Days 68 we woke up early at the lake and headed out we knew had we had a couple of passes to do on the John Muir trail before getting back to the Pacific crest Trail. when people ask me what my lowest point during the trail was, or the time I struggled the most, today is that day. So, we did the first pass and I’m definitely tired. I’m just over the snow at this point; nothing to do with snow is making me happy. It’s literally, I’m just making myself get through it that way I don’t quit. First pass go up, head down the pass, and we have to walk around the lake. Then we go up another pass and we’re sitting on these rocks, Freckles is calling her sister in Australia to say hi we randomly a phone service up there. Then Scotty all the sudden comes and says,”hey guys bad news” and I look at him with a Blank and slightly evil bitchy stare. Then he says we still have one more pass to do….. and that was all it took I I broke. In my personal life I don’t like crying in front of people and I rarely cry, but at this point it didn’t matter. I had lost all hope for myself and I was miserable. I just started bawling on that rock surrounded by snow at the top of an amazingly beautiful pass. but I saw none of it at that time. I just saw struggle and I wanted to leave. I explained that 90 percent of the time I was never having fun it just sucked all the time and the only time that was ever fun was camp, but everything else was just horrible and I couldn’t take it any longer. Scotty held me and just let me cry. Then Freckles came and held me too. This was probably one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. And these people who are here for me, really I barely know them, but they feel like they have always been a part of me. So I wasn’t scared. I knew they had me. And they just let me cry, and keep saying I want to leave. That wouldn’t happen, I can’t back track at this point and it’s still a ways to Yosemite and deep down I knew I’d regret if I ever quit. So then I got my shit together, somewhat and we hung a bit longer. While Sante made his trail espresso to enjoy, then we headed off down another snowy pass onto another one. I get why people do the JMT it is beautiful. A tall pass to see everything then you get to hang by a lake. They’re basically all frozen now though. Right before the JMT/PCT junction was a good flowing creek with 2 nicely placed logs next to each other to form a bridge for us. We decided to take a break there. And Scotty as usual, started making me laugh. He found some tools and decided to try and fish using the ice axe. This dude..haha. Then we headed on. And once we get to the junction, I think it was Freckles, heard and saw something. Then we started howling, it’s how our group finds each other and communicates and how we became the Wolf Pack. Freckles asks loudly “hefty!??!” There is was under a tree all alone. Apparently up until his last few miles the trail had been super mellow and dry. Some of the group was ahead, they think were ahead of everyone since nobody knew what Happened to us. And Russ has gotten sick so him, Emi, Meg, and Simon are behind. We decided to tackle the next pass. Island Pass. These next 2 passes on the PCT are apparently the easiest of the trail. But honestly I’m so wiped at this point everything sucks. We follow Hefty up the pass then stop at the top for lunch and a nap. Unfortunately Tim isn’t feel good either. His energy keeps dropping rapidly and he keeps feeling sick and light headed. It started yesterday and has definitely worsened. Hopefully the nap helps. And it does. It helps all of us. Then we see Meg, Russ, Emi, and Simon. Poor Russ is so congested. But there’s nothing you can do out here but keep hiking. So we all take off. Tim and Freckles had to stop for Tim a bit and stayed a little behind us. Then the longest fucking approach to a pass to ever exist. The longest most annoying field of endless suncups. If you don’t know what those are look them up and just know they’re the worst. The field was never ending….you’d hike for a bit and look up and nope, looks like you’ve made no progress and still have forever to go. We’re all kinda spread out at this point just going our own paces. But I’m trying to get this shit done so I’m trying to get up to Scotty who is WAY ahead. Step, slip, head down just keep following foot steps. Finally I’m there. At the pass, and Javalou is there. Him and Cros are going to camp here, Stats went ahead. I literally crashed on the rocks. Like my body was absolutely done at this point and I just laid there for a bit as everyone else came up. And we all cheered loudly and were so happy to see Tim make it up. It is so clear something is wrong, he’s so pale and looks like he has lost 20lbs. The thing is this uphill was long but not hard like other passes but the downhill…..UGH. We tried to go one way, nope not safe. Back track and go around this way. Lots of slippery down hill walking and so fatiguing. The constant pounding on the quads is brutal. Finally we’re down. We all go to find a campsite. The first one we found some of us didn’t like. So some stayed, Hefty kept going ahead of all of us and me, Freckles, Tim , and Scotty hiked just maybe .5 miles further and found a beautiful dry campsite. And we got to light a fire. It was a great fire, cozy and warm and we just sat and reflected. It’s whenever you get to camp, you tend to forget all the shit and stuff just seems good again….until the morning that is.