Kennedy Meadows is a great place to spend some time after the desert. There are two main spots here, each with free camping and other amenities, although with the number of hikers things can get overloaded.

The general store is the first business most people see. They have good burgers and other fried food, so they’re a good stop for people looking to resupply, perhaps grab a drink from the fridge and dinner, then camp the night and leave shortly afterwards.

I’m planning to spend at least a couple of days in Kennedy Meadows, so I take an afternoon shuttle to Grumpy Bear’s Retreat. They too have free camping, but also have free laundry, free showers and more bathrooms than the general store. Grumpy’s also has a full bar and kitchen offering a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

For breakfast I tried the hiker breakfast with all you can eat pancakes. When they say “all you can eat” what they mean is “one pancake”, nobody finishes it. The pancake is bigger than a pizza, and about an inch thick. This breakfast is much bigger than the polar bear breakfast in Big Bear, and I’m not making the mistake of trying to finish it this time.

I spent the first zero day relaxing and not even trying to organize resupply. I enjoyed the afternoon back at the general store cheering for hikers as they walked up the road, just as they cheered for me yesterday.

In the evening, I returned to Grumpy’s for dinner with nachos and a piece of brownie from another hiker, Prodigal Son, who was celebrating his birthday on the trail, the kitchen baked him a huge tray for free.

On the second zero day I picked up my bear can, resupply and collected my ice gear which I’d mailed here from Idyllwild. My plan was to zero for two days, then head out tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, I managed to pick up some kind of bug and in the afternoon of the second day I felt sick. I decided to stay a third day to recover.

Fortunately the bug only hit me for 24 hours, I spent my third zero day sleeping in the shade and taking tiny sips of water whenever I could. In the afternoon, my energy began to return and I was able to drink orange juice, Gatorade, and managed to get through a bowl of fries before bed. Things are looking good for me to get back on trail tomorrow!