We spent the night last night at Evolution Lake. That place is so magical, especially at sunset. The play of light on Mt. Darwin and Mt. Mendel are just outstanding. This morning we are traversing through Evolution Basin on our way to Muir Pass. We just stopped at Wanda Lake for a much needed but icy dip. Still, we feel great after a swim in one of the most stunning lakes imaginable!

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Iva Bell is truly one of the magical places in the High Sierra. After a mad dash to Red’s Meadow we headed down to Iva Bell to soak our tired bodies. The hot springs are stunning. They are located on a hillside with spectacular views. We whiled away a day soaking in each of the springs, napping on granite slabs and listening to audio books. Before we arrived our bodies were at a low point, aching and beat up. After a rest day at Iva Bell everything is brighter and we are ready to take on the big Sierra passes to come.

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Hi.

 
PCT thru-hikers are not the only people out here who appreciate our solbreros. A group passing by on horseback loved them. Another guy asked if we want a business partner.

 
Carrying a fishing pole along is an instant conversation starter for anglers on the trail. This guy was having a great trip, bringing his girlfriend backpacking for her first time. She was resting in the shade along the Lyle Fork of the Tuolumne River after catching her first fish and he invited us out to watch him feed all his extra worms to the little guys in the pool below – “they deserved it, after all.” The spark in his eyes and the energy he had for the outdoors was awesome.

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Where does our water come from? Sati explains.

 
We hiked out of Tuolumne Meadows with Mardi and Coan this morning after an amazing visit. We had hitched down to Lee Vining for a shower. Mardi met us at the Mobil just as we were finishing a Burger and fish tacos. She and Coan brought us back up to Tuolumne Meadows and cooked us fantastic steak and plyed us with margaritas, what a treat!
 
This morning Mardi and Coan woke up early and hiked out with us. Coan got his first peek Lyell Canyon, one of the jewels of the Yosemite high country.
 

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Resupply day is so sweet. We arrived at Tuolumne Meadows yesterday too late for the grill. But, this morning we got a hot breakfast and coffee! We also picked up our first resupply package and got it sorted into our packs.
 
While we were organizing our stuff in the designated long distance hiker area (thanks Yosemite), we were treated to some awesome trail magic. A woman brought out a cooler of beers and sodas for the hikers. Then she brought out a huge tray of strawberries, then more beer, then toiletries, then lemon bars, then more beer. The whole thing went on for about two hours and was such a joy. Thanks Vicky for treating all of us so well!

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Today was our first 20+ miler of the trip. We started early from beautiful Matterhorn Canyon and made our way through the remaining canyons of the Hinterlands.
 

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We slept well beside Falls Creek, lulled by the water rushing over stone. We were on a roll for picturesque, mosquito-free camps.

Making our way up out of Jack Main Canyon, PCT thru-hikers talked about the lakes at the top of Seavey Pass. We remembered one lake well. The Enchanted Dish was a charmed high Lake and we tried to decide whether to camp there or push on to the Benson Riviera, a lake with a big sandy beach.
 

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