We stumbled across two women who politely asked us to shoot their photo. We were three of only a handful of backpackers they had seen, one woman said. We obliged and continued our trek up the trail after negotiating a mildly precarious, mucky section of scrub.

      An hour or two in to the hike, we came across a "Y" in the creek where we stopped to filter drinking water and scarf down a quick snack of granola bars, M&Ms and sun flower seeds. The aqua was cool, refreshing our bodies that continued to burn off the morning grogginess. We packed up and picked the right finger in the "Y."

      Up ... and up and up some more until we reached an overlook. A monstrous hunk of famous Yosemite gray granite rocketed us into the rich blue sky. As would happen later in the day, we gazed down the trail that climbed behind. Tired legs and lungs were forgotten with one peek at the distant peak we think we scrambled over yesterday in the rain. Fears of thunder and precipitation were no where to be found from the top of our stoop.

      Baking in the late-morning sun, the trail led us further into the heavens. Back and forth on a path partially eroded by rain. we reached the first of two Chilnualna Lakes where we collapsed for lunch.

      The clearing was beautifully passive as soft, warm breezes sent ripples across the clear, small lake. I dozed off as the sun warmed my skin and Kara sat at my side gazing into the same hills and trees John Muir might have focused upon decades ago. Calm and serenity were, however, a blanket covering the brilliant life of the forest. Time, once again, to move.

 continued