Day 4 - Mad Dogs and Englishmen — Walking People Out of Poverty

Start Time 7:09 am

End Time 4:15 pm

Start Mileage 795.5

End Mileage 806.7

Distance Walked Miles 11.2

Elevation Gain Feet 1480

We started out in slightly cooler weather this morning but I resisted the urge to add an extra layer as I knew I would soon warm up. The trail this morning was relatively flat which was a lot better than yesterday’s going.

We had decided to walk for a couple of hours before stopping for breakfast, that way we can get some miles in before the heat of the day kicks in. We duly stopped at our designated destinations and enjoyed breakfast and coffee before getting back to the task at hand.

The weather was getting insanely warm again and made it a very difficult task to make up the miles. It reminded us of the struggles we had last year when we were trying to climb in the insane heat. As if to make our task more difficult, we hit upon a series of blowdowns. This occurs when a violent storm blows through the area and trees are knocked down like nine pins. It can be very, very difficult to overcome these obstacles and sometimes you have to do a detour, the length of the tree. All very frustrating.

We eventually stopped for lunch by a beautiful suspension bridge, which spans Woods Creek. We had a lovely spot in the trees, it was idyllic. After lunch, we each took turns crossing as only one person per time was allowed to cross.

The section we were walking through the afternoon was notorious for being one of the toughest in the Sierras due to the heat. It really was a day for Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Thankfully Traveler knew the area well and set us up for success by ensuring we had a shorter day.

We were all thankful to arrive at camp a little earlier than normal. It is beneficial to get in early as you can set up camp and take care of any chores, in my case writing this blog, and getting organized for dinner.