Day Four – 18 July 2018 – Wednesday
Tahoe City (6250ft; mile 0) to Picnic Rock above Tahoe Vista (7544ft; mile 22)
23.4 miles today of 128 miles total
4,687ft gain
I decided to take a leisurely morning in Tahoe City. Even on such a short trip, I enjoyed a short day to eat deliciously fresh food. I left town around 11AM. And true to any town hiatus, I lost track of my brain and somehow paused my Strava tracker at lunch time and missed recording some odd miles between my noon lunch and 2pm break. Today was really quiet. Since I am no longer on or near the PCT, I mostly saw only mountain bikers. I chatted with one really interesting mountain biker and eventually saw several friendly day hikers.
Today was also hot! I am presently heading into the scarce water section. I had to dry camp tonight, which is fine, but it always upsets me to haul out from a water source fully loaded down knowing I would probably drink more freely if not conscious of water conservation. The ways of the trail…
I am really stoked on having new snacks! I stocked up in Tahoe City. I am learning that supply as I go is not so bad. Despite being committed to my PhD right now, I am always taking in skills and knowledge for future trails and explorations.
My feet are beginning to feel fatigued. I think they needed the half day break in town as much as I did. Hopefully they will hold out another 60 miles!
Plus, the short day ended me at Picnic Rock. This is a popular viewpoint of the lake. The side trail is only 3 miles roundtrip, but don’t let that fool you. It’s an 830 foot vertical gain on smooth singletrack switchbacks. I caught a stunning sunset at the vista. So worth the added miles! The only downside was my misguided idea that I could stealth camp at the vista. Turns out that Picnic Rock is infested with chipmunks. One particular furry little bugger joined me in a majestic pose to share the beautiful sunset. So I continued on my way a few miles to get away from the food-fiending critters.
Elizabeth Erickson 