> If that "less than 2 miles" is measured from Wawona, she wasn't exactly in the back country.

On the other hand, if she really was about 2 miles up from the main Merced River, then she travelled at least 15 miles through mostly a untamed canyon.

Here's the interactive topo map starting at Wawona. ( map ) If you follow the South Fork, you can see mile markers and rugged territory.