Just days after the world was almost brought to a standstill due to a single technology glitch, I had the opportunity to head into the Sequoia National Park to drop off my son and three buddies who were embarking on an eight-day backpacking trip called the High Sierras Trail (HST). This trek runs 70 miles across the entire park and culminates at Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the contiguous United States at more than 14,000 feet.
It’s a six-hour drive from our house to get to Crescent Meadow, the start of the trail already deep in the park. So I was to hike in with them a few miles, camp the first night, and then hike out in the morning while they continued on. I had been looking forward to the trip as a welcome break from my work pressures the previous few weeks and months.
I didn’t want to derail my son’s plans so after a couple of unavoidable meetings, I turned off my computer and spent the afternoon on the couch. Lots of vitamin C and D, zinc, quercetin, and chicken broth. I’d already pulled out the backpacking gear so had everything ready by the front door that night heading to bed early.
The day started at 4:45 a.m. The three buddies showed up at our house and we were pulling away shortly after 5 a.
m. I was in a bit of a daze, to be honest, but focused solely on driving while my son navigated and the other boys napped. After picking up our permit at Lodgepole campground, we did a bit of the touristy walks around the giant sequoias and then headed to the HS.