PCT Days 21 & 22 – South Lake Tahoe

I have so much to do that my mind is spinning. Luckily there is a free bus that runs the length of the city and the laundry and grocery store are near the hotel. The WiFi at the Inn is good and I have two days to get everything done. Breathe, Doolittle, breathe.

I need a break from writing something new. So please forgive me for the short post. Here are few moments.

Horse water

TW finally tells me the story behind his trail name. In his first year hiking the PCT, his English was not that good. He had drawn water from a horse trough at one stop during his desert hike. When one of his traveling companions asked him what he was eating he said it was horse water granola. They started calling him Horse Water after that but he did not like it so they settled on the permutation Trojan Warhorse. I told him he should go back to Horse Water.

He might agree if I also adopt Pool Noodle. For now we will say that those other names are aliases.

Duds

My hat was wonderful but I miss the protection of a wide-brimmed hat. After shopping in three stores I find one that will work. I am trying a new (and stylish) hiking shirt. It is warmer and should work well in the mountains. I will bounce my sun shirt ahead to the desert. I am exchanging my black fleece for my puffy jacket – again warmer. I am bouncing wool base layer bottoms to Mammoth Lakes for later and colder nights. I also have some thin gloves.

Laundry

We need $3.50 to do laundry. We only have $1.75. The store says they are out of quarters, but I manage to beg for four more. Now we have $2.75. We need soap. It costs $1. Let’s buy the soap and get 90 cents in change!

The cost comes to $1.07. Perfect. TW hands the clerk a $5 bill. And then with a big grin on his face he adds a dime. (Germans are always so helpful.) The clerk smiles and reaches for the dime. In a flash I snatch the dime away. No! The clerk glares at me and then smiles and counts out 93 cents. We now have $3.50 in quarters.

A reunion

Remember the fellow I camped with near the Feather River – the guy who sat by the river reading a book? I briefly ran into him in Sierra City. He said he was getting off the trail to be near his father who was in the hospital with Covid.

Well, I enter the McDonald’s down the road and there he is. “Todd!” His father started getting better so he is getting back on the trail. His daughter is joining him for a section from here to Kennedy Meadows North. I am sure we will find each other again down the road.

Poles

The trekking poles I bought in an emergency at a hardware store in Burney last year have served me well. But the locks are failing now and I can’t keep stopping to lengthen my poles during the day. And because my tent requires a trekking pole, I can’t afford a failure. My new poles are aluminum, like my old poles, and should work with my tarp. The handles are cork like my last ones.

Boxes

I have a box from home waiting for me at the main post office. It has clothes, maps and various supplies. I wIll use some of that now and bounce the rest ahead to Mammoth Lakes.

So altogether I make four packages for mailing. The bounce box, a food box the Tuolumne Meadows, a food box to Vermillion Valley Ranch, and my bear can with my fleece and some maps home.

The post office is over half a mile away. I may have to make two trips, until I see the cleaning lady with this little red cart. See has already loaned me a Sharpie and now she lets me use her cart. “If I am gone when you come back, just leave it by the door,” she says.

Beers

I am sending home my small bear canister. I need a bigger one in the Sierras. I will rent that big canister from Kennedy Meadows North when I arrive there in a few days. Until then I will “double bag” my food and keep it in my tent. This is a slightly risky strategy, but I think the chance of a bear incident is low until I reach Yosemite where Yogi and Boo Boo live. As you know, they are smarter than the average bear.

Self reflection

The big hat should help my complexion. My skin has been taking a beating in the exposed sections.

The Sierra Plan

I have a fairly detailed plan for getting through the Sierras. Some of my exit locations are difficult, but doable. Bob and I have slightly different plans after Mammoth Lakes. But by the time we get there, I will have absorbed enough knowledge from him to have a great hike.

The trail ahead is daunting and exciting. I am happy to be going back.

• August 17 & 18
• PCT mile marker: 1092.3
• PCT miles hiked: 0
• Total PCT miles hiked: 262
• Best hotel TV show: The Little League World Series