The day started with Joaquin and Donedidit traversing the San Joaquin River in search of natural hot springs. These hot springs are in the middle of a grassy Meadow. You stumble upon them as you see steam rising from the ground. 

A river crossing is an exercise in total and complete concentration as the current is powerful and rocks slippery. A misstep could be very dangerous. Joaquin and Donedidit completed this crossing successfully and enjoyed the hot springs. The return journey required equal concentration and determination. Donedidit always thanks the river recognizing the river’s power.

Did you know that drowning is the number one cause of death in the backcountry?

After our soak, we hiked  to the Muir Trail Ranch to see if we could use their internet. Joaquin needed to contact Useitup. Internet is very slow here and it cost $10.00 for 15 minutes. It takes 10 minutes to open an email! While waiting to use the computer, the massage therapist came into the office to discuss appointment times with store and reservation manager. Regina, our hiking buddy, asked the therapist for an appointment. Turns out she was available today and all of us had massages. This Muir Ranch is not looking as bad as the previous day’s rejection made us believe.

Our massages took place in a huge tent tucked in the back. You could hear the sound of San Joaquin River rushing by the tent. It was a gorgeous location to receive a massage. Donedidit had never felt so relaxed. 

At Muir Trail Ranch they have a plethora of resupply buckets for hikers to give food away or replenish their food supply with the other hiker’s give-aways.  You could find anything here from complete dinners to sunscreen. While browsing through the the resupply buckets, we met two interesting young men hiking the trail. They were both high school students, 15 and 16 years old from Sonoma County. It was amazing what strength and determination these young men demonstrated. If you can plan, organize, and complete the JMT, what could High School possible offer these young men?

You meet a different crop of people while hiking. One older gentleman shouted to Joaquin: “Are you limping, too” stating  he had horrendous blisters and thought so did Joaquin. Joaquin responded that “this is the way I walk.” He camped near us and later apologized to Joaquin. He also asked me (Donedidit) the $50,000 question: “where do people poop around here?”  I pointed to the woods above our campground and said “there.”  

  Donedidit crossing the San Joaquin River