Day 12- Vermilion Valley Ranch to Motts Creek Junction

Distance: 6 mi
Elevation Gain: 2,200 ft
Starting Elevation: 7,600 ft
Ending Elevation: 9,800 ft

Taking notes after the ferry ride across Lake Edison.

We woke up at VVR to one of the coldest days on the trail to date despite being at the lowest elevation we had camped up to that point. We rolled up our things and packed nearly everything but our tent, then hurried into the cafe just as breakfast was served. Hot non-instant coffee tasted incredible early in the morning and Pat, who could not stop talking about biscuits and gravy for days on end finally got his wish. We warmed up with breakfast and finally settled our tab. Within less than 24 hours we managed to rack up a $150 bill at VVR, including our meals, laundry, showers, and additional purchases at the store. Fellow hikers had warned us VVR was dangerous, but we felt like every penny was well spent. As we settled the bill, the cashier warned us of an artic chill coming in over the next few days.

We packed up our tent and a few hikers nearby gave us some more snacks from their resupply. Then we waited for the ferry (a fishing boat) to take us across the lake so we could get back on the JMT. The ferry ride was beautiful and the early morning light brought the surrounding mountains into relief.

When we reached the other side around 10:00 am, we sat on the rocks warming ourselves in the sun and taking a moment to appreciate the landscape and the relaxing day before.

The rest of our day was quick and relatively short. We had it broken up into four 1.5 mile segments between each junction. We decided for that day we would keep it short, and camp just just below Silver Pass. We arrived at the Motts Lake Junction around 2 pm, just as clouds began to collect overhead and we had a dark and cold afternoon.

It was our shortest day, only about six miles total, so we had plenty of time to read, drink tea, prepare hot meals for dinner, and warm up. A part of us felt a little guilty for such a short day but we urged ourselves to ignore that feeling and truly appreciate the opportunity to rest. We would have nearly a twenty mile day ahead of us and we certainly earned the break!

One last look at Lake Edison before we began our hike on the connector trail back to the JMT.

Crossing Mono Creek and enjoying the view before a steep ascent to our campsite.