Back Onthe PCT

Walking into Lake Tahoe 2 years ago ended an amazing 600 mile section hike.  Getting dropped off at Big Meadows Trailhead had a different kind of relief.   Having hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail twice I'm not skipping any PCT Miles.  I went as far as I could my first night dropping nearly into Miess Meadows.  I set my tent, 'cooked' no one actually cooks it's add hot water, my dinner and called it a night with the vestibules open on my tent.  The Milkyway Galaxy shown bright all night.

My first full trail day included walking around a couple of historic cabins at Miess Meadows and some long climbs. I bloinked at 16 miles Lilly Lake.  I zombies for an hour before doing any camp chores.

Day two shot up to 19 odd milesn to Noble Lake. I was at one camping area and some ladies came down from another to see if this one was much better.

Within the group staying higher was Billy Goat, look him up in Backpaker Magazine.  He's one of the first with multiple thru-hikes of the PCT now with over 25,000 PCT trail miles. The following morning I met him.  He's a chill 82 year old retired to what he loves to do, hike.   afew days later I'd catch up with him and his hiking partner Soul Flower above Sonora Pass at a place called the Window.  I'd see her down the ways.  She shuttled his food on a head.  When I got to the cache some NoBo had his hands in the cache.  I got after him, that's not your's it was left here for someone else.

From Noble Lake I pushed a 21 mile day to with in 6miles of Sonora Pass.  I checked out other camp sites but decided the last was the one to crash with several Nobles already there.  I claimed a chunk of ground for cowboy camping being to tired to set my tent, bonus no mosquitoes.   within an hour or so 5 more showed up and after dark 2 more.

I made the 6 miles up and over easily enough inthe morning.  At the Sonora Pass Trailhead Soul Flower one of the party from Noble Lake recognized me as she as going to drive back to Tahoe. She's helping Billy Goat pick up some missing sections of his prior thru-hikes.  She dropped me off t Kennedy Meadows Pack Station.  I enjoyed 1 and 1/2 days rest before taking to the next section.

Other notable events.  Passed a fire way off trail near Paradise Valley.   I've stopped counting Nobles.  My first week dozens a day with late May start dates from Campo CA (east San Diego County).  The heat wave sucked the energy out of us.  The strive for miles keeps everyone going.  Thankfully the second leg is cooler, more on that in another entry.

Collegiate Loop Legs 2 and 3

What happened? I forgot to write these up.  A quick recap.  Began a bit slow. The three days of rain from leg 1 disappeared much to my relief.   Hiked with a few Colorado Trail SoBo's until they out paced me.  A couple of fellows from the Mid-West and I hiked around the turn around point south of Monarch Pass.  Monarch Pass store was a great place to hangout but not much in the way of grub stop.  The breakfast burrito is killer filling.  We pushed up clearing around Dick's Mountain(?) and dropping down. A mile outside of Monarch Lodge I camped, spent the day at the lodge, then the night at the Butterfly House Hostel which was just getting on their feet.

A couple of days later I tackled Segment 13.  13 is a good number for me.  This section required a monstrous climb in the morning with a haul to push over Yale Saddle by 3pm's infamous weather clock.  I made it but, a couple of kids I met the night before didn't. They retreated back to the treeline 1 1/2 miles below the saddle and wait out the daily weather.  By day's end after 18 miles , exhausted for being over 12,000 feet altitude for 15 odd miles,I crashed in the woods.  Had I gone 1/4 mile farther, I'd had a beautiful over look of a spreading valley. That was the only day close to 20 miles.

The next two days constituted massive climbs and descents.  Not wearing my glasses gave me the advantage on the down hill.  I hate old eyes. My glasses have the readers in the down looking area. Every time I got to the bottom I look up, when I got to the top I looked down, at the passes I looked around.  Each spot amazing.  The passes though, windy. I didn't stay long.

Coming off the last pass into Twin Lakes, a bit of a heart break.  This trail contained amazing views.  I'll memory hike and cyber-hike Segment 13 for the rest of my days.

The Collegiate Loop is a good quick 160 mile, 14 day, easy enough,  thru-hike.  I do recommend hiking the east side first to adjust to the altitude, as most of it is above 10,000 feet, and get into trail shape.  Resupply vis mail drops works while I would not recommend hitching into towns as this eats up trail time.

I took 3 days to return home.  Washed up at a hostel in Leadville. Drove into Denver to see the Capitol.   The riots earlier last year left a horrible mark on that part of Denver, a sad shame on our society.   Drove out to Dinosaur National Monument,  staying the night under the stars.

I am grateful for the hike last year to stretch my legs and to see part of the country I haven't seen before.  As the world emerges from the cloud of Covid, I look forward to a new normal of cooperation and businesses pivoting to meet everyone's need.

Hike On, Hike Wise

Collegiate Loop Part 1

"Go prepared for rain," one of my colleagues at work told me.  How'd she know my first three days on this trail would be rain soaked.  Those first three days included getting used to the terrain, crunching miles to get to camp before the rain came, and drying out gear early in the day. The rain came predictably around 3:30 pm.  Coloradoans say this type of rain isn't typical.   I don't care. Rain is rain and the weather forecast is wrong until my hiking day is done and my shelter is set up.  If this is the East side what will the West side be like?

The Collegiate Loop is the connection of two trail systems south of Leadville CO.  The Colorado Trail begins in Waterton Canyon SW of Denver, ending near Durango.  The Continental Trail runs from the boot heal of New Mexico to Glacier NP in Montana.   The two share some miles in Colorado however they split near Twin Lakes and Monarch Pass, thus the Collegiate Loop is formed.  The Collegiate Loop wraps the highest concentration of 14k foot mountain peaks within the lower 48 States.  Many of the peaks named after Ivy League institutions. 

This hike of 160 miles mostly above 10,000 feet is a fall back plan to my Sierra's portion of the PCT this summer.  Bummed, very much so yet, with COVID-19 I thought better to leave the PCT section for another time.

I divided this hike into three legs, building with difficulty. Leg one got me to Mt Princeton Hot Springs where I panned to take a day off, a zero.  However, when I got there there wasn't on site camping so I moved on to Chalk Creek, only a couple of miles up, for the night and made a short day into Angel of Shavono campground the following.  Thus beginning Leg 2.  

Leg 2, the trail that day moved quickly with minor elevation changes.  I flet like I was on the set of a Western for 10 miles expecting Clint Eastwood or John Wayne coming down the trail any time.  I made Shavono in good time, found a place to hole up just outside the campground.  I caught up with a group of Colorado Trail hikers who remembered me from my first day.  They moved on in the afternoon. I also met a couple of other hikers who chose the campground.  These two helped me pass the afternoon and evening away.  I realized I need to learn to cook in camp, thanks ladies.

With Leg 2, I didn't see rain, cool temps were welcomed.  I learned as I came up above 11k feet my 30° quilt began to suffer.  I slept cold at Fooses Creek just south of Monarch Pass.  This would start the high elevation camps.

At Shavono, in the morning two guys from the midwest whom I met on my day 2 caught up with me.  We traveled over to Fooses Creek and eventually to Boss Lake where they contined on.   The guides both recommended getting water and dry camping before hitting the ridgeline above Fooses' the next day.  I'm glad we talked to a few day hikers coming down to find out water is available almost all the way to the top.

I like to break camp around 6 am.  I'm naturally up around 5:30.  Climbing out of Fooses Creek, only 500 vertical feet in 1/2 mile at 6:15 winded me.  Thankfully I planned a coffee on top to finish watching the sunrise decorate the surrounding mountains and canyons.   This is also where I turned my face to the North.  Most hikers who've done both sides say the Westside is the best side.  The two guys and I traveled most the day together enjoying the views and climbs.  Some of this looks like the High Uinta's, some looks like California, all of it is definitely Colorado.

What have I gleaned from this journey thus far?  People will gravitate to those most like them and to whom they are most familiar with.  This lesson always makes section hiking and these shorter thru hikes rough.  It's hard to gain entry into an already formed hiking group.  Second, getting info (beta) from someone who just came down the trail trumps the guide book and phone apps.  Their info is most current.  Third, no matter what's in the food bag something else will be better tasting.  I am sick of 'bars'  I don't care to name brands.  What's in my food bag?  Yet, more bars. I'm glade we stopped at the souvenir shop at Monarch Pass they had a small, and I mean coffee shop sized grill.  Yet, I dined on the tastiest breakfast sandwich know to me, for now.

I'm getting teased with a few rain drops at camp. I may just call it early.

Hike on.  Hike wise.

The High Uinta's

One may have guessed I couldn't let my final vacation weekend go without some hiking, could they?  After reviewing my gear choices of the PCT I decided to go out with what I almost took.  The pack however is not the pack I was thinking off.  It is the size of pack I am considering for next year.

I swapped the tent for an 8x5 tarp and bug bivy.  The cook kit this weekend, an Esbit stove and a 450ml mug, windshield too. A windshield is a must as Esbit will not work other wise.  On my feet Merrel's Moab hiking shoe.  I left the camera at home.  All photos this weekend were via my phone.

I hit the Highline trail off the Mirror Lake Highway.   Headed to Four Lakes Basin.  Camped there.  In the late morning looped to Rainbow Lake, ate lunch at Governor Dern Lake, caught the Highline Trail West towards Packard Lake and camped at the Duchenes(sp) River Gorge over look.

While at Four Lakes is rained on me over night.  I had my tarp pitched like a one pole mid-tent.  I stayed dry. The wind wasn't there.  I scooted to me back edge my nose on the tarp and my toes touching the otherside.  Nothing of mine but the tarp was wet come morning.

Tonight, I pitched to the wind.  When I got here there was a stiff up the canyon breeze.  I off set the pole to give me more nose room.  This pitch does not protect as well but, is a bit more comfortable.   I can see why those who have gone the way of the tarp like it so much.  The downside is one needs to be careful with where and how they pitch.  Most modern tents have one way to set them up but, it could be placed in a less than desirable spot and give adequate protection.

Tomorrow I have a short exit, mostly mild up hill.  I'll get things set out for work.  The alarm will be to early, that's okay.  I do thank my employer for granting me so much time off this season so I could hike the longest of my planned PCT sections.

Hike wise.  Hike safe.

24 hours in Truckee

Truckee is a small town stop on the PCT and California Zephyr routes. Since I resupplied in Sierra City I skipped this popular PCT stop. I've taken the CalZephyr probably 5 or 6 times in 20 odd years through this town.  The store fronts enticing, if the stop was an hour, it'd be a great jump out place to stretch the legs.

Well I finally got to jump out.  After a dip in Lake Tahoe with my hiking clothes, I traveled up here for the night to catch the train home the following afternoon.  Which train? Freight rolls constantly, the Zephyr of course, I've counted 5 trains so far today alone.

I ended my PCT L*SH by walking off the trail to the nearest public beach.  I waded knee deep then went back to shore and left my pack. I returned for a soak.  Ah, I can't say how awesome it felt just to sit in the cool blue waters.  The aches all disappeared for a moment.  The stench subsided.  I became socially smelly.  I had kept myself cleaner this stretch with frequent water at campsite locations.  The boater waves pushed me a bit, better than the knock me down winds of past days (they weren't actually that strong).

I dried up a bit.  Did some town stuff.  Got a real cup of coffee, a pizza, and a beer before heading to the transit center.  Now, I have to be dietary careful else the weight lost will haunt me.

Truckee Thursday's the town closes Old Town for the evening.  Vendors, artists, and a live band take over. I walked through the prep to get to the Red Light/ Speak Easy Hostel.

The hostel, one of the most epileptic of hostels I've ever stayed in.  Yes, it was a brothel in the hey day of Truckee, now a place for different kinf of travelers. The colors inside bold and the art work  mix of antiques and 50/60's art.  The rooms, bunked with lots of privacy and a lockable shelf with a power outlet.  Most of the folk I met worked there, not many visitors that evening.

I returned to Old Town. This is not easing back into society after 40 days of wilderness and small towns.  It's the frog into the boiling water.   My eyes kinda glazed over as I wove through masses of locals and tourists.  Where did all of these people come from?  Truckee is home base to several ski resorts and much like Park City where Main St is separated from much of the rest of the community.

I got a postcard, the last of the witt from the trail.  A tradition I can't remember when it started, I think of lessons from the trail, write some on the postcards of local highlights.  Some sayings aren't all shared as my folks get them first, mail forwarding.  It's fun to get mail.  The art of postcards from a far lost its touch with the advent of social media.

Sleep? I've slept only on one other surface since hitting the trail and that was at Crossroads Hostel near Dunsmiur. I tossed missing the fritos bag sound of my air mat.  There were no stars from my bunk.  I tossed more than any other night and woke rested before 6 am without the feeling of sinking to the ground.  I don't think my pad has a pinhole.  I think it's how I lay that puts me on the ground.

I've spent a bit of time walking the shops of Old Town Truckee.  A different mass of people choked the sidewalk.   I gave up and found a coffee bar sandwich shop on a different street.

Will the Zephyr be on time?  Will I be in Truckee for 24 hours?  Oh Dark Thirty will wake me with the nudge of the conductor in Salt Lake.  Then ya'll will ask me to stop talking of the PCT or ask me when am I headed out next.  The next time will be determined next year, which section as well. The only answer for the PCT is UP.  It's always UP, even when going in the inverse direction of UP.  Now you'll have to ask to refine the answer to be appropriate to the setting. 

I may create a YouTube channel for the few videos I recorded.   Note to future self: get the largest micro-SD card the device will process and use it.  I had to cut off the recodings about day 28 due to space limitations.   The internet connections in the places I stopped were slower than US Post.

Oh, time to return. Time to return to what normal is considered to be.  Normal for the last few weeks is wake up, pack, start hiking, keep hiking, and bed down with a bit of other things in between like looking at a lot of trees.

I must thank my employer for making these past few weeks possible. Let's create some awesome futures for the clients.

Hike on.  Hike wise.

Winding Down

As I dropped into the basin containing the Peter Grubb hut, I heard and saw I-80.  "Ah, expletive, the hike is almost over," I bemoaned.  For my body, this is good, my feet ache constantly.  I've done fewer and fewer miles when possible no longer pushing the 20/25's.  I've preferred 18 to 20's.  There are days when I do stretch 'em so as to time staying at places like the Peter Grubb. I actually stayed behind it.  I figured 3 more nights of stars weather permitting. 

Since the climb out of Sierra City, the terrain steadily got more vertical.  Either more shorter climbs/descents like a saw blade or longer inclines.

I hit I-80 around 8.  Took a long break on the Westbound side.  Another hiker was fixing her breakfast.   She too is on a section hike only she called it a MYTH, Multi Year Thru Hike.  I like it.  So this L*SH is part of my MYTH.

If you ever want to find out what the Donner Party faced hike the trail between I-80 and HWY 40.  Granted it's not everything but, it's rough territory.  Lots of boulders, semi-cliff faces, small lakes were a few of the obstacles beyond the climbs.

At HWY 40 I choose not to go to the Donner Ski Ranch Restaurant to get a free drink per Guthook's.  I chose instead to begin more climbing, over 1,500 ft.  This day had the potential to be brutal, instead a stiff breeze and cloud cover. Hum, do I put on the rain fly? I did and it was a mistake, the sky cleared up.

As I topped over Tinker Knob I looked back to see Sierra Buttes one last time to the north, to the south I saw Twin Peaks, 75 odd miles of trail within that 180 view. I began my final descent for the day 800 odd vert drop over 2 miles, a knee killer.

I'm in a wooded section to night.  Tomorrow I'll climb up to the ridge and drop off of Twin Peaks junction of the PCT and TRT.  I'll camp at a place I know just outside of Tahoe City.

Thought, feelings, mindset stuff?  Definitely need better shoes with rock plates in them.  A lighter gear set up, too.  Less food, gesh, my food bag weights almost 1/3 my gear weight if not more.  Goal setting: be willing to slow down when ya hurt and go for it when ya don't.   Talk to others going the other way about awesome places near and far.  Since my first evening in Africa I've had to wash my feet every evening, this journey I've come to realize I don't always need clean feet to sleep well, I just need a decent place to lay my head.

I stepped around to some near by rocks.  The place I untend to camp my final night has sunrise views not sunset views.  This is my final set on the PCT, for now...

Sierra City

From the top of Sierra Butte I could see the almost whole world, except I did not climb the stairs to the fire tower.

On my zero, as I waited for my sandwich at the Sierra Country Store I caught a news clip, rampage.  In town was a mountain bike race up to the old PCT and down into Downevile other wise except for a few hikers this is a quiet town.  Windows and doors are often unlocked here.

Sometime during the day the volunteer fire department's siren rang out.  It's a simple call to a few locals, check your radios.  I didn't hear any other sirens.

I cycled through my chores.  No laundry available but, someone did set out a couple of buckets for hikers in a near by vacant lot the town does let hikers stay in .  Must admire those who do their wash without a machine. Note to self carry a line on the next hike, hanging clotheson a fence wasn't what I planned to do.  I also sorted resupply and took some of what I chose not to eat down to the hiker box next to the store.

A new group of Nobo's cycling through on a Saturday.  A tall gal from the Czech Republic had figured out 25 miles per day to finish, need a bit more food, she tore though what I brought down.  Another hiker wanted a beer but, not a 40oz so he set down a six pack of 805 larger.  It didn't last long.  Around 6 this group got a ride back to the trail with the store's cook.

Around the same time new hikers came in, many speaking French.  I think the French out number the Germans this year.  They set up camp next to me.

I'm an early riser.  I tried not to wake anyone.  I thought the Red Moose restaurant opened at 7am, nope 8.  I sit at the store watching a few cars roll by.  I know I am a head of schedule.  I've also looked at the terrain profile south of I-80, yeah big climbs and a few cold nights expected. I think I'll make small days, up to 6 for 75 miles.  The store's out of canister fuel so here's to cold soaked dinners, yum.

So in the news why can't cities be like small towns where the air is clean, the people are welcoming, and trouble is not present?