Finally, the snow had stopped by the time we woke up this morning. The temperature was supposed to climb as high as 40°F today! For most of the morning and near the top of Mather Pass, everything was still covered in snow. First thing out of camp, we had to ford the King’s River. My feet were so cold after crossing the river barefoot that it took half the day for them to feel normal again!

After crossing we climbed up to Mather Pass.

Then, we climbed down and hiked to the golden staircase.

Luckily, the elevation became low enough that there was no longer snow! It was a relief to not have to worry about trailblazing anymore!

Since the sun was shining for the first time in days, we took a break around 4pm to dry out our quilt.

During our break we met a marmot!

We continued to descend for several miles until we reached our planned campsite for the night. Looking forward to better weather and better hiking tomorrow!