Day 6 on the Tahoe Rim Trail: Finding the Hard

• Miles they walked: 13.9
• Miles covered: 44.2-58.1
• Miles remaining: 116.9
• No. of mega sulks: 1

It was strange sleeping in a bed after a few nights in the tent. I think I slept better in the tent than in the bed. Especially the pillows were terrible.

In the morning we went to breakfast at the Driftwood Café, where we were greeted by a surly teenager instead of the typical overly happy American waiter. I had boiled eggs with rosti potatoes and lemonade. Lemonade is a drink we don’t really have in the UK and I love it, especially as it’s not fizzy. A lemonade in the UK is basically a 7-up or Sprite.

An advantage of the Bluelake Inn where we stayed was that there was a water refill dispenser, which meant we could fill our bottles and not have to drink the chlorine-tasting tap water that seems to be common in the US.

The benefits of Facebook

Months ago, during the planning stages, I joined a couple Facebook groups for Tahoe Rim Trail hikers. They were great at learning more about the trail and about people’s experiences. They also seemed to serve as a way to request help if needed to get to or off the trails.

Since Uber/Lyft is our only option to get back from South Lake Tahoe to Spooner Summit, last night we decided to try one of the Facebook groups to see if anyone could help. Trail Angel L responded and said he was happy to pick us up at the inn and take us back.

We agreed on a time and L was there the next morning. He told us that he often offers transportation to hikers in the area and mentioned that this summer had been quieter than usual. We chatted about his life, biking instead of walking, and how to address his fear of flying. We are very grateful to L for taking the time to take us back to Spooner Summit.

Heavy bags and sulking on the road.

We had a long section ahead of us today with no options to refill our water, so we started the day with a lot of water and heavy packs as a result. Ben’s backpack was even heavier as it had all the food we had bought yesterday for the next section.

I definitely wasn’t feeling it today. Maybe it was the shock after a night on the town. My shoulders were sore from the start, it was hotter than before and the day started with a 4-5 mile uphill climb. I became cranky about everything I didn’t like about TRT and hiking and debated quitting early.

It also didn’t help that it was day 6 and I still wasn’t feeling completely well. My nose was no longer runny, but the cold had not completely gone away either, and I had started coughing and vomiting quite frequently again.

trees on the road

The magic of rubber snakes

Ben was very patient, let me rant, took a ton of water and weight off of me and fed me rubber snakes, and we were off again. The rubber snakes turned out to be a great snack and motivator during the tour. I often had one right before a big climb to get some sugar.

This section of the trail was a boring hike. We were like in the forest but at the same time also under the sun. C, who had picked us up yesterday at Spooner Summit, had warned us that this section would feel hotter for a lot longer because of how exposed it was. He was right.

The views of Lake Tahoe returned as we climbed towards The Bench, a real wooden bench. We stopped and took some photos, but it was too hot and in direct sun to stop and have lunch here.

I found a random brush on The Bench, so I thought I’d sweep it up.

A disappointing lunch and dinner were no better.

We stopped for lunch in the shade just below The Bench. I aired my feet and ate an incredibly disappointing tuna roll. The wraps we had bought yesterday turned out to be corn based and basically disintegrated as soon as we touched them. The tuna was not brand name and had no flavor.

Having lunch in the shade

After lunch, it was all downhill, but I still didn’t feel upbeat. My shoulders were still hurting and everything felt like hard work. The trail became rockier with boulders, including a very large one.

The big rock and Ben

Given my general whiny and pessimistic behavior, we decided to stop and set up camp. It was only two miles until the next water refill opportunity, but we still had enough water for cooking and to last us through the night.

Our campsite was strangely within sight of some houses with hot tubs, although no one seemed to be home. It wasn’t my favorite place but I didn’t want to walk anymore either. It was flat and spacious. However, it was also home to some hungry mosquitoes who very happily fed on me before I had a chance to put on my tights and socks.

I had ramen for dinner again, but this time I made the mistake of adding some cured sausage. It wasn’t good and I regretted it.

My legs already felt and were so dirty after this section that I used one of my WaterWipes that I had brought for my face to clean them. And after dinner there was plenty of water, so our treat of the night was to wash our hands!

A day on land for hikers

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.