Day 15 - Reds Meadow

Because of our heroics yesterday, when we added on some extra miles, we had an 11-mile trek to Reds Meadow. Reds is based on a similar setup to Vermillion Valley Ranch, and Huckleberry was able to secure a four-bedroom A-frame for the night. The room came with a fully equipped kitchen, toilet, and shower facilities, which were all very welcome, especially as today’s walk was arguably the dustiest of our hike to date.

We set off at 6:15 a.m. as we were anxious to try to cover the 11 miles to Reds by lunchtime. The first half-mile or so was downhill before we started to climb. It was nothing major, and we were making good time. We were in a beautiful forest, and the trail was taking us to the furthest reaches of the valley, and then we seemed to spend time following the particular valley wall as it wound up and around the valley. We had made the decision to walk two miles before having breakfast and made excellent time. Woody and I have developed a ritual where we have a coffee with breakfast and take turns boiling the water. After breakfast, we were off again, and our next goal was Deer Creek, where we intended to stop to get water. We had been on a bit of a dry section of the trail, and although we were not desperate, it’s always nice to have the comfort of water in your pack. The trail we were now on was one of the best we have walked since this expedition started. We were zipping along at an unbelievable clip. Such was our progress that Woody and I were able to cover the 2.9 miles to Deer Creek in about 70 minutes. Before getting our water, we crossed the river so that we were on the “right” side of the water. Shortly after getting our water, and while we were enjoying a break, a pack train arrived at the creek. There was the group leader on his horse, with three mules packed with supplies. They were followed by a young lady on her horse, again with three mules kitted out with gear. The leader of the small train stopped in the middle of the creek to allow his horse and the mules to drink before moving on. The young lady then followed suit, and I took the opportunity to chat with the leader. It turned out they were supporting a group of hikers so that by the time they got to camp, the tents and bedding were all set up for them. They also catered to the hikers by cooking their meals. I asked what the cost would likely be for this kind of trip, and the lead wrangler didn’t know, but he thought it would compare to the cost of a cruise.

Shortly after they left, Woody and I were on our way, and off we set down the trail. Unfortunately, the terrain had changed and wasn’t as conducive to making good time as what we had achieved heading into Deer Creek, but we still made decent time. We eventually came to an intriguing landmark called Red Cone, which is a large hill made of red lava. We were now only a couple of miles from our destination when a very personable young fellow who we had met at VVR caught up to Woody and me as we were having a final water break. Tyler works in the non-profit sector, and I was able to tell him all about the work of Opportunity International. Tyler, in turn, told me a little bit about what he did, although if truth be told, I didn’t quite understand it. I’m thinking it may have got lost in translation. Tyler also added that he was thinking of possibly making a career change but was still mulling over what he wanted to do going forward.

We eventually arrived at our destination, and Huckleberry pointed us to our accommodation. Woody and I dropped our bags before joining Traveler and Huckleberry for lunch.

After lunch, Woody and I offered to go and do the laundry, but before doing so, we needed to shower and put on clean clothes. I allowed Woody the honour of showering first while I took the opportunity to clean out my backpack. This allowed me to get rid of some garbage I’d been carrying and also jettison food and snacks that were surplus to requirements. Tomorrow will be an interesting day when we resume our journey, as our packs should be a lot lighter.

It’s just gone 8 p.m., so I’m thinking it’s time for bed. Good night.