VVR to MTR: Up Bear Creek and Selden Pass

So - we unexpectedly and without discussion left Taun Taun on the trail by himself while we left the trail for burgers and beer at VVR.  After lunch the older guys in the group were ready to settle in to the so-called resort in a ridiculous tent cabin, so Phyzio and I left the old men and went down the road a few miles to the wondrous Mono Hot Springs where I spent time after leaving the trail in 2010.  The following day, it was an interesting challenge to find a shortcut from the springs up Bear Creek and then to try and meet up with the others somewhere out there along the trail.

Once we found the trail, we were staring at footprints to look for the others and finally decided they were behind us so we waited by a swim hole for them to come by.  And waited.  And Phyzio started examining the gold flecks in the water...

The beers from VVR were felt the next day on the uphill climb.

"I pushed on stoked with freedom and disgust. Thrilled to be on my own terms, missin the group, confident as a man conquering nature, weak and fearful, excited to  be alone in the woods, missin my sweet Natalie back home. You think you're gonna come to some great realization out there, but alls it is is walking and thinking. So I walk and thought my way 15 miles on the day to Upper Bear Creek Falls. A couple of lesbos took pity on me and let me crash in their camp site. Nice talking to another, nice to quiet the mind.

Day 8 would be the great gauge of my longevity on the trail. If I made it to MTR without a hitch, glory would be mine. If I inched with pain into the ranch, I'd shuffle back to civilization, tail between legs. And inch I did, slowly creeping over Selden Pass and down the other side, stopping here and there to wait out lightning burning up my legs. But when I asked the ranch staff the way out, turned out it'd be a 5 mile walk to lake, then a ferry, then you're on your own. Maybe a day's rest would do the trick. Shacked up in cabin #5, stuffing down mounds of cooked food from the ranch kitchen. Next day the crew rolled in as expected, but they were just wiped as I was, and demanded a night at the ranch. It was good to see em."  -Taun Taun

Marie Lake

From atop Selden Pass