Middle Kings 2010:setting the record straight

Bishop pass from south lake trailhead Well,after almost a year of planning,we made it.Hundreds of phone calls,thousands of text and e-mail,Countless hours researching levels,snowpack and weather.I trained harder than ever before and the Middle Kings has consumed my every thought for months.
After a night in a Bishop hotel,we headed up to South Lake to pack and camp before we hiked in.The hike was brutal.No mules,no girlfriends,just 90 pounds of gear and 2 legs.There is no way it is only 12 miles,it has got to be in the teens somewhere.
It starts out uphill pretty much right away,but gets easier for a couple of miles before the pass.The pass is basically a 500-1000 foot cliff with a trail on the side of it,and is very difficult with a fully loaded boat. Although I was in great shape,the elevation kicked my ass anyway,and
just having that much weight on my back and shoulders for so long was harder than I ever thought.Lunch at the pass was a much needed break,but the lack of oxygen in the air made chewing and breathing at the same time pretty uncomfortable.

After topping out at the pass,we started heading into the long,mellow,mosquito-infested,never-ending push through Dusy Basin to the brink of LeConte Canyon.My goal of doing the hike in 8 hours or less was quickly becoming a fairy tale,and group morale had gotten pretty low.The Middle kings had already taken control.The stunning beauty of LeConte canyon is the only thing that keeps you from throwing your boat into the abyss,but we pushed on.

At the brink you feel like you are at the edge of the earth,and the sheer magnitude of the place is overwhelming.Looking down into the canyon,we could see the tree line long before we got to it, and we almost decided to camp and finish hiking the next morning,but the thought of waking up to more hiking first thing drove us on.Finally,after what seemed like miles of switchbacks,I could hear the river.I could smell a campfire burning,I knew a had finally made it to the Middle Kings.

Matt Wallace and Mason Robinson were not far behind me.We were all pretty beat down from the hike both physically and mentally,but it felt so good to be there!That night it got pretty cold,but my bivy-sac/45 degree sleeping bag combo did alright for the most part.With the hike behind us,it was time to rest up for next huge day,so we all passed out with anticipation levels at an all time high.