MK, I never did find that duck u referred to, so we bottomed out and did the talus fans, another, and mostly final irritation for the wife. It was a long day for us, and that first talus fan proved to be about the only point in the trip where we got anything close to snippity w/each other. She takes FOREVER on that stuff...so I scurried across, dropped pack went back, grabbed her pack and ventured on across. She was actually doing a little better, she had gotten irritated w/me and being a bit miffed, she was motoring along better than she ever had before on talus. In any event we found a camp spot in between the farthest two fans and called it a day.
The trek up to and down from Pinchot Pass proved worth the price of admission. After the quiet, solitude and unique saneness of off trail travel, getting back to the thoroughfare of the JMT was quite unique in it's cruise control travel and the encounters of various characters. We rec'd a sounding ovation when we got to the group on top, most had passed us huffing and puffing our way up the pass, and any who's done it knows that sitting up there you can watch those arrivals w/snail like progress zig zagging along like a turd of hurdles. But once there we met Landon, (also name of my grandson who's 2nd birthday party we went to in amongst writing this adventure today), Cricket, and Purple Hat...the guy who's doing the book about "swimming the JMT". We heard all about their various trials and tribulations, swimming adventures and even offered my wife, a retired civil service accountant and deputy comptroller of 33 years, a "smoke" behind the rocks, of all places.
But 2 days, 23 miles or so, and 7,000 feet lower we were out of the Sierras, finally. To be honest, I was done, through, finished. Had it. No more off trail, no more adventures more than one day in, a day to rest and one day out. It was horse back for me...YUCK! I carried too much weight, hated the site of our bear cannister and vowed to never take it out of my car again. It was there only so I wouldn't lie to a ranger while getting a permit....if I ever got a permit again. All the way home the next day driving and reflecting, still didnt' change my mind. I'd had enough. I couldn't seem to plan a trip that gave us enough time to be comfortable and enjoy what I'd set out to do. This trip was ok, we'd seen better scenery, but in places this was pretty special, too....just tough.
But you know, that was August. This is December. Time has a way of doing that. Erasing the bad stuff, magnifying the adventures and the good memories. IN the end, we were better for it, tougher individually and as a couple. Each nite as we hit the tent, we played our cards, reflected on our aches, pains, accomplishments of the day and planned for tomorrow. Basically those 8 days taught us once again that we can handle just about anything that we need to in order to survive and be successful in our adventures together.
So, as it rains all day and probably tomorrow too, my maps are starting to call to me. It won't be long that I'll start to plan something for next summer, maybe two again, who knows. But, I really want to thank all of you who in your own way contibuted to my planning, trip and route selection and little hints and suggestions along the way. And I really want to thank Doyle Donohoe for talking me into going around the loop clockwise. I really don't think we would have come close to makng it in 8 days going counter clockwise.