Today was a monstrous day. From our campsite at 10,000 feet, we enjoyed a leisurely first few miles of the day as the trail very gradually gained elevation. We climbed over Mulkey Pass and continued climbing over Cottonwood Pass. At over 11,000 feet, the trail began to be covered more and more with snow. Route finding became a bit more interesting, and the terrain was a bit more challenging. Finally we topped out for the day at 11,500 feet and we descended again back down to under 10,000. We crossed into Sequioa National Park, and set up camp just before our first big stream crossing, which we will tackle in the morning. It was a grueling 23.6 miles and 12 hours of hiking today. Fortunately tomorrow should be an easier one.
yikes guys