Martis Peak Rd to Mt. Rose- 16 miles
My legs feel fresh after having a shorter day yesterday and I stride into the sunrise with purpose. This day I will enter the Mt. Rose Wilderness and climb over Mt. Baldy (9271 feet), Rose Knob (9700 feet) and Relay Peak (10, 330 feet). It's shaping up to be a heavy day.
I walk through forests until the climbing starts. Periodically, I am treated to vast views of Lake Tahoe. I am now on the north end of the lake and see the entire expanse that I've hiked in the last 12 days. It is mind boggling and I am very pleased with myself.
Right before starting the climb to Mt. Baldy, I lose the trail. There is a dirt road crossing and the trail continues on the other side. But the trail peters out and has been totally washed away by rain. You can see the erosion and mess storms have created, leaving no discernible path. I bushwhack around for about 15 minutes and decide this is a sure way to get lost so I backtrack to the dirt road. According to the Guthook app, the trail seems to run right along the road so I start walking up the road, monitoring the app to make sure they are aligned. I pop out on top of the hill and there is my Tahoe Rim sign. Breathing a sigh of relief, I continue up Mt. Baldy.
A runner passes me but stops and drills me with questions. Thru hiking? How many days? Where did you start? And then he says. "OMG, you are almost done!" I stand there stunned just staring at him. He continues on and I stand there and look out over Lake Tahoe for a few minutes absorbing his words. Yes, I'm almost done. After this day, only 24 miles. I can't believe it. I might actually pull this off.
I love this section so far with the wide open views and funny geological formations that stick out of the slab cliffs. It's my favorite section so far.
Relay Peak blows by me like nothing. The switchbacks are so long and flat, I don't even feel the climb. I can see into Carson Valley and over Lake Tahoe from the top. And then I start descending and am glad I'm going clockwise because the climb up this thing counter clockwise would have been gnarly.
I descend fast, switchbacking all the way down into the valley. It's getting late in the day and I'm back in the forest. I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and feel like I'm being watched. I think of bears and mountain lions. It's getting to be their time of day towards dusk. I don't see anything but I have the heebie jeebies nonetheless.
Galena Falls appears as I round a switchback and I'm surprised and elated. It's the most water I've seen the whole trail and it's beautiful. Sparkling in the sunset as it cascades over rocks.
Then I start seeing more people because I am close to the Mt. Rose trailhead. A lady walks by in a bikini along with her friend that has long grey chest hairs with gold medallions slung around his neck. Hmmmm.
And then I am at the Mt. Rose trailhead and Dennis is plying me with Panda Express which I eat in 17 seconds flat.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
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