On top of the pass there is a "trullo"! We have no idea why a typical ancient rural building of Puglia Region sits on top of the California Alps, but so it is: all the architectural details are there. Franco on top waving the flag of Sardinia.

Day 12 - no trees.

Finally we descend again at an altitude suitable for trees.

We miscalculated our supplies: we are having great dinner, but almost nothing for breakfast and lunch. So we rely on wild plants that Franco recognises as edible: it is always a good idea to take an agronomist with you in a long trekking! ;-)

Day 13 - Franco and the pot.

Big junipers

Dead tree

Fording this creek, you get to some warm volcanic springs...

From the springs, with a short walk we get to the "John Muir Ranch", a refuge that is only 10 km on foot and a lake faraway from a road.
Here Frederica decides to leave the trekking and Maurilio goes with her: only two remain, and feel a bit like Highlander ;-)

...and we are ready: still half of the trail awaits us!

Two beautiful lakes just before a new 4000 metres pass.

The lake is full very big trouts. They look relaxed and you can get so close that it seams you can touch them... but these trouts aren't interested in food!
We spend one hour in this strange situation: without being able to catch one single fish in a place that looks like the fisher's paradise.

Day 15 - getting closer to our supplies.
Yes, we are leaving the trail soon for a little detour: it will lead us to a lake and there a boat will take us to Vermilion Resort. This is the place where we have sent all the supplies for the second part of the trekking.
Soon we'll have breakfast in the morning once again!

Bad news: after the above said detour we find that the lake is dry!
So no cruise on a boat: we have to walk for kilometres sometime in the dust, sometime in the mud, to reach...

But our food is there! Food for 8 people!
We take what we can and give the rest to other walkers.

Ball's plant

Here is the lake at our left, but we are camping at the one on the right (see previous photo)

Sunset on the water. Circles made by fishes.

Dinner around the fire.
(Yes, I had to run very fast to make this photo)

Ciao!

Along the trail

Here is Jo for our dinner together.
The next morning, when I open my eyes, she is already reedy to go.
I say hello to her and take another nap.

Devil's Postpile, with the famous hexagonal rocks: these are the fallen ones.

The top of Devil's Postpile reminds an ancient Roman road.

Nice tarns

This is Shadow Lake, with some glaciers in the background...

At night we camp close to this lake, this place is quite Lord of the Rings style, isn't it?

She says hello and leave walking much faster than us.

... And from one more different pint of view.
Yes, I really like it

On this pass Franco wanted a photo beside the sign "Welcome to Yosemite", but it seams that someone has stolen the sign.
He then uses the Sardinia flag.

Franco on day 21

Day 22 - close to the end of hour journey. Cloudily weather for the first time since we have started.

Stick-squirrel

You cannot imagine that the top is 400 metres higher, can you?

One of the photo of the previous panorama.

Family

Also this kind of bird is specialised in stealing food: we are in a day-walk area and these animals are more habit to people.

What's happening here? Let's get closer...

The same waterfall, more faraway.

Fantastic 60 m of water slide! It eventually ends among barbed rocks, but is very nice before that :-)

It is 80 metres high

Day 24 - back to civilisation: we sleep in a campground and use toilettes... We don't like it, we feel constrained. We lack the freedom of last 3 weeks.
I don't feel to take any photo, till next morning, when I see the biggest squirrel I've ever seen.

... And we see the footprints of a bear.

A couple of buses and a train and we are in Los Angeles. We meet Maurilio and Federica and go to the famous Venice Beach, the one of Baywatch.
How is it? Really ugly :-)