[pct-l] Re: Off Trail

[Lonetrail at aol.com (Lonetrail@xxxxxxx)]

I

> 
> Hey Hi Ho
> 
> >> 
>> >>> Well, I'm back home. Had a great physical, mental and spiritual 
>>> workout. Reached my limit for my age, one hundred miles.  I guess I'm slowing down 
>>> every year. I averaged 13 miles a day. That's down from 15 when I was 72 
>>> when I did the John Muir trail.  I can't complain at soon to be 75. It's 
>>> starting to bother me when day hikers or weekend warriors stare at me and 
>>> asked why I'm out here by myself. What would happen if you have an accident or 
>>> die? I tell them if I would die I would know my last breath would be fresh 
>>> mountain air, my last view would be off the forest, the last sound would be 
>>> sound of nature, my last smell would be off mother earth. My last touch 
>>> the sky that I reached for. If my body were not found I would return to 
>>> earth. Hey! Isn't that what its suppose to be? I would cheat the undertaker.
>>> 
>>> I must say the Tahoe Rim Trail is right below the Wonderland trail and 
>>> John Muir in Scenic views. I slept one night at Barker Pass over looking Lake 
>>> Tahoe, a million dollar view.
>>> 
>>> I am guilty of playing more then I should have. Went swimming sometimes 
>>> twice a day in the beautiful lakes areas. This section is a dog friendly 
>>> section.  I had some trouble interpreting a sign, which read swimming, is 
>>> allowed but no laundering or bathing. I jump in with my shorts and T-shirt. Got 
>>> my laundry done, dirt and smelling body odor removed and swam.  Now did I 
>>> break the law?
>>> 
>>> I had my filter and was never short of water. I usually carried three 
>>> quarts with me. I could have gone with two, but I'm always concerned with 
>>> having an accident and being without water. Remember the Old Gal (Marge) when 
>>> she broke something.
>>> 
>>> I had equipment breakdowns surprisingly more than usual. My Tarptent rear 
>>> curve pole broke. I was pretty much able to correct this by stuffing my 
>>> backpack with excess gear between the three guidelines. My GPS was way off on 
>>> correct altitude. My camera lens locked resulting in no pictures. I just 
>>> got drug store glasses, a brand called Dr. Dean O'Dell they fell apart in 
>>> three days. On the last day I started a new fuel Primus Canister it kept 
>>> sputtering and had a hard time boiling water. 
>>> 
>>> I made excellent choice of clothing and gear. Backpack the Go-lit Gush (18 
>>> oz). Tarptent (24 oz), Marmot 30 degree Sleeping bag (34 oz), long sleeve 
>>> shirt (7 oz), zip of pants (6.5 oz), T-shirt (3 oz) silks tops and bottoms 
>>> (7oz) and extra pair of socks. Rain coat (3.5 oz). I used a painter hat (1 
>>> oz). Snow Peak stove, titanium pot and a spork. From now on I'm taking the 
>>> disposable cameras.
>>> 
>>> The best tasting water I found was 300 feet south of Dick's pass. You can 
>>> see the water running across the trail. I bush-wacked up to several large 
>>> rocks were the spring came gushing out from the rocks. I filled up all my 
>>> containers
>>> 
>>> There are several points of interest, which I came across. First at 
>>> Whiskey Creek its one half mile of trail. There is a Sheep Herders Log house 
>>> build I guess in the 18 hundreds. It is a historical landmark. Along side the 
>>> cabin is a large stone oven where they roasted the sheep. This evidently was 
>>> common for all herders.
>>> 
>>> Secondly Tinker Knob this was my last section. I slept at the American 
>>> River headwater's campsite if you want to call it a campsite. The next morning 
>>> I had to climb up to Tinker Knob once on top I was surprise to see how 
>>> many people were on the trail. The locals were all in great shape and seem to 
>>> love the trail, although it was very rocky. There was a group from all over 
>>> the world, a pretty blond from Denmark, ( looked like the Swiss Miss),An 
>>> aborigine from Australia, and a man who sounded like Arnold from Germany. 
>>> They all were practicing for a triathlon the winner would receive $250,000 
>>> dollars. They explained that they had to run, bike for 400 miles in five days 
>>> without sleep with a few exception. I told them about Brain Robertson feat 
>>> of 8000 miles. The German asked how much do the winner get. I said 
>>> nothing. He said American are crazy.
>>> 
>>> I did not see a thru hiker. I did talk to a lady who did the trail in 73 
>>> parts by horse, part by mule. The trail was not completed and they would 
>>> have to stop at ranger stations to have the trail outlined on a map.
>>> 
>>> On my last day dark clouds started to kick in and I use this as an excuse 
>>> to get off trail. I got of Trail about 6:00 PM at Sugar Loaf Ski Resort 
>>> route 40. Got a ride in five minutes down to Truckee to Station, which was 
>>> closed. I walked into a service station next door and asked the young man 
>>> which way to hitch hike to South Tahoe, He said just walk up one mile and go 
>>> south on 89. Well, I'm often mistaken for a homeless person; I was once 
>>> refused to use the rest room at MacDonald's. I was walking on the sidewalk 
>>> pasted a mini market when a car going the opposite way drove into the lot and 
>>> the driver, a women in her fifties asked me if I wanted a ride. I said sure. 
>>> She said all she had was 7 gallons of gas and was broke. She explained that 
>>> she was homeless and though I was also homeless. It was a wonderful 
>>> gesture a homeless person wanting to help another homeless person. Now I had to 
>>> get to Ebbett Pass easily over 100 miles away. I offered $100.00 if she 
>>> would drive me down. She accepted the offer and filled up her tank with 20 
>>> dollars I gave her. The young man in the service station came over to me and 
>>> gave me a high five, saying he could not believe it. I didn't even have to 
>>> put my thumb out. I found her to be very interesting in her thoughts on what 
>>> is happening in America to people like her. She served twenty years in the 
>>> military fighting for this country and now out on the streets. It's a 
>>> disgrace. She was doing  O.K. until the utilities were deregulated and lost her 
>>> job.
>>> 
>>> Another point of interest: I read in the Tahoe newspaper that a group of 
>>> Scientist have made an underwater trawler which scopes the mountain lakes 
>>> some a mile deep and bring up samples of trees 1200 years old from the 
>>> bottom. The scientific evidence pointed out there is earth warming about ever 400 
>>> years. This sort of makes the Global Warmer's belief that modern day gases 
>>> causes earth warming a hoax. They also pointed out in their findings that 
>>> there were no evident of forest fires. The belief that forest fires occur 
>>> every hundred years may also be wrong. Most forest fires are modern man 
>>> made.
>>> 
>>> Well, I'm home and resting up for my next adventure along the PC. I have 
>>> now completed up to 80 in CA and several sections in OR. and WA.  Thanks for 
>>> your help.
>> 
> 
>       Just a side note The Sierra Club Hut that is right of the trail has a 
> stack of logs                        to burn in their fireplace. Oh my god is 
> that polical correct? Tish, Tish.
> 
> >> >>> 
>>> Lonetrail
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
>