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.
