I want to thank everyone for the love, support and prayers.  I could feel it.  I was amazed when I came home to find out how many people were routing me on. All I can say is Thank You!  I am a very blessed.

I plan on posting all of my pictures and stories best I can but will do it gradually.  Jeff did a great job keeping everyone up to date and I even enjoyed reading the post when I got home.  I hope my posts are just as entertaining but probably not.

Day 1:  Tuolumne Meadows to Lyell Canyon  11 miles

The best place to start is from the very beginning.  This picture does not tell the real story.  Yes, I am at the beginning of the adventure but what you can’t see is what is going on inside.  For some reason, when I pulled into the parking lot of the trail 

head, I started getting extremely nervous and began to have doubts.  I felt sick to my stomach and began thinking “what the heck am I doing?”.   As I put on my pack it felt so heavy and it really sunk in how hard this was going to be.  Jeff hiked with me for the first mile and then we hugged and said goodbye.  As I turned around to leave the tears came.  I probably cried for the first 5 minutes and then the beauty of my surrounding took over and I could feel myself get into a rhythm and the doubts and fears faded and I was so excited.

The first 8 miles is an easy flat hike.  Perfect for acclimating to the altitude. I stopped for lunch and met a woman who was hiking with a group from Arizona.  Her name was Donna. She had hike the JMT two years earlier and was back to hike most but not all of the trail this time. As it turned out, Donna and I would hike on and off together for the first ten days.  She was such a great support and friend on the trail.  There came I point where I realized this nice easy trail was not going to last and eventually I would be climbing up and over those mountains ahead.  As I started climbing I knew two things. 

My pack was heavy and my lungs were not use to this altitude.  The last 2.5 miles on the first day may have been my hardest.  It was a tough climb and I was tired, but I made it to Lyell Fork Bridge.  Donna and her friends were camping a few miles past this spot and invited me to join them but I was exhausted and ready to stop, so I did.  I found a spot right over the bridge and close to the river.  This is a picture of what I saw from my spot.This spot was so peaceful and quiet.  I think I only saw one other person camping in the area.  A ranger actually showed up that evening and checked my permit.  The only time on the entire trip anyone check. After finishing the first day I realized I could do this.  I just needed to go at my own pace and hike my own hike.