Sunday, August 11
Start: Lyell Fork Bridge (9655′)
End: Rosalie Lake (9355′)
Miles: 17.6
Elevation gain: 4436′
I was up early, around 5:15am, and hit the trail by 6:15, wearing a beanie, gloves, and my rain shell. It was in the mid- to low-20s and was the coldest morning of the trip. I then climbed up and out of Donahue Pass (11,055′). The trail was hard to follow at the top, but I made it work. I then went down for a while and then climbed over Island Pass (10,205′).
I then descended to Thousand Island Lake (9845′) where I took a brief rest. I then hiked past Emerald Lake, Ruby Lake, Garnet Lake, and Shadow Lake, and then climbed 600 feet to get to Rosalie Lake; I swear that climb nearly did me in. My lungs are not adjusting to the elevation here very well. They’re full of mucus and not functioning as well as I might like; I’ve been having O2 saturation down to 90% when I’ve checked it with my phone.
However, for the first time, I arrived at my final destination early, by 4:30pm. I was able to set up camp, swim, wash my socks, and have dinner early in the evening. I even managed to get a bit of cell service! The mosquitoes were pretty bad so I sought out refuge in my tent early in the evening. While I was trying to blog about my adventures, I fell asleep at 7:30pm.
