Trail Stats
Name: JMT Day 7: Rest Day (Edison Lake Trail junction – Vermillion Valley Resort)
Where: Sierra Nevada, California
When: August 6, 2014
Distance: 4 miles
Taking the ferry across Edison Lake to VVR
Journal entry:
REST DAY! (Well, almost)
We walked about 4 miles to catch the ferry to VVR this morning. The lake was so low we had to walk quite a ways on the dry lake bed. The ferry was just pulling away when we arrived so we had to wait another hour. But it was beautiful out. Tim phoned home and I talked to my Mom too. We chatted with a woman who works at VVR who was also waiting for the ferry. VVR is a rustic oasis! We had an amazing lunch, long hot showers, and picked up our resupply. Our bear vaults are very full and very heavy but I am more excited about the food options for this second part of the trip. I picked up some extra stuff at the store of stuff I was missing (like this book). I was already hating my granola breakfasts so those went. And we decided we needed WAY more chocolate. We are enjoying all of the wonderful comforts before heading back onto the trail tomorrow.
Vermillion Valley Resort is heaven to a weary hiker. Everything we had read about it when planning the trip came true. As hikers, anglers, and generally “wild” people, the staff at VVR cater to the backpacker. They offer amazing food in big portions in the restaurant (or they did, when we were there), and a store stocked with all kinds of goodies. There are laundry facilities and a range of accommodation options from free camping to yurts to motel rooms. We opted for the motel room because who can say no to a real bed and a private shower when you’ve been in the woods for 7 days and you have 12 more to go?
Our hiking companions expressed concern that the experience at VVR would soften us and make it difficult to continue on. To this day I disagree. On a long trip, it’s important to take a rest day. Let your body and mind relax and recharge.
We sent our resupply boxes to VVR. Because we only resupplied once, it was the best option for us. It’s also a lot cheaper to send a resupply to VVR than to Mule Trail Ranch and the experience we had at MTR, which I will talk about in a couple of days, makes me think we made the right decision.
VVR was one of the highlights of our trip. I’m sure I will always remember what it felt like to sit, swinging gently in a hammock, looking out on Edison lake and the wilderness beyond.
Waiting for the ferry in the middle of the lake
There was still SOME water in Edison Lake
Sweet motel room.
The Hiker Hunger 