Day 79
Compared to yesterday’s 4/10, today deserves a 10/10. It was one of my favorite days on trail BY FAR.
We hit the trail by 5 and made it up the second climb (Noble Lake Saddle) by 7. It was so beautiful! And as a bonus we got some service as we ate a snack. Heading down was just as beautiful, if not more. There were flowers blooming and so many nice smells. At around 7 miles we took a break where I saw on the map that we cross a highway. I joked that maybe we would get some tail magic…
BOY, DID WE! We were hoping to get to the lake past the highway (Ebbett’s Pass) so we could swim but as we approached the road we saw a stand and pavilion set up and I could NOT believe I was right. There was trail magic!!!
Chipmunk and Phil served us coffee, OJ, hash browns, toast and eggs with chili. Chipmunk’s wife also baked chocolate brownies with icing and I will LITERALLY never forget it. I had it with milk. What. A. Dream.
I had a banana and packed out an energy drink and it was everything. I felt so good and energized after such a beautiful morning and wonderful surprise that the next 5 miles felt like nothing. We took a break and then had three climbs (we called it ElectroLit and the Three Mountains). ElectroLit is our group name by the way! We decided that in the sierra.
They all felt very easy with how beautiful the views were. It was pretty hot on the second climb but we did it! The fields were full of budding flowers and the smells were delicious. The rocks in the mountains were so fun to look at and I couldn’t stop smiling with how much we had lucked out today. Not a ton of snow traverse, trail magic and beautiful scenery with easy climbs? What could go wrong!
Right before camp we had three sketchy snow chutes to climb across. I had spent majority of my day thinking about this, because Mikey had brought it up at lunch yesterday. I wasn’t looking forward to them because it had a warning on FarOut so we knew it would be sketchy.
It honestly wasn’t too bad! The first chute we decided to do a rock climb instead, then the next two were straightforward and I took my time. I was so happy to have gotten it over with. I think there was a bit of fear-mongering there.
We made it to camp and have service! Seriously, the day just keeps getting better and better. Unfortunately there’s a of ton of mosquitos but we’re laying in the tent and with service everything feels right. Tomorrow’s our last big mile day before Tahoe, I cannot believe we are finishing the sierra so soon. What an incredible experience so far. I feel so grateful for it, including the bad days because they make days like these that much better. Hoping tomorrow is a bit like today!
Songs today: “The Manuscript”-Taylor Swift
Day 80
Today was JUST like yesterday, THANK GOD! We got trail magic again which blew my mind.
We started at five and filtered some water before we headed out. The miles felt easy today, and the views were just as beautiful as yesterday. We hiked to the top of a mountain overlooking a lake and enjoyed a snack. There was an older couple we leap frogged with and they were just adorable. They were going fishing down by the lake!
I really enjoyed this climb up. I got some awesome pictures of Noah and loved being able to see out into the distance. The snow is seriously melting and I’m beyond happy that we are getting less and less traverses.
After our break, we continued on towards Carson Pass. The miles were long and mostly in the sun, but there was a really nice breeze and I wasn’t too hot. Plus, you really couldn’t beat the views today. Top notch!
After we reached Carson Pass we quickly made our way down to the road, where rumor had it there was some trail magic. We passed a horde of people on our way, and even had a couple point out to us the California state butterfly. Little did we know, we had been seeing it all week long! When we reached the road, the visitor center had a shaded picnic area for us hikers. There were chips, granola bars, soda, homemade cookies and water. We signed our name in the trail log and then flipped through a few books that provided identification for local plants. I loved being able to put a name to all of the vegetation we’ve seen.
Bandit, Mikey, Jojo, Giuseppe, Smokey and a few others were there. We all got to chat and it was nice to spend some time with people we’ve seen on trail but haven’t talked much to. Smokey is actually from Boston, and I enjoyed talking to someone from the Northeast.
We hopped back on trail to complete the rest of our miles. I felt grateful to have two days worth of trail magic, and I could feel a difference in my attitude. Experiencing kindness from strangers on trail is indescribable. It feels so good and truly causes such joy.
The rest of the day was easy, as we traversed a few meadows and I listened to an 80s playlist. Total Eclipse of the Heart? I played it 5 times back to back!
We’re camping right by a lake tonight. Tomorrow we just have a quick 8 miles into Tahoe. We took a swim here and convinced the group at Carson Pass to join us for the night. We hung out with Bandit, Touk, Pipe Dream, Sled Dog, Happy Hour and Radish. So many new people! I was happy to socialize with all of them and catch up on how their hike has been going. I’m excited to get to Tahoe that I’m going to try and go to sleep so we can get out early and do all of our housekeeping in town tomorrow. Sierra almost complete! How did it go so fast?
Songs today: “Total Eclipse of the Heart”-Bonnie Tyler “The Chain”-Fleetwood Mac
Day 81
SIERRAS COMPLETE! We did it. We made it to Tahoe. Unsurprisingly, I cried tears of joy for about a third of the 8 mile hike in. Those 8 felt so easy, but we had some annoying snow traverses to deal with and at one point I put my spikes on and realized how much easier it was.
We made it down and Gil picked us in a rental up a half hour later. Guy rented a car from Sonora Pass to Tahoe and has been hanging out up here! Thankfully he’s good to continue hiking so we’re gonna hopefully camp near each other every night. I think everyone’s choosing their own pace for the day in this section but the end goal is the same.
Anyways, we all grabbed breakfast in town and then Gil drove us around so we could do our housekeeping, the angel that he is. Tomtom got a new pair of shoes but my shoes were unfortunately delayed in shipment so I tried to bounce them to Sierra City (didn’t end up working so I’ll have to reorder them). We went to the gear exchange to drop off the ice axes the. hit Grocery Outlet, where we ran into Shenanigans! I was so glad to see him again because I knew he was ending his trail in Tahoe.
After we finished all of our errands, we went and waited to check into our Airbnb. I got to chat with my dad outside for a bit, and then the room was ready! We all showered and did our resupply, then started preparing dinner and dessert. Since we’re celebrating the end of the sierra, we figured a family meal would be a wonderful experience. Noah is making cocktails, Tomtom is making a traditional Swiss dish called “”, and I’m making a lemon pie! I found a recipe online that only called for 4 ingredients. Only thing is I have to make whipped cream and it’s going to take a while. It’s worth it for a yummy dessert!
Dinner was delicious. Tomtom outdid herself, even if she said that it would have been better in Switzerland. Dessert was also really good! The lemon was super refreshing and everyone enjoyed it, especially Gil.
It feels so nice to have a bed to sleep in, friends to hangout with, and food to share with each other. Tomorrow, Gil is making breakfast. Bandit is also crashing with us so we’ve enjoyed getting to know her before she ends her trail at Donner Pass.
We all watched A Goofy Movie after dinner. Gil and I love that movie so much and Tomtom had never seen it so we figured it was something she had to experience. She fell asleep during it, but that’s okay. I had the best time reliving my childhood!
Tomorrow we take a full zero. I can’t wait to take a scooter out and hit the town. Noah and I want to swim in the lake. We’ve been to Tahoe before a few summers back, so we plan on hitting the tiki bar on the beach and hanging out with friends. I can’t wait to relax!
Songs today: “Rhiannon”-Fleetwood Mac “The Chain”-Also Fleetwood Mac (big Fleetwood Mac moment today)
Day 82
Tahoe Zeroooo! As always, I didn’t write about our zero in Tahoe because I wanted to take the day off. I’ll give a brief recap now and hope that I can remember it!
We had a lazy sleep in as Gil made breakfast. Guy makes a fabulous omelet, truly. We had bacon and cinnamon buns too! I felt extremely taken care of.
After breakfast I finished up my blog post, talked to some friends and family, then finished up my resupply. Two of my friends had given Noah and I a lunch recommendation, so we headed out after noon to check it out. Of course; we took scooters. Nothing beats a scoot in a city you don’t know super well but has incredible bike paths.
Lunch was PHENOMENAL. Thinking back on it, my mouth is starting to water. They had such fresh ingredients, and the smoothies were to die for! We left full and HAPPY.
We scooted over to the tiki bar on the beach, where Tomtom and Bandit joined us with some snacks and drinks. We all enjoyed a margarita then swam and laid on the beach. It was a perfect day.
A few other hikers joined us, but I don’t remember much as I took a fat nap on the beach. When we were hiking to Tahoe, all I could think about was napping on the beach. It was everything I could have asked for, truly.
After a few hours, Noah and I headed to see if I could get a new pair of shoes. He grabbed some headphones, but I had no luck with the shoes. Mine are falling apart but I think I can make it to Sierra City. Everyone send good vibes to my shoes!
We were all going to go out to a brewery but after getting to the Airbnb we all decided to stay in, eat the leftover food we have, and watch The Lego Movie! Another incredible night, hanging out with friends and enjoying time together. I feel refreshed and ready to tackle NorCal.
HERE I COME!
Day 83
We planned on having an easy day and then I lost my sunglasses!! The day did end up being easy but we lost an hour and a ton of energy trying to find them.
We woke up around 630 but laid in bed until 830! I showered and packed up while eating all of the food we still had. We left the airbnb around 1030, after Tomtom headed out with another group to trail. Noah shaved his beard and kept the mustache! I keep forgetting to mention this but he got a trail name back in Bishop. He’s the Lorax – and now even more so with this mustache!
We took the bus then hitched twice up. The second guy to take us had shown us he lived up the road and dropped us off at the trailhead. Noah and I started but Gil wanted to go to the lake so the guy took him there.
We started hiking and about half a mile in I realized I didn’t have my sunglasses. I ran all the way back, looking along the way. I made it to the road and saw nothing. Noah was waiting with our stuff so I decided to look for the guys cabin. I hitched a ride back to where he had stopped and then walked up the road. I did find him! But I did not find my glasses. I headed back to the trail, feeling super defeated and actually found them on trail in the grass! Thank God because they are prescription.
We continued to hike and I could feel that I did not have as much energy as I did before. We walked through desolation wilderness, which was super beautiful, but there were too many people. I forgot that Tahoe is a crowded area.
We camped near a lake and talked to a guy who was super impressed with what we were doing. We had a beer and ate dinner and Radish and Happy Hour joined us. It was nice chatting with them.
Tomorrow we are trying to do a lot of miles. I’m feeling ready for it! I’m so glad I found my sunglasses because I don’t know what the snow looks like ahead. Desolation Wilderness is so beautiful but I feel ready to get away from the crowds. Hiking out on a Saturday didn’t necessarily help either! Here’s a few pictures of the beauty:
Until tomorrow!
Songs today: “I’m Just a Kid”-Simple Plan
Day 84
We didn’t do as many miles as we wanted to today but we had a campfire with smores and I think that was the better option. It’s the little things – like packing out stuff to make smores!
Today was chill. There wasn’t a lot of elevation(minus the pass we did in the morning). I listened to my audiobook and music all day and I think it’s just what I needed.
There were some beautiful views but majority of the day was spent in the forest. We had to deal with a lot of blowdowns and muddy/wet trail. My shoes are seriously falling apart and I’m starting to worry if they’re making it to sierra city (they have to I don’t have another option right now)!
This part of California is gorgeous. I’m really appreciating the snowmelt and not having snowy traverses. The elevation seems just as steep, if not more. Maybe that’s always how it’s going to feel. It doesn’t get easier, I just get stronger!
Overall, a beautiful day. Grateful for it and just so happy to be hiking this trail. My mental and physical health are the best they’ve ever been!
Plus, how can you beat a view like that?
Songs today: “Alligator Tear”-Beyonce “love is embarrassing”-Olivia Rodrigo
Day 85
Today was our longest day to date and we ended up hiking 28 miles so that we could get a beer! Boy did we get that beer. It was a really long day, but I’m so proud of us for pulling through and making it to Donner Ski Ranch.
I’ve had quite an incredible day. Noah and I were a bit behind Tomtom so we caught up to her in 18 miles (she waited for us) and then we all decided we could do another 10 to the ski ranch. It was a beautiful morning and we crushed the miles easily, hiking alongside another guy named Big Time. He’s trying to do the trail in under 100 miles, and we had a nice chat on our descent to Tomtom.
The terrain was a bit rough today and my shoes completely fell apart by noon. I didn’t want to say anything or focus on it because I’ve got another 50 miles to Sierra City, but it was really bad. We traversed a ton of rocks and the insides of my shoes split open, causing my arches to collapse and lots of debris to fill my shoes.
When we were about 2 miles from the road, I realized I had some service so I called my friend Mel. We were on the phone as some day hikers passed, and Noah and I chatted with them briefly. I pointed out that my shoes had completely broken, but all I had to do was make it 50 more miles to get another pair. They continued on, then pulled up to us in their car when we were walking on the road. The guy rolled his window down, asked me what shoe size I was, then proceeded to take his shoes off and let me try them on. They FIT! I couldn’t believe it. Someone gave me the literal shoes off their feet so I didn’t have to suffer another 50 miles. It was the best trail magic I’ve received.
It made the beer taste all the better. We had dinner with Tomtom and Big Time. We enjoyed our free beers and also another free pitcher because it was included in a Monday night pizza special. Noah and I got pretty buzzed! It felt like a huge accomplishment, hiking 28 miles in 13 hours to make it to the ski ranch.
We cowboyed right by the trailhead, setting up a bit tipsy in the dark. The stars were gorgeous and I was feeling so happy for this entire experience. We’ve encountered so many kind people. It’s really changed the way I view parts of the country. I’m so grateful!
Songs today: “Stay a Little Longer”-Brothers Osborne and “I love you I’m sorry”-Gracie Abrams
Week 12 was BEAUTIFUL! We’re still traversing snow, but not nearly as much. We had packed out s’mores ingredients to enjoy a campfire and s’mores with Tomtom and Gil, but we all split up because we wanted to go different paces. While I missed them this week, I really enjoyed quality time with Noah. We’ve completed the sierras! The elevation is still there, but we’re not going up nearly as high anymore. I feel excited about NorCal but also a bit of trepidation because I’ve read about the NorCal Blues. Guess you’ll have to wait until next week to see how I handle that!
As always, thanks for reading. It’s such a pleasure to write about this journey and go through the pictures as I’m still on trail. Hugs!
