Starting Trail Mile 1143.9 going south. Elevation 7739
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| The sun rises, but I've already been hiking for an hour. |
The 165-mile
Tahoe Rim Trail and the
PCT are one and the same for much of my hike the next few days. There is lots of up and downhill climbing and descending. However, the amazing vistas and abundance of wildflowers make the effort worth it. I do have to cross two very exposed, windy ridges. I don't mind the wind behind me as it helps push me along, but when it blows from the side, I fear being hurled off the mountain.
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| Wildflowers are abundant, the fragrance amazing! |
I have two different views of Lake Tahoe, one in the early morning and again in late afternoon.
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| Glimpse of Lake Tahoe in the distance |
I'm very tired and my feet feel stressed as I'm carrying extra food for a longer stretch on the trail. It feels particularly heavy, although my pack is no longer giving me any problems. I pass many NOBOs who are cheery as the day is beautiful, the sights are breath-taking and the fragrance amazing. I have a short conversation with a hiker named Nightcrawler, who gives me the scoop on the trail ahead of me. I notice that he and many other male hikers wear skirts and I even pass two guys in kilts. Hmmm! I wonder if this is more comfortable. In late afternoon, I talk to a young man named Cheeto, doing the PCT as his first-ever backpacking trip. He tells me that he is learning from other hikers as he goes and that today will be his first 30 mile day! Wow! I'm impressed. I doubt I'll ever see a 30-mile day. Not sure I want to!
As I hike across a ridge, I see what I think are two small bears playing. As I get closer, I realize they have long bushy tails and are actually a pair of wolverines. Their coats are so beautiful and they are so busy with their chase and wrestling with each other, they don't really notice me. I am downwind. I try to take a picture, but just as I get them in focus, one jumps on the other and they tumble out of site on the backside of the rock outcropping they are playing on. I do manage to get a picture of a marmot that is angrily chirping at me. You can see how hard the wind is blowing by looking at his fur.
Another fun fact is that the last time I resupplied and switched my bear bag for a bear vault, I left my spork in the previous food bag. The only thing I have to eat with is the trowel I use to dig cat holes with. Since it is only dirt, I scrub it good and try to keep it clean for eating.
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| I hike under the ski lift for Tahoe |
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| I feel like this tree as the wind blows me sideways too! |
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| Very weird flower that looks like painted bubbles. |
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| Marmot gives me a piece of his mind. |
We watched "Wild" the other night. Loved it. It was great seeing places you have talked about. It seems to have put a bug in Doug's ear.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I have not thrown my shoes over a cliff and I can lift my pack. I've only lost 2 toenails and they were not painful. She was a bit tougher than I am. LOL
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful pictures. I can almost smell the flowers. Don’t get blown off the ridge! At least you don’t have to worry about your hair blowing in your face! Maybe that’s why the guys are wearing skirts, keeps them cool! It’s only called a kilt if they’re not wearing anything under it, otherwise it’s just a skirt! 🤣 What’s the difference between a bear bag and a vault? Vault sounds heavy! So glad to hear your pack problems are solved! Guess I’ll have to find a copy of Wild! You’ve lost two toenails??? OMG! Eating with a trowel you used to dig cat holes? This is TMI 😂
ReplyDeleteMy bear bag is made up of a thick, odor proof zip-lock bag inside of a canvas-type bag of Kevlar. It has a drawn- string top with rope. I attach a thin rope and hang it in a tree (>10 ft off the ground and 4 ft from the tree trunk) this combo weighs less than a pound.
DeleteA bear vault is a big hard plastic jar with screw lid (1.5 feet tall and 8.7 inch diameter.) bears can’t open it and it is strong enough to sit on as a camp stool. I just walk it 200 ft from where I camp and set it on the ground. I’ve seen videos of bears playing with them, but so far, mine haven’t been messed with. I will try to remember to take pics of the comparison.
Forgot to say that the bear vault if heavy...2lbs. 9 ozs
Deletethanks for explaining the difference. Sounds like the vault would be easier since you just set it down somewhere. I’m sure if a bear was fooling with it, it would be like an alarm going off! Just as long as it doesn’t roll toward your tent! 😘😘😳😳
DeleteWow, Mom/ Love getting to follow along on your journey. Just some other ideas for utinsils; make a scoop by folding paper or foil (including if there's any food item you open with that peel off top- that thing makes a good scoop). also, I think you can use chop sticks, so any 2 straight-ish sticks w/o bark are chopsticks!
ReplyDeleteLove you. Enjoying all the animal encounters the most. Cause that's what I'd love the most if I were with you. ...well, and the flowers and the air and the vantage points/vista views.... ahhhh, so glad you are doing this!!!!
Also, love the picture of the field of arrowleaf balsamroot and lupine. I wonder what that plant is with the funny marbled, testicular shaped seed pods. Looks like a legume of some kind from the shape of the leaves.
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