SHR DAY 19

Spiller Creek Canyon to Mono Village & Twin Lakes
Distance: 12.35km Elevation Gain: 265m (1,120 loss)

Hiked from the Spiller Creek Canyon over Horse Creek Pass and continued downwards for another 3 1/2 hours to the end of the route at Mono Village
Early morning sun on the peaks around the Spiller Creek Canyon
Smoke was in the air this morning but only for about an hour. Fire and smoke was a big concern heading into this hike and I was grateful that it had been a non-issue.
Heading through the narrow Horse Creek Pass
Remaining snow in the shadows on the North side of the pass
I had to laugh at this sign. It was the last photo I took and ironic considering the fact that I been off trails 60% of the time over the last 19 days.
A glimpse of one of the Twin Lakes, almost there!

I arrived at Mono Village around 12:30 excited to have completed the route successfully. Had a big lunch at the restaurant, jumped in the shower and threw my very dirty clothes into the washer at the coin laundry station. As I waited I checked to see if there were any taxis or Ubers available to take me the 21km to Bridgeport where I could catch a bus to the Reno airport. Hmm, there were no services at all, I’d have to walk and hitchhike and hope for a kind stranger.

A younger couple, Michael & Becka were busy doing laundry at the same time as me. Becka was an ICU travel nurse who was working in a new location every 4 months. They were enjoying this travel lifestyle and hoped to keep it up for some time before settling down. They were great people and we chatted until our laundry was done. As I threw on my pack and readied to go they were surprised that I was going walk to town in the heat and offered me a ride. Awesome! Michael brought drinks and watermelon slices and drove me right to a hotel. It made a huge difference for me that day and I was so very grateful. Thanks guys!

The next morning I was able to catch an overfilled bus out of Bridgeport (4 of us had to sit on the floor). On the way to the Reno airport I booked a flight to Vancouver that would leave later that day. The trip was almost over and wow, what an adventure. I loved it. It was absolutely everything I had hoped for and more.

Day 18 Home