Grouse Meadow, Up the Golden Staircase and Over Mather Pass to Marjorie Lake – John Muir Trail, Day 10
Waking up at Grouse Meadow, I couldn’t help but appreciate the serene beauty of my surroundings. The calmness of the morning provided a great opportunity to work on my morning routine. However, Don was already two steps ahead, showing his mastery of our daily routine. He’s up and ready for our hike up the Golden Staircase and over Mather Pass to Marjorie Lake today before I can sip my coffee.
While packing up to leave, we met a hiker who had a footwear emergency. He needed his wife to send him new shoes in his next resupply. His current pair was coming apart at the seams. In a true act of kindness, Don offered him some duct tape to hold him over. He even used his InReach to help send a text to the hiker’s wife. The good deed bought me some time to prepare and, soon enough, we were on the trail again.
Grouse Meadow to Mather Pass: The Golden Staircase
We soon began our ascent towards Mather Pass, climbing the Golden Staircase. While on the staircase, we ran into a group of trail workers spending their summer working on the trail. They were sweating it out by smashing, lifting, and rolling granite boulders around to improve a section of trail made in 1938. They were diligently working away, ensuring that the trail would be safer for hikers and lead to fewer injuries in the future.
Not far from the top of the Mather Pass, we heard a loud “POP” echo in the distance. The unmistakable sound of boulders crashing followed soon after. We quickly spun around to pinpoint the source and realized that an enormous rock slide had started to careen down the mountain about a quarter-mile from us. Standing on an exposed mountainside with thousands of large, precariously balanced boulders above us after this was, in no small way, unsettling.
Mather Pass to Marjorie Lake
We finally reached the top of Mather Pass and started descending the trail towards Marjorie Lake. The trail led us below the tree line and into the valley before eventually climbing up again towards Marjorie Lake. When we arrived, we managed to find a campsite, and although it was not even sundown yet, most hikers around us had already retreated to their tents.
As we quietly set up camp on a hillside near the lake, we couldn’t help but whisper for fear of breaking the deafening silence. Tomorrow’s hike over Glenn Pass and Pinchot Pass will be epic. For now, I need to get a little sleep.
My Backpacking Meal Plan
I was looking forward to dinner after a long day on the trail. Although it was not my favorite backpacking meal, I was still excited to have Pesto Parmesan Noodles. As much as I missed Mac & Cheese, the meal would do for the night.