Miscellaneous
After backpacking together for four days, Jim and friends part company in Independence, where Jim spends two nights at a hotel. In between he has a zero day and goes to Bishop for some gear. Once on the JMT again, he goes over Forester Pass, and on toward Crabtree Ranger Station. The weather is getting cold, and he’ll need to make a trade-off between making progress and staying in a protected area.