I had stumbled up the sandy south slope leading to the top of Silver Pass on the John Muir Trail. The pain in my left leg, which had begun the day before while climbing up Selden Pass, had only amplified from the day’s long 19 miles. I knew at that time the challenge of 2020, to hike the JMT from Cottonwood Pass to Yosemite Valley in 6 days, was over. I sat down on a […]