Ebbetts Pass, elevation 8730, was selected for our next rendezvous with Brad and Benton. The pass is on a 61 mile scenic byway on highways 4 and 89. The trip from Sonora Pass to Ebbetts Pass was much slower than we'd anticipated, and although we'd started moving out of Kennedy Meadows at 6:00, knowing our scheduled meeting time with Brad was at noon, we arrived an hour and one-half late. Brad has arrived an hour early so he was one anxious hiker. He'd spent two and one-half hours wondering if our communication was clear and worried about how to hitch with Benton; how long he should wait before bailing; what he would do with a very exhausted dog; and how to continue with no resupply.
Not only was Brad anxious but Benton was exhausted. Brad stormed for a spell while Benton headed directly to his crate in the car and slept for about 24 hours. Brad, after taking a break and resting and eating and drinking with his friends, recovered quickly and was soon ready to roll again. It's astonishing how quickly a cold beer can fix up a thru-hiker. He gathered together and packed the supplies we'd brought along and headed back to the trail.
Ed and I took off for a campground for the night and a few days of exploration before we'd meet Brad at Echo Summit, Highway 50, elevation 7382.
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