3 Highlights:
- Common breakfast with a side of chaos
- Granite’s epic tales (with a sprinkle of exaggeration)
- Finally warming up in my sleeping bag after pretending I was a popsicle at 9500 feet
Daily Summary:
- Distance hiked: 20km
- Starting point: Cache Creek Trailhead
- Ending point: Turquoise Lake
- Weather conditions: A delightful mix of rain, wind, and the kind of cold that makes you question your life choices
Daily Reflections (challenges, insights, musings):
The day kicked off with a wonderful 5-hour slumber, generously spiced with last night’s beans making their gassy escape. Who needs meditation when you can start your day with a fart symphony? Skipped the zen stuff and jumped straight into Instagram updates. Because, you know, priorities.
Joleen brewed some life-saving strong coffee, and I took charge of the bacon. As more sleepy hikers emerged, our little breakfast operation turned into a full-on culinary circus with pancakes flying left and right. I even attempted to play guitar, but my fingers were doing their best impression of a caffeine overdose—let’s blame the extra-strong brew.
After a round of photo-swapping and heartfelt hugs, our trail angel Joleen chauffeured us to the trailhead. We weren’t about to start a day of torture without some luxury coffee, so I made sure we were properly caffeinated before we tackled the 16 km uphill slog. The weather decided to play a cruel joke, pelting us with cold rain and winds that seemed to come from the Arctic.
As we trudged higher, we quickly realized this was not the day for heroics. Wet, cold, and slightly miserable, we made the wise decision to call it quits early and head to a nearby lake. Upon arrival, I experienced a new level of cold, the kind that makes you question your life choices. I hastily set up my tent and crawled into my sleeping bag, transforming into a human burrito. Briefly emerged to perform necessary survival tasks like hanging food and taking a pee, but now I’m cocooned again, vowing not to move for many, many hours. Coldest day so far, folks. We’re sleeping at 2888m, and I’m pretty sure I’ll dream of warmth tonight.
