Jody broke my electric air mattress inflator yesterday by dropping it into the dirt while it was running (gravel was not good for it). I jokingly said "from now on you're blowing up my air mattress by mouth". In fact it's no big job, I can do it in about 5-10 minutes. Jody helps me finish it (back in Ottawa he also buys me a better inflator than the old one as a replacement, thanks Jody!)
My battery charger, working again after I find the loose connection at the plug, charges digicam batteries for tomorrow...
Andrew, PeterK, Bob and I drive up the road to see how close to the trailhead we can get. We stop at the well-preserved charcoal kilns...
Then we go further up the road but get stuck just past Thorndike Campground. This means we have to hike an extra kilometer to get to the trailhead.
On the way down, I call for several photo stops. The high hazy ridge in the 7th frame is the High Sierras, 14000ft high.
There is lots left to do for tomorrow: Eat lots of high-calorie food, get enough sleep (we will be up at 3AM), pack backpack, prepare hiking food, and... this. I've been nearly snowblinded before so I'm not taking any chances with sunlight on snowfields at 11,000ft. The improvised glacier glasses are uncomfortable but effective. The others have it easier -- non-prescription sunglasses tend to wrap around the sides and cover enough of the eyes to be safe.
