| Again we not so much decided to get up as gave up trying to get any sleep, stumbled up the stairs
to the breakfast liquids. Bill and David only eyed us suspiciously this time, knowing it was too early
to expect any sort of coherence. The coffee and tea brewing processes were meanwhile on autopilot.
I think I scared off Bill and David driving home the day before, for we found them hinting we should take our Saturn, and everybody else would stuff themselves into Bill's van. In any event, the drive was much shorter this time; the hike began from a spectacular view of Mammoth Mountain and the Minarets, and left the parking lot by a foot trail, and then up a very rough, difficult to drive, all-wheel-drive-only dirt road, where, happily, there was no motor traffic. Stella and Frank mostly charged ahead. Away in the distance, seemingly out of reach, the Two Teats pointed skyward. Bill had explained that today's hike would go the easy half of the distance, stopping before Deadman Pass. But during the march, Frank felt quite lively and suggested to Stella that he would like to go on to the Teats, and Stella happily agreed. An adventurous grin passed conspiratorily between us. Bill's San Joaquin photos are here. |
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