Leaving Mammoth - Mile 920 - 7/12

It was difficult, I admit it but I spent my time well in Mammoth (mostly stuffing my face with food) and it was time to take the shuttle to Red's Meadow and get back on trail. I started out in the early afternoon and it was a gradual gain in elevation for a while. While going up the view to the left was of a beautiful mountain range and a few lakes. Shadow lake in particular stood out because it had a massive waterfall draining into the valley. Eventually the trail got steeper and the sky grew darker. I ended up camping with Papa Smurf and his girlfriend who was out for a few days. I met Papa Smurf at Muir Pass and he's quite a character. The man's probably in his late fifties/ early sixties and hike fast and long mile days. He has also done the AT before as well and was nice to talk to at the end of the day.