I woke up and did not want to get out of my sleeping bag. My thermometer read 20 degrees inside my tent so you know it was colder than that outside. My water bottle and bladder were frozen. When I retrieved my socks and underwear from the branch, they were frozen. I made my oatmeal in my vestibule and ate it in my sleeping bag.
Anyway, inevitably, we started walking. I said to Ingrid, "As far as I'm concerned, we are walking till we're done today. You game?" Of course she said she was game. When is Ingrid not game? 19 miles to go.
We just had about 600 feet to climb to get over this mountain and then we started a long ass descent into the Rock House Basin. The thing about the PCT is it's not straightforward. It winds along ridgelines, in and out, and has a mind of it's own. You think you're getting somewhere and round the corner and, psych! Not there yet. We walked along this ridgeline, in and out, and it didn't end. Ingrid sat straight down in the middle of the trail and said she had just hit the wall. So we took a break and then continued down.
We were coming down the last line of ridge when Ingrid points in the distance. I squint and try to make out what she's pointing at. "Is that PEOPLE?" I ask dumbfounded. We had seen nobody since the 4x4'ers from Day 2. What are they doing out here? Are they hiking? Are they wearing day packs or backpacks? I had all these questions! Ingrid turns to me and asks "Do I have any boogers hanging out of my nose?" I said "No, do I?" She said, " No, it's just red and chapped." Okay, we're good for potential encounters of the human kind. LMAO!
It's a group of 8 day hikers, 3 of whom are former thru-hikers. The usual trail banter occurs. Where you coming from, where you going, how long you been out here, etc. "Nuts" then offers us some homemade cookies. I just about swoon to the ground when I bite into it. Fist bumps all around and we continue on our way.
Manter Creek is flowing pretty good and that's where we stop to eat our lunch of tuna fish and left-over lasagna. For the most part, we are done with the huge climbs and we are thankful for that. The trail wanders through the Rock House Basin area. There are really cool rock formations in this area that offer a welcome change of scenery.
Finally, at long last, we made it to the south fork of the Kern River. OMG, never was a sight so welcome! I stripped down immediately and took a step in. I had every intention of dunking myself but that water was too frickin' cold! So I just waded around and then would sit on a log. Rinse and repeat for several times. Stuffing my face with my remaining food all the while.
But we still had 5 miles to go so we must walk again. I say this at the end of every backpack, but that was seriously the longest 5 miles of my life. Ingrid told me later that I was grunting and moaning while I walked. I could barely get my legs to turn over.
Those first glimpses of Kennedy Meadow brought tears to my eyes.
We walked along the Kern, through some tall reeds and came out into a clearing of sorts and stopped to debate where we should camp. There is camping allowed for hikers at the store but we were leary of that because the store sits on a road and there can be sketchy people around road situations.
I saw two people climbing over the gate about 300 yards yonder and pointed them out to Ingrid. They approached and struck up a conversation. At this point, I knew my legs were done moving and I wanted to lay down right at everyone's feet in a fetal position.
Patty and Ricky are their names and Patty has a trailer just up the road here, we can see it from where we stand. Would we like a shower? What the what? I have never been a recipient of a trail magic shower so this was all new to me! I look at Ingrid and she's nodding her head YES. OMG, I can hardly wait for this shower. Usually when we backpack, we have streams, rivers, or lakes we can dunk in and rinse off or take a ziplock shower but this time with the lack of water sources, we had none of that. I felt the grossest I've ever felt in my life. This shower was so bomb, I even took a picture of their bathroom because it was like a shrine with Patty's Costco shampoo, conditioner, and dove soap.
Patty and Ricky also invited us to pitch our tents in their driveway which was awesome because it took the chore of finding a spot to camp away. THEN they invited to roast hotdogs at their campfire! OMG, I was so hungry. Patty kept trying to ply us with champagne too and I kept declining because I hadn't eaten much and that wouldn't have been a good combo. Once she popped that cork though I did have some champagne. And hotdogs, chips, potato salad, nom nom nom nom!
We chatted around the campfire till about 10:30pm which you know is about 4 hours past my bedtime but it was SO much fun.
Then we climbed into our tents all clean and with full bellies, eternally grateful for the kindness of strangers. This type of situation really does renew your faith in humanity.
The next morning, Ricky brought us coffee to our tents! I was eating oatmeal out of my ziplock baggie when he brought a real coffee cup to me. And it was good coffee.
We packed up our gear and Ricky walked us partway to the store. Patty sleeps late so we had said goodbye to her the night before. Hugs all around!
We walked the remaining steps to the General Store, signed the logbook, met the new owners, and bought all the snacks. Payday bars, cheez-its, water, and I don't even know what else. Then we set up out on the back porch and waited for Carolen and Don to retrieve us.
What's next? Good God, I need some rest first.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Sunday, April 22, 2018
Day 7: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
This would prove to be one of the most difficult days. Climbing out of Spanish Needle in freezing temperatures, high winds, and sketchy trail. I was starting to get down to my gross food that was left too so eating wasn't even fun. We stopped for a 5 minute break when we reached the saddle. We hunkered down under Ingrid's emergency blanket to keep out the wind and jammed bars into our mouths. I looked at my thermometer and it read 30 degrees. Continuing on, being buffeted all around by the wind, was extremely exhausting. The ferocity of the wind reached it's peak just before lunchtime and I had to stand still and lean into to it to keep from blowing over. Clouds were blowing across the mountain super fast and I couldn't even imagine if it rained. It would have been snow though since it was so cold. We hiked hard to get back into the tree cover and some reprieve.
I don't remember anything that happened between hiking hard in the wind and arriving at Fox Mill Spring. I didn't take many pictures on this day so I have nothing to jog my memory. We got water at the spring and it had cow and mule shit all over the place. Filter! I also did a ziplock laundry of socks and underwear again.
We were trying to make it as far as we could because we were toying with the idea of pushing to the end the following day so we wouldn't have to walk on Saturday. We found a nice spot and after looking at the maps later, realized we were probably close to 8500 feet, which would explain why it got so cold.
I hung my wet socks and underwear in my tent but they were still dripping so I left them on a branch outside. I put all my clothes on, including rain gear, because I couldn't get warm. I was toasty after I got all my clothes on. I also have a zero degree down quilt, a silk cocoon (which is supposed to add 10 degrees), and my thermarest pad. I wrapped myself in my sleeping bag while I cooked dinner in my vestibule. Bad Tina! Never do that. You could set yourself or your gear on fire. Ingrid came over and gave me a hot chocolate packet and I drank that with my magnesium drink.
We did not die from hypothermia.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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I don't remember anything that happened between hiking hard in the wind and arriving at Fox Mill Spring. I didn't take many pictures on this day so I have nothing to jog my memory. We got water at the spring and it had cow and mule shit all over the place. Filter! I also did a ziplock laundry of socks and underwear again.
We were trying to make it as far as we could because we were toying with the idea of pushing to the end the following day so we wouldn't have to walk on Saturday. We found a nice spot and after looking at the maps later, realized we were probably close to 8500 feet, which would explain why it got so cold.
I hung my wet socks and underwear in my tent but they were still dripping so I left them on a branch outside. I put all my clothes on, including rain gear, because I couldn't get warm. I was toasty after I got all my clothes on. I also have a zero degree down quilt, a silk cocoon (which is supposed to add 10 degrees), and my thermarest pad. I wrapped myself in my sleeping bag while I cooked dinner in my vestibule. Bad Tina! Never do that. You could set yourself or your gear on fire. Ingrid came over and gave me a hot chocolate packet and I drank that with my magnesium drink.
We did not die from hypothermia.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Day 6: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
We continue to climb after packing up our gear. The trail winds along the ridge line for miles with views of Ridgecrest and the desert floor. We are, again, grateful that we stopped where we did the night before. The trail has steep drop-offs and sketchy crumbling edges. We climb over more downed trees that I can count. We make it up to the saddle area and then start a steady descent; what we think will be descent for the rest of the day. Wrongo!
Before we figure out we have another climb to do though, we needed to go off trail about 1/4 mile to get water at Joshua Tree Spring. This spring is a steep descent down through the prickly desert into a little oasis in a gulley. If it weren't for the thought of drinking tainted uranium water, it would have been the Garden of Eden. Most springs in the Sierra have traces of uranium but this particular spring happens to have been tested so that's why all the warnings. BLM actually has the numbers for this one. Whatever. Filter and drink. We had lunch down in the oasis after we got our water and rinsed out our hankies. Then we had to climb back out with a full water load. Ugh.
Onward we hiked, starting another ascent. The trail in this section was very overgrown. Too early in the season for many feet to have trodden the path yet. So far, from logbooks, we only knew of 4 thru-hikers ahead of us. After that ascent, we went down, down, down, into the Spanish Needle area. We would have 4 Spanish Needle Creek crossings coming up soon. Each trickle we crossed was pathetic so we kept going. The third crossing was probably the best and there was a teeny tiny space to pitch tents but we kept going, holding out hope that the next crossing would be better. It wasn't and there wasn't a place to camp. We scouted around a bit and we thought we should cook our dinner and eat it and then continue on up. It would be another climb with 3 more miles to the next good place to pitch tents. Hmmmm, there's a trickle of a stream down below though. So I proposed to Ingrid that we climb down into this gulley where the stream was trickling a bit better and pitch tents. We climbed down in there and scoped it out. There was just enough room for 2 tents and the ground was soft so we could kind of make the site a bit more level (not really). So that's what we did. It got us totally out of the howling wind and we were able to save ourselves a heavy water carry on the next steep climb.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Before we figure out we have another climb to do though, we needed to go off trail about 1/4 mile to get water at Joshua Tree Spring. This spring is a steep descent down through the prickly desert into a little oasis in a gulley. If it weren't for the thought of drinking tainted uranium water, it would have been the Garden of Eden. Most springs in the Sierra have traces of uranium but this particular spring happens to have been tested so that's why all the warnings. BLM actually has the numbers for this one. Whatever. Filter and drink. We had lunch down in the oasis after we got our water and rinsed out our hankies. Then we had to climb back out with a full water load. Ugh.
Onward we hiked, starting another ascent. The trail in this section was very overgrown. Too early in the season for many feet to have trodden the path yet. So far, from logbooks, we only knew of 4 thru-hikers ahead of us. After that ascent, we went down, down, down, into the Spanish Needle area. We would have 4 Spanish Needle Creek crossings coming up soon. Each trickle we crossed was pathetic so we kept going. The third crossing was probably the best and there was a teeny tiny space to pitch tents but we kept going, holding out hope that the next crossing would be better. It wasn't and there wasn't a place to camp. We scouted around a bit and we thought we should cook our dinner and eat it and then continue on up. It would be another climb with 3 more miles to the next good place to pitch tents. Hmmmm, there's a trickle of a stream down below though. So I proposed to Ingrid that we climb down into this gulley where the stream was trickling a bit better and pitch tents. We climbed down in there and scoped it out. There was just enough room for 2 tents and the ground was soft so we could kind of make the site a bit more level (not really). So that's what we did. It got us totally out of the howling wind and we were able to save ourselves a heavy water carry on the next steep climb.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Day 5: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
Carolen is having muscle spasms in her back. Pack weight is causing some issues. Today we are treated to more views of Mt. Whitney as we walk into the Walker Pass area. I am so excited to potentially get rid of all my trash! Hoping that the Walker Pass campground has a trashcan. Maybe there will be a picnic table too.
Soon we can hear highway 178 so we know we are close. Then we can see the campground and there is a picnic table with an awning just waiting for us to crash! There is also a porta-potty bathroom with a trash bag we can put our trash into. YAY! Then we need to find the water source since the campground does not have water. We follow the instructions in the PCT water report www.pctwater.com to get to a cistern in a cow pasture that's just off the 178 from the campground. That was quite an adventure! Ingrid and I sleuthed around the pasture trying to find this thing but it was hidden in a bunch of cattails. We could hear but not see it. We found it and the water was pouring out of a spigot from a cistern that was fed by a spring. Clean water, right? No. There is so much cow, horse, mule shit around these sources that filtering is necessary. You should always filter! There are actually warnings about a higher number of hikers getting sick in this section than normal. When you think "spring", you may think you don't have to treat or filter but don't make that mistake. I filtered a crap ton of water and also did a ziplock laundry of my socks and underwear. I fastened them to the outside of my pack to dry. It was so hot and windy, they were dry by the end of the day.
Carolen has made the decision to get off trail. She pushed her SPOT button and her husband will come get her at these GPS coordinates. She has a preset message that tells him it's not an emergency but she wants to be picked up. There is no cell service at Walker Pass. She walks with us to cross the 178 highway and finds a nice Joshua Tree to set up under while she waits. We leave her and start the long climb out of Walker Pass.
We climb the remainder of the day. We are shooting for mile 657 and the last place to pitch a tent for awhile. We are gaining some altitude and will camp at about 6500 feet. The winds are high again and we are grateful when we make it and see that the area is enclosed a bit with trees. We can see Ridge Crest on the desert floor below. I have another sleepless night with the wind howling. Ingrid can sleep through anything. But I have a clean pair of underwear and socks to put on! It's the small blessings.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Soon we can hear highway 178 so we know we are close. Then we can see the campground and there is a picnic table with an awning just waiting for us to crash! There is also a porta-potty bathroom with a trash bag we can put our trash into. YAY! Then we need to find the water source since the campground does not have water. We follow the instructions in the PCT water report www.pctwater.com to get to a cistern in a cow pasture that's just off the 178 from the campground. That was quite an adventure! Ingrid and I sleuthed around the pasture trying to find this thing but it was hidden in a bunch of cattails. We could hear but not see it. We found it and the water was pouring out of a spigot from a cistern that was fed by a spring. Clean water, right? No. There is so much cow, horse, mule shit around these sources that filtering is necessary. You should always filter! There are actually warnings about a higher number of hikers getting sick in this section than normal. When you think "spring", you may think you don't have to treat or filter but don't make that mistake. I filtered a crap ton of water and also did a ziplock laundry of my socks and underwear. I fastened them to the outside of my pack to dry. It was so hot and windy, they were dry by the end of the day.
Carolen has made the decision to get off trail. She pushed her SPOT button and her husband will come get her at these GPS coordinates. She has a preset message that tells him it's not an emergency but she wants to be picked up. There is no cell service at Walker Pass. She walks with us to cross the 178 highway and finds a nice Joshua Tree to set up under while she waits. We leave her and start the long climb out of Walker Pass.
We climb the remainder of the day. We are shooting for mile 657 and the last place to pitch a tent for awhile. We are gaining some altitude and will camp at about 6500 feet. The winds are high again and we are grateful when we make it and see that the area is enclosed a bit with trees. We can see Ridge Crest on the desert floor below. I have another sleepless night with the wind howling. Ingrid can sleep through anything. But I have a clean pair of underwear and socks to put on! It's the small blessings.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Day 4: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
Thank God we waited till morning to do this gnarly climb. It was a beast. But when we crested the saddle, we got our first glimpse of the snowy Sierra and Mt. Whitney. I guess I didn't realize I would be getting glimpses of Mt. Whitney on this hike so it was a nice surprise once I realized what I was looking at.
The terrain was changing a little bit. There were more trees but still desert. You could definitely tell a transition was being made in the topography. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. The thought I focused on was being able to curl into my sleeping bag and lay down when the walking was done. I think about all my hard hikes and can easily rank this one in the top 3 most difficult. There weren't any streams, rivers, or lakes to break up the monotony or offer a reprieve. My wishful thinking about the Kern River was way off base and I wouldn't actually see it until 5 miles from the end. But over it all, I remain grateful that I am physically capable to do this type of activity. You never know when that ability can be snatched away. Enjoy it and live in the moment.
Where was I? Oh yeah, walking, walking, walking..... the PCT popped us out onto this dirt road that we had to follow for 2 miles before connecting us back to the trail. It was deeply rutted and not easy walking. It pretty much fried my hips and feet further than I thought possible. And it got hot. We ran across some puddles and I seriously considered straining the water through my hanky and then filtering it. I was intent on having my beef stew for dinner because that's a nice hearty meal and it was a higher mileage day. The beef stew takes 2 cups of water though and I only had so much water left to get me to the next water source. Anyway, I didn't filter the puddle water and I did have enough to eat my beef stew. So it was a win win all around.
We found a sweet spot to pitch tents. I was so tired at the end of each day that I literally set my sleep system up, cooked my dinner, scarfed it down, and went to bed. Every. Freaking. Day. One night I was sleeping by 6:30pm! I usually read or do some writing when I backpack but I did none of that on this hike. I think I read my kindle one time.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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The terrain was changing a little bit. There were more trees but still desert. You could definitely tell a transition was being made in the topography. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. The thought I focused on was being able to curl into my sleeping bag and lay down when the walking was done. I think about all my hard hikes and can easily rank this one in the top 3 most difficult. There weren't any streams, rivers, or lakes to break up the monotony or offer a reprieve. My wishful thinking about the Kern River was way off base and I wouldn't actually see it until 5 miles from the end. But over it all, I remain grateful that I am physically capable to do this type of activity. You never know when that ability can be snatched away. Enjoy it and live in the moment.
Where was I? Oh yeah, walking, walking, walking..... the PCT popped us out onto this dirt road that we had to follow for 2 miles before connecting us back to the trail. It was deeply rutted and not easy walking. It pretty much fried my hips and feet further than I thought possible. And it got hot. We ran across some puddles and I seriously considered straining the water through my hanky and then filtering it. I was intent on having my beef stew for dinner because that's a nice hearty meal and it was a higher mileage day. The beef stew takes 2 cups of water though and I only had so much water left to get me to the next water source. Anyway, I didn't filter the puddle water and I did have enough to eat my beef stew. So it was a win win all around.
We found a sweet spot to pitch tents. I was so tired at the end of each day that I literally set my sleep system up, cooked my dinner, scarfed it down, and went to bed. Every. Freaking. Day. One night I was sleeping by 6:30pm! I usually read or do some writing when I backpack but I did none of that on this hike. I think I read my kindle one time.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Day 3: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
We began a long descent first thing in the morning. We could hear cows moo'ing in the valley below. When we got down onto the valley floor, we thought we could see a picnic table but how could that be? We chalked it up to mirage until we got closer and realized it really was a picnic table! It was some sort of turn-around on a dirt road and must have been a ranch with the cows and also a preserve because we saw a sign for the endangered desert tortoises. Can't pass up a picnic table! We hunkered down in the wind and ate our snacks.
Onward through the Mojave desert we trekked. We saw no rattle snakes the whole time, which sort of shocks me. We were facing a 3000 foot climb and, unfortunately, it was going to hit us late in the day. I was really questioning our sanity on this hike at this point. I kept saying, this is nuts, this is stupid, why do I do this? What makes me subject myself to such agony?
We reached the base of the climb around 5:30pm and scouted around the area a bit. We discovered another water cache hidden behind some Joshua trees! OMG! The decision was cinched then that we would camp at the base and do the climb fresh in the morning. I used two liters from that cache to fill up my liter electrolyte bottle and to cook dinner and breakfast. Thank goodness for the two water caches we ran across because I ended up adding 3 liters to my original 8 during the 42 mile waterless stretch. I would have been in a world of hurt if I hadn't so thank you to the water angels!
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
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Onward through the Mojave desert we trekked. We saw no rattle snakes the whole time, which sort of shocks me. We were facing a 3000 foot climb and, unfortunately, it was going to hit us late in the day. I was really questioning our sanity on this hike at this point. I kept saying, this is nuts, this is stupid, why do I do this? What makes me subject myself to such agony?
We reached the base of the climb around 5:30pm and scouted around the area a bit. We discovered another water cache hidden behind some Joshua trees! OMG! The decision was cinched then that we would camp at the base and do the climb fresh in the morning. I used two liters from that cache to fill up my liter electrolyte bottle and to cook dinner and breakfast. Thank goodness for the two water caches we ran across because I ended up adding 3 liters to my original 8 during the 42 mile waterless stretch. I would have been in a world of hurt if I hadn't so thank you to the water angels!
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Day 2: PCT Jawbone Canyon to Kennedy Meadows
We walked in the rain for the majority of the morning. It would abate and then pour, abate and pour. Winds were super high and packs were heavy. I noticed with this heavy load, my hip joints would hurt as the day wore on. I hiked really well the first 4-5 hours of the day but after that my pace would get slower and slower until I could barely get my legs to turn over. Last time I carried a 50 pound pack was thru-hiking the High Sierra Trail however many years ago so I had sort of forgotten how it really grinds you into the ground.
Just when we all thought we couldn't take another step, we got to a road crossing and a water cache! I filled my liter electrolyte bottle at the cache. There was a guy was hanging around waiting to talk to us. He and his group had seen us crawling along the ridgeline and he wanted to talk because one of his relatives was a previous thru-hiker. One thing lead to another and he invited us up to the look-out where his group was taking a break from 4x4'ing. They pulled out chairs for us to sit on and made us Turkish coffee and fed us Tiramisu and fruit! We hung out with them for awhile and had our spirits rejuvenated. The best part was the guy drove us back to the trail so we didn't have to walk the extra. LOL!
The sun came out so we took the time to pull our tents out to dry. In didn't take long with the high winds.
I caught up with Carolen as she was looking at her maps. Her pack was so heavy she couldn't get it back on, twisted around, and half fell, half sat in the middle of the trail. We all laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Once she got the pack back on, things kept falling off the back of it. It was one thing after another that gave us a good laugh.
We continued on and the rain had stopped but the wind still persisted. Howling winds! We had a steady climb till we pitched our tents on the top of a saddle. Joshua Trees and desert flora and fauna surrounded us in the whipping wind and the temperature plummeted. I didn't sleep a wink that night with the wind making such a ruckus.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
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Just when we all thought we couldn't take another step, we got to a road crossing and a water cache! I filled my liter electrolyte bottle at the cache. There was a guy was hanging around waiting to talk to us. He and his group had seen us crawling along the ridgeline and he wanted to talk because one of his relatives was a previous thru-hiker. One thing lead to another and he invited us up to the look-out where his group was taking a break from 4x4'ing. They pulled out chairs for us to sit on and made us Turkish coffee and fed us Tiramisu and fruit! We hung out with them for awhile and had our spirits rejuvenated. The best part was the guy drove us back to the trail so we didn't have to walk the extra. LOL!
The sun came out so we took the time to pull our tents out to dry. In didn't take long with the high winds.
I caught up with Carolen as she was looking at her maps. Her pack was so heavy she couldn't get it back on, twisted around, and half fell, half sat in the middle of the trail. We all laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Once she got the pack back on, things kept falling off the back of it. It was one thing after another that gave us a good laugh.
We continued on and the rain had stopped but the wind still persisted. Howling winds! We had a steady climb till we pitched our tents on the top of a saddle. Joshua Trees and desert flora and fauna surrounded us in the whipping wind and the temperature plummeted. I didn't sleep a wink that night with the wind making such a ruckus.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
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Friday, April 20, 2018
Day 1: PCT Jawbone to Kennedy Meadows
Carolen, Ingrid, and I set out to do another 100 mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail (miles 602-702) from Jawbone Canyon Road to Kennedy Meadows. One of these days I need to add up all my PCT miles because I really don't know how much I've done off the top of my head. I knew going into it that it would be tough with the lack of water sources. I had 8 days of food and 8 liters of water to start off with so that made my pack 50+ pounds. One liter of water weighs 2.25 pounds which added an extra 18 pounds to my 32 pound pack weight. UGH!
We drove up to Acton to leave Ingrid's car at her relative's house and Trail Angel Mary picked us up from there. What a sweet lady! She helps 300+ hikers per season and has seen it all. Her price for taking us up into Jawbone Canyon was a tea party so we each had made tea sandwiches and cookies. She got us as far into the Canyon as she could but the road was so bad she had to stop about 4 miles from the PCT junction. We pulled out all our goodies and boiled some water for the tea. Had ourselves a nice time eating sandwiches, cookies, and chatting. She showed us the message from Tree in her log book and that was very sad. Tree was a thru-hiker last year who drowned in the Kern River trying to cross.
Some dudes rolled up in Rubicons and Carolen went over to see if they could take us the remaining 4 miles to the PCT Junction but they said they didn't pick up hitch hikers. LOL.
We wrapped up the tea party and said our good-byes to Mary. We had a steep climb immediately. It started off pretty warm but the higher we went, the colder it got. Fog rolled in, then it started raining. It hailed a bit too. Crazy weather for the beginning but we were expecting rain so donned our rain gear. We finally made it to the PCT junction and then went an additional 3 miles to camp. We pitched in a nice little area by a stream where we loaded up on water. Myself and Carolen topped off at 8 liters. Ingrid carried about half as much as we do because she just doesn't drink as much. I filtered the water in my vestibule since it was raining. I did a lot in my vestibule during this trip that will probably be frowned upon and I definitely don't recommend or endorse anything I did. LOL. If you are a novice backpacker, don't follow my lead.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression Ambassador: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
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Nuun Hydration Ambassador
We drove up to Acton to leave Ingrid's car at her relative's house and Trail Angel Mary picked us up from there. What a sweet lady! She helps 300+ hikers per season and has seen it all. Her price for taking us up into Jawbone Canyon was a tea party so we each had made tea sandwiches and cookies. She got us as far into the Canyon as she could but the road was so bad she had to stop about 4 miles from the PCT junction. We pulled out all our goodies and boiled some water for the tea. Had ourselves a nice time eating sandwiches, cookies, and chatting. She showed us the message from Tree in her log book and that was very sad. Tree was a thru-hiker last year who drowned in the Kern River trying to cross.
Some dudes rolled up in Rubicons and Carolen went over to see if they could take us the remaining 4 miles to the PCT Junction but they said they didn't pick up hitch hikers. LOL.
We wrapped up the tea party and said our good-byes to Mary. We had a steep climb immediately. It started off pretty warm but the higher we went, the colder it got. Fog rolled in, then it started raining. It hailed a bit too. Crazy weather for the beginning but we were expecting rain so donned our rain gear. We finally made it to the PCT junction and then went an additional 3 miles to camp. We pitched in a nice little area by a stream where we loaded up on water. Myself and Carolen topped off at 8 liters. Ingrid carried about half as much as we do because she just doesn't drink as much. I filtered the water in my vestibule since it was raining. I did a lot in my vestibule during this trip that will probably be frowned upon and I definitely don't recommend or endorse anything I did. LOL. If you are a novice backpacker, don't follow my lead.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Sunday, September 3, 2017
Tahoe Rim Trail Final Day
Mt. Rose to Spooner Summit- 24 miles
Today is supposed to be the second to last day with 15 miles but I wake up with a funny feeling. I know I don't want to do 9 miles tomorrow to finish. I want to finish today. Dennis is supposed to meet me at Marlette Campground to give me water because there is no water in this stretch. I decide I better have enough water for 24 miles just in case he doesn't have road access. I am mentally prepared to walk the whole way to be done.
Tahoe Meadows is a beautiful lush meadow with lots of standing water and mosquitos. After the meadow, I am back in the forest with intermittent views of Lake Tahoe. I check my phone periodically for messages from Dennis; cell service is good over here. Six miles in I get a message from him that the road to Marlette is closed so he won't be able to access it for resupply. He is telling me to backtrack. I laugh out loud and respond that there is no backtracking in thru-hiking. That would be a waste of mileage and then I would still have this section to hike. There is only moving forward. I resolve that I will keep moving forward even if it takes me till midnight to finish.
I have 3 liters of water with me plus electrolytes. I've been spot on the last week with using about 1 liter per 8 miles even when it's been super hot and humid so I know I'm good. It's all a mind game now.
A fast old dude comes up behind me and we chat for a bit. He is out for one night and camping at Marlette. We will leap frog for the rest of the day and he will be the only person I see all day. It's a lonely stretch.
I follow my same old routine to take care of myself but I am more diligent about it today since it's 24 miles. I eat snacks more often and sit down more often. I drink water and electrolytes, put on chapstick, pee and poop, and walk. I take pictures and stop to gaze at the scenery. Although I am attempting to be done today, I relish the views and the solitude. I am so grateful for good health and this opportunity.
Marlette Lake comes into view and it's a weird little lake that sits right on the side of Lake Tahoe with just a thin strip of land separating them.
Fast Old Dude approaches behind me and calls out Hello. He comments that we are almost to the campground and we can rest. I let him know I am continuing on to Spooner Summit. He acts shocked and says "You do realize that Spooner is another 9 miles?" I say, "Yes indeed, I realize it." He speeds off but then I see him backtracking to me about half a mile later. He can't find the campground so I pull out the Guthook app and show him where we currently are and the campground is another half mile further. He speeds off again.
When I make it to Marlette, Fast Old Dude is sitting on the side of the trail looking forlorn. I say, "I see you found the campground." He says, "Yeah, but there's no water, the pump handle is broken." Oh yes, the pump handle is broken. I assumed he had done his research before he came out there. He said he had water enough to drink but not enough to cook his food. I pull out my bladder to see how much I have left. I have 1.5 liters and offer him half a liter. One liter will get me 9 more miles. He refuses because it's a hot day and I still have miles to make. So I suggest that his only option is to scramble down the valley to Lake Marlette. There are no creeks or springs out here. He says that is what he will do and I bid him a final goodbye.
When I start climbing up the backside of Spooner Summit, the switchbacks never end. OMG, the switchbacks never end. I alternate between crying hysterically and belting out song lyrics. Cry, sing, cry, sing, cry, sing. This hike is never going to end. I just keep thinking that I'm walking to Dennis and I don't have to hike tomorrow.
I finally get on top Spooner and the views of Lake Tahoe take my breath away. Like the whole hike was worth it just for these final sunset views of the lake. I cry again because it's so beautiful.
I walk along Spooner ridge for a few miles and a rainstorm rolls over so I have to put on raingear. It passes quickly, thank goodness.
I have Rihanna's Shine Like a Diamond on repeat and listen to this about 20 times. Then I switch to Billy Joel's Piano Man and listen to that over and over, belting out the lyrics. There's no one out here and I am screaming into the wind.
I'm bawling my eyes out when I finally see the parking lot at Spooner Summit. It's 8pm. I can hear Nala barking. There is Dennis with his super duper sonic headlamp. And then I'm done. I can't believe I'm done.
I couldn't have done it without Dennis and his positive energy. He had Olive Garden salad and ravioli for me. We sat on the rocks by the Spooner Summit sign and ate our food, crescent moon shining overhead.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Today is supposed to be the second to last day with 15 miles but I wake up with a funny feeling. I know I don't want to do 9 miles tomorrow to finish. I want to finish today. Dennis is supposed to meet me at Marlette Campground to give me water because there is no water in this stretch. I decide I better have enough water for 24 miles just in case he doesn't have road access. I am mentally prepared to walk the whole way to be done.
Tahoe Meadows is a beautiful lush meadow with lots of standing water and mosquitos. After the meadow, I am back in the forest with intermittent views of Lake Tahoe. I check my phone periodically for messages from Dennis; cell service is good over here. Six miles in I get a message from him that the road to Marlette is closed so he won't be able to access it for resupply. He is telling me to backtrack. I laugh out loud and respond that there is no backtracking in thru-hiking. That would be a waste of mileage and then I would still have this section to hike. There is only moving forward. I resolve that I will keep moving forward even if it takes me till midnight to finish.
I have 3 liters of water with me plus electrolytes. I've been spot on the last week with using about 1 liter per 8 miles even when it's been super hot and humid so I know I'm good. It's all a mind game now.
A fast old dude comes up behind me and we chat for a bit. He is out for one night and camping at Marlette. We will leap frog for the rest of the day and he will be the only person I see all day. It's a lonely stretch.
I follow my same old routine to take care of myself but I am more diligent about it today since it's 24 miles. I eat snacks more often and sit down more often. I drink water and electrolytes, put on chapstick, pee and poop, and walk. I take pictures and stop to gaze at the scenery. Although I am attempting to be done today, I relish the views and the solitude. I am so grateful for good health and this opportunity.
Marlette Lake comes into view and it's a weird little lake that sits right on the side of Lake Tahoe with just a thin strip of land separating them.
Fast Old Dude approaches behind me and calls out Hello. He comments that we are almost to the campground and we can rest. I let him know I am continuing on to Spooner Summit. He acts shocked and says "You do realize that Spooner is another 9 miles?" I say, "Yes indeed, I realize it." He speeds off but then I see him backtracking to me about half a mile later. He can't find the campground so I pull out the Guthook app and show him where we currently are and the campground is another half mile further. He speeds off again.
When I make it to Marlette, Fast Old Dude is sitting on the side of the trail looking forlorn. I say, "I see you found the campground." He says, "Yeah, but there's no water, the pump handle is broken." Oh yes, the pump handle is broken. I assumed he had done his research before he came out there. He said he had water enough to drink but not enough to cook his food. I pull out my bladder to see how much I have left. I have 1.5 liters and offer him half a liter. One liter will get me 9 more miles. He refuses because it's a hot day and I still have miles to make. So I suggest that his only option is to scramble down the valley to Lake Marlette. There are no creeks or springs out here. He says that is what he will do and I bid him a final goodbye.
When I start climbing up the backside of Spooner Summit, the switchbacks never end. OMG, the switchbacks never end. I alternate between crying hysterically and belting out song lyrics. Cry, sing, cry, sing, cry, sing. This hike is never going to end. I just keep thinking that I'm walking to Dennis and I don't have to hike tomorrow.
I finally get on top Spooner and the views of Lake Tahoe take my breath away. Like the whole hike was worth it just for these final sunset views of the lake. I cry again because it's so beautiful.
I walk along Spooner ridge for a few miles and a rainstorm rolls over so I have to put on raingear. It passes quickly, thank goodness.
I have Rihanna's Shine Like a Diamond on repeat and listen to this about 20 times. Then I switch to Billy Joel's Piano Man and listen to that over and over, belting out the lyrics. There's no one out here and I am screaming into the wind.
I'm bawling my eyes out when I finally see the parking lot at Spooner Summit. It's 8pm. I can hear Nala barking. There is Dennis with his super duper sonic headlamp. And then I'm done. I can't believe I'm done.
I couldn't have done it without Dennis and his positive energy. He had Olive Garden salad and ravioli for me. We sat on the rocks by the Spooner Summit sign and ate our food, crescent moon shining overhead.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Day 12
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
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
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
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Day 11
Watson Lake to Martis Peak Road- 11 miles
I changed the itinerary to break up the 27 miles between Watson Lake and Mt. Rose a bit more. Dennis reconned Martis Peak Road and it's open access. There is very little water from here on out so I carried 3 liters per day plus electrolytes.
I leap frog with the Military Ladies again today. I feel some comraderie and have fun chatting with them periodically. It's the weekend so there are a ton of people out here again. Brockway Summit Trailhead is a hot spot with mountain bikers galore again. A mountain biker appears beside me and bumps me with his handlebars. Frickin' A, dude! I yell at him. He mumbles Excuse Me and speeds off, spewing dirt and rocks all over my shins. AHHHHHHHH! I scream after him. Ugh. Sorry if you are a mountain biker but I hope you have better etiquette than that!
I had to cross the 267 freeway to get to the other side of the trailhead and it was so busy, it took me about 10 minutes to get across. Wow, so much traffic on this road!
The Military Ladies got off at Brockway Summit. It made me wish I was done too.
It was a very easy day with just a couple mile climb up to Martis Peak. In the last half mile, guess who I caught up with? Slow Lady with Dog! I thought I had left her in the dust! That's when I realized she was doing high miles, going for 18 that day. We chatted for a bit. I thought I was a slow talker with my drunken country bumpkin accent but she was a slooooow talker. We made it to Martis Peak Rd and I gave her more water. I gave her dog, Hazel, water and treats too. That would be the last time I saw her.
Dennis had a Subway sandwich for me which I devoured in 13 seconds. I was finished hiking by 2:30pm and it felt odd to be done so early!
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
I changed the itinerary to break up the 27 miles between Watson Lake and Mt. Rose a bit more. Dennis reconned Martis Peak Road and it's open access. There is very little water from here on out so I carried 3 liters per day plus electrolytes.
I leap frog with the Military Ladies again today. I feel some comraderie and have fun chatting with them periodically. It's the weekend so there are a ton of people out here again. Brockway Summit Trailhead is a hot spot with mountain bikers galore again. A mountain biker appears beside me and bumps me with his handlebars. Frickin' A, dude! I yell at him. He mumbles Excuse Me and speeds off, spewing dirt and rocks all over my shins. AHHHHHHHH! I scream after him. Ugh. Sorry if you are a mountain biker but I hope you have better etiquette than that!
I had to cross the 267 freeway to get to the other side of the trailhead and it was so busy, it took me about 10 minutes to get across. Wow, so much traffic on this road!
The Military Ladies got off at Brockway Summit. It made me wish I was done too.
It was a very easy day with just a couple mile climb up to Martis Peak. In the last half mile, guess who I caught up with? Slow Lady with Dog! I thought I had left her in the dust! That's when I realized she was doing high miles, going for 18 that day. We chatted for a bit. I thought I was a slow talker with my drunken country bumpkin accent but she was a slooooow talker. We made it to Martis Peak Rd and I gave her more water. I gave her dog, Hazel, water and treats too. That would be the last time I saw her.
Dennis had a Subway sandwich for me which I devoured in 13 seconds. I was finished hiking by 2:30pm and it felt odd to be done so early!
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Tahoe Rim Trail Days 9 & 10
Tahoe City- Zero Day
I took a zero day in Tahoe City which means I didn't do any mileage. I did laundry, walked around Tahoe City for about 10 minutes, and went to soak my feet in Lake Tahoe. The dogs had fun playing in the lake too. It's tough being a Resupply Dog, you know.
Tahoe City to Watson Lake- 13 miles
There is zero water between Tahoe City and Watson Lake so I carry 3 liters of water plus my electrolytes. It is super hot and humid.
OMG, I see Slow Lady with Dog!! She had to get off trail for a day because her van got broken into by a bear at Kingsbury North! Now she is back and rocking it. She may be slow but she starts early, ends late, and goes far.
The climb out of Tahoe City gets a lot of hype but I didn't think it was bad. It was just like any other climb out of any other trailhead. There is a crap ton of people out here today though. I count 38 mountain bikers, 7 backpackers, and countless day hikers. The mountain bikers are all coming from Watson Lake and there are heavy duty switchbacks coming up from the lake for about 5 miles. I find great amusement in watching them walking their bikes up. I get a grim satisfaction from their suffering. Only a few are courteous enough to call out or ring a bell when behind me. More often than not, they come right up behind me and wobble on their two wheels waiting for me to notice and move aside. Sorry but I don't hear you. You need to call out Behind You or On Your Left or Hello, ANYTHING.
I leap frog with 4 backpacking ladies who are section hikers. They are super fast and militant in their hiking although I don't think they are military. They don't speak to me at first. It takes a few passes to get them talking and then they are super friendly. I get plied with questions about snow levels at Freel Peak and if Star Lake is swimmable. They are carrying camp chairs which I envy.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
I took a zero day in Tahoe City which means I didn't do any mileage. I did laundry, walked around Tahoe City for about 10 minutes, and went to soak my feet in Lake Tahoe. The dogs had fun playing in the lake too. It's tough being a Resupply Dog, you know.
Tahoe City to Watson Lake- 13 miles
There is zero water between Tahoe City and Watson Lake so I carry 3 liters of water plus my electrolytes. It is super hot and humid.
OMG, I see Slow Lady with Dog!! She had to get off trail for a day because her van got broken into by a bear at Kingsbury North! Now she is back and rocking it. She may be slow but she starts early, ends late, and goes far.
The climb out of Tahoe City gets a lot of hype but I didn't think it was bad. It was just like any other climb out of any other trailhead. There is a crap ton of people out here today though. I count 38 mountain bikers, 7 backpackers, and countless day hikers. The mountain bikers are all coming from Watson Lake and there are heavy duty switchbacks coming up from the lake for about 5 miles. I find great amusement in watching them walking their bikes up. I get a grim satisfaction from their suffering. Only a few are courteous enough to call out or ring a bell when behind me. More often than not, they come right up behind me and wobble on their two wheels waiting for me to notice and move aside. Sorry but I don't hear you. You need to call out Behind You or On Your Left or Hello, ANYTHING.
I leap frog with 4 backpacking ladies who are section hikers. They are super fast and militant in their hiking although I don't think they are military. They don't speak to me at first. It takes a few passes to get them talking and then they are super friendly. I get plied with questions about snow levels at Freel Peak and if Star Lake is swimmable. They are carrying camp chairs which I envy.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
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Tahoe Rim Trail Day 8
Barker Pass to Tahoe City- 16 miles
Nancy let me know last night that she is permanently off trail so I will continue on my own.
Barker Pass to Tahoe City was very uneventful. I walked through lots of forest and walked on a fair amount of jeep roads. The jeep roads were very uninteresting. There were still good water sources in this section so I was able to filter as needed.
I saw 4 mountain bikers all day and that was it. I am really not seeing very many people. Where are all the thru-hikers?
I'm super tired but feel really good. So far I have not been sore at all which is pretty amazing. My feet hurt and are swollen but that's a given. I have one little blister on my heel from walking in wet socks up Dick's Pass.
There is construction around the parking lot in Tahoe City and the trail gets rerouted onto a paved bike path. It pops me out onto the freeway and Dennis picks me up. Since Nancy is off trail, Dennis will shuttle me to the trailheads every day so I have only the essentials to carry and don't have to pack overnight gear. This means I will get a shower and a hamburger every day! Silver linings.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Nancy let me know last night that she is permanently off trail so I will continue on my own.
Barker Pass to Tahoe City was very uneventful. I walked through lots of forest and walked on a fair amount of jeep roads. The jeep roads were very uninteresting. There were still good water sources in this section so I was able to filter as needed.
I saw 4 mountain bikers all day and that was it. I am really not seeing very many people. Where are all the thru-hikers?
I'm super tired but feel really good. So far I have not been sore at all which is pretty amazing. My feet hurt and are swollen but that's a given. I have one little blister on my heel from walking in wet socks up Dick's Pass.
There is construction around the parking lot in Tahoe City and the trail gets rerouted onto a paved bike path. It pops me out onto the freeway and Dennis picks me up. Since Nancy is off trail, Dennis will shuttle me to the trailheads every day so I have only the essentials to carry and don't have to pack overnight gear. This means I will get a shower and a hamburger every day! Silver linings.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
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Tahoe Rim Trail Day 7
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
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
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
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Day 6
Lake Aloha to Dick's Lake- 9 miles
Hammock Guy stopped by in the morning to see if we wanted to hike with him to figure out how to get out of there but we take too long to pack up so we waved him on. It was very nice of him to offer though.
We studied the map and figured we needed to stay between the Lake Aloha shoreline and a little body of water called Lake Le Conte. We navigated around the obstacles and found the trail on the other side within about half an hour.
We were walking along and a dude passes us and says "Happy Trails!" I turn and look and it's the guy we met on the first day eating Mike & Ike's under the shade tree. Happy Trails! Hey, I remember you! He's going counter clockwise and is getting off trail at Echo Lake. He's tired and needs a rest.
Good thing we didn't push on to Heather Lake last night because there was no place to camp there. It was all lake and steep granite.
Now we get to the part where we start climbing to go up Dick's pass. Dick's is at elevation 9380 feet. It's only about a 1400 foot climb from where we are but we get hit with multiple rounds of thunder/lightning/hail/pouring rain as we head up. We don rain gear and hide under a grove of trees for about an hour waiting for the first lightning rounds to pass. A couple of hikers walk by wrapped in their tents.
We start up again. Slow, slow, slooow. Everything is slower in the pelting rain. This turns into the slowest climb of my life. We pull over again and wait under a grove of trees for lightning to pass. This storm is very freaking scary. We get to the lip of the mountain where we think the pass tops out and, psych! Nope, gotta go a few more switchbacks. I keep looking back to make sure Nancy is with me. FINALLY, make it to the top. I scream into the wind, "Suck it, Dick's Pass!!!" And then we are out and over the top and out of the rain and going down, down, down. I rate that as one of my top five most horrible hiking days ever.
We make it to Dick's Lake and set up camp in a sweet spot. I have no water left so I go filter down at the lake. I make my dinner of Packit Gourmet Chicken and Dumplings and eat it in 9 seconds flat. I feel surprisingly good after such a gnarly day.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Hammock Guy stopped by in the morning to see if we wanted to hike with him to figure out how to get out of there but we take too long to pack up so we waved him on. It was very nice of him to offer though.
We studied the map and figured we needed to stay between the Lake Aloha shoreline and a little body of water called Lake Le Conte. We navigated around the obstacles and found the trail on the other side within about half an hour.
We were walking along and a dude passes us and says "Happy Trails!" I turn and look and it's the guy we met on the first day eating Mike & Ike's under the shade tree. Happy Trails! Hey, I remember you! He's going counter clockwise and is getting off trail at Echo Lake. He's tired and needs a rest.
Good thing we didn't push on to Heather Lake last night because there was no place to camp there. It was all lake and steep granite.
Now we get to the part where we start climbing to go up Dick's pass. Dick's is at elevation 9380 feet. It's only about a 1400 foot climb from where we are but we get hit with multiple rounds of thunder/lightning/hail/pouring rain as we head up. We don rain gear and hide under a grove of trees for about an hour waiting for the first lightning rounds to pass. A couple of hikers walk by wrapped in their tents.
We start up again. Slow, slow, slooow. Everything is slower in the pelting rain. This turns into the slowest climb of my life. We pull over again and wait under a grove of trees for lightning to pass. This storm is very freaking scary. We get to the lip of the mountain where we think the pass tops out and, psych! Nope, gotta go a few more switchbacks. I keep looking back to make sure Nancy is with me. FINALLY, make it to the top. I scream into the wind, "Suck it, Dick's Pass!!!" And then we are out and over the top and out of the rain and going down, down, down. I rate that as one of my top five most horrible hiking days ever.
We make it to Dick's Lake and set up camp in a sweet spot. I have no water left so I go filter down at the lake. I make my dinner of Packit Gourmet Chicken and Dumplings and eat it in 9 seconds flat. I feel surprisingly good after such a gnarly day.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Tahoe Rim Trail Day 5
Echo Summit to Lake Aloha- entering Desolation Wilderness- 9 miles
Nancy was able to eat a couple of good meals yesterday so she is with me going into Desolation Wilderness. I'm happy to have the company through this portion of the trail. The trail has changed from a nice dirt path to loose scree and rock. It's very tough on the feet and they ache badly at the end of the day. We "only" have 9 miles to go today but they are tough miles.
We walk along Echo Lake and are able to view the eclipse with special glasses that Nancy brought along. That was way cool. Without the glasses, you would never know it was an eclipse though.
Dennis couldn't find a fix for my bear can so he got me a new one. I like it better than my old one, in fact.
We made it to Lake Aloha about 3pm and soaked our feet. It was SO NICE. It reminded me a lot of Thousand Island Lakes with Banner and Ritter on the JMT. There was a crap ton of people camping there though. We decided to push on to Heather Lake since it was still early. We ended up getting off trail due to large bodies of water and snow covering the trail so we wandering around for an hour trying to figure out how we could get around the obstacles. Then another rain storm rolled in and we decided to backtrack and camp and reassess in the morning. We ran into a couple of dudes, Snow Boarder and Skiier, but they seemed a little nutso so we didn't linger with them.
We found a spot to set up camp and filtered water during a reprieve in the rain. Another dude, Hammock Guy, walked by and said he was lost and asked if we knew how to get around the water and snow. We told him to stay along the shoreline and it should connect back with the trail near the north eastern part of the lake. So he backtracked to set up his hammock for the night and will reassess in the morning as well.
We had massive rain and hail for several hours during the night. My tent was awesome and nothing but my fly was wet the next morning.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
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Nancy was able to eat a couple of good meals yesterday so she is with me going into Desolation Wilderness. I'm happy to have the company through this portion of the trail. The trail has changed from a nice dirt path to loose scree and rock. It's very tough on the feet and they ache badly at the end of the day. We "only" have 9 miles to go today but they are tough miles.
We walk along Echo Lake and are able to view the eclipse with special glasses that Nancy brought along. That was way cool. Without the glasses, you would never know it was an eclipse though.
Dennis couldn't find a fix for my bear can so he got me a new one. I like it better than my old one, in fact.
We made it to Lake Aloha about 3pm and soaked our feet. It was SO NICE. It reminded me a lot of Thousand Island Lakes with Banner and Ritter on the JMT. There was a crap ton of people camping there though. We decided to push on to Heather Lake since it was still early. We ended up getting off trail due to large bodies of water and snow covering the trail so we wandering around for an hour trying to figure out how we could get around the obstacles. Then another rain storm rolled in and we decided to backtrack and camp and reassess in the morning. We ran into a couple of dudes, Snow Boarder and Skiier, but they seemed a little nutso so we didn't linger with them.
We found a spot to set up camp and filtered water during a reprieve in the rain. Another dude, Hammock Guy, walked by and said he was lost and asked if we knew how to get around the water and snow. We told him to stay along the shoreline and it should connect back with the trail near the north eastern part of the lake. So he backtracked to set up his hammock for the night and will reassess in the morning as well.
We had massive rain and hail for several hours during the night. My tent was awesome and nothing but my fly was wet the next morning.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Day 4
Big Meadow to Echo Summit- 15 miles
I walk through forests, meadows, and fields of flowers as tall as me all day. I cross countless streams, stepping or rock hopping across. I eat something every two hours, drink water and electrolytes, filter water, apply my chapstick, pee and poop, and walk, walk, walk. The scenery starts to change and I know Desolation Wilderness is coming up. Forests give way to steep granite drop-offs, boulders, loose scree, and rocky trail. I hear thunder in the distance and am worried because I'm by myself. I haven't seen anyone all day but know I'm getting close to the trailhead when I start seeing runners and day hikers. I feel the first few drops of rain and lightning flashes in the distance. I'm about a mile from the trailhead and Dennis will pick me up for another hotel night before I head into Desolation. Thunder rumbles and I start running. I'm trying to outrun the storm. Pouring rain hits me when I'm half mile from the trailhead. I put on my rain gear and continue running. I reach the trailhead junction and don't know whether to go right or left, can't see anything through the rain, don't want to pull my map out. So I run cross country, aiming for an awning I can see in the distance. It starts hailing. I make it to the awning and take shelter under the entrance of the Adventure Mountain Lodge, which is "closed for the season," meaning it's open during the winter for skiing only. I have no cell service so I hit my SPOT okay button so Dennis has my GPS coordinates. I'm freezing now so I put on my down jacket and gloves under my rain gear. It's gone from about 80 degrees to 55 in a matter of minutes. Dennis has a shrill whistle that is very distinctive and I can hear it in the distance. Then I hear him honking the truck horn. He does this repeatedly and I follow the sounds until I can see him and am so relieved. The dogs are peering at me out of the truck windows through the pouring rain/hail. I'm sure they are thinking WTF is she doing?
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
I walk through forests, meadows, and fields of flowers as tall as me all day. I cross countless streams, stepping or rock hopping across. I eat something every two hours, drink water and electrolytes, filter water, apply my chapstick, pee and poop, and walk, walk, walk. The scenery starts to change and I know Desolation Wilderness is coming up. Forests give way to steep granite drop-offs, boulders, loose scree, and rocky trail. I hear thunder in the distance and am worried because I'm by myself. I haven't seen anyone all day but know I'm getting close to the trailhead when I start seeing runners and day hikers. I feel the first few drops of rain and lightning flashes in the distance. I'm about a mile from the trailhead and Dennis will pick me up for another hotel night before I head into Desolation. Thunder rumbles and I start running. I'm trying to outrun the storm. Pouring rain hits me when I'm half mile from the trailhead. I put on my rain gear and continue running. I reach the trailhead junction and don't know whether to go right or left, can't see anything through the rain, don't want to pull my map out. So I run cross country, aiming for an awning I can see in the distance. It starts hailing. I make it to the awning and take shelter under the entrance of the Adventure Mountain Lodge, which is "closed for the season," meaning it's open during the winter for skiing only. I have no cell service so I hit my SPOT okay button so Dennis has my GPS coordinates. I'm freezing now so I put on my down jacket and gloves under my rain gear. It's gone from about 80 degrees to 55 in a matter of minutes. Dennis has a shrill whistle that is very distinctive and I can hear it in the distance. Then I hear him honking the truck horn. He does this repeatedly and I follow the sounds until I can see him and am so relieved. The dogs are peering at me out of the truck windows through the pouring rain/hail. I'm sure they are thinking WTF is she doing?
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Day 3
One mile short of Star Lake to Big Meadow- 15.4 miles
Things are getting serious up in here. I am so worried about Nancy. She only eats a couple of triscuits which is not sufficient for a 15 mile day. I try to keep her within my sights at all times. She is dry heaving and moving slow. We need to get to Big Meadow so she can get off trail until this passes.
We run into a thunder and lightning storm going up Armstrong Pass. It's not directly over the pass so I think we are okay to continue up and over. The freaking trail winds all over the summit though and it takes forever to get over it. Just when I think it's going to be straight forward, it isn't.
I run into a couple more thru-hikers but I don't have the energy to give them fake names. They are worried about Nancy and ask me if she's okay and if she is going to be able to make it out. I reply yes, she must make it.
This becomes like a death march in the rain. Every turn I take, I think it's the trailhead parking lot. The parking lot is around this bend, no this bend, no this bend...... ARGH!
Dennis meets us at Big Meadow trailhead and we both get off trail. I'm starving, grouchy, and tired. Can't even imagine how Nancy must feel. We go to the Motel 6 in South Lake Tahoe and Nancy crawls immediately into bed. I shower and eat a hamburger, resolving that I must continue hiking by myself tomorrow.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Things are getting serious up in here. I am so worried about Nancy. She only eats a couple of triscuits which is not sufficient for a 15 mile day. I try to keep her within my sights at all times. She is dry heaving and moving slow. We need to get to Big Meadow so she can get off trail until this passes.
We run into a thunder and lightning storm going up Armstrong Pass. It's not directly over the pass so I think we are okay to continue up and over. The freaking trail winds all over the summit though and it takes forever to get over it. Just when I think it's going to be straight forward, it isn't.
I run into a couple more thru-hikers but I don't have the energy to give them fake names. They are worried about Nancy and ask me if she's okay and if she is going to be able to make it out. I reply yes, she must make it.
This becomes like a death march in the rain. Every turn I take, I think it's the trailhead parking lot. The parking lot is around this bend, no this bend, no this bend...... ARGH!
Dennis meets us at Big Meadow trailhead and we both get off trail. I'm starving, grouchy, and tired. Can't even imagine how Nancy must feel. We go to the Motel 6 in South Lake Tahoe and Nancy crawls immediately into bed. I shower and eat a hamburger, resolving that I must continue hiking by myself tomorrow.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Day 2
Edgewood Creek to 1 mile short of Star Lake- 11 miles
I woke up definitely knowing I was getting a sinus infection. SHIT. What is the deal with these sinus infections? The good thing about the TRT is there is cell service around most of the lake (with the exception of Desolation Wilderness). I was able to communicate with Dennis what was going on. I planned to call my doctor when they opened at 8am to see what could be done. By the time I took a break to make the call, Dennis informed me he had already called my nurse practitioner, Steven, and he would have Augmentin for me by the time I got to the Kingsbury South trailhead! What! WOW! Steven knew I was on trail and my sinus infection history so he was quick to respond. I didn't want to go into Desolation Wilderness being sick since there would be no trailhead access for a few days.
Nancy's stomach issues were progressively worse and she wasn't able to eat much of anything. Her energy was waning with very few incoming calories.
We ran across another thru-hiker who I called Slow Lady with Dog. I called her Slow Lady not only because she walked slow but she talked slow too like she was stoned all the time. Her dog's name was Hazel. Funny how I know the dog's name but not her name. She was also eating a good looking sandwich, maybe from Subway.
Our planned destination was Star Lake but we ended up making camp 1 mile short. We had a nice little stream and relaxed while the sun set over Lake Tahoe.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
I woke up definitely knowing I was getting a sinus infection. SHIT. What is the deal with these sinus infections? The good thing about the TRT is there is cell service around most of the lake (with the exception of Desolation Wilderness). I was able to communicate with Dennis what was going on. I planned to call my doctor when they opened at 8am to see what could be done. By the time I took a break to make the call, Dennis informed me he had already called my nurse practitioner, Steven, and he would have Augmentin for me by the time I got to the Kingsbury South trailhead! What! WOW! Steven knew I was on trail and my sinus infection history so he was quick to respond. I didn't want to go into Desolation Wilderness being sick since there would be no trailhead access for a few days.
Nancy's stomach issues were progressively worse and she wasn't able to eat much of anything. Her energy was waning with very few incoming calories.
We ran across another thru-hiker who I called Slow Lady with Dog. I called her Slow Lady not only because she walked slow but she talked slow too like she was stoned all the time. Her dog's name was Hazel. Funny how I know the dog's name but not her name. She was also eating a good looking sandwich, maybe from Subway.
Our planned destination was Star Lake but we ended up making camp 1 mile short. We had a nice little stream and relaxed while the sun set over Lake Tahoe.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Days 0 & 1
The Tahoe Rim Trail was the first trail I ever wanted to thru-hike, before I even knew about the Pacific Crest Trail. This has been my goal for many years and has finally come to fruition. First and foremost, I thank God for seeing me through, protecting myself and my family, and thwarting all the bad juju. Secondly, I thank Dennis, my husband of 29 years, for his love and support. He resupplied me on this journey and I couldn't have done it without him. He found me at hard to reach trailheads, brought me hamburgers, subway sandwiches, Olive Garden, and beer. He got antibiotics to me within an hour of calling the doctor. He brought me a new bear can when I forgot the key piece for my old one. He provided positive energy and a never failing belief that I could do it even when I wanted to quit. I love you, Dennis. Thank you so much.
Materials used: TRT Guthook app (water source info was accurate) and the Tom Harrison map for Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Rim Trail.
The journey started out very rough but I wasn't willing to give up. My daughter was 10 days late giving birth and that was just 4 days before departure. If something went wrong or she had a C-section, I would have canceled the trip. But she had big healthy boy and she was motoring around within hours like she hadn't just pushed 8 pounds 10 ounces out of her hoo-ha.
We borrowed our nephew's van and it was working fine the day before departure. We were all packed up the morning of but it wouldn't start. Tried jumping it and it still wouldn't start. So we transferred all the gear to our truck, which we hadn't prepped, so we had to dick around with oil and gas and re-loading all the gear. Additionally, everyone in the family had been sick the prior week and I had woken up with a sore throat. I said, "It's just allergies, it's just allergies."
Finally we were on the road. Destination South Lake Tahoe. We (Nancy & I) would start hiking the following day at Spooner Summit and go clockwise. Dennis would meet us at various trailheads to resupply us with food and water so that we could carry lighter packs. The longest stretch we would have to carry additional food was for three days in Desolation Wilderness.
Day 1- Spooner Summit to Edgewood Creek- 15 miles
It was a monumental moment to make it to the trailhead to begin the hike. I was so excited! There was another thru-hiker in the parking lot washing her hair. I thought, ah yes, here we go! The trail was smooth, wide, and easy. The only indication of difficulty was labored breathing as we got higher in altitude. Wide vistas opened up of Lake Tahoe and it was supremely gorgeous. Surreal. I couldn't believe it.
We came across a guy called Happy Trails eating Mike & Ike's under a shade tree and we chatted a bit. He talked about taking Uber into town to get resupplied. He was taking his time and behind in his schedule.
I was sick, definitely sick, but still said it was just allergies. Nancy was having stomach issues from what we thought might be food poisoning from the ceasar salad at dinner night before.
We met Dennis at Kingsbury North trailhead to get water, more food, and our bear cans. I realized that I had forgotten a key component of my bear can and it wouldn't lock. Nancy and I shared a bear can that night and Dennis took mine to see if he could rig a fix.
We ended our night just past Edgewood Creek and camped on a knoll above the trail with the sun setting beyond the forest wall.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
The Tahoe Rim Trail passes through two states (California and Nevada), six counties, one state park, three National Forests, and three Wilderness areas. This spectacular trail is 165 miles of single-track multiuse trail, winding from peak to peak around Lake Tahoe.
Materials used: TRT Guthook app (water source info was accurate) and the Tom Harrison map for Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Rim Trail.
The journey started out very rough but I wasn't willing to give up. My daughter was 10 days late giving birth and that was just 4 days before departure. If something went wrong or she had a C-section, I would have canceled the trip. But she had big healthy boy and she was motoring around within hours like she hadn't just pushed 8 pounds 10 ounces out of her hoo-ha.
We borrowed our nephew's van and it was working fine the day before departure. We were all packed up the morning of but it wouldn't start. Tried jumping it and it still wouldn't start. So we transferred all the gear to our truck, which we hadn't prepped, so we had to dick around with oil and gas and re-loading all the gear. Additionally, everyone in the family had been sick the prior week and I had woken up with a sore throat. I said, "It's just allergies, it's just allergies."
Finally we were on the road. Destination South Lake Tahoe. We (Nancy & I) would start hiking the following day at Spooner Summit and go clockwise. Dennis would meet us at various trailheads to resupply us with food and water so that we could carry lighter packs. The longest stretch we would have to carry additional food was for three days in Desolation Wilderness.
Day 1- Spooner Summit to Edgewood Creek- 15 miles
It was a monumental moment to make it to the trailhead to begin the hike. I was so excited! There was another thru-hiker in the parking lot washing her hair. I thought, ah yes, here we go! The trail was smooth, wide, and easy. The only indication of difficulty was labored breathing as we got higher in altitude. Wide vistas opened up of Lake Tahoe and it was supremely gorgeous. Surreal. I couldn't believe it.
We came across a guy called Happy Trails eating Mike & Ike's under a shade tree and we chatted a bit. He talked about taking Uber into town to get resupplied. He was taking his time and behind in his schedule.
I was sick, definitely sick, but still said it was just allergies. Nancy was having stomach issues from what we thought might be food poisoning from the ceasar salad at dinner night before.
We met Dennis at Kingsbury North trailhead to get water, more food, and our bear cans. I realized that I had forgotten a key component of my bear can and it wouldn't lock. Nancy and I shared a bear can that night and Dennis took mine to see if he could rig a fix.
We ended our night just past Edgewood Creek and camped on a knoll above the trail with the sun setting beyond the forest wall.
Photos can be found on my Instagram @tinahikes
Author of Lola Hikes the Icy Mountain
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lola-Hikes-Mountain-Tina-Fernando/dp/1524656089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491443809&sr=8-1&keywords=lola+hikes+the+icy+mountain
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lola-hikes-the-icy-mountain-tina-fernando/1125793085?ean=9781524656089
Crazy Compression: 45% off code CCA-TFernando www.crazycompression.com
The Tahoe Rim Trail passes through two states (California and Nevada), six counties, one state park, three National Forests, and three Wilderness areas. This spectacular trail is 165 miles of single-track multiuse trail, winding from peak to peak around Lake Tahoe.
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