NoCal

Thursday, July 17
Mile 1265, Bucks Lake

Donner Pass, glorious.

Well, a combination of being out of service most of the time, being social, and being way too exhausted at night to write has knocked me off the blogwagon. From here on out, updates will be fewer but hopefully just as fun! Fear not!

Rubik's trail magic. We spent all day chilling with him at Gold Lake. So much fun! Needed relaxation.

Today finds me lounging on the back deck of trail angels at Buck Lake, sucking on hella cough drops. I picked up a cold a couple days ago and it's kind of a drag... But didn't stop me from pulling a 29-mile day yesterday. We're gradually going nocturnal this stretch to deal with the heat and humidity in these green NoCal hills.

Watching the world cup playoffs in Sierra City!

Hiking at night, alone, in the forest, is a funny combination of terrifying, exciting, and peaceful. I'm getting more comfortable with the dark on this trip, though, which is something I've been wanting to get better about for years. I'll intentionally leave my headlamp off as long as possible and hike by feel.. It can be really lovely and meditative when I calm down enough to enjoy it.

Squaw

Thursday, July 10
Mile 1143, Squaw Valley

Pattering softly
Rain is an old friend speaking
From outside my tent.

Squaw valley! Gotta come back and ski this place someday

Mosquito's knocking
I kill the infiltrators
They call reinforcements.

The Festy Hiatus

Tuesday, July 8
Mile 1100, Lake Aloha, Desolation Wilderness

Nahko and Medicine for the People played two sets. And then I met Nahko. When i told him i was thru-hiking, he wanted to see my calves. I almost died.

Whew, what a whirlwind of a weekend! We left trail nearly a week ago to hitch up to a music festival in Quincy. It was my first ever, and I loved every second of it! Four days of my favorite artists, trips to Feather River to cool off, water balloon tossing, and crazy amounts of dancing.

Yesterday, we left the festival but Magic Stick had a gnarly case of the 24-hour flu, so we hung out in Quincy park (where I stomped everyone in an epic game of hearts) til he felt OK enough to hitch up to Truckee. We stayed in our first hotel yet, and it was glorious! Hot tub time, movie watching, bed sleeping.. All good.

Stick was worlds better in the morning, so we hitched back down to Echo Lake. It was evening, so we walked six mellow miles into Lake Aloha. The mosquitos are swarming, but I'm in my tent, the bug-free oasis. So stoked to be back on trail!

Heroes

Tuesday, July 1
Mile 1089

I can see lake Tahoe! This is kind of surreal, because I remember when it seemed SO far away.. The miles are starting to fly.

Today, we walked six miles to the Carson Pass visitor's center, and found out that there was a pub 7 miles down the road where we could watch the US play Belgium in the World Cup.. and eat burgers.. And beer.. Sold! It's been so hot during the day that we don't really want to hike between 10 and 4 anyway. A couple easy hitches, full bellies, and an evening swim told us we made the right call.

More snow crossing on the Elephant's Back before Carson Pass

So we "her-o"ed, Magic Stick's word for hiking in the morning, partying in town, then hitting the trail again in the same day. I'm feel so relaxed about the trail and the schedule now; much more so than I was at the beginning of the hike. I am truly believing that everything works out, and having fun is the key to success on the trail. Being too strict with myself leads to burnout, and I'm in this for the long haul.

22

June 30

Laugh Track's 22nd birthday! 3 lakes to be jumped in, horse magic, and glorious vistas. A day worthy of Laugh Track's awesomeness!

Walking away

Sunday, June 29
Mile 1046, Noble Lake

I've been reading the classic novel Siddhartha one chapter at a time before bed. This paragraph stuck out:

"At that moment, when the world around him melted away, when he stood alone like a star in the heavens, he was overwhelmed by a feeling of icy despair, but he was more firmly himself than ever. That was the last shudder of his awakening, the last pains of birth. Immediately he moved on again and began to walk quickly and impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer looking backwards. "

The miracle of rest

Saturday, June 28
Mile 1024, East Carson River

Owl made this sign so we can take cheesey photos by it.. He thought of everything.

I've been in beast mode for so long, pulling pretty big days with no zeros for a couple weeks, that I kind of needed an excuse to do nothing for a day and just heal. Thru-hiking comes with a variety of ailments, from a light cough to aching muscles to sprains and swollen feet. None are debilitating in themselves, but all together they make hiking a chore.

Before I parted from the Vashon crew, who went into Reno, I gave them my deflating air pad to take to REI for repair. That way, I had to wait for them to get back on trail 2 days later. And thus, force myself to zero! So I drank bloody marys with The Hoff, Zone, and T-Bow and watched them leave yesterday. I spent the rest of the day eating out of the hiker box and reading a sappy Nora Roberts novel from the lobby. It was very indulgent and so welcomed.

Today, I could feel the energy of a day's rest. Hitching was a piece of cake, and trail magic was waiting for me at the trailhead! Owl has it dialed: "Sonora Pass Café" is equipped with a WiFi transmitter, chocolate cake, cookies, organic fruit, whipped cream, coffee, beer, a dartboard with a mosquito center, and even a sign you can pose with. Freaking incredible. I spent the better part of the afternoon eating, chatting, blogging, emailing, and waiting for my buddies to roll in from Reno.

And then! I was interviewed by some ladies from NPR who are doing a segment on food in California, but were so curious about the trail that they want to do a separate show on just that. One of the ladies followed me up the trail for a couple miles to really get a feel for what it's like to hike it. So cool! I've been thinking lately about how much I'd love to have some audio recordings of this journey.. Such an underrepresented form of media, but just as poignant as pictures. Maybe I'll start doing some of my own!

Sonora

Thursday, June 26
Mile 1018, Kennedy Meadows North

That wind last night was carrying weather, to our surprise. Magic Stick felt the first drops at 3am and woke us all up. Because flat tent spaces were few at this site, I climbed in with Put-Put, the only one of us with the foresight to set up his tent. He has the same one as me, and it is very roomy for a solo tent. I was out like a light after that.

I woke up to a steady gray drizzle, the low clouds cloaking the peaks surrounding the lake. Put-Put and I loitered in our shelter until my deflated sleeping pad and a growing puddle of water necessitated movement. I packed my damp things and started walking down the flooded trail.

Somewhere between my accepting my wet feet and admiring the way mist changes a landscape, I realized that I really love walking in the rain. The last time I did this was day 2, and I was too busy worrying about drying my things out to enjoy it much. I've gotten a lot more relaxed about this whole hiking thing since then, and know that the rain will let up eventually and that maybe a dry bed will be waiting for me in 20 miles.

What i didn't realize was that an EPIC ridge walk awaited me over Sonora Pass. Yogi barely mentions it in her guidebook, but it is a serious pass! Exposed, cold, snowy, and incredibly beautiful; this was my favorite pass in all the Sierra, I think. All ten miles of it.

When we made it down to the highway, we were all shaken and exhausted by the intensity of it. A passing angel with beers and food eased our transition, and me, T-Bow and The Zone are headed to Kennedy Meadows North to find some hot water and warm beds. Magic stick, Laugh Track, Tuneboost, and Put-Put are headed into Reno for a couple nights with a friend, and are kindly taking my ailing air pad to hopefully get fixed at REI. I'll meet them back on trail the day after tomorrow, but now it's time for a much-needed rest.

Diving boards and Johnny Cash

Wednesday June 25
Mile 997, Dorothy Lake

Some days, like this one, just roll on by in a diorama of gorgeous scenery and good conversation. We pulled for a bigger day to make up for our lazier ones, and even the steep ups couldn't bring me down. I'm realizing what a mental game they are for me, and a little attitude adjustment went a long way. Of course, taking every opportunity to throw myself into a perfect alpine lake also helps keep the spirits up.

Johnny Cash kept me going through a lovely forested flat section this afternoon, and now we're camped at windy Dorothy Lake, huddled and cuddling and warm, for all intents and purposes. Magic Stick told us a ghost story about old Dorothy, the wronged wife who lost her children in the lake. Mmm, just what I needed to put me straight to sleep this blustery night.

Beach, elev. 8500

Tuesday, June 24
Mile 973, Benson Lake

Foodmoose (Tuneboost) lunching on Benson Pass

Through rolling granite
Though I swell, limp, and blister,
Beach paradise found.

Benson lake.. Magic.

Water is everywhere
Flows from cracks and spills on trail
Dive and emerge new.