Bob and I are out at the highway by our motel at 6:35. It’s not a great place to hitch because traffic is moving fast. The sixth car pulls over. It’s a young hiker named Emma. She is going hiking today, too, but on a different trail.
She hiked the PCT in 2023. She is a trail angel now, trying to pay it forward, she says. Bob and I are very grateful.
The Plan
The last time I hiked this section with Bob, we made it as far as the Meiss Cabin, an abandoned enchanted place, haunted by history. We are shooting for that again today. It’s 10 miles away.
Eating Crow
A few days ago, I criticized California for not collecting the forest deadwood for burning “like they do in Colorado.” Today I see that they are.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve spoken out of turn. This is also what can happen when you draw conclusions from small sample sizes.
Early Trail
We are ascending to 9000 feet today. Most of that gain happens over the next few hours. The trail is rocky but well kept. These stone steps are hard to go up but they are a hundred times better than going up a bunch of loose rocks.
After a couple hours of climbing we sit down for a break. Here’s what I see when I look left.
Here’s what I see when I look right
The trail is really gorgeous up here the forest is open and airy. Here I get one of my last glimpses of Lake Tahoe.
The Sphinx
I come unexpectedly on this creature along the trail.
She has one of those faces that is both hard and soft. I get the feeling that she is going to pose a question to me, or maybe a riddle. With a correct answer, I can pass. But an incorrect answer? I shudder to imagine. Her name is One Step. I assume it’s because that’s all you get after answering incorrectly.
Actually, she is really nice. She is a lifelong hiker and trail maintainer. She is responsible for a twelve-mile stretch of the PCT! We talk about trail conditions in general and then she lets Bob and I pass.
Mid Day
The trail levels out and the forest open into this highland valley. It’s all part of the Tahoe Basin.
I love this kind of hiking. You can see where you are going.
Feeling fine
History
This valley was owned for decades by the Meiss Family. They lived here in the summer in a primitive cabin with a barn. Their children climbed over all these mountains, while their parents worked. I don’t remember what kind of business operations that had up here – ranching, logging, trapping, farming – but they left a lasting legacy. The old cabin still stands. Someone maintains it although it remains locked. For better views of the cabin, see my 2023 PCT blog.
Going Farther
We could spend the rest of the day at the cabin, but it is only 2pm. We decide to go further. Besides, Carson Pass is only 3 miles away, and at Carson Pass there is trail magic. Yes, a group of volunteers operate the information station at Carson pass and hand out Cokes and snacks to hikers. The thought of a cold soda spurs us on.
If we don’t waste time we can be there by 3:30. The station closes at 4.
As I get closer, I see one of my favorite mountains in the horizon. It’s Elephants Back. It’s the fin-shaped mountain. The closer I get, the faster I go.
We get to the pass in a nick of time. The volunteers give us two Cokes apiece. I have a Jurassic Park Dr Pepper, an orange Fanta and some Doritos. Awesome.
Ending
There are no campsites at the station, so we backtrack to some campsites we saw above the parking lot. Except for the noise of traffic on the highway over the pass, the site is nice. Here is what it looks like.
August 22, 2025
Miles hiked today 13.1