Our second to last hitch began after Millpond. Flannel hiked up with my partner and I to 60 Lakes, where we met up with our boss (a different boss from the one who mobilized with us) who had arrived before us. The river Guide was also hiked in on the 19th, but ended up bivying along the way because it got too dark for her to finish the hike safely (and she didn't know exactly where our camp was!).
Demoblization involves pulling summer nets out of the lake, mending at least the ones that will go in for the winter, and then setting the nets for the winter. The summer nets then need to be flaked out and allowed to dry before storing them in large trash bags. All the gear is also dried, and some gear is stored in our Greenlee (a large, locking, bear box) while the rest is packed up and picked up by a helicopter at the end of the hitch. Flannel left the 20th - she had come up because she was partners with my Partner last year and they hadn't been able to spend much time together this summer. Our boss left on the 23rd, and the Guide, my Partner, and I were left to finish up 4.5 lakes. Stormy weather delayed a few things on the 24th, and we worked hard the rest of the hitch to ensure that everything was completed before the helicopter came on Wednesday. We were efficient enough that we were able to hike over to Rae Lakes Sunday night and have a candle-lit dinner prepared by Dario, as it was his second to last day in the new cabin. It was a fine meal, and we girls got to spend the night in the loft - very cool.
The helicopter came on Wednesday, and due to some superb help from the Guide, we finished all our work on time. We girls hiked out and got out to Onion Valley around 7:30pm - a tiring hike - I think made more tiring by the stress of demobing that morning. We celebrated by getting a motel room and going out to the Still Life Cafe - the awesome French food restaurant in Independence - still some of the best food I can think of ever having.
This weekend we are hanging around Bishop. There is a chance that we will hike in tomorrow (Saturday) instead of Sunday, because a big snow storm is supposed to come in next Wednesday. The hiccup is that there is supposed to be a smaller snow storm tomorrow. I am going to demobe Center Basin with the Guide, while my Partner is demobing LeConte with El Freezin and our boss. It should be interesting to see if we run into weather - I've never been caught in a snow storm before.
The thought of coming back home to Tucson is filled with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I am not looking forward to going back to some of the old things and yet I am greatly looking forward to seeing my family, friends, and cats again! I have had an awesome time working in the Sierra and hanging out with my coworkers/friends here in California, and it is hard to think about leaving and all of us going on our separate ways.
No photos until October - stay tuned.
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