There must be a 100 or so mosquitoes madly swarming my tent mesh. Thank goodness I didn't send home the tent as I thought to while in the desert. Now I can happily sit inside munching down some after dinner cookies. That's not to say I've gotten away free. Im absolutely covered in bites from head to toe. This is the price to pay for endless water. Some of which I'm camping beside. This fast moving river is the first to require wadding.

Todays summit of Muir Pass was extra challenging due to its often snow covered obscured and unpredictable path. It took longer than expected to solve the puzzle of summiting leaving me exhausted for the rest of the day. Yet I still managed to get 18 miles leaving me on target for arrival in Mammoth in 3 days time.

I'm simultaneously enjoying the hike more and considering its completion more regularly. The unfamiliarity I recall so vividly from a few weeks ago has turned familiar. The days less long and more meshed in memory. Contemplating the breadth of this hike actually has precedence and is therefore more intimidating. So I guess there's a mental shift on the horizon to deliver new perspective.