Distance: 10 miles (approx. 16 km)
Morning arrived in the beautiful woods of Deer Meadow. While still cold, it wasn’t as severe as the night before. Perhaps due to the accumulated sleep deprivation from days of freezing temperatures, I found myself lingering in camp, unable to set off until 9:00 a.m.
As soon as I started, I noticed something was wrong. My legs didn’t necessarily hurt, but my internal energy and stamina were completely depleted. I felt lightheaded and stumbled frequently; it felt as though I simply lacked the fuel to climb.
Before me lay the “Golden Stairway,” a series of switchbacks leading toward Palisade Lakes. I began the ascent at a snail’s pace, inching upward with every ounce of willpower I had left.
Reaching the lakes, I drank a vast amount of water, which helped clear my head slightly. The area around Palisade Lakes was beautiful, but the true ordeal was yet to come: the final push to Mather Pass (12,100 ft).
Thinking back on it now, this climb was undoubtedly the hardest of the entire journey. No matter how much I climbed, the summit felt no closer. It was as if time itself had slowed down. In all my years of trekking, I don’t think I’ve ever felt a single step carry such immense weight.
When I finally crested Mather Pass, the views stretching out to both the north and south were divine. The sheer majesty of the vista felt like a hard-won reward for the suffering it took to get there.
Descending into the stunning Upper Basin, I pushed on for another two miles until I found a suitable campsite. As I lay in my tent, a sense of dread washed over me. Though I am in the final week, the realization that I still have three more 12,000-foot passes to conquer is chilling. I know that from tomorrow onward, I must move with extreme caution and resolve.
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