Yesterday we optimistically made a run to REI to get some gear–a couple of titanium tarp stakes, and some sort of chemical water treatment for “iffy” water.   But they had no titanium stakes.   Bummer!   I looked and looked at the water treatment stuff and finally decided to go with the chlorine based one, since it said it DOES kill giardia and crypto, whereas iodine might not.   The only problem is the mysterious business in the directions about how the “iffy” water should be in an opaque bottle, or in the dark.  What is with that?   I decided that probably burying the bottle deep in my pack for the 4 hours it takes to “work” should do the trick.   I hope.

The stakes were another matter.   We had to go home and order some online.   So now we are waiting for them to arrive.   Somehow, despite Bill’s best efforts to keep track of our tarp stakes, he kept losing them.   In 2005, we made it the whole way without losing a stake.   I don’t know what is going on here this time???   But I did decide that from this point on, whenever we set up the tarp, I am personally going to be keeping track of stakes!   We have a sort of “division of labor” when it comes to setting up and taking down our camp, and the tarp has always been Bill’s responsibility.

I was also worried about our resupply boxes that had already been sent to Mammoth Lakes and Tuolemne Meadows and Echo Lake.   So I called to find out if they will hold the boxes even if we don’t show up before the 30-day hold limit.   The guy at the post office in Mammoth Lake was a total kick!   “Don’t worry about your box,” he said.  “If it says PCT HIKER on it, we will hold it till you get here–UNLESS it starts to smell.   Then we send it back!”   Whew, that was good news!   And the lady at Echo Lake said “Don’t worry about your box–we will hold it till we close after Labor Day.”   So that just leaves Tuolemne Meadows.   They are not answering their phone, so I’m guessing they are not open yet??

We cannot wait to get back to the PCT!