This elevation chart is a screenshot from Guthook's TRT Guide App.
Note: Both Rockin' and Why Not are blogging this trip too! www.ladyonarock.comwww.nancyhikes.com
I don't know how this happens every time, but I had a week to relax between trails and was still up til 1am blogging and packing last night. Someday, I'll learn...I did an early morning visit to meet everyone at my step dad's work (hi guys!) and got on the road before 9am to drive east. I picked up Why Not just outside of Sacramento and we drove to the Kingsbury South Trailhead to meet Rockin. We stopped for lunch and I grabbed a Subway footlong for dinner, yay! Rockin was amazingly right on time. She drove 6hrs from Tehachapi and just finished work (as a teacher and case manager of a home schooling program) yesterday. She's been doing this immediate turnaround the last few summers and it's awesome! After our Cali tour, her plan is to complete her final section of the PCT, the state of Washington, with her daughter the month of July. Why Not is a retired dentist and has had years of back to back long distance hikes. She is taking time this summer to clean out and possibly sell her home of 27yrs. These women are awesome and show that age (Why Not-62, Rockin-57) ain't no thang! I only mention the age because it is sooo motivating to me and others to be around such active women and see that there is no rush and I could have over 25yrs of enjoyable backpacking ahead!
Nothing too exciting in our first 10mi today. Perfect hiking weather in the mid 60s and a slight breeze. There are some dry stretches, so we have a 15mi gap between our source a few miles in today into tomorrow late morning. We got to see out first views of Lake Tahoe. We will mostly be pretty far above the lake, but in a few days, we will reach Tahoe City where we will resupply and the trail goes down to the lake. We had an odd moment soon after we started when we first saw the lake that, the way the trail was bending, the lake was not on our left side as it should be if we were traveling north on the east side...we thought we were somehow going the wrong way around the loop until we realized it was just an u expected bend creating the odd view and disorientation. We will be up along those mountains in less than a week...
This trail has plenty of markers, blazes, posts, and signs. They are everywhere, and oddly embedded in rocks when trees are everywhere. The posts have words to describe what is in each direction, and there are signs with mileages every so often. It's quite luxurious to be on auto pilot with navigation! I've missed that and many other things having been on the Hayduke the last couple months.
I LOVE the TREES and the FRESH AIR!!! Oh how I've missed this! It's really just perfect. We think mosquitoes will come in some sections, but so far there aren't any and I'm stoked to be in my shorts and t-shirt. So free!
I'm definitely not 100%, which is ok since we have a somewhat relaxed plan. It was nice to get a week off. The last two legs of the Hayduke beat me up pretty good with my feet and joints having a bad reaction to lots of colder water and rain along with rocks. My feet are pretty sore both to the touch and deep in side the joints. It's odd and will hopefully pass. My legs feel like they are recovering from a long run and don't have the energy they should. Laying here in my tent all my joints from my hips down are pretty achy like the flu...but I am starting my period any day now, so that would make sense...so, not 100%, but good enough. Feels great to be out here!
There should be some stretches with snow, mostly on the west side, but it shouldn't be much. There is a chance of storms in a few days and we are hoping to dodge it or have it be short. It's perfect sleep weather in the low 40s right now and will drop some overnight. We tried to find a campsite with a view and went a bit further than planned before we gave up and set up in a random sloped area with a lot of debris. Why Not is cowboy camped, Rockin' has her Six Moons Skyscape on this trip, and I have my ZPacks Soloplex. I ate my Subway sandwich and enjoyed the fact that I had Internet. Oh the things I've missed! Actually, I think for the first time this season, I'm loading the day's post from my tent! Yep, I'm a fan:)
