#kennedymeadows

The next morning was June 23 (Day 51). I had only made it four more miles after separating with Gaelen at Spanish Needle Creek (mile 669) the day before. I woke up late, lonely, in pain, with no prospects of good distance that day, and an impending dread of continual injury. It was the toughest moment for me since the first few days out of Campo when I thought I had really gotten myself in over my head athletically. I may have cried a little, but then a mantra came to me that made all the diffence: The Adventure Continues. Nothing was over yet, nothing was finished. This was just a new obstacle to overcome on the journey to Canada. Up to this point I had mostly focused on building up my body: muscle strength, cardio endurance, digestive efficiency, joint alignment (a big struggle with my scoliosis), etc. But starting from here I began to have time and energy to devote to my mental growth. I gained a new resiliency that morning.

Researching how to cure shin splints revealed R.I.C.E. was the number one therapy. So I knew I would need to take at least three days "tent rest" in Kennedy Meadows South, probably more. That would be OK though, as lots of hikers take copious days off there. As the gateway into the Sierras, it is a gathering place for those waiting for the right conditions, the right gear, or the right friends to begin their mountainous adventures. Calf compression sleeves were also recommended, so instead of using mine for recovery while I slept, I began wearing them while hiking. I also learned how to tape my shin to help relieve the pressure on my tibia. Shin splints are so painful because the swelling pushes against the bone. The swelling could be from the tendon that runs down the shin into the foot or muscular. The latter can take weeks to heal, so I hoped it was the former (it felt like that was the case).

Next I researched the causes of shin splints. Overstriding is a major risk factor. So trying to keep up with Gaelen the last two weeks was probably to blame. But walking downhill with a heel strike can also aggravate shin splints, and that was exactly what I'd been doing since my shoes started falling apart about 400 miles back. So the solution seemed simple: walk my own pace, return to a midfoot landing, and buy new shoes! But only after all the R.I.C.E. took the swelling and pain away completely. I knew I would need diligence to stay still until the healing finished.

After applying the regimen of stretching, massage, PT, and CBD lotion, I walked until about 1300 and took a two hour siesta in the shade of a granite boulder. I applied the regimen again and was able to make it just north of Fox Mill Spring (mile 683) where I camped in a flat spot of a coulee. That put me at about 12 miles that day, about 2/3 my old pace.

The next day I ran into Deluxe at Manter Creek (mile 694) and met two Canadian girls: Smiles & Miles. I took a siesta nestled in the tall brush and ate a large amount of Skittles. After soldiering on, I camped right along the South Fork Kern River (mile 698) and soaked my feet and shin splints in the cold water. It stiffened the ankle further, but relieved a great deal of discomfort.

The next morning I passed the 700 mile mark just before the road to the General Store at Kennedy Meadows South. Walking up, I received the traditional cheer from the dozen or so hikers chilling on the deck. I checked the log but didn't see Gaelen's name. So I hitched south two miles to Grumpy Bears Retreat which was next to Triple Crown Outfitters, where I had decided to stay. Both Triple Crown and the General Store offer free camping, but camping near Grumpy's bar sounded more lively. I bought a shower, a cheese burger, and 8 hours of WiFi; started my laundry; and connected with Gaelen via email. I hadn't had any cell service since the morning I researched shin splints.

Gaelen had arrived two nights before and was well rested and ready to tackle the mountains. I needed 3-5 days off. So we dissolved our commitment to stay together and began to each hike our own hike. It was sad to see the band broken up, but ultimately it was for the best. That night, the clouds took on what a local called the "Sierra glow". I set up my tent by Triple Crown with Deluxe and dreamed of mountains.

I ended up staying in Kennedy Meadows South for seven nights. I mostly hung out at Grumpy's bar or Triple Crown waiting for my shin splints to heal. I decided that I didn't feel comfortable tackling the highwater Sierra creeks alone, so I was also waiting for Bandaid, Scribe, and Jailbreak to arrive to join up with them. In that time I got to meet some pretty rad people: Rocketman, Sauce, Oprah, Bubblewrap, Pioneer. Oprah was super kind and have me a calf massage which did wonders for the shin splints.

It was awesome hanging out with Deluxe for the few days he stuck around as he seemed to know everyone. One night we had dinner in the bar with the famous Yogi, the owner of Triple Crown. We talked about hiker culture and the quirks of running a business in Kennedy Meadows South. Another fun memory is how remarkably similar Smiles looked to Kim Possible the cartoon character in her borrowed clothing while her laundry dried (it was the hat that did it) - I'd snapped a picture! I also got to meet Anne (honorary trailname: Firelady) the Forest Service liaison with the local community. She was on-site at Grumpy's most daylight hours calming fears about the tendril of smoke in the distance. A few days before I arrived two lightning strike fires had started, but both were well contained and they were just letting them smolder out.

The shower at Grumpy's bar was a very interesting design: two 500-gallon plastic water tanks stacked and cut into a shower shape with a garden hose and propane tank feeding into an on-demand water heater. And, it was angled for an amazing view of the valley! They also had a large shoe library out front.

Some people have trouble with signs (this was not staged)... Yogi wanted to protect this tree leading up the construction of an actual store front. Right now Triple Crown Outfitters operates out of a shipping container. Their resupply options were great! I ate a few meals at the bar, but mostly I ate from TCO's hiker supplies to save money. The vegan breakfast burrito from Grumpy's however was legit! And Guido, one of the bartenders, had invented a specialty cocktail called Hiker Trash Laundry. Mixing half a dozen juices, liqueurs, and liquors it came out of the shaker frothy and grey-blue... Just like all of our laundry water before the rinse cycle. It looked gross/awesome and tasted great/sweet (or so I was told, as I was still abstaining from alcohol).

My second day in Kennedy Meadows South I set out to find new shoes. Sadly TCO didn't carry my size, but the other outfitter of Two Foot Adventures did! They taught me to size hiking shoes differently from street shoes. You generally want a half to full size larger to give your toes more room to splay as you walk over uneven surfaces. Per usual, no Men's sizes fit my feet, but I've worn Women's running shoes for years now. I walked away pretty happy with my two pairs of Lone Peak 4s by Altra in Women's size 8.5. Not only will alternating the two pairs expand their lifespan, but through the Sierras I will appreciate having a dry pair and a wet pair. It took some time to learn how to lace the new monsters onto my feet without causing any rubbing. It also took a few days to get used to walking in them, but immediately I could tell I'd made a good purchase. The tread on the shoes has an interesting design with "paw pad" like protrusions under the balls of the feet which make walking uphill so much easier! Your foot gets more traction at the ball, so it can pivot there instead of at your toes - giving you additional leverage.

After hanging for a few days, most of the folks I'd met had either started into the Sierras or flipped up north somewhere to bypass them. I enjoyed the quiet resting for all of about 15 minutes. I was so ready to go conquer the mountains... Yogi teased me that I would just stay in Kennedy Meadows South forever! But eventually, I saw Scribe walking up to the bar. Horray! Due to poor connectivity and a crappy game of telephone, it took us all day to connect with Bandaid and Jailbreak - mostly because we were too excited to sit still and kept bouncing between Grumpy's and the General Store.

We rested for a few more days and waited for packages for the rest of the crew while we planned our resupply strategy through the Sierras. Meanwhile I was introduced to the Question Game and Word Of The Day that they had been playing. Each day we picked a word, and if you said the word you owed pushups, situps, or planking! I owed a lot rather quickly... And the Question Game was a long series of intimate questions we all answered for each other. Talk about a fast way to bond! A favorite question was: "If you could have any trail super power other than flying or teleporting (read: cheating), what would it be?" I said the ability to talk to & command woodland creatures, like Aquaman of the forests. A favorite response from someone else was the power to instantly wardrobe change into anything from your pack.

My pack the night before we left was so heavy! With gear and 5 days of food (but no water) it weighed 39 lbs. Ugh! But, we were heading into the place I had looked forward to for 50+ days. Nothing could bring me down.