Tahoe Rim Trail: Day 2

September 2, 2011: I woke up before the sun peaked over Mt. Rose. I was ready to get this thing started. I ate a couple of Pop Tarts at the Tahoe Meadows Trail head parking lot, locked up my car, double and triple checked that I had everything I needed and hit the trail...sort of. Trail actually didn't start until a few miles later. First, it started with a walk up highway 431, and then proceeded up a jeep road for a few more miles. Never mind, I was already drinking in the fresh mountain air, and greeting hearty mountain wildflowers that I had not seen since last year.

I could tell early on that my legs were a little wobbly. The strength was not there. I also was carrying 12 pounds of water, a gallon to put it simply. I didn't want to take any chances early on. Unfortunately, I quickly let my guard down when I crossed several mountain streams that were running in abundance. These sources are most likely dry this time of year during normal snow years. However, this is 2011. Snow pack was way above average in many places in the Sierra this year. I started to believe that water would be plentiful for the remaining of my hike.

Well, that wasn't really the case in this particular section. After passing Mud Lake, I crossed one more mountain spring that was still running, didn't fill up there either, and that was the last water for about 20 miles. Of course I did not know this at the time, I still had about 3 quarts left.

The sunlight was glorious on this first day of hiking. The sunlight was so intense, the colors in the flowers, rocks, trees and sky were so vivid. Only in the high country have I seen light as bright as this, and I was rejoicing in its splendor. Lake Tahoe to the south was glistening as well.

I'm a slow learner. Having had the pleasure to hike in the Sierra the last two summers, I should know by know that there are drawbacks to this sunlight. The UV beams fry the skin like an egg on a skillet. I was wearing short sleeves and shorts. When will I get it through my thick skull that I don't tan like I used to? As a kid, I remember browning quite well in the summertime. My grandmother making statements like, "You look just like a little brown berry." Well these days, she would probably say, "You look just like a little red cherry." By afternoon, I looked in horror as my skin turned a dark red, especially on my left arm. To make matters worse, the back of my legs were also sun burnt, especially behind the knees. Quickly, ailments that occurred in the early days on the PCT (such as sun burnt legs behind the knees) began to resurface in my memory. Sun burnt ears? Yep, that also was in process. Chaffing was beginning to be an issue already. Dehydration was in process. Hot spots forming on feet. Suddenly, my body was in agony.

By about 5:00, I reached Brockway Summit, having hiked about 19 miles. I was ready to be done for the day. Brockway Summit crosses the 267 and I saw several cars parked in a lot and an elderly man with a backpack. We both said hello, and he introduced himself as "Mile Eater." He was also doing the Rim Trail, but hiking the opposite direction. During our conversation, I found out that he also hiked the PCT and finished last year, having divided the trail up over 4 years. I showed him the horrible sunburn that I received on my arms that day. "Are you wearing gloves?" Mile Eater asked. "No," was my obvious answer. Mile Eater proceeded to show me one of his hands after taking off a lightweight glove. There was a couple of red, blister like bubbles on the top of his hand. "This is skin cancer. I used to do a lot of mountaineering in my younger days. You need to take care of your skin out here." Lesson learned. I was very cautious the rest of the trip.

I was still dangerously low on water and exhausted. The next water source wasn't for another 6 miles. There was no way I was going to be able to make it that far. After saying goodbye to Mile Eater, I started to look for a place to camp. I found a spot about a mile later that was doable. I was planning on cowboy camping for the night. As I lay out my sleeping pad and sleeping bag, I was swarmed by mosquitoes. Flashbacks from last year in Northern Yosemite entered my mind instantly. "I can't do this again!" my mind screamed. "Why am I out here? You call this a vacation?" I wondered in a frustrated state.

I packed up my gear and began hiking again, determined to find a spot with less mosquitoes. A couple of miles later, I could go no further. I found a spot on the side of the trail, set up my tarp, unraveled my sleeping bag, too exhausted to cook dinner. I began feeling nauseous, could feel the heat radiating off my sun burnt skin, started to shiver for some reason, and had very little water left. I had completely overdone it on the first day, a dumb, dumb mistake. Mosquitoes continued to bite and my mood plummeted.

All I could do at this point was put on my mosquito head net, down a couple of Ibuprofen, and get in my sleeping bag. My heart was beating unusually fast that night, and I was very congested while trying to sleep. All I could think about was water and how my hiking rhythm was way out of balance as day one came to a close...

Tahoe Rim Trail: Day 1

September 1, 2011: I was officially on vacation. The morning of September 1st, I had the usual list of last minute chores that needed to be done before heading to Tahoe. The biggest among them was getting my time sheets into work, which is always a hassle and usually requires contacting several different people in different locations in California to make sure everything is straight. One by one, I was crossing items off my checklist, until I was finally able to hit the road by 12:30pm. I knew I was going to be cutting it short, since I needed to reach the ranger station in Pollock Pines before 4:30. There, I was going to secure my permit to camp overnight in the Desolation Wilderness, a popular section along the TRT (Tahoe Rim Trail). According to Google, it would take me about 3 hours and 45 minutes to reach the Ranger Station.

I hit the road, thinking for sure I probably forgot something. About an hour into my drive, I realized that I forgot my paperback version of Walden that I was planning on reading while on the trail. Not bad, I could manage without, nothing life threatening. Anyhow, I was getting hungry and needed to eat some lunch. It's been a personal goal of mine to give up fast food for good. I'd gone about three months without stepping foot, or passing through the drive thru of any fast food joint in the area. In a moment of weakness, I passed a Carl's Jr. and before I knew it, was walking inside with a growling stomach and hearty appetite. I checked my watch, and felt the guilt increase as I ordered to dine in, rather than carry out, so I could fully enjoy this rare treat of a greasy, juicy burger and fries. I knew I didn't have time to spare, but couldn't resist. The 15 minutes it required to fully ingest this abundance of greasy caloric goodness, proved to be fatal. 3 hours later, I arrived at the Pollock Pines Ranger Station at 4:33, and it was closed, completely abandoned by the staff.

I cursed myself and of course blamed Carl Jr. for this major screw up before the hike began. I began to run my options through my head and had already moved onto plan B. I would stop by Echo Lakes in South Lake Tahoe and pick up a permit there. Then I looked at the wall of the Ranger Station and they had the permits I was looking for that they carry in Echo Lakes. To my dismay, they were only for day hikes, and overnight permits had to be secured online, or at the closed Ranger Station where I was standing. Just then, a tiny woman in a park ranger uniform, carrying a rectangular pot filled with marigolds, said "Hello! Can I help you?"

(Special thanks to the friendly park ranger above who let me use her home computer)

I explained my situation, how I missed my chance to get a permit for Desolation Wilderness by three minutes, that I was planning on hiking the TRT, and so on. We discussed my options, all of which weren't really doable, if I was planning on finishing in the time I was allotted for vacation.

"Why don't you just come to my house and use my computer?" The ranger asked.

"Won't it still take a few weeks to get the permit?" I asked in return. (Every other time I've ordered permits online, it has taken several weeks for it to actually arrive in the mail.)

"No," the ranger said. "You can do it all online and print out the permit at my house."

How did I miss this simple solution before beginning the hike? I'm an idiot! The permit process is very, very easy if anyone reads this and wants to get a permit for Desolation Wilderness. Basically, all you have to do set up a simple profile, and then choose "Desolation Wilderness" and pick the area and time you plan on camping there. Print out your permit when finished and walla! Simple as that, you are ready to go camping. You can start the permit process on the Eldorado National Forest website and it will walk you through the process I described above.

Once the permit was secured, I said goodbye and began my drive toward the lake. I was still hoping to reach the Tahoe Meadows parking area which was located on the opposite side of the lake. It was a pleasant drive, skies were clear, darkening, and I was able to see some of the towns around Tahoe.

I reached the trail head just after the sun had set. I decided to sleep in my car that night and start fresh in the morning. Already, I was close to 9,000 feet in elevation. I figured it would be a good chance to acclimate as well. Surprisingly, it was quite warm that night, and I didn't sleep the best, a trend that would continue throughout the week.

For now, I was very happy and relieved to be right where I wanted to be: In the Sierra, on schedule, and ready for adventure...

Goin' Hiking

Heading off to Tahoe. Michael, I just bought a new point and shoot digital camera, my old one is dead. I will take some pictures of the gear I am using out there and describe it when I get back. Happy trails ya'll....

Pre Hike Prep

This weekend I did a little pre hike prep. Mostly I'm overwhelmed with the feeling that there is all of this prep I need to do, when in reality there is not. During my free time, I keep thinking I should be doing something to get ready. Yesterday I ripped up my guidebook, organized it into sections and put the pages and maps into ziplocs. I pulled out the camping gear I needed and put it into a neat pile in my room. Today I seam sealed my tarp, something I didn't do on the PCT, but survived OK during rain anyhow. Not much else to do other than buy food for the first section, (about 2 and half days worth) and then drive to the trail head and start walking.

One Week to go Before Tahoe

So I've been doing some research here and there and have been trying to hike at least an hour a day after or before work. I really wish I was in thru-hiking shape because it would make planning that much easier. Unfortunately, I am not, far from it, so I have to make the best guess as to how far I will be able to walk on a given day. That being said, the Tahoe Rim Trail seems fairly simple logistically. The main decision seems to be the best place to start, as there are several options, and the trail is a giant loop. As of now, I am choosing to start in Tahoe Meadows, and will hike counter clockwise. The guidebook is written for those hiking clockwise, but I want to hike southbound on the PCT to see it from a different point of view.

Most likely, I will resupply in Tahoe City (on trail), and will probably hitch into South Lake Tahoe for the second resupply. Water will probably be an issue, so I will have to be careful when and where to fill up. There is a rhythm to hiking longer distances and I'm not sure I will be able to establish a good one in the time this trail takes, so hopefully I can limit the mistakes I will surely make.

Anyhow, I will probably post a couple more times before leaving for the Sierra next Wednesday, and will show some of the gear I will bring.

Tahoe Rim Trail Update

My supervisors at work OK'd my vacation request today so the Tahoe Rim Trail looks like a go! Finally, I feel like I can start getting excited about it. I have a couple of weeks to solidify plans, secure maps, organize resupply, buy a new camera, and get in shape. Sweet! Sierra, here I come!

Little River

I received a tip of a nice hiking trail near the small coastal town of Little River. Last week, I found it and was not disappointed.

There has been interesting weather on the coast lately. A thick marine layer has been covering most of it throughout the day, creating weather that appears just as cold, gloomy, and stormy as anything I've seen in the winter.

The fog completely disappears a mile or less inland, where blue skies and warm temperatures prevail. The trail was located in Van Damme State Park and was a peaceful three and a half mile loop through Redwood forest.

There is a slight elevation gain and loss, but nothing too strenuous. It's a really nice place to just walk and become lost in thought.

After finishing my hike, I drove back a mile or so to the coast where I was greeted with lingering fog.

In some places, the fog cleared just enough to see the ocean. In other places, it was so thick, there was nothing to see.

Summer is quickly passing by...