It’s 10pm, and after setting up camp at 7pm I expected to be well asleep by now. Just after I’d cooked dinner and brushed my teeth, two hikers called Spark and Carrot arrived. We got chatting and soon learned that Carrot and I are both avid bloggers and both know the wonderful Dirty Girl who has sent us amazing goodies along our travels! We talked blogs for hours. Carrot was super envious of my Suntactics solar panel as she isn’t able to keep her phone charged to write everyday on the trail, and was impressed with my set up.

As you do with all new hikers, we talked about the hikers we know in common, the date we started, and relived some of the most memorable moments of the trail. I thoroughly enjoy these social interactions, especially after a full day of hiking 23 miles solo.

I broke camp around 6:30am and was determined to reach Wolf Creek 8 miles away before taking a break. My Aussie followers will know that Wolf Creek is the name of a movie thriller set in outback Australia. Don’t see it if you’re planning a trip to Oz, I can’t even bare to watch it. I listened to two Missy Higgins albums and some random tunes to pass the time this morning as my mind was ticking over the miles and I needed a distraction.

I was super hungry by the time I got to the creek and almost out of water. Now that we’re at a lower elevation I’ve had to start treating water again with my Pristine drops which takes 5 minutes to mix and 15 until the water is safe to drink. Between water purification, drying out my sleep gear and making breakfast, I spent two hours at Wolf Creek. It was 11:30am by the time I hit the trail again and the temperature was scorching!

I passed a couple of south bound day hikers with a beautiful Golden Retriever and after chatting for a minute they said I was the most articulate PCT hiker they had come across. They said when they asked some of the others about how many miles they were averaging they were met with incomprehensible blank stares, like they hadn’t spoken to or seen another person in months. This made me laugh, I’m a lot more chatty after food so they got me at a good time!

I came across another day hiker ahead of me who kept looking behind him and generally didn’t give out a good vibe. I think I’ve been freaked out by a story Rufiki told me about a day hiker that stalked her. She now carries capsicum spray which I think is a real shame. I can tell you I wouldn’t want to try and mess with a female thru hiker who is at the peak of their physical strength carrying two sharp hiking poles. I decided not to converse with the guy and just said a quick hello when he let me walk past. I got a little stunned when I stopped to take a photo further down the trail and realised he was still close behind me. I thought I could either try to out walk him or stop at the next water source and let him go by. I went with the latter option which was perfect as he disappeared off into the distance and I took the opportunity of jumping into the small rock pool under a waterfall to cool off which felt incredible!

After the swim the trail climbed up towards Ebbetts Pass and Highway 4. This is when the storm clouds started blowing in. I should have known! Now I was trying to out walk the storm. I made it to the highway and on the other side I got excited when I saw coolers with PCT hikers written on it. Sadly they were empty, only just, according to the hiker log as Orbit who gave me the cookie yesterday had snagged the last beer. Good trail karma for her!

As I was about to make myself a very late lunch the thunder started getting louder and the rain started coming down. I went to lower ground after an older hiker Otter came back down the trail for shelter. Once I’d eaten I hit the trail again in the rain. Jug passed me again too and said the lightning was at least 9 miles away – far enough for me. I must have left lunch until too late because I became so tired I almost considered taking a nap at 5pm. I still had four miles to go to the campsite I was aiming for but I simply had no energy. I ate a couple of bars and stripped off my rain gear which was too hot, then gave it my all to make it those last few miles. The scenery was exquisite, I felt like I was walking through a scene in Shrek with wild flowers, rolling hills and jagged peaks in the background.

I felt so much better after food and seemed to wake up when my new hiking company arrived this evening. I need to do 20+ miles again tomorrow which will take me to Carson Pass. I hear the mosquitos are bad between there and Echo Lake which makes me a little nervous about reliving some of the horrors of the earlier parts of this never ending section!

After an extremely windy, noisy, but dry night, I woke up at 5:30am to prepare for the final push over Sonora Pass. The wind was so bad last night it shredded Filthy’s tent and I woke up to see both of them cowboy camping on the other side of the trail.

I had done the majority of climbing the night before but there was a lot of snow covering the trail which meant the miles were slow going. All I could think about was trail magic and pancakes in 6 miles down at the highway.

When I got on the other side of the ridge I finally got phone reception for the first time in days and had a message from UB that he’d gone home for some R&R after hurting his back in the last section. I called him straight away to find out what had happened and to see when he’d be heading back to the trail. He was in good spirits, sounding relaxed and happy which made me relieved, and said he’ll meet me when I get to Tahoe on Friday to show me around his former home!

When I finally got down to the highway I was worried they may have already stopped making pancakes, but worse than that there wasn’t any trail magic at all. Apparently the Wolverines had left two days before. My heart sank but I bumped into Blast, Slack and Orbit and she offered me a white chocolate chip cookie that she’d picked up in Bridgeport as a condolence. Blast told me I could get cell reception at the top of the hill across the highway so I headed up there, made coffee, and spent the next three hours updating the blog. The signal wasn’t great so it took a long time to upload all the videos.

It was boiling hot again, and just as I was questioning the end of the heat wave the storm clouds started rolling in. I figured I should pack up and hit the trail before the rain came, and it was a good idea I did. It started hailing but quickly eased into a dull rain. After walking in my rain jacket for about 15 minutes my back started stinging. I don’t know what caused it, but it felt like I’d been stung by a jellyfish. I ripped off all my top layers and wet my whole back with rain drops from my pack cover. The sensation luckily went away after that, so too did the storm, or so I thought.

After walking back into the rain clouds the trail turned into a slushy river which made clambering down the rocky sections extremely slippery. I thought the storm would blow over quickly like the day before, but this one stuck around for at least 3 hours.

Heading towards the 15 mile mark I was starting to run out of steam and started moving extremely slow. I was starving and very much in the need of dinner, but I was trying to reach the next water source and camp site to cook. When I got there a hiker named Jug, who had almost stumbled upon me pooping in the woods, was there setting up camp. I joined him for dinner as he was building a fire and I was relieved to have someone new to chat to. He started the trail on April 13 and has taken more zero days than me, which I hardly thought possible. I was keen to camp near the fire but I pushed on as I need to make 20 miles each day to reach Tahoe before the PO closes on Friday.

Just as I was about to leave three new PCT’ers passed us. I’ve met so many new faces over this last section I’m really struggling with names. About 30 minutes down the trail I needed to take another emergency bathroom break. It may have been some bad water I’ve drunk cause my stomach has been a little temperamental the last couple of days. When I was squatting in the bushes I felt like I could hear people but couldn’t see anyone ahead of me or coming up behind me on the trail. When I continued on I realised that the trail basically switched back on itself and the three hikers that passed me earlier were stopped eating dinner, over looking the bushes where I’d just taken a squat. None of them said anything but the awkward silence said it all. I guess that’s all part of through hiking!

I was determined to make 20 miles even though it was dark and I was struggling to see the trail or any campsites ahead. Thanks to Guthook’s app I found a really nice flat spot just after 9:30pm, with a fire pit and lots of trees to hang my wet clothes on. I set the alarm for 5:30am, ready for another 20+ mile day tomorrow!

Today was my favourite day of this section, mainly due to the commeradary between the group of hikers I’ve been leapfrogging the last few days, and because we reached the big 1000 mile milestone! I didn’t set my alarm because I’d got to camp so late last night and because I knew there would be huge mosquito swarms no matter what. I was surprised at how well I handled them this morning. I was all covered up with my head net on and had swarms buzzing and landing all over me as I calmly packed up my sleeping bag and got ready to break camp.

Moonshine and Leaky were both sitting in one tent and asked if I wanted to join them for some relief. Initially I refused the offer, then realised I could actually enjoy breakfast if I did. I had to run in circles and then dive under the mesh to get inside with the least amount of mozzies on me. I did pretty well considering we were squeezing three people into a one man tent. It was good fun sharing a pot of coffee and having the time to get to know them. I’m so impressed that they’re just out of high school doing the trail. They were impressed that I hadn’t really done any backpacking before.

It was hard to leave the sanctity of the tent but the day was getting on and I knew I had many miles ahead of me. It felt like the hottest day of the heat wave so far. I had to walk in long sleeves and my head net and was sweating and overheating like never before, but it was the only way to keep the mosquitos at bay.

Six miles down the trail I saw the stones that signified 1000 trail miles on the PCT. I shouted with joy even though I was on my own, and when I discovered this part of the trail was free of mosquitos, I decided to set up some trail magic and wait for some other hikers to come through. The trail magic consisted of a big bag of Reece’s Pieces and gummy bears I’d been carrying since Mammoth. The first hiker to roll through was Fuller. He was ecstatic to receive chocolate on arrival and have someone to take his picture. In return he offered me a shot of Crown Royal and took my picture. Moonshine and Leaky arrived next, followed by Sexy Legs, Verde, Delaware Dave and Skip. It was so much more enjoyable to celebrate the milestone with others!

Less than half a mile along we crossed over a creek and everyone decided to stop and have lunch and continue the celebrations! I had a swim in the icy cold water which felt incredible. I’ve swum three times in the last three days because of the intense heat, and each time I’ve enjoyed hiking so much more afterwards.

I carried on ahead of the pack after my swim but only made it three miles before I got so tired I had to stop and take a nap. I think it was a mixture of hunger and heat but I fell asleep almost straight away and only woke up when a couple of hikers walked past. When I did wake up it was a lot colder, and there were grey skies rolling in. I could see rain off in the distance and could hear the rumblings of thunder so I got my rain gear and pack cover ready for the onslaught while I made a cup of coffee to pep me up.

When it started raining the temperature dropped so much it felt wonderful, and although the trail turned into a river in some sections, I honestly wanted it to continue. I was a little nervous that it might make the mosquitos worse which was justified, however after using one of Twice’s magical deet wipes I was in the clear.

The last water source 10 miles before the Highway at Sonora Pass was at mile 1007. The entire group we’ve been leapfrogging with this section stopped to fill up and make dinner, and Fuller who was the first to arrive had already made a fire. It felt a bit like school camp again with everyone sharing stories and reminiscing over the last 1000 miles. We all shared bits and pieces of food, I gave away tea and parmesan cheese in return for some extra tuna and more deet. Some of the group decided to camp there, but I wanted to push on and get as close to Sonora Pass as possible.

(The PCT sign writer must have experienced dyslexia the day he made the sign above.)

I’m camped at mile 1012, very close to the top of the pass and only 6 miles from the highway where we’re all hoping the rumours of ‘epic’ trail magic are true. The walk up the pass was my absolute favourite with well graded switch backs and stunning views on all sides. The mosquitos didn’t bother following me up here either which made the climb even more enjoyable.

I’m camped close to Filthy and the dude whose name I don’t remember. They pitched tents because there were huge grey clouds above us which made me nervous at first but I can now see stars so hopefully the wind will push them away. It’s so much colder tonight which is a relief but I just hope the weather holds while we’re so close to the top of the pass!

It’s amazing what a difference venting and sharing a common nuisance can make. Despite a lot of moaning and groaning today was actually a lot of fun, solely because I could share my woes with those who understand. When I asked the first hiker I passed on the trail how he was doing this morning, he said he was miserable and pissed off. I asked if it was from the mosquitos and he said yes. At least I’m not the only one. When my alarm went off at 5am I wasn’t sure if I should stay in the safety of my bivvy or make a run for it in hope of some respite further down the trail.

I left camp just after 6am. My food was safe but tiny ants had snuck through the small holes in my OP sack and I had to shake off my food before putting it back into my pack. I tried starting the day with a positive attitude, determined not to let mosquitos ruin one of the most beautiful sections of the trail.

The day started with a few dicey river crossings, one over a very slippery log. I hummed the song from the scene in Dirty Dancing as I crossed, and made it safely to the other side. I bumped into a few hikers I haven’t seen for a while like Filthy and his friend whose name I always forget, Twice and Katie. I also chatted with a new hiker Mehap while I rested for my coffee and oats around 10:30am.

I leapfrogged with Twice and Katie a few times and the social interactions definitely improved my mood. Everyone is struggling with the heat, climbs and horrendous mosquitos and it really makes a difference to feel like you’re not alone in this living hell. When we all arrived at one river crossing that required either serious wet feet or taking your shoes off, I decided to strip down and have a quick swim and was joined by Katie and Delaware Dave who I also met today for the first time. It was a great decision as we were just about to go up our second 1000 foot climb for the day and it was scorching hot!

The descents have been a lot more painful than the uphill because they’re so steep and it feels like my knees are going to snap. This last climb was seriously pointless, 1000 feet up with no view just to go down again on the other side. Humph.

I was given four magical deet wipes by Twice and used one at around 4:45pm. It has worked a charm, mosquitos haven’t come anywhere near me. It worked so well I just stopped to make dinner and I’m sitting here freely in a t-shirt without being bothered. Bliss!

I’m planning to walk until dark again and hopefully get another 5 miles in to make it a 20 mile day.

3 hours and 7 miles later…

Oh my goodness. My intentions of walking until dark and then finding the first place to camp kept me walking until 10pm. Honestly in the 3 hours I walked 90% of the trail was either washed out or just boggy mud. I was in complete shock as there was literary nowhere to camp that wasn’t either next to a swamp or in completely mosquito infested forest.

I felt so good after my tuna casserole, and I learned my lesson this time and waited half an hour after I ate to start walking. There was a huge river crossing right off the bat which was a nuisance because there were hundreds of mosquitos and because I didn’t want to get my feet wet AGAIN, I opted to take my shoes off. Luckily I had my head net on because it was completely covered with misquitos. The trail after that just got worse and worse, and just when I was about l sleep right on the trail in the swamp I saw two tents up on the left. It was Moonshine and Leaky, two young guys just out of high school. There was a flat spot right next to them so I just got set up and zipped up before the mosquitos could feast on me. I’m terribly hungry but hope I can just fall asleep and get ready to make a huge run for it out of this marsh tomorrow morning!

Tonight I tried to out walk the mosquitos, but I didn’t realise how long it takes to get dark after sunset, so after a 23.7 mile day I almost collapsed. There’s also an official heat wave until Tuesday which means the mozzies are up early and party on until late in the evening. I’m scared I’m going to have a mental breakdown because of them, and stupidly I didn’t buy extra deet in Tuolumne Meadows, big mistake!!! I may have to hitch into Bridgeport just to get more deet, lame!

This morning was one of my worst on the trail. I left camp at 6:30am and walked through mosquito infested meadows and forest for 3 hours. I was carrying an extra litre of water because Halfmile said there was none for 8 miles, but my pack started to hurt so badly that I emptied it out after about 5 miles. If I didn’t have my iPod I really don’t know how I would have made it through that section. I was not coping well.

I stopped twice for about 30 seconds to stretch and pee until I finally came across a spot on some sunny rocks where I could rest and have breakfast without the bugs. I was so relieved to find peace and have the opportunity to lie down. Maggie, a girl I had passed earlier, caught up to me and we both got comfortable and hung out there for a while until the sun got too hot to sit in.

Just as we were leaving, another hiker called Sexy Legs came by. I hadn’t met him before but soon discovered he started the trail on the same day as me, April 15. It’s amazing our paths haven’t crossed before as our schedule has been so similar. He had seen UB in Tuolumne Meadows a couple of days ago and was hiking with his friend whose family had just joined them. He was doing short miles to keep the same pace as them but was keen to break away to do bigger miles. I told him about my and UB’s situation and said these things happen, especially when you have different hiking paces.

I left Sexy Legs at a rather large river crossing where he watched how I was going to get across. I used some fancy foot work on two logs and a host of stones and got across quite eloquently. Literally two minutes down the trail there was another river crossing, which I didn’t handle with as much grace as the previous one.

With soaking wet feet I started to climb the first mountain of the day. I actually felt really good all the way up. Before the trail went down again it evened out through a meadow with a beautiful lake and sandy shore. I stared at the lake for about a minute contemplating a swim. I decided if my feet were going to be wet, I may as well cool off the rest of me. The water was super cold as it got deeper so I only had a quick dip and then dried up on the sand. I was going to have lunch there until I started getting attacked my moths and these tiny biting flies that you can’t shoo away. Why must beauty come with bugs?

I had lunch in a beautiful spot next to a large stream and dried out my shoes, insoles and socks. I treated myself to two tortillas with peanut butter and lots of water with electrolytes before continuing on. What I should have done was cross the stream BEFORE I dried out my shoes, because yes, I got both feet completely wet again. Grrr.

With wet feet AGAIN I started the climb up Benson Pass. On the way up I passed a ranger who said it’s the most challenging pass because of the mileage going up. Not exactly what I was hoping to hear. She was the one who also told me about the heat wave and that the mosquitos weren’t any better on the other side of the pass. The climb was long but not difficult, and there was a strong breeze on top which reduced the number of mozzies enough for me to make dinner up there. I don’t know if it was the food or the fact I walked immediately after eating, but my stomach was not happy on the way down the mountain. I ended up taking an emergency toilet break half way down, having to fan my backside with my pee rag to keep the mosquitos away. Horrible.

The day went downhill from here, literally and metaphorically. I bumped into Sexy Legs again who had set up camp and was dressed in his head net. I was determined not to rest until the mosquitos were gone. This saw me walking for another 2.5 hours, down some very steep switchbacks and through forest infested with the little pests. I thought I was going to lose it a few times but finally around 9pm it was dark enough for most of them to have gone and I was out of the forest on some flat rocky ground.

It’s 10:30pm now and I’m SO tired my head aches. Let’s see what adventures tomorrow will bring!

Today was a loooong day! I had the alarm set for 5am, ready to jump out of the bivvy, make breakfast and break camp well before the mosquitos woke up. Apparently their 7am wake up call must be a myth or someone set the alarm early, because there they were at 5am, buzzing outside my mesh window.

I did my best getting ready with my head net on and was all packed and ready to go when I realised my phone wasn’t in my pocket, and had to be stuffed away in my sleeping bag and bivvy sack. This meant tearing apart my entire pack and unravelling my whole sleep system to get it. Not happy. I had a pop tart on the go for breakfast and a few handfuls of trail mix.

In the first two miles of the trail I had about four tricky river crossings. With 45 pounds on your back your balance and ability to take large steps is very much reduced. I produced some pretty epic moves to get safely across the first three, then all my hard work came unstuck on the fourth when a branch I was walking across sank and my whole right foot got soaked. I was actually surprised I didn’t fall in completely, pack and all.

I ended up getting both feet drenched by the time I reached the other side and trudged on unhappily with wet feet. As the trail started to climb down some large rocky steps I couldn’t take the weight of my pack anymore and threw it on the ground. I emptied all of my water bar a 1/2 litre bottle, which I tried attaching to the front of my pack. The difference was remarkable! I felt so much lighter, and for at least 30 minutes felt like I was speeding down the trail.

As the grade became flat in the lower valley meadows, so did my energy levels. I realised I hadn’t eaten anything substantial since breakfast the day before, so as soon as I found a mosquito free spot, I stopped for coffee and second breakfast. It was a beautiful spot sitting on a group of large rocks with a little shady tree sticking out. I started thinking about how far I still have to go on the trail, and just after a couple I’ve leapfrogged with for a while went by and said hello, I suddenly got teary.

As you often do after a good cry, I felt a lot better. When I hit the trail again I was powering along. A few south bound JMT’ers even said I was motoring. I met one couple who were amazed at how decked out I was with my sheep skin straps, solar panel, knee braces and colourful gaiters (I found my missing one!), and asked if they could take a photo!

I had about 12 miles to reach Tuolumne Meadows and made it there around
1pm, just in time for lunch. I didn’t want to get sucked into buying too much at the store so I made a list of what I needed before I went in: more deet (which was given to me by Handstand the hiker as he was ending his hike there), a Gatorade bottle and a new pair of socks as all of my Dry Max are wearing out and I was starting to get hot spots on the padding of my feet. I also bought a hamburger and fries (why not eh?).

I ran into Apache and Burrito Grande who were just heading back out to the trail. Everyone I run into either asks where UB is, or says they saw him a couple of days earlier. I’m still getting used to him not being around. I felt a little lost in Tuolumne amongst the fever of hikers so I hit the trail again as soon as I was done eating. I was soooo sluggish heading back out, plus my pack felt about 5 pounds heavier.

A thunder storm was looming just to the right of the trail for the first hour. It was blue sky on the left, and huge grey storm clouds to the right (the photo is taken looking back in the opposite direction). I could hear and feel the thunder it was so close, but luckily the trail led me safely away back into the blue skies. At around 4pm after having my entire body abused by mosquitos when I went to the bathroom, I found a flat windy area with no mozzies, and was so exhausted I pulled out my sleeping mat and fell asleep right next to the trail.

About an hour later a girl I met earlier called Rafiki and the two Swiss boys (clothed this time), came along. We all sat down and chatted for about half an hour. I don’t think I’ve ever done that on the trail. We were all headed to the same campsite at Glen Aulin at mile 948, and had under 3 miles to get there so we just took our time. Sadly the mosquitos were/are horrendous here! I experienced the challenge of cooking and eating in my head net which I can barely see out of in the daylight, and even worse as it got dark. The Swiss boys had gone all out in their resupply and offered us chips and mango! Such a delicacy!

I’m zipped up in my bivvy deciding if I should get up early tomorrow and try to escape the mosquitos as quickly as possible. The boys went for a swim tonight which was tempting, especially tomorrow morning, but we’ll see how bad the swarms of mosquitos are. I also just realised I made a bad choice of location to set up camp as I’m getting wafting smells from the drop toilets 50 feet away, and considering how bad it smells inside this bivvy, that’s saying a lot!

The colours in the sky tonight are making up for my little buzzing friends trying to penetrate my head net. My bottom half is zipped securely in my bivvy sack leaving only my torso exposed. I’m still trying to figure out which was worse today, the relentless swarms of mosquitos or carrying a baby elephant on my back?

It was really hard to get up this morning as I was super snug and safe from insects inside my bivvy. I was told today that the mosquito alarm goes off at 7am, so I should try and break camp before then. That was not the case for me this morning. I woke at 6am, slowly rolled out of my sleeping bag, made breakfast, and didn’t hit the trail until 7:45am.

About a mile down the trail I caught sight of something big in my periphery. I froze when I realised it was a big brown bear staring at me. As soon as it realised I was there it galloped away like an uncoordinated puppy dog. I thought I might bump into it again up the trail but it completely disappeared. The bear sighting gave me a shot of adrenalin which boosted me for the first hour, then I realised just how heavy 45 pounds is to carry long distance.

During my first of many rest breaks today I was sending out yesterday’s blog when one of the Aussie boys from Melbourne that I met at kick off passed me. Two Aussies in two days. We both discussed the recent developments in Australian politics with Rudd taking over power from Gillard (someone’s going to have to fill me in), and more importantly discussed the extravagant weight of my pack. Focus (the Aussie) is resupplying in Tuolumne like every other sane PCT hiker, but it only drives my determination to make it to South Lake Tahoe like I set out to do.

I didn’t think the scenery could get any better than what I’d already seen, but today blew me away. The grade of the trail was also perfect right up until the last few miles heading to Donohue Pass, but with the heavy pack, the whole day felt like work. There was a long stretch without any trees, so I held out for lunch until I found shade, and was rewarded with a stunning view of the mountains. I’ve decided whilst in bear country that I’ll cook my dinners for lunch so I don’t have to worry about food smells around my campsite. I think this will work well except today I cooked up mac and cheese that I found in the hiker box at VVR and it tasted revolting. I honestly couldn’t stomach it. I had to bury it deep in the ground (I’m all for leave no trace but I’m too scared to carry mac and cheese through bear country for 10 days, and if I ate it all, I probably would have thrown it up anyway, sorry!!)

I drank so much water today as the weather’s heating up again and my body was working extra hard to make it up the hills. Chris your drink mixes came in handy when I rested by the most gorgeous river and drank at least 1.5 litres of water whilst soaking my feet. My poor tootsies are struggling with the extra weight, not to mention my knees! I’m having to walk this section with only one of my Dirty Girl gaiters after losing one in Mammoth. Luckily Xy, the infamous Dirty Girl has offered to send me a new pair to South Lake Tahoe, along with a new pair of Dry Max socks as one already has a hole, and a new pair of my SofSole insoles from REI. Xy you’re a saviour!!!

I spent the whole day wondering how hard it was going to be to get up Donohue Pass at the end of the day. I met so many JMT south bounders, and they all described it differently. When I finally hit the stairs and switch backs my back and shoulders really started to ache, except every time I tried to rest I got attacked by swarms of mosquitos. It was horrible!!

Luckily at the top there was enough of a breeze to keep the mozzies at bay and allow me to eat my peanut butter tortilla dinner and a twix bar for dessert. After the mac and cheese drama I had a pop tart for lunch, so I’ll likely wake up starving tonight after my sugar diet, and will need a big breakfast tomorrow morning! I knew there was a little bivvy site 0.6 miles after the pass from Halfmile’s app so I loaded up with water from the stream at the top of the pass and found the site just as the sun was starting to set. I’m actually more worried about marmots getting my food than bears up here!

I’m struggling in my bivvy sack tonight. My sleeping bag in tangled up, the mesh isn’t lining up with my face and I just hit myself in the lip with my iPhone whilst tying to find my water bottle. It’s actually really hot in here tonight so when I’m sure all the mosquitos are gone, I may have to zip myself free!