September 16, 2016

Peter Grub Hut (mile 1160.8) to bushcamp (mile 1180.4)

Miles: 19.6

Our total miles: 2537.7

The night was still and we all slept well under the bright light of the moon. Mitra mentioned that she kept thinking there was a light on since the moon was so bright.

We woke up without an alarm and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. Andy boiled water for hot chocolate and oatmeal.

Around 10am we parted ways with Mitra. 

It was really nice spending time with her. We are so grateful for the support of our friends through town fund donations, care packages, texts and visits. 

It has been really fun having friends join us for small sections around Tahoe. Not only do we get to slow down and soak in the sights, but it feels like a complete experience to share the simple joys of staring at the stars or swimming in cold lakes with friends.

We hiked for 2 hours on small ups and downs. We were both feeling sluggish and not particularly motivated.

Around noon we stopped for a short lunch break. At times we have tuna for lunch and this requires an actual break compared to just eating bars or beef jerky-like products.

We sat on a rock in the shade, and shortly after a SOBO named Happy Feet stopped to chat. Laurie started pulling things out of her Ursack to give him – including a carrot, crackers, chocolate and ginger candy. 

We have been spoiled lately with fresh fruits and veggies from friends (and a grocery store) and enjoy sharing our loot with other hikers.

We ended up chatting with Happy Feet for over an hour! By the time we were ready to walk again, Brendan, another SOBO and friend of Laurie’s friend Kelly, joined us. 

We last saw Brendan north of Trout Lake in Washington. It was great to see him again.

Fifteen minutes later we unglued ourselves from our cool rock and wandered back onto the hot afternoon trail. 

We hiked on, up and down the gentle hills until the evening. 

We had intended to hike to an old logging road but found a nice camp spot on top of a hill. The air was warm and we watched the sun set from our sits pads, leaning against our backpacks.  

Rather than crawling in the tent, Laurie stayed outside and we ate dinner taking in the last of the orange and pink sky. We watched as the stars came out and slowly the moon rose, exposing shadows of our tent, ourselves and our surroundings.

We maintain that if it is important to you, and you look hard enough, you’ll find a beautiful place to camp. For us, thru hiking isn’t just about hiking all day. 

We want to enjoy where we camp too. We want to catch as many sunsets and sunrises as possible. And if that means stopping a mile early, we will do that. 

Around 8:30pm we finally made our way into our tent. We cleaned up (boy were we filthy today!) pumped up our Thermarests and quickly got into our sleeping bags.

If feels good to be here. It’s nights like these that we are going to miss most.

But tonight we get to enjoy exactly where we are. The silence, the bright full moon, and each other’s company – free of artificial lights, Internet and other distractions. 

Tonight we are grateful for moments like these and flat spots on ridges.

September 15, 2016

Donner Summit (mile 1153.4) to Peter Grubb Hut (mile 1160.8)

Miles: 7.4

Our total miles: 2518.1

We woke up at 7 am. It felt so good to sleep in a bed. Laurie misses cotton sheets. Small comforts like these make it easier to think about returning to “real life.”

We finished our town chores while eating a delicious hiker breakfast – microwave nachos with guacamole. In the past 14 hours we have eaten a rotisserie chicken, 2/3 a large block of sharp Tillamook cheese, 16 corn tortillas, a large container of salad greens, 1.5 bags of chips, 1 apple, 3 plums and a container of guacamole. 

Yum!

Our friend Mitra met us at our hotel around 10:15am with our resupply package. We organized our food, including goodies from a care package from another friend. 

We drove up to Donner Summit, parked the car and spent 20 minutes attempting to confirm that it was okay to leave a car overnight. 

Most people were visiting or said they thought it would be okay – but we wanted confirmation. Eventually some locals passed by and confirmed that parking on the dirt would be fine.

By noon we were walking. We skirted around a popular rock climbing area and hiked around granite rocks with a beautiful view of Donner Lake.

The trail included many ups and downs between Highway 40 and I-80. Mitra was a great sport as we climbed and descended the granite steps, all while chatting.

We walked under 2 tunnels, one for each direction of traffic, to cross over I-80. We enjoyed an extended and extavagent lunch of hummus, bell peppers, carrots, plantain chips, potato chips, turkey summer sausage and fruit all while sitting near the I-80 rest area.

From here we continued on toward the Peter Grubb Hut. The trail was a constant but gentle uphill. Again we distracted ourselves with conversation and the miles flew by.

We got to Castle Pass around 4:30 and dropped 200 feet down to Round Valley and the hut.

Andy chatted with a SOBO named The Greek while Mitra and Laurie explored the cabin.

Two long wooden tables filled the first room with a wood burning stove, laundry line and many pots and pans. There was a nice loft for sleeping and another insulated room as overflow.

Outside was a ladder to allow for winter access. We hope to come back here sometime in the winter.

We walked about a tenth of a mile west of the hut and found 2 spots close to one another. We set up our tents and ate dinner sitting on some granite. Mitra brought a kale salad which we happily devoured. 

Around 7:15 Laurie noticed a bright light on the hill. We all stared at it and watched it grow bigger and brighter. 

Initially we thought it was a tent with LED lights but then it became clear it was the moon. We watched the moon rise as the colors to the west faded. 

It was a surprisingly warm night and we all slept without the fly. Laurie slept in Mitra’s tent and they chatted for a while before falling asleep.

This is the first night we sleep apart. 

Tonight we are grateful for care packages and in person visits from friends.

September 15, 2016

Bushcamp (mile 1129.7 ) to Donner Pass Summit/Highway 40 (mile 1153.4)

Miles: 23.7

Our total miles: 2510.7

It was cold but dry this morning. We got moving at 7 am wearing most of the layers we had packed. With little food and no more fuel we were determined to make it to Truckee for the night.

We hiked along the western side of the ridge, soaking up the short moments when sunlight broke through the rock formations offering a bit of warmth.

We hiked past fields of dried and drying Mules Ears. It felt and looked like Fall.

We followed the exposed ridge to Alpine Meadows ski area. The trail dropped 1400 feet before climbing 1500 feet up to Squaw Valley. We traversed through the ski resort, slowing dropping in elevation.

Laurie grew up skiing at Squaw and it was fun to see the same slopes with a new perspective. Never would she have guessed there were large granite boulders under some of her favorite runs.

We walked down steep switchbacks and wide trail. All the while we stayed focused on our end goal – Safeway and a shower. We did not have enough food with us on this leg. 

Or maybe we are just getting tired of eating the same thing. All Laurie could think about was fresh fruit and hummus. Not together of course – although after a few more Quest bars and tuna packets she would eat any combination to avoid more of the same.

We dropped down and climbed up again toward Tinker Knob. We ran into a few day hikers and chatted with them, hoping to secure a ride into Truckee. 

The trail around Tinker Knob was beautiful. The colors of the plants ranged from yellow to deep red. The sky was blue and the rock formations unique. 

We were cruising today. Our packs were light, our bodies felt good and the trail was not too rocky. 

We reached Highway 40 at 4:20pm. Way earlier than our intended goal of 6pm. Laurie attempted to hitch while Andy made a sign. Within 15 minutes, we got a ride from the first car that drove past after we had our sign finished.

We were dropped off at Safeway and immediately let our stomachs lead the way. 

We purchased plums, apples, a large box of herb blend organic salad greens, a large block of Tillamook cheese, hummus, carrots, bell peppers, a rotisserie chicken and chips. 

There was a sale so we walked out with 3 bags of chips. Apparently we were in need of salt, fat and calories.

Laurie was ravenous and didn’t think she could make the half mile walk to the hotel so we sat outside Safeway and dug into the chicken. The crispy skin tasted so good!

We then walked to 2 gear stores in search of tip replacements for Laurie’s Black Diamond trekking poles. 

Unfortunately both stores only had LEKI replacements but we were reassured that there are replacements for the entire tip. Something to deal with post – hike.

We powered through the 15 minute walk to the Inn at Truckee while eating a bag of Kettle Brand roasted garlic potato chips. Oh so good.

Once at the hotel we showered, washed socks and our shirts, talked to family and made quesadillas. 

We munched on fresh foods all evening long while watching trashy tv and relaxing.

The past few nights Laurie has been falling asleep at or before 8:30. Tonight, with access to TV, Internet and phone reception, we stayed up way too late. 

It has been over 2 weeks since we had down time with service so we took advantage of it. 

Tomorrow we get to sleep in.

Tonight we are grateful for fresh crunchy foods and snuggle time.