More PCT, July 22

After several days rest, Sandi and I headed back out to the PCT with supplies to last at least four nights, maybe five. Our goal was to hike the 38 mile section from Donner Pass to the Wild Plum campground near Sierra City. I dropped my Jeep at the Wild Plum campground and then  Sandi and her husband picked me up and we drove over to the  Donner Pass, trail head on I-80.  Due to all of the car shuffling, we got a late start and decided that we would make it a short day hike  as far as as the Peter Gubb Hut or Paradise Lake a few miles farther.

Half way, we met a hiker who had come from Warren Lake and said the section of the trail we were on was much easier than the last section from Baker Pass.  Wow, did that make us feel better.  We continued on until we got to Round Valley, which is the location of the Peter Grubb, a Sierra Club hut used mainly in the winter for snowshoers and back country skiers.

Round Valley:  Its a great place to snowshoe during the winter... but it is almost five miles from I-80

 Castle Peak overlooks Round Valley and it is one of the higher peaks in the area.  You can see it is above the tree line.

 We decided to make camp in the area near the Peter Grubb Hut and then get a really early start in the morning and push for the next lake which would be White Rock Lake about ten Miles.  But......

can you guess what happened?The weather man was totally wrong and the thunder and lightening that had been predicted for south of Highway 50 made it our way instead up to Highway 80. About 1:30 A.M. the lightening lit up the sky and then the rains came, not just a shower here and there but a deluge. Then just about the time I thought it would be safe to go back to sleep the lightening would start again and then the rain.  Sandi was really worried about the lightening strikes, but I reminded her that most likely the strikes would hit Castle Peak. Both Sandi and I got drenched.  Fortunately, it wasn't cold. I've been in storms when out in the back county before, but not like that and the whole time I was kicking myself for not packing my trusty single wall, but heavy, Bibler Tent. It has proved "bullet proof" in the past.  I had packed my much lighter 2 lb tent because good weather had been predicted. ):

The next morning we attempted to dry our tents and sleeping bags but the clouds kept coming and so did the rain.  At one point we left everything sitting out on the rocks and  headed for the hut which was also sheltering a few other wet folks.  The hut was somewhat dry, but dark, and bug infested. Well, folks, we got rained out.  Sandi had had it.  We packed up our wet gear and headed back to the Donner Pass trail head.  Sandi called her husband (gotta love those cell phones) to come and get us.

According to the forest service there were over 500 lightening strikes in the area and lots of small fires ignited. Fortunately, with the rain, none of the fires were vary serious.  My son, Jeremy, who is a fire fighter on the Tahoe Forest has been very busy due to those lightening strikes.

Well, it turns out Joel has been really missing my cooking, and couldn't wait for me to catch a flight back to Oregon so he drove down the next day (Tuesday) to pick me up and we drove back on Wednesday...with an extra passenger.  Seems we will be dog sitting Rio while Jeremy is out fighting fires.

 Looks like Rio Has made herself right at home:

The weather has finally turned nice in Leaburg so we will be here for a few more weeks before we return briefly to Portola to catch up with son #3, Justin and his wife Liz who will be visiting from D.C.   ....and of course  returning Rio to Jeremy.

Stay tuned.

Pacific Crest Trail: Barker Pass to Donner Pass, July 14-16

Day One:
The big day finally arrived for our "shake down" backpacking trip planned for two or  possibly three nights, but at least three full days. The last backpacking trip I did was in July 2009 to Mt. Whitney, so it's been a while.  Sandi completed a 15 day supported  trek on the Tahoe Rim Trail two years ago, where meals were brought in by Trail Angeles and she carried only snacks and essential gear, so this would be a new experience for her.
 
We met early Saturday morning at the Donner Pass Trail Head where I dropped off the Jeep and then Sandi's husband, Bob,  drove us over to Lake Tahoe to Barker Pass Road, about an hours drive.  Barker Pass Road climbs up to the Barker Pass Trail Head with an elevation gain of about 1500.  Whew, that is 1500 feet I won't have to hike up! The segment of the PCT to Donner Pass to the north is about 32 miles. Its a good  route to trek  as "shake down" route because there are several close" bail out points" to major roads and areas should the need arise.

Our 32 mile hiking route starts a little below the yellow line at the bottom of the map (I forgot to turn the GPS on at the very beginning) and ends a little off the top of the map. The big blue area on the right is Lake Tahoe.

The Barker Pass Trail Head is one of many access points to the PCT and it is  also one of the access points to the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT, 165 mile trail around Lake Tahoe which I previously hiked and backpacked).  The PCT and TRT are one and the same for about 5 miles and then the PCT splits off and continues on into the Granite Chief Wilderness.  I've hike the first 5 miles several  times following the TRT towards Blackwood Canyon, a gorgeous hike this time of year.

 We look pretty fresh as we start off on this adventure.


Armed with printed out maps from the Half Mile PCT website, an official Pacific Crest Segment Map, and my trust GPS, Sandi and I were able to hit the trail by 9:30. I was really looking forward to the first five miles having remembered all of the beautiful wildflowers from times before.  Rio, Jeremy's dog, was  excited and was her "happy dog" self every time she met up with new people and new dogs. She just loves people and dogs. With it being a Saturday, there were lots of folks out day hiking with their dogs.

At this point the PCT splits off from the TRT.

Lots of wild flowers along the trail.

And many vistas to be enjoyed.

 Below:  Looking north.  The pointy peak in the distance is Tinker Knob and to the left Castle Peak near the ending point of our trek and  destination for Monday.

 Below: Views of Lake Tahoe in the distance upper right of the picture.  Fires in California have made everything hazy.

This is looking towards Incline Village, NV

Once the trail split off into the Granite Chief Wilderness, I was in new territory.  Our goal was to make it to Five Lakes near the ski resort of Alpine meadows for the night.  We found a stream and a good campsite about a mile from Five Lakes and decided to camp there instead of going the extra mile or so off the trail to Five Lakes, thinking it would be less crowded and probably less mosquitoes.  The people were scarce, but the bugs weren't. The stream was perfect for soaking our feet and a good water source.  It was a good day, with 11 miles under our belt, the last mile or so going straight down. Rio was really tired and really wanted in my one person backpacker tent.  I finally give in, and she made herself comfortable and didn't move much in the night, except for shivering.  I think the temperature dipped down to the low 40's.

Day Two:

The next morning was off to a slow start.  I was cold and didn't want to get out the nice warm sleeping bag and Rio wasn't moving and there were no sounds coming from Sandi's tent.  I finally rolled out of bed and got the water boiling for coffee. I have  to hand it to Starbucks, their Via coffee is really, really, good for instant coffee and perfect for backpacking. It got me going.  After coffee and oatmeal we finally broke camp and  got on the trail sometime around 9:30, which is late for backpacking.

The trail continued through the Granite Chief Wilderness and skirted behind Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley ski areas.  There was lot of of elevation loss and then of course elevation gain.  Our goal was to make it close to Tinker Knob, about 10 miles. The trail took us around the back side of Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley Ski resorts.   We descended down to 7500 feet into a valley and found another water source and place to camp about two miles below Tinker Knob. (Why does it seem we always camp at the bottom with a climb out in the morning?)We had only hiked about 8 miles, but it seemed like 18. We decided not to tackle the two mile hike of  1500 foot elevation gain  up to Tinker Knob, but wait until the morning when it would be cooler.  Sandi retreated to her tent right after dinner and I occupied my time reading IBooks on my Iphone and fighting with Rio over whether or not I would let her in the tent. Guess who won?

Twin Peaks are the two little knobs in the far distant, which is where we were the day before and about where the PCT and TRT split:

There were lots of meadows of Mule Ears.  Some  of the meadows were in bloom, but in this section it looked like they had peaked as the blooms were starting to wither.

There were lots of interesting dead trees bleached out by the harsh weather conditions.

One of the PCT markers, which were far and few between, and often past a critical intersection (one of my pet peeves).

Looking back to where we have been:

This is Tinker Knob, major land mark and destination for the day.  We ended up camping in the valley below it where there was water.

Day Three:
The next morning everyone was refreshed and we were able to get up and get organized and on the trail by 7:30. That's more like it. It was to be a 14 mile day.  Tinker Knob was only two miles away at an elevation of 8900.  Ugh!  The climb up was a challenge but the scenery was beautiful. There was a fast breeze which was almost too cool, and once on top it was smooth sailing with a gradual decent for the next eight miles or so.  The trail follows the ridge and there are 360 degree vistas.  It skirts around on the back side of Sugar Bowl Ski Resort near  Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Judah  where the trail  starts to descend again back down to 7000 feet near Norden and old highway 40.

 It was pretty warm by the time we got to the bottom of Mt. Judah where the trail abruptly ends onto a dirt road. We made a wrong turn and a foot path and soon decided it was wrong and turned around.  There was a big PCT sign describing the area but no arrows pointing which direction to take on the dirt road until you traveled down it a few feet past a junction.   We still had another four miles to go up over Donner Summit and the next four miles seemed to go on forever.  There were lots of ups and downs and short, steep switch backs; it was hot; and we were all tired.  Rio, poor thing, would leap frog to what ever shade she could find and wait until I passed her and then follow just as it looked like I would get out of her site.

 This shows where we have been and the valley we camped in at the base of Tinker Knob

 The trail climbs about 1500 feet over two miles at this point.

 Our goal is to get to the top

 Looking down at the trail I have just walked on.

 The two little specs near the top are Sandi and Rio:

 We made it! Tinker Knob is the highest point for us at 8,900 ft on this section of the the trail.

 The trail continues for another 12 miles before reaching the Donner Pass parking area.

 On top of the world! and walking along the spine...not for the faint of heart:

 Looking back towards Tinker Knob:

 Natures rock garden:

 A good view of the trail:

 First siting of Donner Lake

 A snow patch near Sugar Bowl Ski Area around  Mt. Lincoln.  You can see some of the protective fence at the top of the picture, and it was a good place for Rio to cool off as she played in the snow.

 Donner Lake and Rainbow Bridge near Old Highway 40.

We finally arrived at the parking area around 6:30 and the Jeep was still there.  Wow, did it feel good to get my pack and boots off! Fourteen miles with a pack isn't too bad for us old folks! Poor Rio climbed into the back of the Jeep and didn't move until I dropped Sandi off at her house.

It was a good "shake down" trip which served its purpose.  There was food left over, so I'll have to revisit how much to take next time.  The goal is to keep the pack under 30 pounds which is a challenge while carrying a bear proof canister and enough food for an extended trip.  For once I had just the right amount of clothing. Rio was able to carry enough food for three full days and carry some water, but her pack is not large enough to carry more, and I wouldn't want to put anymore weight on her.  So, she'll have to stay home if I go for a longer period.  Jeremy should be back soon.

Some have asked where's Joel while I'm doing this?  Joel,... well he doesn't "do" hills, (LOL) so he is still in Oregon working on the Beaver.

What's next?  Not sure.  There will be a few "zero days" and then hit the trail. Stay tuned.

PS.  Sorry this is such a long blog.  It is soooo hard to determine which pictures to use; the scenery was so spectacular!

Bear Lakes in the Lakes Basin, July 10

The Gold Lake Highway between Graeagle and Sierra City, California is honey combed with trails and beautiful scenery.   In May I spent some time hiking around, but there was still a lot of snow in places.  What a difference a few months make.  The snow is gone and the flowers are starting to bloom.







I headed out for the Round Lake trail which circles Bear Lakes and also skirts Long Lake  (see my post of  June 14)This is a short hike of about 5 miles with little elevation gain and skirts 5 different alpine lakes.  Jeremy has been called out to fight the Mendocino National Forest fire, so I am dog sitting his dog Rio.  It doesn't look like Jeremy will be back before I leave for backpacking so Rio is doing some "conditioning" hikes with me with her  dog packs in case she needs to go with me.




The trail traverses around the eastern shore of Long Lake with a good view of Elles Peak which I hiked in May.  That area was full of snow fields then.





Long Lake looking towards Mt. Elles where I hiked in May:

Rio did well with the dog packs.  They didn't seem to slow her down at all.

 and they didn't keep her from getting cooled off in the lakes. Unfortunately, the pack is not waterproof.  In the future, I'll have to put her food in some dry bags. I think the wet pack helped keep her cool.  It was pretty warm...I think in the mid-80's by 10:00 A.M. Bear Lake:

 Next I decided to go check out the Sierra Buttes Lookout. You can drive within 2.5 miles of the lookout and then there is a steep accent for the remaining 2.5 miles which includes about 180 metal steps.

  The look out is barely visible in the picture below on the spinney ridge on the right.

Rio and  I headed up the trail, but after about one mile decided is was too hot.  Rio would stop and sit where ever she found shade so I  and turned around and went back to the Jeep.  According to the Jeep, the ambient temperature was 92.  Yikes.  That pretty hot for a 7500 elevation. The PCT intersects the trail  about 1.5 mile mark so maybe I'll catch the lookout at another time. The vistas are suppose to be fantastic.

Mt. Rose Summit, July 8

I've hike to the Mt. Rose Summit many times and it is probably one of the easier "peak bagging" hikes at a higher altitude...10,766 feet and about 10.5 miles round trip with only about a 1,900 foot elevation gain.  Reno temperatures were suppose hit the high 90's, but the trail starts at about the 8,900 foot level so it is much cooler.  Its always windy on the peak, so I figured there would be no worries about being too hot and made sure I put my windbreaker in my day pack.

Sandi, my hiking partner, and I arrived at the parking lot at the trail head about 9:00.  I guess a lot of hikers decided to get out of the heat and hit the higher elevations because I have never seen so many cars at that time of the morning.  It is a popular hike.

The hike follows part of the Tahoe Rim Trail for about the first 2.5 miles, so it's a well groomed trail and very easy.  The first real view point is of Galena Falls, which usually has water in it all summer.  It's a popular turn around point and the Rim Trail continues to the south at this point to Raley Peak, but we take the Mt Rose trail for another 2.5 miles or so. The climbing begins here, and a climb it is because it is all up.

 The Mt. Rose trail traverses a large meadow.  The wild flowers were just starting bloom.  Mt. Rose Peak is to the left of the peak in the picture.  The trees are hiding it.

 About 1/2 mile from the summit views open up towards the north west.  It was really hazy so it hard to see Donner Lake, Boca and Stampede Reservoirs in the middle of the pictures. On a really clear day you can see Mt. Lassen to the North.

 We are just a few feet from the summit:

 Views looking west toward North Star Ski area:

 A hazy view of Lake Tahoe to the south:

 Greater Reno Sparks area:

The day was really hazy from all of the forest fires, but the summit had very little wind.  I've been up there when I could only stay a few minutes due to the cold, high winds, but today was different.  There was a nice gentle breeze and I think the temperature was a nice mild 78.  Sandi and lingered over lunch and stayed a long time enjoying the views.

Well,  I can see after hiking to Mt Rose I need a few more conditioning hikes before I put on my backpack and head out to the PCT.