PCT: Donner Summit to Overlook

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, only the drive north along Lake Tahoe was crazy!  Everybody from Sacramento and the Bay Area seems to be here. .  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.   We arrived at Donner Peak trailhead and eat our lunch and realize it is way to hot to begin the 2600 foot climb.  So we drive to Donner Lake 

and swim.  

At 4 pm we begin climbing he 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 the young folks aren’t.  

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.  I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be to climb weighted down like that. 

We pass a solitary woman sitting with a view to the west to catch the sunset.  The winds are ferocious now.  

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.

We get to water 8.5 miles in 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.  We are walking by moonlight now. I love it!  We hike on to the next known camping spot and hear voices so we know it has at least a couple campers.  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.  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 was 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.