There’s a bathroom near the campground and I unknowingly went the long way to get there, i.e., around the tents and yurts instead of behind the trailer. There are two sinks, two toilet rooms, and three showers, but those are behind a locked gate. I suppose hikers before us trashed this area, or other campers, but it should still be an option to pay for – a shower without the breeze blowing under the door.

I almost don’t recognize Hoochie Mama this morning as he has on all his clothes, balaclava included, to keep out the cold. He shows me his cowboy camping system – a sleeping bag with a net for the upper top half to keep the bugs away. I walk with Polish to breakfast and let everyone there see her face when I announce that they (the kitchen) are not making (pizza-size) pancakes today. They are the size of two diner plates, but only served on one.

The first pancake served to Lyric at 810 is the last one finished on the porch at 1030. He is one of three (Hillbilly and Kaito being the other two) to accomplish this feat. Dobby will take leftovers in a gallon bag. His mom showed up last night and plans to spend a few weeks hiking with her son. It will change his fast lone-hiker status but he seems eager to get back on the trail. I will be one of the people helping finish pancakes, as I know better than to attempt this beast.

Lyric’s dad arrives and tells us that had his son been a girl his name would be Melody as his wife plays the piano. I’m not sure if she’s a professional but we all think it is as unique as he is. We take Dobby and his mom to get his hiking poles and hat that he left at the store, get distracted there (me eating freeze-dried raspberry-infused apple), and then stop the car so he can run back for them. We give them a head start, because we have to park the car, and then also walk north.

We make it a mile to a gate, and Caleb’s foot is bothering him, so we turn around. Caleb is ready to leave, so I suggest I can hike out when we get back, but he is done not spending time with me when we were supposed to do this trail together. I drop Howie and girlfriend, a guy with the same fox gaiters as me, and Iceman to the trailhead. I give Polish her boxes to mail and take TeaTime to the store.

Polish lets me know there’s a sticker from her to us at Grumpy’s. We grab it on our way out at 2pm. We stop in Big Pine to mail her postcards and then again for sandwiches from Erick Schat’s Bakkery in Bishop where we get a room for the night. I stopped in the street, with hazards on, to offer “Crackhead” a ride to the hostel, but this hiker turned us down, even though we looked like nice people.