Days 68-71: Leaving Tahoe and is it too late for a trail name?

General Trail Thoughts:

The original idea here was that they would be gear upgrades because of my shoes and all the other changes. However, walking through the Desolation Wilderness or Deso as the locals call it, and all the talk about bears got me really thinking about bears gone wrong. We’ve all seen the movie Cocaine Bear and that’s not what I’m talking about. Bears that become accustomed to human food lose their fear and become problem bears that are eventually killed. If a hiker camps in the Desolation Wilderness, we have to have a bear canister. The rest of the area around Lake Tahoe requires a bear container or bear-resistant container according to the forest service bulletin. Last year there were many reports of bears breaking into people’s tents on the Far Out app and that’s a dangerous problem.

I’m just wondering if I properly stored everything in my container away from my tent and a bear showed up, wouldn’t my tent smell with me in it like an appetizing burrito at night? How does a bear determine the aroma of toiletries or food from freeze-dried or dehydrated meals that have been processed by the human body, i.e. plenty of gas? For popular trails, wouldn’t food storage boxes every 4 or 5 miles better protect bears in the long run? Ok, maybe I have too much time to ponder these things as I continue to harvest dust along the trail.

Day 68: Desolate Desert

27 miles or so

From mile 1092 elev 7268

Two mile marker 1120 student 7410

Camping: alone

This stretch runs alongside Echo Lake with its multitude of lakeside cabins that could be reached by boat, as evidenced by all the docks. This stretch also has the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) overlapping the PCT; We’ll talk about that later.
The goal of this stretch was to camp on the other side of Deso while ditching the bulky, heavy bear canister in favor of a bear-resistant sack.

hello lake

The lakes in this area were the typical and spectacular lakes of the high areas. The first lake was Aloha Lake with its islands, followed by Half Moon Lake, Dick Lake, etc.

The day was long and I had an extra mile with half a mile going the wrong way and then back. It was an attractive path, but not the right one. I set up camp along the west shore of Lake Richardson.

Day 69: Lake Richardson to Palisades Ski Area

22 miles or so

From mile marker 1120 elev 7410

Two mile markers 1142 student 8362

Camping: alone

I have yet to see a bear in person, but this morning I came close. As I walked I heard the snapping and rustling of the undergrowth. As I turned up the hill, I saw the top of my waist-to-chest chinquapin brush moving as something quickly moved away from me. I assumed it was a bear or a small Sasquatch.

The PCT performed well for the past few days and soon the PCT and TRT diverged. Once the two trails diverged, the fallen trees returned. I spent quite a bit of time walking and chatting with Bigfoot about this topic. He and I had crossed paths at Bishop and again at Kennedy Meadows North. We commiserated together about the wind and the rain and, yes, the fallen trees.

That day I set up camp with a good view of Lake Tahoe and the Palisades ski area. It was a little windy, so I chose a spot sheltered by a tree and a large rock. I had set up my tent and because of the wind, I had ropes from the four corners of the pole tied to the rocks.

That night the wind picked up and there was a lot of noise. At 04:50 a gigantic gust of wind flipped me and the tent on its side! As I lay there looking up I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell just happened? The good thing is that my alarm was set for 05:00 and I only suffered a little damage to a tent pole and the inner mesh lining.

That’s the kind of memorable experience for a named trail. I came across a couple a while back, Glitz and Oxyclean, and those two were assigned a name for the trail. The only problem is that the name must have a reason and they were up to the challenge. I’ll have to tell you the story of the tent that moves in the wind and let you analyze it for a while.

Day 70: Donner Ski Ranch, Truckee and catch up with a friend

20 miles or so

From mile marker 1142 elev 8562

Two mile markers 1165 student 7561

Camping: alone

Leaving my windy campsite it was cold, but I would soon be in the sun. Today’s goal was to get to the Donner Ski Ranch, where PCT hikers get a free 40-ounce beer. Even better would be meeting up with Joanne, a friend from college.

On the way to Donner I met Keith, a trail angel who drove along the trail providing rides, drinks and assistance. A few weeks ago, while walking along the aqueduct path in Antelope Valley, I came across ice chests in the middle of nowhere. I really appreciated the Gatorade and was glad to be able to thank Keith in person.

Keith and his magic machine

Joanne and I had lunch and then headed to the Mountain Hardware store for some tent pole surgery. Rocket Man, NOBO ’24, was there to help and after half an hour the broken socket was removed from the tent pole and half of it was reinstalled as a temporary solution. We then visited Truckee Brewing followed by a stop at a coffee shop for a last minute mocha.

A good way to spend a minute with a friend.

Joanne dropped me off and I covered a few more miles, but not before coming across more trail magic and a poem!

The poem with my cookie:

‘Tis the season, you’re on the right track

Accept it all and grow every day.

A good snack and good spirits will never fail

To wish you the best on your path

And happy trails!

The poets of the cookie route

Day 71: Milton Creek

26 miles or so

From mile marker 1165 elev 7561

Two mile marker 1192 student 5247

Camping: alone

The day started out cold again, but soon warmed up as the sun came out. The views were still stunning and I was happy to see a curious deer that didn’t seem to mind me passing by.

A curious friend who walked slowly to the side of the trail.

I could have stopped a few miles earlier, but it was a dry campground and I knew there was water and tent sites at Milton Creek. The stream was lovely and the water provided a pleasant, if cold, swim.

Milton Creek at the end of a long day

Tomorrow I will be in Sierra City to resupply and the day brings a very pleasant surprise.

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