PCT: California Section K

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”- Thoreau

Donner Summit to Random Overlook  (SOBO):

Our morning view

PCT Trail Mile 1153.2  to 1141

(We are now going Southbound on PCT, so our trail miles are going backwards)

I didn’t journal last night as we hiked late.  The moon was bright and the temperature just right for hiking.

Yesterday we awoke at the Ebbetts' Pass trailhead in the back of our truck and had a leisurely time sorting our gear.  Then breakfast at nearby Markleeville. Yes, to this humongous burrito. 

Drove and parked our car near Echo Lake and then jumped in the truck. Let’s get moving! Or not, as the drive north along Lake Tahoe was crazy!  Everybody from Sacramento and the Bay Area seems to be here.  It felt like a rush hour traffic jam around the lake.  We stop once to walk a bit along the shoreline and then on to Truckee where we get a huge sandwich for lunch and dinner at Safeway.   We arrive at Donner Peak trailhead and eat our lunch and realize it is way to hot to begin the 2600 foot climb.  So we drive back to Donner Lake and swim.  My motto is, if you can't hike then swim. 

At 4 pm we begin climbing the trail, just as a nice breeze picks up.  The climb begins with a granite staircase, but thankfully soon enters a shady forest.  Lots of day hikers are returning, so we have many trail step offs with required face covering pulled up.  We’ve been wearing our neck gaiters for this  purpose during this time of the pandemic.  We notice that everyone over 30 or 40 is very conscientious about this, but most young folks aren’t.  I get it though, as we are outside. 

It’s a great hike with big knife edge views.  We walk through part of Sugarbowl Ski Resort and see other ski resorts in the distance.  The wind picks up.  We pass a big man wearing green and carrying a huge green backpack that swallows him up.  I can almost imagine how difficult it is to climb weighted down like that.   We used to carry bigger packs too, but now we keep spending green stuff to lighten our load.  

We pass a solitary woman sitting with a view to the west to catch the sunset.  It is a pretty sight even with the ferocious winds blowing our hats sideways.

We keep walking. Past Tinker Knob.

 The sun sets when we are on the east side of the mountain, but we later get a bit of a glow when we can see west again.

We get to water in 8.5 miles and fill up thinking we will only hike a bit further to a known tent site on our hiking app.  It’s of course full of tents.  I don't want to camp around a lot of folks.  We are walking by moonlight now. I love it!  We hike on to the next known camping spot and hear voices floating across the darkness, so we know it has at least a couple campers too.   A few minutes earlier, I prayed for a good tent site in this rugged land and sensed that there was a spot below the trail.   I tell Hawkeye and he happily follows my lead into the bushes off  trail. He's a good sport about my weird inclinations. As fate would have it, we find an amazing flat spot with an aerie view.  It appears to be on solid rock and yet there is enough dirt for our tent stakes.  Yes!  Thank you! 

We quickly set up camp and have red wine and the rest of our humongous sandwich from lunch.  A spectacular ending to a really fun hike. 

Our secret camping spot in the light of morning.

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Random Overlook to Random Overlook:

Backwards PCT Trail Mile  1144 to 1125.7

Lots of exposed ridgeline hiking through Squaw Valley and Alpine ski resorts today.  We love it, but we meet some who don’t.  We stop for a two hour lunch at the largest of the Five Lakes.  This lake is an easy walk in for day hikers, so it is a bit crowded.   There is one young boy having a blast jumping off granite boulders into the lake and his joy really brightens our day.   I think about how our attitudes affect us, of course, but they also affect others. 

Overall we hike a bit over 18 miles and about 4500 feet up and 4000 feet down.  A big day for us.  We planned to camp at Blackwood Creek, about a mile back, but  it is too crowded for me.  

We camp instead at  this cool overlook with a great view of Lake Tahoe. We should have a great sunrise view and we are all by ourselves.   Mostly, we’ve been keeping our distance from folks on this hike, due to the pandemic, although we did have a chat with another section hiker back at the creek.    She was on our tail all afternoon.  Her trail name is Mother Fire and she is a high energy hiker and talker;  small, waif like with black hair and a bit of a jerky manner.   Reminds me of a blackbird.  I’m guessing she’s in her late forties or early fifties.  She’s from Seattle.   On this trip she is hiking to Mammoth.  

Flowers are blooming here and there today with hummingbirds fighting above them. Feisty little birds.  I used to think I was a bit like a hummingbird.  The wind blew along the dry, rocky ridge lines all day and we saw the incredible big blue lake all day as well.  Big Blue is what I'm calling Lake Tahoe.  Right now, Hawkeye is sleeping and mosquitos are buzzing outside the tent, while an almost full moon shines in my eyes.  Time to pull my beanie down over my eyes and catch some sleep. 

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Random Overlook to Middle Velma Lake:

PCT Trail Mile 1125.7 to 1110 (northbound mile numbers)

Awoke to sunrise even though my body said it needed more sleep.  Beautiful.  

Hung around drinking coffee and visiting with Mother Fire.  Lovely. 

Hiked through mellow forest trail with jays jabber and robins hopping around. Calming.

Meadows full of flowers, some taller than our heads.  Extravagant.  

Midday kiss of a warm lake and the sun’s rays to dry.  Peaceful.  

Past by hardworking young people building trail.  Grateful. 

Afternoon climb with views of granite walls.  Exciting.  

Another lake swim in a cold, deep, large lake dotted with granite islands.  Intense. 

Lakeside discussion of big  things with Mother Fire that leaves us dreaming of a better tomorrow.   Serendipity.

Camp tonight. 

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Middle Velma Lake To Echo Summit:

 PCT Trail Mile 1110  to 1094

Glory upon Glory!   

Wonderful sleep at Middle Velma Lake.  There are lots of campsites at this lake and while there were other campers we all had plenty of space to ourselves.  

We sleep in and miss the predawn, but wake in time to catch the sun rising above the lake.  Voices are hushed and all is still and then a solitary duck swims into the glow.  It’s one of those awesome moments that imprints forever on  one's memory.  

The  whole day ends up being one long lasting memory.  It ranks as one of the best days of my life.  I feel as if I have wings and I just hover over the trail.  When I swim, and I swim plenty, I have fins and a high tolerance for cold. 

My first swim is at Fontinelli Lake. 

What can I say, except it is exquisite.  I am enveloped in nature’s  purity and splendor.  At  Dicks Lake Hawkeye joins me in the water.  After a bit of a climb over Dicks Pass, I enjoy Suzie Lake’s sweet kiss while Hawkeye watches and has a bite to eat.  I pass on lovely Heather Lake because there isn’t  a good spot to get in as  the rocky trail is right above the lake.  Heather is a beautiful lake though and her waters do call me, like sirens from the deep. 

After another bit of a climb, that feels like no climb at all today, we come to Aloha Lake.  Wow!  It is huge and it’s water very clear and an incredible blue.   The wind is blowing and there are whitecaps.  We walk out onto a granite peninsula, take off all our clothes  and dive in.  Bliss!  The cold takes my breath  away for a second and then I begin  to swim and warm up.   Swimming on my back, I gaze around at the granite, snow, sky and feel very alive, grateful and  overjoyed to be here right now.  I am very thankful we are able to do this.  Very, very thankful.   I feel really young, ageless really, and very hopeful for tomorrow.  

We end up hiking out of the Desolation Wilderness.   We had planned on camping at Aloha Lake, but with our wings on, we couldn’t bring ourselves to break the spell.  

Echo Lake is lovely too and we have another swim before hiking out to our car. 

We find  a  forest service road to camp and it’s peaceful and quiet away from the craziness of all the people at Lake Tahoe.   I hadn't realized how popular this lake is in the summer.