Central California
Starting: Section H9 - Middle Fork Kings River
Ending:  Section H11 - Evolution Lake

What a grueling day. Hiked for 12 hours including 7 on very soft snow and only covered 15 miles. We lost the trail somewhere after Big Pete Meadow and had to navigate using the map. The approach, ascent, & descent to Muir Pass are one enormous snowfield. Pete wondered aloud if we weren't actually in Antarctica.

Cooked lunch at the top, resting our heavy legs against the strong stonewalls of the Muir hut. Another impressive structure. You could see the stonemasons’ skill in the clean lines of the stone & mortar.

Last 2 hours of the descent were done under cloud cover & I was borderline hypothermic. Keep moving or freeze. Picked up another nasty cut on my shin from post holing. Pete took one look and said it would be a life long scar, ‘something to remember the pass’.

Reached Evolution Lake & wanted to go farther, but we were drained. We are camped on the edge of the lake and waiting for the darkness of a new moon…