The Promised Land

Written at mile 703 – Kennedy Meadows

I’ve reached the promised land. This is the place we all talk about and dream of. 

Kennedy Meadows is important for so many different reasons. Let’s discuss mine. 

1. Kennedy Meadows marks the end of the desert! No more long water carries (for the next 500 miles). No more crazy heat. No more desert plants. No more “everyday has the same scenery.”
2. Kennedy meadows marks the beginning of the Sierra. This is a real forested treat. There is water all over the place. There are real alpine meadows and lakes. Lots of lakes. I’ve heard rumors of waterfalls. Towards the end of the Sierra, I get to travel through Yosemite. 
3. Lizards are out and now I get to ogle deer, bear, elk, and marmot. Chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents are still common. 
4. My days are no longer dictated by getting up early to beat the heat. Though, there will be days I have to get up early to miss melting snow and afternoon thunderstorms. There are now rushing rivers to fjord. High elevation passes are calling me to crawl over them. The next 500 miles are nothing but the most beautiful hiking of the entire US. 

Kennedy Meadows is so important that when you arrive here, literally everyone cheers, claps, and congratulates you for the accomplishment you’ve achieved. The feeling of 50+ people celebrating you is something I hope everyone gets to experience. For me, it made me smile with goosebumps down my arms. I almost caught a tear of happiness in my eye. 

I have mixed emotions about the desert. So far, it’s my least favorite section. I didn’t necessarily enjoy my time there. It was brutal. I’m sure you could pick that up in my previous posts. 

And. That’s also where I met all of the people

I consider friends. So many incredible memories created with these folks. Whether it was simply hanging out and talking over dinner, or if we were helping each other through a rock slide or up Mission Creek. All of the desert created these memories. I can’t hate on a place that gave me so much. 

I’ve figured out a meal replacement option that works for me. I have 2-3 Huel shakes per day. They taste good and give me a lot of protein (43) based calories (400), plus a bunch of other important things like sugar, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. I mix it in my cold soaking jar with a mini shaker ball. 

Because of this delicious shake, I feel amazing. These last few days I’ve felt like I have real energy and have been able to do more miles. My biggest day was on the way into Kennedy Meadows, 21, with a 2,500 ft ascent. It’s a good feeling as I’m about to enter the Sierra where you want to do about 20-30% less miles. Miles in the mountains are not the same as other places.