Day 83
July 10
1197.5-1208.8
11.3 miles

Fun Size had advised me to get up early and station myself for breakfast, as it was a very slow process. I ended up waiting for nearly an hour before they were even ready to start taking orders. First, the regular patron had to be attended to. I didn’t know that the orders would be taken from the furthest seat on the left of the bar, so it took quite awhile to get to me. I was having a hard time breathing as I sat next to a thru-hiker that obviously hadn’t showered, but I didn’t have the courage to move to another seat. Margaret proceeded to cook the meals one by one in the order that they were taken. I couldn’t understand how a place that called itself a restaurant was unable to make a batch of pancakes, eggs, or bacon! It was an excruciatingly slow process! Feather had appeared in the morning and said that he had gone into Truckee the day before to retrieve a package and ended up in the hospital after ordering gluten free bread, but receiving bread with gluten! He repeatedly vomited and had to have IVs placed in his veins for several hours. Meanwhile, his friends had gone on ahead. He hoped to catch up to them. Although the breakfast took forever, I was stuck waiting for my package to arrive anyway. The husband said the earliest he could pick it up was 10:00. However, 10:00 came and went and by 12:45, he still had not checked with the post office!
In the meantime, I went out to the backyard to start packing up my things and sort through my food. I was still feeling awful, and with no sleep on top of that, tears came easily. Dan took off with his brother and I said I would probably not see him again, as he planned on finishing by August 24! That meant that he would need to average 35 miles per day!
After realizing that the owner was not helping me retrieve my package, I went to the post office myself. I was told that if I had it sent to the Inn, I would not be able to pick it up and that I would have to wait for the owner to come down. This town was another center of bad energy! The woman finally said she would look and tell me if the package was at least there. The pile was right beside her and she quickly saw my name! I walked out, feeling frustrated by the lack of assistance and the time I was losing. Before I opened the door, she decided she would give me the box if I showed her my ID. She scanned my driver’s license and said that she didn’t see ‘Wendy’ anywhere on it. I explained that Wendy was the name I went by. She hesitated and then finally handed me the box!
I ordered some lunch at the deli with Emma and waited another half an hour for the sandwich to be made. I also tried Skyping with my Swiss friend, but the connection was too weak to be able to converse! Nothing was easy around here!
The post office closed at 2pm (or rather 1:50), so I quickly had to sort through my new box and ship all of the extra food home. Then, I had to re-pack everything. A man asked if that was my water bottle on the table and told me it was leaking. Could he have at least set it upright instead of watching the water drip out?

I trimmed my toenails, collected more water, and walked up the road. Fortunately, a nice man stopped and drove me to the trail head. It was now 3:00! I could no longer afford to wait for anymore care packages if they weren’t there when I arrived. With a heavy pack, I started the climb, happy to at least be back home on the PCT, where I was largely in control, and where I felt the happiest.

Although it was very warm out, I took my time and steadily plodded along. A man descending even told me that I was doing well! I had the trail to myself and some space to think. I was proud of what I had accomplished out here by myself so far.
I finally emerged from the woods and came out to an open ridge. I could see the path of the trail ahead of me. The wind picked up and made stopping unpleasant, so I continued to walk.

I had thought that I was finished with the Sierras when I reached Echo Lake, but the naturalist informed me that I was about to start the Sierra Buttes! Every day, I’m learning….
Two guys had their tents set up in the woods at 6:30. I wondered why they wanted to stop so early! I kept walking and as the light began to disappear, started scouting out a spot to camp. I ended up finding a relatively flat spot in some low growth on the top of a climb. I set up my cowboy camp, cooked some pasta, and watched another amazing sunset, followed by the rising of the sliver of moon. I love camping in high, open places and I love that I had already seen so many more beautiful sunsets on this trail than I ever did on the AT!

I looked at the profile of trail ahead and saw that there was a 5,00 foot descent into Belden and then a 5,000 foot climb back out of it! Oh, boy…

Day 81
July 8
mile 1155.1-approx. 1175.1
20 miles

I didn’t have to get up super early because I had to wait for the post office to open in Soda Springs. I did wish I had a little more privacy from oncoming hikers in both directions….
I made my way down the hill and came to a road, which was not the highway. I didn’t see where the trail continued, but did see a mountain biker on the road to the right and decided to ask him how to get to the highway. I think I took the long way! There were two busy roads and I didn’t know where to stand to hitch, so I moved around a few times and then stopped a driver to ask where I should be. I had to move again. Fortunately, a nice man stopped and brought me into town.

The post office had still not opened, so I went into the store and looked around for some super glue. It was the only thing I needed there. When the post mistress arrived, she let me right in, handed me my two boxes, and asked me to sign the register. I love small, friendly post offices! One of my former lab mates had sent me a package of rice dinners and peanut butter- things he thought would be gentle on my ailing belly. (Thank you, David!). I sorted through my supplies, sent the extra things back home, and then returned to the store to ask the woman at the deli if she would mind filling my water bottles for me. Then, I stood by the road, hoping for a quick hitch back to the trail. A nice woman stopped. She had read “Wild” and was interested in my journey, especially as a solo female. We didn’t have much time to chat, however, as the trail head was less than three miles away and she needed to get to work. We found StoryTime and his friend that had taken us into South Lake Tahoe, with massive amounts of food spread out in the dirt, trying to decide what he wanted to take with him in the next section.
I put my pack on, headed across the road, and started the climb at 10:00.

I could see a train tunnel across the way, which was part of the first transcontinental railroad. It was another hot day. I met a couple with a dog who chatted with me for a minute, and then later met two ladies hiking south. When they realized what I was doing, they commented on how brave I was, and asked me if I wanted any snacks, such as craisins. “No, thank you.” I had plenty of processed food.
“What about some strawberry and peach pieces? Would you like that?”.
My eyes opened wide. “Yes!”. I could not turn down fresh fruit. However, I felt badly that I was taking their nice snack away from them! “On, no. We want you to have it! You can keep the container, too!.” I told them I was planning on stopping for a break soon, so I just kept the container in my hand. How sweet of them!
I ended up waiting to take my break until I arrived at the restrooms off Interstate 80. I have to say that this was a little bit of heaven for me! Bathrooms with toilet paper (I was always afraid of running out with my problem), running water to wash my hands, shade, and even an outlet to put some more charge into my phone! I sat on the lobby floor and devoured the delicious fruit pieces.

Then, an older couple approached and asked me if I was hiking the PCT. They said their nephew had hiked it a couple of years ago and had just proposed to his girlfriend, who was hiking the trail this year. “You probably don’t know her,” the woman said. “She’s ahead of you.” They wished me well and went on their way.
I packed up my things and headed out, once again not knowing how to get back on the trail, even after looking at my maps! I walked along the highway and over a bridge and then my app showed me I was getting father away from the PCT instead of closer. I realized that I was supposed to cross the highway underneath the bridge! I had to carefully make my way down a steep, sandy slope, and then found that I was blocked by trees! Great! The only thing I could do was push the branches aside and force my way through. “Are you alright?” someone asked. It was StoryTime. He had thought that I was a bear!
“I’m fine.” Sticky sap was now on my backpack and clothes, but at least I got through the branches.

I walked through the dark tunnel and made my way back into the woods, catching up to StoryTime as he tried to figure out which of three paths to take. A couple out for a day hike helped us out. I stepped over a giant fallen tree and started moving up the next climb. I was proud of the pace I was keeping, and now that I had some extra charge in my phone, decided to treat myself with a little music! It helped keep me going strong. StoryTime never caught up.

I started to get tired as the day wore on. In a marshy area of the trail, I met a group of three who were out for a couple of nights. They seemed to be having a good time and wanted to take pictures of each other when a view appeared. I was just intent on getting in my miles.

I sat down on a rock along the trail and ate a Snickers bar to try to boost my energy for the last few miles of the day. Then, Cuddles and Emma came along! It was nice to see them! We chatted for a few minutes and then followed each other in a line. Emma took the lead. This woman is absolutely amazing! She outdoes us in every department- looks, talent, and hiking ability! Tomorrow, she would end her 400 mile section hike with a violin concert with Cuddles at the Red Moose Inn in Sierra City. I fell behind slightly, and Cuddles took the middle space. Emma said she was willing to stop at anytime, and when they found a nice place to camp, decided to call it a night. I went on a little further in order to let them enjoy their last night on the trail together. I climbed a hill, saw an opening at a turn, and went to investigate. I found a real campsite! Unfortunately, it was an abused one with lots of broken glass. I set up camp, boiled water for my pasta, and then took it over to a log to watch the sunset. It was amazing! A deer even stopped in for a visit!

I also found that I had reception and was able to text a friend for a little while. I was feeling a bit emotional and just wished to be a part of people’s hearts.

Day 80
July 7
mile 1133.6-1155.1
21.5 miles

The wind, once again, made it difficult to sleep. I got up soon after the sun came up, ate my breakfast, and patched up my broken sunglasses with duct tape and then headed back up to the trail. I was glad that the trail continued along an open ridge. The views were beautiful and it helped give me energy.

Once down in lower terrain, I ran into a man who seemed to be leading a couple on a hike and they stopped to let me pass. The man who was being lead noticed that I wasn’t wearing boots and stopped to ask me about my trail runners. They were out for a five mile hike and were amazed that I was hiking the whole PCT. As we parted, one of the men told me that I was an inspiration! At first, I wasn’t willing to take in the complement, but then the woman said, “You really are!”. I let myself think about their words as I moved on.

I stopped to eat lunch at the top of a climb and realized that I was overlooking Squaw Valley, where the 1960 Olympics were held. I tried to take in the significance of this spot, as two of the Israeli hikers approached. One asked if there was reception here and proceeded to stop as well. I had been wanting my own space, but remained there to finish my snack as the one guy made a phone call and then joked with the other one. It was hot in the sun!

I headed down past the skilifts and later came across a group of four hikers, whom I had never met before.

I later saw them sitting on top of a hill, at a time when I was looking for a place to take a break, myself. When they got up, I headed over to their spot. They told me I could keep a watch on the fire. I looked out to see a streak of smoke across the sky.

I finished up the climb, walked along the spine of a mountain, and then descended several switchbacks, feeling very tired. I had to stop to rest my shoulders for a moment, and when I looked up, I saw a huge cloud that looked like a nuclear bomb had just gone off! It was a very eerie sight.

As I walked on, I came to some signs, noting the historical significance of Donner Pass, which I was approaching. Since I had sent a resupply box to the post office in Soda Springs, I had to end my day before I reached Highway 40 so that I could hitch in in the morning. (A lot of the other thru-hikers were walking straight to Sierra City and part of me wished I needed need to take the time to stop here). I walked by four hikers who were finishing up their two day hike. The woman asked me, “Did you have a good time?”. I wanted to tell her to ask me in 2 and a half months! Right now, I was in the middle of my hike! Again, they were impressed with how long I had been out for. I searched the surrounding areas for a place to camp, but nothing suitable was appearing. I secretly hoped this this group of people might offer to let me stay at their home with them and take me to the store in the morning, but they did not offer. I was now less than a mile from the road and descending switchbacks with no flat areas. However, a perfect spot magically appeared with a half mile to go! It was a little too close to the trail for my comfort, but it would do. I set up my cowboy camp, cooked my dinner, and watched the sun disappear behind the mountains. I realized that, although I was still 200 miles away from the halfway point in distance, that I was already halfway finished with the trail by the number of days. After I picked up my resupply box in Soda Springs, it would be time to start putting down the miles!

Day 79
July 6
mile 1111-1133.6
22.6 miles

I didn’t sleep much last night because the wind was too loud and strong. And the bugs also wouldn’t leave me alone!
During the morning hours, I ran into a woman hiking south, who asked me where I was going. “Canada”, I said, as I always do. She stared at me in shock. I told her that I was hiking the entire PCT from the Mexican border and she wanted to know when I had started. Again, she couldn’t seem to comprehend how I could be out here for that long. She said that she was planning to be out for four days, which was the longest backpacking trip she had attempted. I told her I was just taking many four day trips in a row! “Canada is a long way from here,” she said as we walked away from one another. Eh- if you have the time, nearly everything is within walking distance…

Yesterday, the wind had picked up and it continued into today. And although the mosquitoes were still around, biting flies and bees added to the annoyances on the trail. I stopped to collect water at a stream, and was attacked by flies the whole I time I sat filtering my water. Two hikers came along while I was there- Scat Tracker and Unicroc! They told me about their stay in South Lake Tahoe. When they mentioned how expensive the motels were to the woman who drove them, she offered her backyard to them to sleep in, and also cooked some food for them!
I had to get away from the annoying flies and told them I would see them later. A few minutes later, I found a place slightly off the trail to sit for a lunch break. Unicroc and Scat Tracker walked on. When I saw them again at Barker Pass, they were confused as to how they had gotten ahead of me! Some campers had a big spread of food on the picnic table, but no one invited us over. I climbed up the hill and found a little secluded area in the woods with a view of a lake to have a snack. The trail had been in the forest most of the day, but in the last few miles of my day, it opened up along a ridge.

As dusk approached, I looked down into a wooded section off the ridge and wondered if I should camp down there, seeing that the terrain ahead was all exposed. I decided against it and kept walking. Minutes later, I found a more easily accessible place to camp below the trail. I hiked off the trail and walked over to a patch of dirt beside a tree, feeling like I had found the perfect spot! The evening light on the trees was incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, I noticed that the frame of my sunglasses had cracked above the lens. This trail was destroying everything! My headphones had disintegrated a couple of weeks ago, and although I had mentioned this to a couple of people from home, hoping they could send a replacement, both ignored me. I wondered what the little store in Soda Springs might have.

Day 78
July 5
mile 1094.5-1111
16.5 miles

When I woke up UB sent me a text apologizing for falling asleep last night and said they were heading over for breakfast. Every time he texted me, I was getting charged because his settings on his new iphone were such that my phone didn’t recognize his as an iphone! I had asked him to call me instead yesterday, but he just kept texting…
I walked over to breakfast and found him and Sierra Bum in a booth. I leaned over, stretched out my arms, gave UB a big good morning hug and reminded him not to text me again! We all ordered the breakfast special, but I regretted it as soon as I saw the small amount of scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheap white flour pancakes. I should have stuck with my omelet! UB was fascinated with the facebook postings of the daily miles hiked by a girl who was attempted to break the speed record for an unsupported PCT hike this year. There was no part of me that wanted to hike over 40 miles per day! Sierra Bum was researching a new tent that he was interested in, while UB mulled over the possibility of re-starting his hike from the Canadian border and how he could reduce his pack weight even further.
After we finished eating, I headed back to my room to finalize my packing and UB drove over to bring me and Sierra Bum to the post office. I had three boxes of extra food to ship ahead to places along the trail. Sierra Bum discovered that his box was actually shipped to a different post office, so UB drove him up there while I taped up and paid for my boxes. The woman was going to make me buy a roll of tape, but changed her mind after she realized I wouldn’t be able to keep it. It cost me $44 to send the boxes out!
The sun was burning hot outside, so I waited in the lobby for UB to come back. We went back to the motel so I could collect my pack, fill my water bottles, and check out. Then, we headed back to Echo Lake. Luckily, I remembered what direction I had come from because UB started driving the other way! He was very excited to see Muk Muk, who was expected to arrive at Echo Chalet someday today. He wanted to show her around North Lake Tahoe, where he had lived for the winter before starting the trail.
Once we arrived, he set out the most undamaged cupcakes and a cooler of beer for the hikers that were sitting around. I didn’t know any of them! We sat on a log as he stared at his phone, texting with Muk Muk and smiling whenever she responded. She was now about 4 miles away. He went to his car to smoke some marijuana, explaining that he had had a rough life and needed to medicate daily. I had also had a rough life, but felt no need to do this! I was saddened by the feeling of disconnection between us. Every time he got an update from Muk Muk, it seemed like she was farther and farther away. I was growing restless and wanted to get moving! When UB was asked to move his car, and said he would wait for Muk Muk up at the parking lot, I decided it was time for me to head out. She was still at least an hour away.
I had watched some other hikers head out onto the trail and thus vaguely knew which direction to go. It started along the edge of a beautiful blue lake.

A young kid waiting for his friends sat nearby and I asked if he could take my picture. He happily obliged!

Then, he informed me that my phone wasn’t allowing him to take anymore photos. It gave a message saying to check the storage options. It was full and I was only at mile 1094! This was terrible!
I headed up a hill, checked for the trail at an intersection, and followed the path that I thought was the PCT. There was a large group of hikers ahead of me that were moving more slowly than I was. I had to ask if I could scoot by. One of them called me a “superhiker”! This part of the trail was so crowded with people that it did not seem as if I was on the PCT! I checked my apps and both told me that I was miles off the PCT! Are you kidding me? I turned around, frustrated, and had to negotiate around the people I had just asked to step aside. This was embarrassing! I walked all the way back to the intersection, looked around all over again, and saw no alternatives! What in the world!? Then, a hiker approached and asked me where Echo Chalet was. I told him it was right around the corner. He asked me what I was hiking and when I said the PCT, he told me that the path I had taken was in fact the PCT! How could my GPS have been so off? It was now 11:45. I had just wasted 45 minutes of precious time and now I had to make my way back through all of those people!

I made my way around the rim of the lake and as I did so, four thru-hikers caught up to me. One was now wearing a large fanny pack instead of a regular backpack because he had hurt his back and needed to carry less weight. A girl with a feather in her hat had a pack that looked more like a day pack. I couldn’t understand how they could possibly carry so little. Another guy said, “Hi Wendy!” to me as he passed by. I didn’t recognize him and wondered how he knew my name!
I sat down for a snack break as a group of people came from the other direction, looking for the side path to the boat. I told them I only knew where I had come from! It turns out that I was sitting directly across from the tree with the sign on it for the boat! One of the men asked me if I had any food to share. I kind of did, but there were so many of them! He then told me that his son hiked the PCT last year and that he was just like me. He worked seasonally so he could keep wandering.

After I got going again, the friendly thru-hiker came walking back toward me. He told me that his name was Band Leader and that he had decided that he needed to get off the trail for a few days to visit a friend. I asked him how he knew my name and he said that when I got to Sonora Pass, people were calling out, “Wendy’s here! Wendy’s here!” and my name stuck with him. He thought it was a trail name. I didn’t remember anyone calling my name like that, but I thought it was sweet. He told me that he would see me in a few days.

The trail climbed away from Echo Lake, but another, perhaps even more beautiful lake, soon appeared.

I so wanted to get in the water, but felt like I had no time to do so. I already felt behind schedule. My intestines acted up and I needed to quickly attend to them. This problem was incredibly distressing and frustrating! Every day, I hoped my body would be able to overcome the infection, but somehow, that wasn’t happening! I returned to sit by the water and watch the shimmering patterns of sunlight on it while I enjoyed the 5th Avenue bar that Tanya had sent me. I loved this gift because she lives in NYC, and it was a nice reminder of herself and where she was sending it from. It was also the most delicious candy bar ever, and one that I had not tasted for years and years! I really, really appreciated this treat! I saw MudD and Dingo pass by. They weren’t a bit tempted to stop. I finally dragged myself on, and although I found that lake to be the most beautiful, other smaller ones kept appearing! I imagined myself living in this area and coming out to walk this section any time that I wanted. The down side was that it was a very crowded part of the trail.

The trail climbed to Dick’s Pass and then descended to a lake outlet, where I stopped to collect water for the evening. I had to ford the water and then kept my eye out for a place to camp. The sun set and nothing was appearing. Finally, I went into a patch of woods and found a suitable spot to set up my cowboy camp. I cooked a dinner that Vita had sent me and tucked myself in for the night.

Day 75
July 2
1064.9 – about 1087
22.1 miles

I sat up as the rain drops fell and put my rain jacket on top of my sleeping bag to at least partially cover it. The worst thing you can do is get a down sleeping bag wet because it loses all of its insulation properties and takes forever to dry. After a few minutes of assessing the rain situation, I started to pack up in the dark. I was so tired. Then, the rain seemed to stop. I pulled out my sleeping bag and got inside again, thankful to be able to get in a little more sleep.

After another junk food breakfast, I followed the trail back into the woods. After a couple of hours, it climbed back up into exposed, dry terrain.

I saw a man ahead, who had collected water from a tiny waterfall that I could hear from the trail. I was disappointed to find out that the PCT veered away from this source of water, however. I was not about to take the time required to walk all the way over to it and instead, continued the climb. My mind was occupied with whether or not I should continue communicating with my Swiss friend. This wasn’t the first time this issue had come up, but now there was a definite reason to make a choice. He wanted to keep me in his life as a friend, but that was a hard thing for me to be happy with. On the other hand, he was one of the few people in my life who understood me and was willing to listen to me. Why would I want to throw that away? I discovered that I once again had reception and found a text from him. He was worried that something had happened to me after I had lost reception the last time we communicated. I thought this was funny because he doesn’t hear from me most of the days that I am hiking and never worries then. I told him I would be in town tomorrow and would be able to talk.

I pulled off to the side of the trail, found the picture of the town info I had taken, and called a motel to see if I could get a room for the next two nights. The fourth of July is the most popular, crowded, and expensive time to be in South Lake Tahoe, and I was worried that all of the rooms would be booked. I felt fortunate to have found an open room, even though the prices doubled for the night of the 3rd and tripled for the night of the 4th. Scat Tracker, Unicroc, and FunSize passed by, singing a song about my name, which was sweet. FunSize asked me if I was enjoying the views. My response was not enthusiastic, as I was too in my head, bogged down with unpleasant things, and still feeling unwell physically. They all continued ahead in a much more carefree state.

It was a hot day and there was a lack of water sources along the trail. I descended back into the forest, took off my pack, and sat down on a fallen tree to take a snack break. I was nearly out of water, but so thirsty, that I drank the remaining bit anyway. For the first time on the hike, I had completely run out of water. I always, always carry much more than I end up drinking, and always have leftover food, so it was a strange feeling to now have completely empty water bottles. However, I had enough confidence and experience to know that I would be okay until I reached the next water source.
I eventually came across the group of three enjoying a break beside a small pond. FunSize had collected water from it because he needed it, but the others were going to wait until they got to the stream ahead, which I did not know about. My collecting bags don’t work with stagnant water, so I continued on until I reached the running stream. As I sat filtering the water, Scat Tracker and Unicroc came by, wondering if they should take the time to filter the water. They decided to do so as FunSize went on ahead. The trail lead down to several small streams. I encountered a father and his two sons heading in the opposite direction and then saw the climb I had ahead of me. I took it slowly. The sky darkened and I asked a bird perched on a rock what it thought about the oncoming weather.

As, I approached the top, I saw a rock that looked like a nice place to take a snack break and later realized that Fun Size had had the same idea. I made my way across a patch of snow and joined him. We could see Scat Tracker and Unicroc on their way, and soon enough, we were all on the rock. We heard the thunder and saw the rain falling over the mountains we had crossed over yesterday.

After a few minutes of jokes, we picked up our packs and headed out. Unicroc and Scat Tracker were now wondering whether it would be possible to get a ride into South Lake Tahoe from the highway that we would soon be reaching. Our guidebook did not list this as a possibility, so they weren’t sure. I saw a man down below us and thought he might be able to provide an answer, but somehow, he never ended up on the PCT. We did see a few other people, and I was sure that they would easily be able to get a ride into town. This was the first time I had hiked with more than one person, and it felt nice to be a part of a little group. Someone mentioned that there was a ranger station at the road and we started getting excited about what amenities there might be there. I became very happy about the thought of a possible trashcan to get rid of some extra room and weight! I was also worrisomely low on toilet paper and had been thinking about asking one of the other hikers if they had any extra, but so far had managed to have held off. When we arrived to find a real wooden building, several minutes after the rain began to fall, we became nearly ecstatic! It was the best surprise ever! Unfortunately, all of the hikers who had arrived before us had eaten all of the fruit and goodies that the rangers had put out for us. I looked at the register inside to see that Birdman and Cowboy were now 10 days ahead of me. I knew I would not see them again. Weeds and IceBucket were a couple of days ahead. By this point in the trail, a lot of aspiring thru-hikers had already dropped out. Drama was one of them. One hiker that I knew from the AT told me that he was ending his hike at Tuolemne Meadows. He said the desert had taken it out of him and he was disappointed that there weren’t as many towns as on the AT. As sick as I was, I was 100% resolved to continue on and finish this trail. My spirit loves this lifestyle.
I chatted with one very nice ranger who had lots of questions for us. Some people are so easy-going and pleasant to talk to! There was a group of thru-hikers who were sitting on the porch and weren’t very friendly, but I didn’t care because I had someone nice to talk to. Braveheart appeared and talked about how close the lightning got to him. I don’t know why I rarely feel scared of it. We petted some friendly dogs as we watched Unicroc and Scat Tracker attempt to get a ride. They weren’t having an easy time, at first, but then a nice lady stopped for them. We all cheered and waved them on their way. I had wanted to get in a lot more miles and hadn’t planned on stopping for so long. I finally decided to dig my rain gear out and get going. Of course, I had trouble once again finding the trail on the other side of the road! I finally saw a wooden bulletin board with a map of the PCT and our position on it. It was the first time since I had been on the trail that I visibly saw my progress. I was quite pleased and that made me happy, in itself.

I had walked past the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, and now San Francisco! That is quite something! A strange man, carrying gallon water jugs, walked by me. He talked to me for a minute and then started up the trail. Luckily, I passed him and never saw him again. As I looked behind me, I saw two other thru-hikers on their way. I felt proud that I was maintaining a strong pace. Eventually, they caught up and asked me to step aside, in a manner that I found not very nice. At least I had my own space again. I took care of my female issue and then found a group of tents set up in the middle of some trees. I was envious of those people. I still had miles to hike in the rain. Two of them decided to take an evening stroll to the Meiss cabin, which I wanted to see as well. The two other thru-hikers walked right by it. I found it fascinating to imagine the summers that this family spent out here and was glad I took the time to see it.

As the evening hours wore on, the mosquitoes made their presence known. I came to a lake where more campers were set up, and veered off the trail to collect water.

Storytime was staring at his phone screen, wondering where the PCT was. There was a sign a few feet back, pointing out the way… Even out here, we are all attached to our little screens, hoping they will provide all of the information we need. After filtering my water, I walked by the two thru-hikers, who had their tents set up, and were standing with their head nets on. I continued to walk, fending off the mosquitoes that swarmed me.

I felt very tired, but managed to keep myself going until the sun began to set. I found a makeshift spot to camp at the edge of some woods and, for the first time in a very long time, decided to set up my tent. I didn’t know if it was going to rain again or not, and the mosquitoes were too bothersome. I found it nice to be sequestered inside once the troublesome task of setting it up was complete. I cooked and ate some dinner, washed up, and fell asleep.

Day 74
July 1
1042.3-1064.9
22.6 miles

(It’s July!!)
I was so tired that I didn’t get up until 6:35! Then, I had another bad bloody nose! Something was wrong! Because I had almost no powdered milk left, I ate my poptarts and packaged, processed “biscuits” from the KM store with nearly black coffee. The biscuits actually didn’t taste so bad…
By 7:47, I was finally on my way again.

After a few miles, I found a nice, flowing stream to collect water from, and while I was doing so, Scat Tracker and Unicroc came by. Unicroc quickly scooped up a little water and then they headed on.
By mid-morning, I saw a hiker heading towards me. He looked familiar, and as he approached, I saw that it was 5-Star! “Why are you walking the other way?” I asked. He explained that he had hurt his foot after Sonora Pass and spent a few days in South Lake Tahoe to let it heal. He decided to hike this section southbound and then planned on spending another day in South Lake Tahoe. After about 20 minutes of chatting, he told me about some trail magic at Ebbetts Pass and we agreed to meet up in Tahoe for a meal.

I kept my eyes peeled for the red cooler that 5-Star had mentioned, but it was not appearing in any of the places I thought it would! I crossed a road, looked around, and still saw nothing. Maybe I had missed it. Scat Tracker and Unicroc were sitting down, eating a snack a little ways into the forest. “No cooler?” I asked. They laughed and said they were just talking about that, hoping to come across some trail magic. “No, really,” I said. “I was told there is a cooler around here.” They told me to yell back to them if I found it. I walked up the hill and suddenly, the red cooler appeared to the right of the trail! I called back to Unicroc and Scat Tracker and they came up to share the gatorade, apples, and chips. I didn’t know how these things would be on my stomach, but I appreciated the offerings. Anything different is so refreshing on the trail! I asked them if they happened to be carrying Yogi’s guidebook pages, as I had no info on anything in South Lake Tahoe due to my box not getting to me. Luckily, they did, and I was able to take pictures of the town notes. Another hiker approached, followed by three more, who were moving slowly and looking at us warily. They said that six or seven more were on their way. Yikes! I jumped up and got going. Very soon afterwards, my intestines demanded they be emptied. I didn’t have time to find a place far off the trail. Scat Tracker and Unicroc walked by a minute later.
I collected water at the next stream, sat down to filter it, and then saw Unicroc and Scat Tracker ahead, enjoying their lunch at a nice campsite. I walked a few more minutes and then found a tree to sit under and have my own lunch.

Awhile later, I ran into a couple who were hiking with two dogs and a goat with a pack! This was the first time I had ever seen a goat on the trail! Not long afterwards, I heard thunder in the sky. By three o’clock, the wind had strongly picked up and big drops of rain began to splatter. I quickly dug out my rain gear and put my pack cover on. The rain fell harder and the thunder grew louder.

I found a tree to huddle underneath. I placed my pack against the trunk of the tree and drew my knees into my chest. I could see the exposed trail ahead as it climbed and didn’t think it was smart to hike on in such conditions. A hiker walked by about 20 minutes later and smiled at me. “You’re going to wait it out?” he asked. He continued on. At 4:08, the rain seemed to let up. Awesome! I put my pack on and headed out. Then, the rain started falling again, even harder this time! I kept walking. I later saw a guy with a grey rain jacket on sitting under a tree. I waved and he pulled his hand away from his body to wave back. I then realized that this was the same guy who had kept walking when I decided to stop earlier! We were doing the same thing at opposite times!
I reached the top of a hill and pulled my camera out of the ziplock bag I had put it in, so I could take a picture. I also decided to see what mile I was now at. The hiker, who I learned was named, “Two Hats”, caught up and wanted to know the mileage as well. He commented that, due to the scarcity of rain out here, he didn’t know what to do when it rained anymore! I agreed.

I continued along, climbing up the dirt path, surrounded by yellow flowers on both sides, and then heading back down and continuing along a more exposed path. Two of the wary-looking hikers from the trail magic cooler caught up and passed by me, hiking hard and not greeting me. When I reached the top of the next climb, I stopped to eat a power bar as the third guy passed. I had hoped to camp at a particular site and was worried that everyone else planned on stopping at the same place.

Luckily, these three guys stopped much earlier. They already had their tents set up and a campfire going when I walked by. I crossed a creek and was suddenly attacked by a horde of frenzied mosquitoes! I had to stop a few minutes later to put on Deet, as well as my headnet.
Finally, I reached the site at which I had hoped to camp. It turned out to be a large, but secluded area off the trail, and I was extremely surprised to find no one there! I set up my cowboy camp and then found a rock to cook and eat my spaghetti dinner on. I decided I might as well try an immodium tablet and then enjoyed a peppermint patty and a couple of starbursts for dessert.

Around 4:30 in the morning, drops of rain started to fall onto my sleeping bag…
Uh-oh.