris. Cathedral Peak looms behind.

Hmm...
A view of something

Columbia Finger
Happy birthday, Will! We had a lovely morning at Cathedral Lake. We again walked to the top of the ridge before breakfast. We left camp and got water about 9:00. It was a short hike to Cathedral Pass (no sign), then on to the high point and down to Long Meadow. We arrived in camp about noon. Now this is the kind of hiking day I like!

Taking a sun bath

Our well-used campsite
We chose a spot high above the High Sierra Camp, had black bean hummus on flat bread for lunch, then took a sunbath. The clouds began building to the East, so we washed up and were soon in the tent. There was a rain shower from 3-4:00. I read the JMT book and since we were down to 1 book between us, having read the other 2, we shared Jane Austen by having Will tear the book as soon as he had read a section and give it to me. That worked very well. It had only cost $1 used. Dinner was corn pasta, mashed potatoes and Chocodiles for Will's birthday cake. Sunset was interesting- there was a glow on the ridges and peaks in the distance. The sky looks like it's clearing- hope it's nice tomorrow.
Just got into the tent after watching what was certainly one of the most spectacular sunsets of the trip. Sunset at Sunrise. Fragments of cloud were shaved from the sky in curls, like aging bark stained red by a post-storm sunlight. It rained in us most of the day, but only after we hiked the short distance between Cathedral Lake and Sunrise high Sierra Camp. We even had time to wash up and do a little sunbathing before the storm rolled in. For a few ours we sprawled in the tent as the rain rolled down. The god of thunder beat his chest while in the tent we munched almonds, we read Sense and Sensibility, we napped. And finally, just shy of five o'clock, the rain stopped. We crawled forth.

Dinner consisted of garlic mashed potatoes and corn pasta (3/4 cup dried each plus veggies and cheese)-again, too much food. On top of that there were Chocodiles. Of course. It was my birthday. There had to be cake involve somehow. So we're both pretty full right now, but we have about eight miles of downhill to do tomorrow and it might still rain on us, so I guess the food will go to good use.

Slowly, the sunlight poured out of the west onto the mountains in the east. The sky shrugged off the weight of the storm. A chill settled and we were treated to the aforementioned light show. Now it's bedtime. I'm 32. And I'm happy.

And I've got rhythm.
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