Dick's Lake to Barker Pass- 17.5 miles
This day will be 17.5 miles because one of our resupply points is not going to work out due to rough roads the truck can't access. I will be glad to get out of Desolation Wilderness and off these rocky trails.
Nancy lost her Fitbit going up Dick's Pass. Bummer!
We walk through the land of lakes and streams and rock hop across multiple large water crossings. My body is humming to the tune of the hike right now but I'm noticing large mood swings. One moment I'm euphoric with the thrill of conquering a pass and the next minute I'm ready to quit.
I can see that Nancy is struggling and she informs me that she won't be able to go 17.5 miles. I look up the options and there is really only one option and that's to take the Emerald Bay junction and walk out 4.5 miles. I have one slice of cell service and am able to notify Dennis that Nancy will be coming out at that trailhead, hoping he got the message. Nancy will be able to communicate with Dennis as she gets closer to the trailhead and more cell service. I continue on to Barker Pass by myself and have zero cell service the rest of the day so I have no idea all day if things worked out on that end. It causes me great anxiety and I am overly emotional the rest of the day.
I'm walking along and someone behind me says Hello! I turn around and there's a dude with dread locks and hiking in red boxer shorts. He's a thru-hiker, maybe even a PCT thru-hiker because he has a tiny pack and is going super fast. He says, Did you happen to lose a Fitbit on Dick's Pass? I was like WHAT! Serious!? How do you even spot a teeny tiny grey Fitbit amongst a bunch of scree and rock on the side of a mountain? Yep, got Nancy's Fitbit back. This will make her day.
I'm starting to imagine things. Every stump I see is a bear. Every broken off golden colored log is a mountain lion. There are rustlings, thumps and crashing noises in the forest. I just keep walking.
All of a sudden, I hear a rattle, and I instinctively jump out of the trail to my right. There is a rattlesnake half in the trail, his head raised at me and his tail going a mile a minute. "Fuck! Shit!" I yell! I stand there staring at him while he slithers away, my heart beating in my chest. I think about my friend Georgia's, father-in-law, who just got bit by a rattle snake a few weeks ago and was in intensive care with over 20 vials of anti-venin pumped into him. That could have been very, very bad. So then every cricket I hear or movement along the side of the trail is a rattle snake. I'm jumpy for several miles but that eventually wanes the more tired I get.
I pass Richardson Lake and filter water. The Rubicon Jamboree is held here and I can hear jeeps roaring all over the place. It sounds like a raceway. I run across a Weird Dude with Dog. He won't make eye contact or say Hi. Trail people are very friendly so if you don't talk to me when I say Hi, I will count you as a weirdo. I kept my eye on him while I was filtering water.
I am so happy when I see the Desolation Wilderness sign, meaning that I have exited that vast expanse of rock.
The last couple of miles I was a wimpering, crying mess. I have never been so happy in my life to see the truck shining at the top of Barker Pass. I could hear Dennis whistling for me and he had an ice cold Corona popped open! I'm a lucky gal! Dennis said he talked to Dread Lock Boxer Shorts and Weird Dude with Dog. He asked them if they had seen the lady with pink hair and they gave him status reports on my whereabouts. He was able to get Weird Dude with Dog to talk quite a bit but that's Dennis for ya. He can get anyone to talk.
This was the hardest day of the whole hike for me. I was very emotional that day and it takes a toll.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
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