Food and Drinks

NSEL ADAMS WILDERNESS, California — I haven’t managed to find a way to set aside enough time to hike the entire 211-mile John Muir Trail yet (it takes about three weeks), so, until then, I try to hike small segments of it when I get a chance. One fall weekend, my friends Wendy, Rich, Kristi, and I decided to walk to Thousand Island Lake and Garnet Lake, which lie on of the most spectacular portions of the Trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
We found ourselves hiking through miserable weather: at the start of the High Trail, a lightning and rain storm took us by surprise. On top of that, Wendy had been breaking in new hiking boots and ended up with painful blisters. When we reached a watery, gray view of Thousand Island Lake, reflecting snow on the mountain peaks behind it, the storm had chilled us to the point of misery. We could only think of eating dinner and hiding from the rain inside our tents. But, in the morning, we spent time admiring the lake in slightly better weather and then followed John Muir Trail, past Emerald and Ruby Lake, until reaching Garnet Lake, a steel-blue oasis covered in mood-setting fog. Even enveloped in clouds under an overcast sky, the views of Thousand Island and Garnet convinced us to return to Ansel Adams again — in better weather. WB
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