Breakfast came early but the friends were wired to get started. The shuttle was right on time and we began the drive from Fresno to Oakhurst and on into the Sierra National Forest. With much anticipation we arrived at Granite Creek, a remote access point at 7,000', 3 hours from anywhere.
As we divided and packed the food barrels and kitchen gear into our individual packs, our guides set up a delicious lunch spread. We enjoyed sandwiches with many toppings including meats, havarti, tomatoes, spinach, sprouts and avocado! We packed away juicy red apples for the trail. Content that we were loaded with protein and nutrients, we thanked our driver and set out on the trail.
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| Today's route (to the small triangle top left of centre) |
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| Granite Creek Access Point with SYMG guides, Sierra and Wilson
We hiked for roughly 4.4 miles (7.25 km), mostly through forest followed by an up-hill, to Knoblock Meadow. We enjoyed views, to the East and North, of the Ritter Range, including the Minarets. To the West we saw Timber Knob, and well-beyond that, Fernandez Pass. On this day and the next we crossed various streams in our travels. We were blessed to see beautiful Cora Lake on the west side of the trail before making it to our campsite. Today we learned the true meaning of "mile, mile and a half". It is about how long each segment, or section of the trail is, whenever one asks about the distance to ANY destination along the trail.
The Minarets (zoomed in)
Along the way, on this first day, we spied and learned about various wildflowers including Pussypaws, the white Sierra Rein Orchid, Applegate's Paintbrush, Mountain Pennyroyal, and a species of Lupin. The Pussypaws, in both forms below are at high elevation, have a low pad of leaves that help them avoid the drying wind and absorption of heat from the ground. The flowers close as the sun sets for protection.
    Upon arriving at our site adjacent to the meadow, the group washed up in the river. As the guides prepared supper, the friends pumped water and snacked on an Edamame appetizer. It is recommended that backpackers carry 2 litres of water at all times. We were expected to drink approximately 4 litres per day to keep appropriately hydrated. Our water sources included alpine and sub-alpine lakes as well as various rivers and streams.
A spectacular camp supper was served of rice noodles in peanut sauce with spinach, onion and thick pieces of seared tuna. Dessert was fortune cookies, some of which were inspiring given the environment.
  
After a campfire and the observation of the beauty of the sky and stars above, the friends crawled into their tents to prepare for an early morning.
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