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