While at Kennedy Meadows, I did something really dumb…I bought a box of red vines and ate the whole box. It didn’t occur to me to check the label for wheat, but I should have because wheat is the second ingredient. A few hours later I started to sweat and feel nauseous. I knew that feeling so I grabbed the package from the trash can, read the label and got worried. The last time I got sick, it was just one bite of a cookie and I passed out during the process of emptying my guts from both ends. I quickly told another hiker I would be spending a few hours in the bathroom and asked him to check on me occasionally in case I passed out. I also called my wife and let her know what happened. She offered to drive up and get me, but I declined and hoped for the best. I crawled into bed about 9pm and let my wife know I would be hitching home tomorrow to continue my recovery. Sunday morning, an artist from Merced who was leaving Kennedy Meadows gave me a ride to the junction of highway 120 and La Grange Road. Eva picked me up there.

I’ve spend a few days at home recovering and decided to return to the trail and hike a few more miles. I have two resupply boxes, the first at Red’s Meadows near Mammoth Lakes, and the second at the Mt. Williamson Motel in Independence. I’m not sure I’ll complete the entire hike as planned, but I want to at least hit both of these locations to retrieve the supplies I mailed there. In addition to the food and supplies, there are also prescription meds in the resupply boxes and I’ll be short before my next refill if I abandon them. So, I’m going to put on my big boy hiking shorts and get busy hiking! If you are checking the map to watch my progress, and you should be, you will see me hiking again around noon on Monday, September 21. It’s 125 miles to the Onion Valley Trailhead near Independence and another 97 miles if I keep hiking to Kennedy Meadows General Store in Inyokern. Not to be confused the Kennedy Meadows Resort near Sonora Pass.

In case you didn’t know I had celiac disease, you can read more about that here and here.

Check out the links below to see where I am on trail and the photos I have uploaded.

Thanks for following along!

Loren, AKA Butterfingers