The Wonderland Journal

Miles hiked: 20

Mile marker: 801

The morning comes far too early. I’m awake before my alarm, laying down in my comfy hotel bed. The blankets are off of Savannah. Whoops. I seriously need to figure out this blanket hog problem that I have. My alarm goes off and I’m rushing to get everything ready. 

Dad and Savannah go down for breakfast while I shove my new sleeping bag into its holder and fly around the room for all my things. Only when my bag is half packed do I realize there is space at the bottom of my pack. 

Great. 

I pull everything out and sit on my sleeping bag again. I don’t think I got all of the air out. 

Somehow I’m ready before 7:00. I’d already gone downstairs for a waffle and topped off the coffee Dad brought for me earlier. I learned High Five, the uncle of the Netherland uncle-niece duo, is off trail due to an injury! This leaves his niece on trail solo. 

I feel so bad about the situation!

We all pile into Gray Wolf’s jeep. She’s the trial angel who brought us here. Rafiki is already at the bus station. We weren’t all able to fit, so Rafiki volunteered to bus and hitch out to the trailhead. 

We’re stuffed four in the back of the car. Savannah holds onto the balloon from last night. We’ll be stealing the helium from it then giving the leftover to Rafiki for his balloon collection. 

The balloon grows tighter and tighter as we ride. There’s a quiet conversation about it popping due to pressure as we wind through the mountain roads. 

We reach the trailhead and tip Gray Wolf, aka Debbie, for her services. Next we steal the helium from the balloon. 

“Well, folks,” Dad says in a high pitched voice, “Today is bright blue skies as we head over Kersarge pass.”

His helium wears off as we laugh and get ready to go. 

Now we have a five mile ascent up rocky paths and under a clear blue sky. Waterfalls and lakes are on my left as I continue up. It’s a slow hike, but I keep moving. 

I see so many people I know as I climb upwards! No Plan and Happy Cheese, two South Korean hiker friends of mine, as well as British Mike and also Lizard. So cool!

I finally reach the top of Kearsarge Pass! There’s a group of kids there already, and I weave through them to look for Dad. He’s off in the corner looking at the other side. 

We hang out here a bit before moving on. The walk is an easy downhill stretch. The beautiful Kearsarge lake glistens deep blue in the distance. Mountains provide a snowy backdrop. 

We stop for lunch under some trees. Dad found this guy Scott who seems pretty smart and experienced in various things. He’s just out hiking a few days though. 

Seaby and Poppy from New Zealand show up! Seaby’s bag is exploding to the side, with his bear can and rain jacket barely hanging on. 

Next is Glen Pass. It’s a long uphill bit, but nothing like what we’ve done before. We wind through the mountains and go up until the peak appears. One view is of a bunch of green blue lakes. The other is the snowy mountains. I sit looking toward the snowy mountains. 

We keep moving. We pass through some snow. My foot sinks through the snow and hits a rock. I’m stuck! I frantically sit down and toss my poles in the snow. I dig around my foot. Luxy comes over and digs around my toes. 

I’m free!

My shin has a small mark on it from where the rock was jamming into my leg. 

It’s a long hike down rocky paths. I’m slow moving over these big and little rocks. 

We keep walking. The lakes are ahead of us. As I approach them, they look like something out of a Disney movie!

I have to cross rocks carefully to get it the other side. Everyone is standing on a rock looking at something. 

A bear!

I climb up the rock to see a little brown black bear poking around. 

Dad comes around the corner and we follow him on trail. He and the rest of the group wait ahead as the little bear is 30 feet in front of us. We climb onto the slopes hoping to give the bear space to leave. He just snicks his nose in the water to eat.  

We keep moving around and walk by a beautiful blue lake. 

We stop for dinner on some big rocks. I eat some cheese and broccoli pasta as we discuss the plan for tonight. 

It’s already 6 o clock but we have five more miles left. 

We keep moving. The mosquitos come out and begin to torment me. I scratch my face constantly and my ears. 

The light reflects on the grassy pond and the mountains glow. The sun goes down slowly. We cross precarious rocks and logs over rivers. One crossing and I sat on a boulder only to extend my leg as far as it could go for the next foot rock. 

It’s getting dark now. I pull out my headlamp and hike both alone and separately. Once I passed a tree that looked like a man slumped over. Just a tree. 

The mosquitos are all over my face!

We walk for what feels like forever! It’s a quarter to ten by the time we arrive. We set up tents in the dark as I avoid the small skinny Roach looking bugs. 

We put all of our food into the big bear box. 

It is 10:30 pm and time for bed! We’ll be up at 5:00 tomorrow!