The rest of my slog up Kearsarge Pass was uneventful.

I got to the top around 1400. Met a Korean guy there who didn’t speak any English. I went down around the lakes and around and up Glen Pass. Yogi’s guidebook says not to descend too early. No problem there! I summited around 1800.

Yeah, my heavy pack was really slowing me down. So much food! Plus snow and mosquito gear. I had way more food than I could fit in my bear canister, and the guide book says there are bears near Rae Lakes, so I really wanted to make it to the bear box to properly store my food. With my late summit, I had to hike through the evening to get there.

I knew it was a perfect moon for night-hiking, not quite full, so I wasn’t too worried.

Nevertheless, I was very tired when I got to the bear box at Rae Lakes right around dark. There were lots of people there. Two big bonfires despite the rule against fires above 10,000 feet, and when I went to put my extra food in the bear box, I could barely wedge it in because the bear box was full with four bear canisters!! WTF? How stupid and inconsiderate can hikers be?

I was too tired and it was too dark to find a campspot, so I grabbed a nearby flat spot and cowboy camped right there, right then.