July 12: Another amazing day- filled with wild flowers and sun and river crossings and animals. And today, there was also food. Since we had come down in elevation a bit, the start to the day wasn't nearly as cold as yesterday. No gloves or hat! Just the usual early morning chill before the sun climbed higher in the sky. I walked past the ultras, still sleeping soundly, along a ridge line, forested and filled with scurrying little things. At one point. I was walking down a hill, and I saw the flank of what I thought was a deer, half obscured by a bush. As I got closer, the animal spooked and went crashing out of the bush, running away from me as fast as it could- which was FAST! It was a mountain lion! I did not expect to see one hiking- though I knew they were around. Mountain lions tend to stay high up and away from people. It wa kind of comforting to see that it was afraid of me!

A little while later, I stopped for water and food here.

It was the kind of day where you were a little warm hiking, but cooled right off when you stopped for a break. I pulled another layer on each time I ate. Which makes for perfect hiking temperature. But a tad chilly for swimming. Which was kind of a shame, because this looked so inviting!

In addition to being the perfect temperature, the ground was flat, the trail smooth, and the ground cover slightly packed dirt. I was flying! Miles just zipped along. And what's more- at a lovely water stop (a clear, isolated spring) I sat down to filter (and eat- of course) and I discovered I had cell reception for the first time since leaving Lake Tahoe. Nice to have a check in!

At that same water stop, I met Tex. Tex was solo hiking and on a mission to finish on 4 months. He was really packing in the miles. But today, he said the was going to stop at Buck's Lake for ice cream and soda. I had not planned on stopping in Buck's Lake- I was going to resupply at the next town. But he had me at ice cream. Tex and I hiked together for he next few hours to Bucks Lake and had pulled pork sandwiches, sodas, and ice cream for dessert.

I headed back to he trail after the meal, Tex decided to grab a cabin at the lake.

As I was doing the road walk back to the trail, I ran into the ultra running couple coming into Bucks Lake. They, too, found the cell coverage at the spring. They used it to call a friend to come pick them up on Bucks Lake. I guess backpacking isn't for everyone.

Back at the trailhead, I ran into Prickly Pear and Baby Eater again. We hiker together for a while, but later parted ways. They tend to sleep in later and hike later into the night. They wanted to do another 16 that day. Not me. I was wondering whether to push on further, but then I found a campsite with not only a beautiful view, but cell coverage! Twice I one day!

I set up camp, called a few people, and managed a blog post before bed. Not a bad day! Oh- and I got in 36miles!

Peace, love, and trail magic!

July 11: Another cold morning- such a cold wind to contend with! I again started the day on multiple layers which I peeled off as it got later and warmer. Today I met a couple who were ultra-marathoners. We played leapfrog all day, stopping for breaks together, discussing Scott Jurek and his attempt to set the speed record for the AT. (They were flabbergasted that he wasn't on par with his predicted time of 42 days- I was not)

As the day went on,I saw a theory that I'd had rolling around in my head playing out for me in real life. All endurance sports build your cardiovascular system. But the muscular endurance is unique to each sport. This couple- used to running 50-plus mile races - fully expected to be doing 35-40 mile days without a problem. Not happening with a full pack!

And despite my continuous reassurance that doing 20-25 mile days right off the bat was really good- "that is a solid day!"- they became more and more disillusioned.

"How far are you going today?" They asked.

"Between 25 and 30, spending on how my legs feel."

And they became even more despondent. Even when I reminded them that I had been doing this since April.

I ended up doing 29.5 that day- finding a nice flat spot amongst the trees. Unfortunately, it was also amongst lots of Mosquitos. Mosquitos who were making a louder and higher pitched whine than I'd ever heard. And when I looked out from my tent/bug shelter, I saw hundreds of Mosquitos all mating around my tent. Great.

Around 9:30 pm, I awoke to some voices and headlamps. It was that couple- pushing on in the night in the quest for more miles.

Peace, love, and trail magic

July 10: heading out of Sierra City in the morning hit me with mixed feelings- on the one hand, u so wanted to be back on the trail breathing in that air and taking those views and feeling my legs working underneath me and my lungs stretching just a little more and feeling just so damn alive in this world! On the other hand, staying in that nice warm room out of the rain and binge watching Orange is the New Black on my iPad was tempting as well. The trail won. It always does.

The day started with a big climb- it wasn't overly taxing, despite what the topo maps looked like. Nice even switchbacks, pine needles underfoot and tall trees for protection (from sun or rain) overhead. Plus encouraging sharpie messages

The sky had ominous cloud cover all day, but we never got more than passing sprinkles. It just seemed like we were going to get dumped on. A situation Madeira dire when we climbed out of the trees and spent several hours ridge walking - completely exposed to the elements.

Given the choice of walking on an exposed ridge or in the forest amongst the trees, I always prefer trees. There's just something different a pith the energy when you are in the trees. It's calming. Serene. A bit magical, like you have wandered into a fairy tale.

But then again, the exposed ridges do have the views. Those spectacular views that make the PCT so magnificent

And sometimes, you get to hang out with a grouse.

Despite the later town start, I had planned on doing 26 miles today. But at 20, I felt so tired. And it was getting cold and windy (back up at 7000 feet). And there was such a nice camp spot right there! (Maybe I stayed up too late binging OITNB) So I settled in ong the trees and was joined by a couple southbounders later on. It wa a cold, cold windy night!

But the day was so perfect, I could accept wearing a fleece hat and gloves in July.

Peace, love, and trail magic!

Today I was headed into Sierra City for a resupply, laundry, and shower- my camping by a bathroom 2nights before did NOT dim my excitement for that shower! I had wanted to do more miles the day before, before the rain hit, to have a easy walk in. Instead I would have 16 miles into town. I needed an early start.

I did start early- and it was FREEZING! Cold like your fingers ache doing fine motor things- such as taking down a tent. I started the day in multiple layers including rain pants and jacket, a hat, and gloves. Not how I generally dress in early July!

Fortunately, hiking creates heat. As I hiked, I stripped layers. And then, around 9am, the sun broke above the trees and I came to a sunny, warm, somewhat flat patch of ground. I stopped and pulled out my tent to dry it out (it was still wet from last nights rain) and to change into different clothes. We were descending rapidly (about a 3000 foot descent into town) and it was warming up). And of course, I ate. Always eat something when you stop for any reason whatsoever!

While I was taking a break, who should go by, but the group that had passed me the night before as I was setting up camp. I learned that I had, indeed, made the correct choice by stopping. They had hiked on, in the rain, had to set up camp in a downpour, and everything was soaked! I offered my flat sunny spot to them- I was packing up- but they declined.

One truism on the PCT is this: if there is an alternate route available, take it! The alternate routes always have more scenic views and most often, more water. There was an alternate route into Sierra City.,

I hiked along a river, past waterfalls, and through a commercial campground. (Where I was offered homemade cookies in exchange for tales from the trail. Then I went by a swimming hole which would have been wonderful to jump in, except that it was starting to rain again.

I made it into town just as it was starting to rain. Not bad!

In towns, my to do list looks like this: eat, find a place to stay, shower, resupply, laundry. In that order. I was surprised at how many people were in Sierra City, and how many places had no vacancy. Looks like everyone had been driven off theory rains by the hail! I finally did find a nice place, though,with a really nice, hot shower! And when I went to resupply at the general store, it was like a hiker reunion.

Here's something I don't understand- many of the hikers I encountered at the store had been in Sierra City for hours, but had yet to take a shower or do laundry. Instead, they were hanging out on the porch of the store, drinking beer. When I went back to the deli for dinner, they were still hanging out on the porch. When I went back a third time to put some purged stuff from my pack in the hiker box, they were STILL there. And the next morning when I went to the trailhead, they were back on the porch (having slept in the church basement in town) in showered and I dirty, wet clothes. I tell ya, some people don't know how to do towns!

Peace love and trail magic!

July 8: Nothing like camping near a rest area so you can use the bathrooms in the morning. I washed up, brushed my teeth in a sink, used the toilet, and charged up the electronics before heading out! I also talked to a woman and her son about thru hiking and quite possibly planted the seed for a future thru hiker. 😋

The morning started out nice- sunny, clear, and in the low 70s- perfect for hiking! And the views were wonderful.

I met Subway, a woman in her late 50s who had stayed near one of the only shelters on trail last night, about 2 miles past me. We hiked along, trading trail stories and enjoying the wildflowers.

This section reminded me of theNorth Carolina section of the AT near Max Patch- it meandered over treeless summits with views from all directions. Our views started to be of ominous clouds rolling in!

It started out as gentle rain- no big deal. Just put on your pack cover. Then the rain got harder. Still no biggie- put on a rain jacket. But soon it had descended into a driving, sideways rain with wind and temperatures dropping to the 50s. Thunder and lightening were booming and flashing and we were running to try to get off of those treeless sections to something more protected.

I found a nice sheltered campsite near a spring for lunch. Subway and I ate- she bemoaning how her solar charger was useless today- and the rain started to dissipate. And off we went again!

The lull in the weather did not last long, though. Soon the rain and wind returned and with it- hail! Big dime sized chunks falling like BBs. You know what? Hail hurts!

Around 5, we came to another spring- fed creek- Mules Ear Creek- with a nearby campsite. The weather had broken again and we could get some water without being pelted.

Subway and I decided to stop here even though here was hours of daylight left. The temperature had dropped quite a bit and my pack cover had slipped off the bottom of my pack. We used the extra time at camp to put on warm layers and dry everything out. We were joined by a German couple later on. And I waved to Prickly Pear, Queen Bee, and Baby Eater as they pushed on. Good to be in the sleeping bag early- it was a cold one!!

July 7: Sometimes we overthink things- going over and over past decisions in our heads and second guessing the decisions we've already made. This is true even on the trail, where we supposedly get away from it all. The rain never came the night before. And I had wanted to do bigger miles. As I walked the trail, early the next morning, I also noted that there were far more places to camp than the topo suggested. I actually COULD HAVE pushed on to the spot I was thinking of- the chair lift at Squaw Valley.

Sometimes, we overthink things and miss the greatness of what is going on around us- I was so busy second guessing my decision to stop the night before, that I forgot about our fun potluck dinner and socializing before bed.

Fortunately, my ever spinning monkey-mind did not cause me to miss this:

Today the trail took us along a funny route- through ski resorts. It was weird to observe this place- where I had been so many times before when it was covered in snow- in a completely different context. Some of my hiker friends had dropped their packs and limbed up the chair lift towers. (I have a friend, Zoe, who does this; if hiking or mountain biking on a ski run, climbs the tower and maybe has a little snack up there. Has lots of cool pictures of this) I, on th other hand, am perfectly content to have my snack on the ground and take pictures with my camera pointed up.

There were also lots of day hikers and Rim Trail hikers out today, so snack breaks were social events. And Two Tone caught up, as well.

Like yesterday, there was that mid afternoon threat of rain. Unlike yesterday, the threat actually came to fruition. We got hit with a late afternoon thunderstorm right when we had reached a completely exposed ridge line. (Of course)

Two Tone had to go into Truckee to pick up a package, but I was feeling good and had plenty of light left, so I decided to push on a little bit.

It's a weird sight to walk along a ridge and see thunderstorms on both sides UNDERNEATH you!

A few miles past the road into Truckee, the trail goes under Route 5, and passes by a rest area. I had no need to go into Truckee, but I wasn't going to pass up a sink, bathroom, and outlet to charge my phone! I ended up camping in a spot behind the rest area and go to use the sink again the next morning. Ah, the luxurious accommodations of the PCT!

Peace, love, and trail magic!

July 6: Today was just a fun day- started hiking a bit earlier than Two Tone, and quickly caught up with Sneezl &Fritz. The 4 man leapfrog game became a6 man game with Caveman and Rocket. And we passed lots of southbounding hikers who were doing the Tahoe Rim Trail. ( so I guess they would say they were counterclockwise-ing) Lots of friendly banter and high fives on the trail today.

We all ate lunch together with our feet in the water if a shallow lake, we often stopped for breaks at the same water sources.

Later in the day, the sky turned dark, the clouds rolled in. And there was the threat of thunder booming overhead. We were at a spot for a nourishment break with good camping- the next flat capable spot was 6 miles away. The next 6 miles looked very steep and exposed according to the topo maps. But- there was plenty of daylight left and miles to go! What to do?

On the end, Sneezl & Frittz wanted to push on, Two Tone wanted to camp. I stayed with Two Tone and we were joined by G & G and two of their friends who were section hiking from Tahoe. It turned into a potluck dinner party and an early turn in.

That rain never did come.

July 5: back to the trail! Getting a ride back to the trailhead involved taking the bus to the local outfitter and hanging around, trying to look both desperate and harmless. It must have worked- I got a ride with about 7 other people/ squashed into a gigantic suburban with our packs strapped to the roof.

So many people are able to employ the method of drink first, then hike. I cannot do that! So when the other 7 from the carload sat down at a picnic table at Echo Lake and got a case of beer (it looked like they'd be there for the entire afternoon!) I headed out solo. Fortunately, Sneezl, Fritz, and Two Tone ditched the beer plan as well and the 4 of us played leapfrog for the rest of the day,

The terrain coming into Lake Tahoe hsd been stunning. The terrain now- just as stunning! Lots of trash carelessly strewn about, though. And lots of bear scat around. On the way up to the trail, in the SUV, I had heard the story of how a bear had chewed on Sneezl and Fritz's URsack of food. Couldn't get into the bag, but drooled all over it. And the week before, a southbounder told me how a bear rolled her bear cannister down a hill and then pooped on it. Tonite, my bear proof bag was hung in a tree!

Peace, love, and trail magic! And singing marmots.

July 3 &4: The PCT, I have learned, is significantly more expensive than the AT. Nowhere was this truer than in South Lake Tahoe. At no time was this more true than on July 4th weekend.

When I arrived on July 2, I was able to secure a moderately cheap motel room. It had all the charm of a serial killer's lair. But it had a working shower and clean smelling sheets. ( though the same cannot be said of the carpet) hey- it was a home base where I could wash off the trail grime, air out the pack, and repack all my resupply items from the grocery store.

Unfortunately, the price of the hovel increased significantly on Friday, July 3rd, and while I understand the whole supply and demand concept, I could not justify paying $300 for a place I was highly suspicious was infesting my backpack with bedbugs.

And so began my search. Apparently, $300 was merely the jumping off point. Motel 6 and the Econolodge were closer to $400. The casinos across he border in Nevada were quoting 700-800! And just when I was wrapping my head around the idea that I wasn't going to get my zero day after all, I walked across the street to the time-shares and snagged a luxury time share for $200! Still more than I wanted to pay, but much more reasonable than anything else.

With all the hikers in town, I figured it would be easy to find somebody to share a sleeps-4 place with a pool, hot tub, free laundry, full kitchen and breakfast included. But strangely, everyone seemed intent on staying at the "cheap" $50 per person campsite. And so the trip gets more expensive!

But really, every so often, I just wanted to sleep in a bed. With pillows. And let my gear air out. And not have to worry about the rain. In the end,I knew I had made the righ decision. Because this happened:

For a day when I woke up in the morning thinking "All I want to do is lie in bed all day and watch TV", the weather could not have been more cooperative. So back to bed I went. Did I mention this place had free DVDs to watch? Comedy movie marathon. And lots of naps.

The rain abated in time for the fireworks, and I walked down to the lake to watch. But it was an absolute zoo near the lake. And after witnessing a girl in jean shorts, cowboy boots, and a "Red White and Wasted" tank top lose her cookies whilst scream-singing the lyrics to "Proud to be an American" as she stood on tailgate of a pickup truck. (Oh, honey, "proud" is NOT part of your vocabulary tonite. Not with the chunks in your hair) and then stepping in a pile of what I can only imagine was the rest of the chunks, I decided to go back to the hotel and watch the fireworks from the roof-deck. Yeah, this was one time I was not happy about my socks-with-crocs footwear choice.

No worries- the roof deck was a fantastic viewpoint. And so much closer to my bed. Where I headed directly after the finale. 

Independence Day -- freedom to do absolutely nothing!

July 2: After my early day, I was up and hiking as the sun was creeping up over the horizon. Lovely morning. I left the cabin and walked through a meadow which wa slovy to look at, but got my shoes soaks with morning dew. It had been quite a while since I encountered morning dew, but then again, it had been quite a while since I had been in terrain like this:

Yup- back in a Forrest! Nice for the feet, walking over pine needles instead of loose rocks. And it made for some fast progress- though progress is never fast enough going into a town! Especially a town where you are going to zero.

The trail went through the very small town of Echo Lake, where you could hitch a ride to Lake Tahoe. After getting my usual into town soda and ice cream, I hung around the picnic tables near the parking area by the boat ramp, looking for people to talk up for rides. Unfortunately, Oakie (not his real name) was there too.

When trying to secure I ride, I try to appear as normal as possible. Oakie was anything but. And even though he was headed back to the trail- not trying to get a ride- he decided he wanted to hang around and talk with me. Although talking doesn't describe what Oakie was doing. He was bouncing around, waving his arms over his head, fencing with an imaginary sword, and pantomime shooting at nonexistent bears. He was speaking in different voices for each character in his stories, building up to a volume just below a screech. And he had the thickest southern/ country accent I'd ever heard. I couldn't imagine what state he grew up in. I wasn't sure if he was drunk, on drugs, or NOT taking his prescribed drugs. Whatever the case, he was hindering my ride getting ability.

Finally, a lady coming out of the store looked over at the commotion and made eye contact with me. Apparently, seeing the look of utter panic in my eyes, she came over and saved me by asking if I needed a ride to Lake Tahoe. Trail angels rock!

So I ended up getting in town in the early afternoon. Which was great. But as I was soon to learn, South Lake Tahoe on July 4th weekend makes Oakie seem like a cake walk!

Peace love and trail magic!