Day 3
Ireland Creek to Ruby Lake
14.4 miles

I broke camp at 7:45am and was ready to hike up to Donahue Pass, excited I was hiking out of Yosemite and into more "unknown" territory. I didn't have any problem with my food storage overnight, most of which was stuffed in the bear canister that I had set on the ground not far from the tent. The rest of my food I had in the tent. There were a few days at the beginning of the hike and after the resupply that I couldn't fit all of my food in the canister, so I was nervous about attracting bears. I tried to always cook meals at a different location from where I slept, even when I did have all my food in the bear canister. I often camped in well used camping spots, however, so this had only limited value, as the person there before me may well have cooked there. I did not have any problems with bears. Alas, I did not even see a bear the entire trip. I did hear of others losing their food to aggressive bears, and there is no doubt that bears are very active along the JMT, so the inconvenience of the bear canister was worth the peace of mind.

The morning air was frigid but I warmed up fast as I hiked into the sun. I stopped for a break at the base of beautiful snow covered peaks and a wide creek. I passed snow on the way up to Donahue Pass, which afforded a spectacular 360 degree view of the Sierras. Having only seen two other hikers all day and being alone at what felt like the top of the world, I was a bit nervous, anxious, and absolutely thrilled.

I stopped for lunch at 12:30pm on the other side of the pass, where I watched near-perfectly camouflaged bugs play in the crystal clear current while I taped up a sore toe. Before I left for the hike a friend suggested I bring some white waterproof athletic tape (see the section "What I Brought") and I am much indebted for the suggestion, as I used it throughout the trip.

I saw a woman from the Forest Service with 10 cheerful volunteers from the PCT Association working on the trail. After ascending to Island Pass the trail makes a beautiful approach to Thousand Island Lake. I continued on to Ruby Lake, where I set up camp. I had heard from a passing hiker that there was a perfect camping spot on a ledge above the trail on the east side of the lake. This was indeed a great spot, but it was already taken by two other hikers, so I set up in a small area between the trail and the shore. It was very windy, and I was concerned that maybe I had not chosen the best place to camp, but I decided to stay and hope for the best.

I continued to have major pain in my ankle bone due to my poor hiking boots, but whatever I pulled behind my knee yesterday was feeling much better, and I was feeling confident, getting in a routine, and happy about getting day three under my belt.