SAYONARA SIERRAS

And of course I’m right in the thick of it walking across the country determined to live free in spite of it all.  So eventually I left the crowds and headed upstairs to my bunk room. Only RJ and I had rented a bed in the PCT hikers room. I slept but as usual was up by dawn to a chilly Fourth of July morning. The chaos had calmed and I had the early morning mostly to myself. A few wranglers were about drinking coffee and taking care of the horses, getting them ready to tote tourists about. RJ was up before too long and we made our way down to breakfast around 7. Spontaneous and Emily joined us and we all ate and then it was time to wait for the shuttle back to trail. It was supposed to leave at 930 but there were supposedly some other hikers in a cabin somewhere that we would have to wait on. I worked on the blog and around 945 the shuttle driver came over and asked if we were going to the trail. We said yes but the desk lady said we have to wait on the other hikers and we just got word they are still asleep. He looked at us and shook his head “ if they ain’t outa bed by now we ain’t waiting, I’ll bring the van around” we weren’t arguing and when he returned we all piled in and headed for trail. It was after 1030 by the time we made the trailhead and their was a couple there doing trailmagic handing out drinks and homemade chili. We all hung out and I ate a bowl and we talked about the trails. It was almost noon before I finally started hiking. RJ has headed out shortly before. Spontaneous and Emily were right in front but soon stopped under a shady tree and I passed on by. I climbed up some large hills or small mountains and down the other side wanting to make miles but enjoying the day. I made it down the other side across the saddle and back up the next. As I climbed I came across a lovely waterfall coming out of the mountainside. I filled my water bottle and sat down against a rock. I watched the birds flitting about and sat their way too long. I realized it was going to be a short mile day as I obviously wasn’t getting far. I eventually continued on but stopped at the top of the climb at mile 1027.7 and set up camp a 10.8 mile day. While at Kennedy Meadows North I had done the math and to reach Canada before October 1st I had to average 18.5 miles a day. I was in a race with the snowfall and I was going to have to move faster. 

The 5th of July it was time to climb. I walked all morning getting over several smaller climbs before reaching the saddle that led up to Ebbets Pass. It was a long uphill afternoon before I eventually reached the top as I made my way down 5 dogs of very different breeds from what looked like a Great Dane down to a schnauzer came up behind to say hello. As I patted their heads a lady on on a large horse rode by yelling don’t worry their friendly as the dogs took off in front of her and then a little behind her completely free of lead or harness ran a small pony. I just laughed not even surprised at what I find in the woods any more and fell in behind, following the pony down the mountain. 

It was a few miles from there down to the Ebbets Pass parking lot at the road where I rested and a local gave me a soda. I talked to loads of Dayhikers and answered their questions as best I could. I hiked out and did a few more miles as the evening waned, before setting up camp at mile 1050 near some large boulders and ancient trees. A 22.3 mile day. 

The 6th of July arrived with a chill in the air as I tried to convince myself to crawl out of my warm sleeping bag and face the dawn. It was just before 6 when I hit the trail with my eye on Carson Pass 25 miles away. I started uphill and seemed to stay that way. There were dyahikers and forest roads and lakes galore. As I reached the ridges in the afternoon the winds picked up to almost unbearable levels. It was hard to stand and walking into the wind was a chore. I faced the gale and steadily pushed on. Being blown back or sideways with each step. I reached the top and slowly made my way down the north face. The wind was blowing mightily even as I made it below the treeline. I began the climb back up to crest at Carson’s pass where I had planned to camp but I stopped a little under 2 miles from the top where I could camp among the trees which at least provided a modicum of wind protection. I knew if I climbed any further my camp would be completely exposed. Still the wind blew fiercely screaming through the trees and battering my tent. As darkness fell a couple of section hikers came in  and camped right next to me they were out for a few days in the woods Father and son bonding. 

The 7th I was trying to pack up quietly at 430 in the morning but I could tell the other hikers had been awakened. I hiked out as quickly as I could and climbed to the top of the Pass. It was a gorgeous night with a fat full moon lighting my path as I climbed. I could see the first hint of dawn firing up on the far side of distant ridges. I quickly reached the crest and laughing,  twirled on the mountain top In the first warm rays of the new day. Exhilarated to be alive and free I grinned as I took in the wilderness surrounding me. 

My goal for the day however was not to be found in the wilds. There was a store with a deli 19 miles away and I was in the mood for a sandwich so down the mountain I went. I was soon down to the highway that crossed through Carson’s pass It was named after Kit Carson a famous guide and scout in the old west. He had carved his name in a tree here as he led an expedition over and the tree either died or was cut down and the part with his name was in a museum somewhere but there was a statue replica of it there. There was  also a bathroom but it was locked by order of the governor for COVID however since people still have to use the bathroom whether the governor allows it or not the state had set up two port-a-Jon’s next to the locked bathrooms and no one had cleaned them out since the holiday weekend. It was not a nice smell or sight. As I watched an elderly gentleman pulled up in a large suv tried the bathroom door found it locked opened the portajon almost retched held his nose and bravely went in. I could only shake my head as I hiked away. It was a climb from there as I walked on up and past showers lake. I crossed meadows and walked by ponds. Daydreaming of sandwiches from the deli. I finally reached highway 50 where most hikers hitched into South Lake Tahoe for a break and a resupply but I had plenty of food and felt no need to go into town so I hiked on across and did the further 2 miles to the Echo Lake Chalet. I arrived shortly after noon having made it just over 19 miles. The parking lot was an insane madhouse of tourists and dayhikers and kayakers and who knows what else. There was only one shade tree in sight and it was full of well I don’t know lollygaggers, loiterers, I’m not sure: they weren’t hikertrash like me who have a tendency to hang out in shady parking places. Anyway I sat down my pack on the edge of the parking lot near the store in the hot sun found my mask and went in. There was a sign that said only three people at a time but I was the only one in the store which was weird since there was so much chaos outside. I went to the fully stocked deli counter and looked for a person but no one was there so I walked around to the fridge part and there was hardly any soft drinks. I found one canned coke way in the back behind the mostly full Diet Cokes and 1 canned  root beer. No Teas or mountain dews but oh well I looked back at the deli I was here for a sandwich. I went to the cashier and finally found a worker and sat down my drinks she rang them up at 2 dollars a can. (I was starting to understand why I was the only one in the store) I asked how to order a sandwich. She said they didn’t have time to make sandwiches this year. I looked around I was still the only one there. “We’ll sell you a pound of meat a pound of cheese and a loaf of bread” she cheerfully acclaimed “I honestly considered it thinking maybe I could sit out side and give out sandwiches to other starving hikers or something??? But then I eyed my 2 dollar canned coke and decided maybe not. I asked if there was anything else to eat she said “chips and hummus” “oh” I said “just the drinks for now” “that’ll be an extra dollar for spending less than ten on a debit card” she leered “fine” I replied just wanting to get out to some fresh air. I paid and went out and sat in the sun. There were people everywhere but most were avoiding the store. It was a great place and  if they put in some picnic tables and a bit of shade and sold sandwiches, they would make a killing but I guess they were just happy doing the bare minimum. I had cell signal for a change so I googled pizza delivery there were several within 6 miles so I started calling but everyone refused to deliver to that address for some reason. I even started the conversation with “how far do you deliver” them “7 miles out” me “awesome” it says on google maps you are less than 5 miles a way” “where are you” me “echo chalet 99 echo road” them “ oh no we don’t deliver there.” “ so I went back in and bought Chips and hummus and sat there in the parking lot and ate it. Hey no worries the trail provides but that doesn’t mean it provides exactly what you want when you want it, you have to roll with it, go with the flow. The loiterers left the shady spot and I seized my chance. I moved on over and sat under the big limbs and watched the people. Dayhikers galore wanting to be more. They came with their giant packs and their gear. I watched a truck pull up, two girls got out and pulled a pack out of the bed each grabbed an end and still between them both they could barely lift it as they waddled off toward the woods. I wasn’t sure who was going to put it on their back but I felt sorry for them. A family came up and dropped off some packs and a teenager stayed to watch them while the parents went to park the truck. He started trying to secure a tent to the top of his bag that was bigger than the pack. I could not help myself and gestured questioningly”  “That’s a big tent?” He looked over “it’s a family tent sleeps 4 and fits our pack too, I’m carrying it” “oh” I replied honestly not sure what to say as I eyed the mountains all around us. A group of exhausted hikers came down the mountain. what looked like three generations with grandparents, parents, and teenagers and a preteen, they walked over into my shady spot and collapsed. “Hello” Fun Hike?” I inquired. “Been out 3 days walked 15 miles” the older gentleman replied “ mountains everywhere it was awesome!” “That’s so cool I’m fixin to head that way myself” I told him “ the kids came over and asked for ice cream money and then came back with snickers ice cream bars which I love and watching them eat made me want one so I went back inside and got one and found another two dollar soda. When I got back outside the dad had gone and got the truck and they were slowly loading up. Meanwhile some hikers I had met before Elizabeth and her friend whose name I can’t remember hiked in and I said hello. They saw me eating ice cream and decided they needed some, they were trying to got to town and had made a hiker to town sign. As they ate their ice cream a lady saw the sign and offered them a ride. I finished my soda and hiked out. It was a lovely afternoon and as I walked up by the lake slowly climbing the mountain there were multitudes of dayhikers coming out. This made it slow going as I had to step aside for them all and then they wanted to talk but I wasn’t particularly in a hurry as I already had my 20 miles in for the day and I was just going a few more to camp. I met a middle aged couple that had just spent their first night ever outdoors and were so excited; they had questions about everything from my shoes to my pack. I talked to them for half an hour or more and I do believe they’re planning a long distance hiking trip now. I eventually reached the Desolation wilderness boundary and shortly afterwards a side trail down to Tamarack Lake where I sat up camp. There were several people around but i found a small site in the woods away from the crowds and claimed it for my own. I did my chores and sat on a log with my legs in the lake. A family of ducks came by for a visit and the sun set over the mountain ridges as another day faded away. Mile 1096 a 22.8 mile day

From Tamarack Lake I was up and hiking before sunup. It was the 8th of July and a gorgeous day. There were multitudes of lakes to hike by as I climbed watching the mountains reflecting in the waters. Heather and Susie and Gilmore lakes slowly faded behind. There were still hikers about but they were getting fewer the further I climbed.  Dicks Pass was the obstacle of the day at 9376 feet a steep climb up from I had camped at 7585. But I made it up to a beautiful view and a great place for a morning snack. A lady hiker was at the top and she said she lived on the south rim (I didn’t know where that was but it sounded great) and she could just walk out her back door and hike on the PCT whenever she wished. She was out for a week at the moment. Sounded awesome to me and we chatted a while before I had to hike on. I walked down the mountain and as I passed some rivers I heard a plane that seemed to be getting closer and closer as started to wonder if it was following me. I turned around and saw parachutes in the sky. My first thought was “are the dayhikers parachuting in now, to avoid the permit quotas?” Whatever it was I didn’t want any part of it and returned to my day; hiking away a little faster than before. I made it on down and passed a section hiker that had service and had gotten info from somewhere that there was some guy starting fires behind us. The helicopters were out looking for him and the firefighters were fighting the blaze. Helicopters were coming in with water tanks. Maybe the parachutists I saw were smokejumpers? I didn’t know but all I could do was hike on. I walked on down and was in the mood to stop. There were more and more dayhikers coming in from somewhere. I realized there was a road near Richardson lake just ahead. I had to go there for water anyway and went down. It was a beautiful nearly deserted campground and I considered staying. Then as I went to the lake for water I found out why it was empty. The only people there, an elderly couple, had brought their chihuahua and it yapped and yapped relentlessly at anyone that got within 200 yards of it as the man and woman took turns yelling at it and eyeing the “intruder” (me at the moment trying to get water from the public lake at least 200 yard away) maliciously. Obviously I couldn’t stay there but I got my water and sat on a stump about 500 feet from their camp as they gave me the evil eye, the dog yapped constantly, and one or the other yelled shut up every 30 seconds or so. It was a bit insane but clearly they had staked their claim and I filtered my water as they whispered to each other about the dirty hiker invading their space and then I hiked out. I hiked on uphill and found a cleared flat spot in the woods not so very far along where I set up for the night. Mile 1120 a 24 mile day.

The morning of the 9th I was laying in my tent wanting to get up but not yet committed shortly before 4 am. I heard something large stirring about outside and I sat up fully awake. As I turned on my headlamp I heard whatever it was crash away through the brush. I got up packed up and looked at my map for the day. I was on a new map I had switched from the Sierras to Northern California at Echo Lake 2 days before. My next stop Donner Ski Ranch was 33.4 miles away. There was town food there. It had been a long 100 plus miles since my last good meal (not counting hummus) did I dare to dream? I looked at the elevation there were 3 rather large mountains in the way According to guthooks in the the 33 miles was six thousand four hundred and eighty eight point two feet of climbing. Holy crap that’s a lot! But I wanted it! I hadn’t done a 30 on the PCT and I was curious if I had it in me. I looked out into the dark and whispered “challenge accepted” tonight would be either the town food of victory or the chicken ramen of defeat. As I started off it was 4:18 in the morning, I looked down at the trail and saw the saddest looking rock I have ever seen: apparently he had overheard my discussion with myself and  didn’t much like my chances. But I was off to the races. 

The first climb of the day was over 5 miles up and then across some ridges and up again to the Alpine meadows ski area. I made good time and had 6 miles in before breakfast. I crossed the ski area and made my way down to the valley below where I hit the half marathon distance for the day and blew out my left shoe. The upper was completely separating from the sole and rocks were lodging in between. On no I hadn’t actually planned on going to town just the restaurant and small General store but I realized I was going to have to find a way to Truckee and get shoes but first I still had two big mountains to climb and several smaller ones and 20 miles to cover. I keep duct tape wrapped around my tracking poles for emergencies so I peeled off a couple of feet and wrapped it around my shoe then put it back on and started the 7 mile climb up to the squaw valley ski lifts at the top. I hiked up and up and reached the top and 20 miles for the day at almost exactly noon. As I crossed the top my right shoe blew out. Ok I sat on a rock and peeled off what was left of my duct tape from my tracking pole and wrapped it around my right shoe. “Well now they match I thought a bit deliriously as I imagined walking into town in my duct taped shoes. At least my pants weren’t ductaped this year tho I had glued them together with fabric glue back in Mammoth lakes which didn’t last long. Luckily my parents had put new pants in my box to Kennedy Meadows north and I was good in that department now. (Last year on the CDT there was a point where I had to use half a roll of duct tape on the rags that were my pants just to avoid being indecent while I went to town to eat and get new ones) so in the afternoon heat I went down the mountain and reached for the gold.  I just had to climb over tinkers knob another thousand foot ascent in the hot afternoon sun. I ate lunch on the run and gulped down water straight from a clear looking stream. I reached the valley and began my ascent. There were dayhikers here with tiny packs and questions but I must have looked wild with sweat pouring, duct tape trailing behind, my sunglasses had broke somewhere along the way and I had temporarily taped them back together but the only way it would hold was to cover half of one of the lenses with tape so that probably didn’t help.  I hadn’t showered or done laundry in 120 miles. Dirty socks were hanging out on both sides of my pack flapping with every step. Yes I was a feral creature of the wild with town food on the brain.  Most dayhikers scattered as I got near looking for a way to get out of the way.  Some still wanted to chat and I obliged as quickly as I could. Halfway up that mountain I ran outa steam, it was hot, I was out of water, the duct tape was coming off my shoes and rocks were getting in in between the shoe and the sole where I had to dig them out. I dug deep picturing my sad dinner of chicken flavored ramen so close to town. My ankles twinged my knee was starting to refuse to bend my back ached and burned from the friction with the pack. But I kept sticking one foot in front of the the other. Consciously raising each foot and placing it back down a little further forward: what a silly way to get somewhere, so very slow! but I had over 5000 miles behind me that proved it worked. And it did I crossed a stream and stopped to filter a liter of water and I inched my way up and over Tinkers Knob. It was still 7and a half miles of ups and downs to the ski ranch including a bit of sketchy rock climbing to get around a patch of snow and the last mile and a half was just ankle busting loose rocks of all shapes and sizes but around 530 pm I walked up onto the deck of the restaurant and ordered a grilled chicken sandwich. Victory was mine. Mile 1153.4 a 33.4 mile day

Hey everybody, sorry I’m a bit behind promise I’ll catch up soon 🙂