Campsite at mile 1138 to Five Lakes Trail (mile 1136, plus four miles road walk to highway 89)
Total PCT miles hiked: 1102
Due to our early start Keith (Starman) and I arrived at the Sierras when there was still a lot of snow, and decided it wasn’t safe to attempt a crossing given my skill level. We elected to flip up to northern California and hike southbound (SoBo) back to where we left off near Lone Pine – giving the snow a chance to melt out. During this flip the PCT milage will be counting down, but I’ll include a tally of our total milage hiked so that you can keep aprised of our progress in a linear fashion.
This morning we discover that the Five Lakes Trail is less than two miles from where we camped. This is relevant because we are looking for a way to bail into South Lake Tahoe, and if we take this side trail paired with a two mile road walk we can be at highway 89 this morning. Yes. Done. This is it, we are heading into town a day and a half early.
This decision is based on a few factors, one being that Keith’s parents are meeting us in South Lake in three days time and given our slower pace due to the snow, we’re not sure we’d make it. When we initially planned this section—64 miles with 10,000 feet of gain in three days with unknown snow conditions—it was going to be challenging but achievable. However, when we only made it 15 miles yesterday that original plan became immediately unachievable. The second, and frankly more significant reason is that I am tired and on the verge of burn out and I just need a break where I can sit around and do nearly nothing. Not hours of writing, scheduling, and posting followed by hours of errands, emails, and phone calls—as an average zero day consists of. But a day of well and truly nothing.
I recognize that hanging out with Keith’s parents will be days off trail as well in which my body can recoup, but hanging out with your partners parents is never truly relaxing, is it. Even though I really like Keith’s family, especially his mom who I have often told him is especially cool. You’re a rad lady, Carol! I know it’s going to feel more like being at a friend’s slumber party where you’re having good time, but you know you need to be on your best behavior and volunteer to help clean up after dinner because your parents raised you right. And I don’t want to volunteer to help clean up! For a day, a day, I want to be my most basic, slovenly self.
We reach highway 89 at 11am. Three hitches with three different people, one Lyft, and 38 miles later we are posted up at a hotel on State Line looking up the best buffets in Tahoe. Heck. Yes.