It has been 21 days since I have entered the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The hiking has become more difficult but the scenery has become much more spectacular. The huge granite and slate mountains that cover the land are unlike anything I have ever been in. I spend my nights sleeping at 9000-10000 feet above sea level and my days climbing up to 13000 feet. In between each pass are an innumerable amount of lakes, streams and meadows The first week in the mountains had me climbing Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States. I summited the 14,505 foot peak at 7:30 a.m. and was greeted by a 360 degree view of the surrounding area and a gorgeous sunrise. The following day, I summited Forester pass, the highest point on the PCT. At 13,200 feet, the climb was more difficult than Whitney. After a week on trail, my friends Katie, Sara, Will and I took a zero day in Bishop, California, a small town with a strong rock climbing community. While we were there, we met a wonderful couple named Roland and Dani. They worked for Native Eyewear as their social media representatives. Roland and Dani spent their time driving around the country, swapping stories with fellow travelers and outdoor enthusiasts. After talking to them about their travels and ours, they offered to give us a ride back to trail in their sprinter van that Native Eyewear had outfitted into a small RV. As we departed, Roland gave me a pair of sunglasses after learning that I had been hiking without a pair for a while now. This had definitely been my favorite ride from trail. On the Tuesday we got back on trail, we had to pick up our pace. We had to get to Vermillion Valley Resort by Saturday. The next 110 miles had to be done quickly because we were meeting a friend of Katie's, who was bring us food from town. While the days were hard, knowing that I was able to push my self that much felt good. While at VVR, Katie's friend Laurel, drove us to Mono Hotsprings, where we enjoyed an afternoon of resting in the hot water and lunch at the local restaurant. Monday afternoon found us back on trail, where we encountered the first thunder and lightning storm in the mountains. Hiking during the storm was rather nerve wracking, and we quickly sought cover under a tree. Unfortunately, we were already soaked, but the little cover was much needed. Over the next couple of days, we encountered the same weather pattern as we moved north towards Mammoth Lakes. Each afternoon around three, a storm would roll in and we would have to take cover for about an hour until it rolled past us. On Wednesday, we got into Red's Meadow, where we met a trail maintenance crew who provided us with dinner and beer that night and breakfast the following morning. After we departed Red's Meadow, the bus took us into Mammoth Lakes. Once we got into town, we met up with the rest of our friends and rented a condo for us all to stay in over the next few days. Mammoth has been a very enjoyable town to stay in. It's very touristy, with a big mountain biking and skiing/snowboarding community. On the Fourth of July, we had a bbq and watched the local parade. I will be getting back on trail tomorrow and my next stop will be Tuolumne Meadows and the Yosemite Valley.