Pulling into the trailhead parking lot a little after midnight after our five hour drive up from Portland, putting down the backseat and sleeping in my Honda Fit seemed like a good way to save us from the hassle of setting up the tent. But in the time it took to rearrange everything in the car, we could have pitched the tent two or three times. And I wish we had, because I was not prepared for the level of discomfort that resulted from not being able to straighten my legs. My knees locked up, my calves cramped, and I was barely able to sleep through the muscle spasms. It was a long night.
My mood improved the following day when we broke out of the trees and find ourselves surrounded by blue skies, puffy white clouds, and wildflowers. We were lucky to snag the last campsite at Camp Mystery, and after a little wandering and a lavish (for us) dinner of curried lentils and rice, we turned in early. I never thought I would feel so much gratitude for something as simple as being able to sleep with my legs straight.
We woke up early, grabbed some bars (and no coffee, much to Joanna's disappointment), and hiked the remaining mile or so to Marmot Pass. It was an incredible sight. A cloud inversion had formed over Dabob Bay to the East, and then sun was just peeking over the mass of white. We wandered up the ridge, taking pictures and marveling at the view. On one side, we had the cloud inversion and on the other, jagged peaks as far as the eye could see. There is clearly so much more to explore in this area.
Views like these are definitely worth a sleepless night or two.