(Click on any photo to enlarge) Muir Pass from the South is tough. We have done this pass from both sides multiple times and every time we come from the South it still works me! We started our day as we do most days with my alarm going off at 5:45am. I'm usually awake already so I try to exit the tent quietly so Christi can get a little extra rest if needed. I retrieve our Ursacks from whatever tree we tied them on the night before, and get a liter of water boiling for all three of us to have a cup of Joe. I will usually hand Dave and Christi their coffee while they are still in their bags. Then I'm off to take photos while those two pack up. Its a great system and we become a well oiled machine after a couple days on the trail. We left our site at 7:00am which is about the time we get on trail most days. We were at the Muir hut by 10:00am.
Obligatory photos followed then the descent into Evolution Basin. The Evolution basin is heavily traveled and rightly so. It is a very scenic area with beautiful views of Mts Darwin and Mendel and of course the Evolution Lakes. The highest of the lakes (Maps show Evolution Lake as one lake. In reality its more like three lakes that are separated more or less depending on the severity of the previous winter) is the most deep color turquoise that you will ever see in a mountain lake. My photos don't do it justice.
We had planned on camping around Colby or McClure Meadows for the evening so we continued our downward journey. Our lunch stop was at the 'lowest' (and warmest) of the Evolution Lake(s). We all went swimming, ate some snacks then moved on down the trail following the head waters of Evolution Creek. When we arrived at Colby Meadow, we waded across the creek (river) and started to look for a site. As soon as we set our packs down a huge plume of mosquitoes rose from the grass and zeroed in on us. We made the snap decision to find another site, one with a breeze and therefore (hopefully) less mosquitoes. We high tailed it back across the creek (river) and started running away from the dreaded blood suckers. Christi REALLY doesn't like mosquitoes and THEY KNOW IT. She will bathe in DEET to keep them at bay. I swear she'll get ten bites and I'll get one. They sense her fear. Maybe its because I smell really bad in the back country and mosquitoes leave the shit for the flies. (coincidentally- I hate Deer/Horse Flies and they love me) Anyway we found a site on little bluff just above Evolution Meadow and close to the creek. So we weren't too bothered (no more than normal Sierra Mosquitoes) for the rest of the evening. Our bodies are all responding well to the mileage and the altitude. Although we do resupply tomorrow so maybe the reason we all feel good is our packs are the lightest they've been all trip! I think I was asleep before 9:00pm tonight.
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