Kennedy Meadows

This has been the destination for quite some time, (we all know that Canada is the ultimate destination) but this is what i have been waiting for. The high Sierras. Snow, Ice axes, bear canisters, and Mt. Whitney. I have been traveling quite slow for entire trip because it has been a high snow year. If I had hiked the pace I wanted, I would have been here 3 weeks ago. So it has been short days and hanging out at different trail angel stops.

Chance and I spent Memorial day and the following week in Las Vegas killing time. I unfortantly caught a bug right before Mojave, so thankfully Lisa picked us up. I returned the favor by vomiting on the side of her truck....sorry Lisa. We spent six days cooking food out of the Moosewood cook book, relaxing, hiking at Red Rocks, and finally a night on the strip. The night on the strip was bittersweet, but we did get heckled by the comedian Gordie Brown. It was our fault, Chance and I moved up to the $100 front row seats half way through the show, and half pissed on Budwiser tall boys. :)

Anyhow, we pushed close to 30 mile days since Mojave, and just got into Kennedy Meadows yesterday afternoon. Chance and I had two bear incounters in two days. The night before Walker pass, we camped at an established camp site. I woke up in the morning, after a horrible nights rest, and see that Chance roll over in his sleep. I wasn't in a rush, so I roll back over and drift into sleep. About 10 minutes later I hear: "Shit, Fuck, BEARRRR". So I roll back over and I see a black bear charging off into the woods, and Chance is as white as a sheet. He started babbling, breathing heavy, about how the bear was chewing on his sleeping bag, right by his feet. He said he was sleeping on his stomach, and all of a sudden his feet started to lift up. He thought it was me trying to wake him up, and he looked over and saw me in my sleeping bag. Back to the F, Shit, Bear.

The following day, we were at Spanish Needle creek, and I hear rustling. I look up and see a brown bear staring down at me, about 10 feet away. Yet again, F, shit, bear. We get up and the bear is just staring us down, a cute little guy, and not very big. Anyhow, Chance starts filming and the bear continues to creep closer. We eventually had to start throwing rocks, so the bear wouldn't come closer. The bear had no fear of humans, which is disturbing.

Anyhow, I have to run. It is loud in the Cyber Cafe Trailer in Kennedy Meadows. I can't type when people are blabbing, very distracting. Keep in touch.