Today’s Miles: 17
Total trip miles: 909
Last night, I was camped next to a jeep road and didn’t think much of it when I chose it at as my site for the night. Unfortunately, I was woken up multiple times by the sound of a revving engine followed by bright lights shining near my tent. Combined with that awful 3 am bus ride from a few nights ago, my sleep lately has felt far from restful.
Regardless, after an hour or so of hiking, I feel warmed up to the day. The terrain is welcoming and it feels almost like a homecoming, as I’m hiking maybe only 40 miles as the crow flies from my current home in Bear Valley. There is the trademark granite of the Sierras, although not too dramatic yet. Improbably growing on and around the granite are trees of all kinds. I won’t embarrass myself by being able to pretend to identify all of these, but I believe at least some are Douglas-Fir and Jeffrey Pine trees.
By the time early afternoon rolls around, I have seen only two others hikers. I’m sure the Tahoe Rim Trail is popular, but with this smoke, not right now. The smoke looks like a layer of fog enveloping everything. When I get cell service again, I’ll check the air quality.
I call my day around 3 pm, having hiked 18 miles to a campsite called Marlette Peak Camgpround. It may be the best campground I’ve encountered over these past two months, as it has cold water coming out of a hand pump, picnic tables and bear boxes at each site, and a very well-cleaned pit toilet. Camping in luxury tonight.
I’m hanging out on a picnic table, reading, when I look up and see…. A blue sky! Wow! What a treat. It’s a huge morale boost and I have a great evening. I rotate between reading the remainder of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, writing, eating, and using some of the cell service to check-in on two NOBO PCT video blogs I’ve been following since the beginning of their hike. Watching PCT videos while hiking the PCT, or something close to it, may sound bizarre if not teetering on a straight unhealthy obsession with the PCT. Let me add a however though. However, I’ve found the videos really helpful in relating my experience and challenges with others, and taking comfort in the fact that it’s not easy for everyone. Plus, after following for a while, you feel like you start to get to know them and you want to see how they are doing. So that’s my justification for what turns out to be a very pleasant and relaxing evening at the campground.
Sorry you have to endure the smoke. I hope you have many more days with blue skies ahead.