Days 18-24 morning, mile 454 (17% of the trail)

The last six days have been pretty smooth. I've got my hiking routine together, checking maps, buying the right amount of food. I had to dodge some nasty Poodle Dog Bush in the last two days. PDB is this mean-looking plant that smells like spoilt marijuana and causes a blistering rash. The really bad overgrowths cause trail detours. I'm past the worst of it though.

I'm in the town of Agua Dulce. It's 7 am and before I head back to the trail, I'm getting a coffee and tortillas. The stretch ahead is the final portion of "desert," scare quotes because it's not really desert in the sense of low elevation, flat terrain (Death Valley etc.). It's actually hilly and should stay below 100 deg F.

At my pace, I should be at Kennedy Meadows in 12 days. KM is the unofficial start of the Sierra Nevada portion of the trail, and the transition to an alpine environment. The timing is a tad early. There's a lot of talk about the snow and I've met several people bringing crampons. One person is taking snowshoes. I'm bringing my ice axe for sure, but am holding off on any traction devices. I think the snow will be soft and tracked out enough by then, and I'll be able to chop steps with the piolet.