Day 14- Deer Creek Junction to Reds Meadow to Minaret Creek

Distance: 9 mi
Elevation Gain: 1,000 ft
Starting Elevation: 9,100 ft
Ending Elevation: 8,120 ft

Since Muir Trail Ranch, we had not gone more than three days without a break. On Day 11 we stopped for showers, laundry, and treats at VVR. Now just 3 days later we would be hiking only six miles to get to Reds Meadow Ranch and Resort.

Despite sleeping at a relatively low elevation, the morning was cold and our hands did not move quickly packing up our tent. When we were finally packed, nearby campers invited us to warm our hands by their camp fire. Eventually we warmed up enough to get started on the day's journey. Passing a nearby meadow we noticed frost covering the flowers and grasses. Eventually we hit the ridge of a valley and began a steep descent into a section of forest that looked like it had been in a recent wildfire. Around the charred logs we could see a Red Cone. We didn't ascend it but it was a great site along our morning path.

Before long we found ourselves at the Reds Meadow junction which took us directly to the resort. We lost no time taking advantage of the amenities. We purchased tokens for the showers, threw in our laundry, picked up our resupply package, and even found a fellow hiker giving a way a giant bag of snacks and treats. We loaded up on peanut M&Ms, trail mix, gold fish, pistachios, and a few dinner meals.

Once our laundry was dry we stepped inside the cafe for a hot meal. We sat at a corner booth and felt a wonderful sense of calm as a nice waitress brought us over hot tuna melts. Despite our exhaustion and our aching feet, we felt fantastic. We took in our final moments at Reds Meadow, sitting on a bench eating cookies, and then lifted our heavy packs once again.

We took a detour that afternoon through Devil's Postpile National Monument. The loop around the monument provided fantastic views of the formation, formed 100,000 years ago by an eruption of basaltic magma. The slow cooling formed smooth hexagonal columns. We stood at the top of the columns and enjoyed the scenery around us. We then began to ascend just a few more miles for the day, up to Minaret Creek where we would set up camp for the night.

The last bit of climbing felt especially challenging due to our heavy packs. But within an hour we were at our site, enjoying the last bits of sunshine for the day as we filtered water along the creek. Again, we ate a warm meal in our tent, listened to a podcast, and burrowed into our sleeping bags. We hoped for a warm night.

Looking back on a charred section of Ansel Adams wilderness as we approached the Reds Meadow junction.