Day 66
Miles: zero
Tuolumne Meadows

We posted a note for Bluesman on the Tuolumne Meadows campground message board, but no sign of him yet. We’re not entirely sure if he’s ahead of us or behind – we think he got caught up in Mammoth. It would be great to see him again before he gets off trail for ten days. Who knows if we will ever meet up?

At the campground, the groomed, lovely, and stylish climbers pack up and head back to Berkeley. Dan and Christina hang out a little longer. We had discussed going climbing, but we’re exhausted and Christina is ill. And it’s raining. It’s nice to have a day that’s not all business, that’s slow, that’s unrushed. We meant to take care of all sorts of business today, but a recent rockslide took out the cell towers and landlines so we’re off the hook. I buy a postcard for my mother at Tuolumne Meadows store and get in line for the Post Office, where a queue of dirty hikers are holding their postcards for their mothers. Don’t want to have Search and Rescue chasing you.

Dan and Christina don’t get to stay for the entire day, which is a disappointment. It’s so nice to see old friends.

I first met Dan and Christina a couple years ago, on a climbing trip to Joshua Tree. Dan was getting ready to launch a kickstarter campaign to produce a rechargeable headlamp (at the time, there weren’t really any on the market from the big name brands). He was able to get fully funded, get his headlamp produced, and launch his company, . J and I are using Bosavi headlamps for our thru-hike. Super lightweight, super bright, and no AA batteries for the trash.

Despite being a beautiful product, without a big name behind him, Dan has not been able to get his headlamps stocked at any of the big outdoor gear stores (REI, I’m looking at you). The company was doing ok, and then everything went up in flames.

Big, redwood timber, tarpitch roof flames. The warehouse with all the production equipment, designs, tools, and extra stock was burnt to the ground when one of the other tenants left a pile of oily rags sitting in a corner. One little spontaneous combustion, next thing you know, all your hard work is little lumps of char. The metal tools melted to the floor.

The bad news is that Bosavi will never produce another headlamp. The good news is that part of the inventory was stored off-site, and there are 400 of rev 2.0 Bosavi . I think they’re a great product – can’t think of a better endorsement than taking it on a thru-hike – so if you need a headlamp, check it out.

Once Dan and Christina take off, I take the book that we acquired yesterday, sit down at the picnic table, and don’t move for the rest of the day. It feels like the lap of luxury.

It’s almost dark when we hear someone walk up to the campsite and call our names. It’s Lapis! We’ve been crossing paths since Big Bear. She saw our note for Bluesman on the message board and came to find us. She joins us at the site for the night. I suppose tomorow we will have to finally do our resupply chores and walk out of here, but I’ve got one more night to rest.