Riding The Crest 2009

SECTION J   SONORA PASS TO ECHO LAKE

July 13 -  July 17

On another beautiful July morning we were up at 7. Ralph came to the trailer door and told me to grab my camera that I would not want to “miss this.” He continued to tell me that a wolf (or maybe a coyote) was in the vault toilet building (not in the toilet). Ralph had a shovel and intended to “release” the wolf. How it got in there he did not know but the door swung inward so an animal could push in but then might not get back out. I got a distance away on a rock, camera ready. Ralph carefully pried the door of the toilet open with the shovel. Out peeked a Siberian Husky, collar and bright red tag. It wanted no part of a man with a shovel so it scurried off like a wolf. Ralph reported it to Ray (the campground host). I got dressed for riding and packed for two days and loaded the old homemade cantle packs. I had made a decision to “slack-pack” and just take Harmony. Ralph would have to move on with Jur. This would give Jur’s heels another four days of rest not to mention his body. Ralph hooked up the Montgomery’s two-horse trailer. William and Ech went with us. When we got to Leavitt Meadows Pack Station, Craig greeted us and  when he found I was only taking Harmony said to leave Jur another day. We gratefully accepted as that gives Ralph and William another day in the Sonora Bridge Campground where they are comfortable. They can move forward when Ralph needs to re-supply me at Ebbett’s Pass. We loaded up Harmony with very little fuss from either horse. Ralph carefully drove us to Sonora Pass Trailhead and I started packing Harmony. William got back in the truck after a look around to get out of the chill morning wind. I had to put my fleece on and rode in it a good part of the day. I was ready to head out at 12 noon. Hiker, Not a Chance arrived with a day hiker and I told her I’d see her on the trail and headed out after a kiss and a picture from Ralph. I hoped to get 15 miles so I only would have 15 miles the following day as well. The trail started to gradually rise but then climbed up onto a saddle via some pinnacle rocks for a last spectacular view of the Sierras as a whole. Still snow capped they are as magnificent as they are formidable.  I would be  glad to be out of their rock and snow but never tire of their beauty. Ironically, I did encounter snow banks early  on that day. Two I was able to go around on the downhill and two I was able to walk across (they were hard). Harmony was reluctant but obedient. After we crossed the saddle and the wonderful Sierra view disappeared, I stopped above Wolf Creek Lake to eat my lunch and let Harmony eat his. We then started the descent into East Fork Carson River Canyon. A tough, rocky decent, I led Harmony down most of it. When we got to the bottom it became a wonderful forested trail though we still traversed some rock. Then I realized I no longer had the SPOT devise. I’ve lost it several times, it has not worked others, and is generally a pain in the butt, but it helps Ralph know where I am at. I backtracked a mile (uphill) before I found it. It had taken about 45 minutes in all. We went back to climbing out of the canyon. It was five o’clock, a steep grade and we crossed over the same creek three times and there were waterfalls at each crossing. I filtered more water. By the time we got to the top of what I think is Boulder Creek I was looking for a campsite. I thought it was about 6 o’clock but did not look at the clock. We crossed a small creek (Boulder Creek?) and there was a beautiful campsite on the right, fire pit and all. I saw a good spot for my tent and started unloading Harmony. I had Harmony high lined and was working on setting up my tent when Not A Chance came up the trail. I greeted her with “Come camp with me.” She accepted and proceeded to set up too. Then we ate our trail foods and exchanged some stories before going in our tents to work on our journals. It was 9 pm when I turned out my lights. We agreed neither of us were in a hurry in the morning.

The next morning I was up early to feed Harmony and then he started fussing. He neighed a lot and then pulled back on his head stall and broke it. Later when I saddled him he bucked. Before we could get on the trail, Backtrack arrived and stayed and talked while we packed up. We all got on the trail with me in the lead. It was less than a mile to the Boulder Creek Trail junction. We did quite a bit of climbing and on the descents I walked Harmony to save his shoulders. At about 10:30 we all took a break and then I took off in front of Not a Chance and Backtrack and did not see them again that day. At 12:15 at Paradise Valley Junction I ate lunch. I did cross several snow banks, many I could go around. The hardest part of the day was the last. We climbed from Bull Lake up unto a saddle. I went through a fenced and gated pass and started down the other side. There were several snow banks and one we could not go around and it was deep. Harmony did great as I led him through it. He didn’t like it but he did it. Then we  went down, down, down. We went by Boulder Lake and Bull Canyon and kept on to Ebbetts Pass. Ralph was on the trail; he had just walked up from the trailhead. Ech came bounding to Harmony and I and then I reached Ralph and we exchanged a kiss before he led the way down the Ebbetts Pass Trail to our truck. Ralph helped me unpack Harmony and set up his highline while getting him hay and water. I set up our tent while Ralph made cheeseburgers. After dinner Ralph made a fire and we enjoyed that until after 9. I slept better than Ralph though we both were on an incline.

On July 15  I rode out of Ebbetts Pass and once again encountered snow banks and once again was able to get around or through them. At noon I stopped at a creek to eat and feed Harmony. Rocketman walked up. We talked a while and then I headed out and I did not see him again until 6 o’clock at Tamarack Trailhead. We have started to travel through some lava rock. I put the boots on Harmony’s rear hoofs but took them off late in the day as we were going through several streams and the trail was through a lot of soft forest floor. At 15 miles I crossed a dirt road and there was Backtrack. So we went on together as he was not sure of the trail and had already backtracked. I led and when I got near the Tamarack Trailhead there were signs indicating a trail angel had refreshments for any who wanted. So we went and joined Sangria, Four Cheeses and Not a Chance. Gormet provided the soda and beer. At almost 7 I headed out, stopping at the creek to replenish my water before going over a long 4 mile barren wasteland until Blue Lakes. As soon as I got in that forest I started looking for a campsite and found one just across the road where the PCT starts climbing again. I already had my tent up when Not a Chance, Backtrack, and Rocketman arrived. Rocketman camped with me while Not a Chance hiked on and Backtrack joined Sangria and Four Cheeses down by the Lake. I ate and then worked on my journal until 10pm. 

I checked on Harmony several times in the night and early in the morning he had pulled the highline down and would have been off looking for grass except I had hobbled him late when he started pawing. I ate oatmeal and coffee at camp and my dried fruit and cereal bar on the trail. The ride out of the Lake was up a two-track that was unmarked. There were lots of branches and some trees down all of which we got around. Then we circled a pond and Harmony got his first drink of water. We then encountered our first large snow bank of the day and we circled it too. The trail then climbed a barren rock slide hill before going down a canyon and following a creek for awhile. I let Harmony graze about 10 minutes at one crossing that had young tall grass. Then we continued down the canyon before climbing Elephants Backbone. From there we could see a good ways. Elephants Backbone is a volcanic mound and on the north side had a couple of big snow banks. One we went around as many of the hikers had on the lower side. The others (two) we traversed, I led Harmony across. He did great. It was right after this that we could see Weldon Lake and the trail down to Carson Pass. The trail down was the width of a two-track and twice as busy. There seemed to be tour guides. I'm not kidding! And I seemed to be a part of the tour! It was so busy I kept having to stop. Some people asked me questions and then wanted my picture. More and more, people are amazed at what I am doing and I am beginning to be amazed myself. When I got down to the parking lot there was no where to tie Harmony so I tied him to a post outside the vault toilets. He did great with people coming up and petting him while I sat up at the center and drank a Coke, compliments of the Information Center's volunteers. I sat there about 45 minutes before deciding to go on to Echo Lake. It was 11am. I told the volunteers to tell Ralph I had gone on. I could not get a phone connection. The trail was rocky with large rocks until it climbed out of that canyon and went around the contours of some hills. Then it dropped down into a canyon of meadows that was several miles long. I encountered lots of day hikers. From this beautiful meadow valley we started climbing again and got up to Showers Lake. There was Rocketman refreshed from a swim and his lunch. He had been telling three women equestrians about me. One said she had heard about me last Thursday in the Reno news. (They just mentioned there was a single woman riding the Pacific Crest Trail.) Camy introduced herself and we talked awhile. Rocketman and I started from the lake together and we soon had fantastic views of Lake Tahoe in the distance. He led the way at my request and once again I noticed Harmony pick up the pace. He adopts the hiker as his herd and doesn’t want to “lose” it. We made great time. We had some steep descents and inclines. I got off for the descents again, walking Harmony down at a brisk pace. He did great. We had one long pull to the top. At Echo Summit Rocketman stayed and had chicken dinner with us. Then he went off to hike some more and Backtrack arrived. He camped nearby. We each got a shower and then were in bed by ten, the horses high lined outside the trailer at the trailhead.

The traffic noise on Hwy 50 was tremendous and we did not think we’d sleep but it did die down and I slept quite well. Ralph said he did not. We were joining Linda and Leon R. in South Lake Tahoe for the day and a night at their home. Since we could not take the horses to the house (and later I saw it would not have been a good idea), we were taking them to a Lake Tahoe pack station owned by Buzz. I spent the morning repacking and organizing as I usually do on my day off. By noon I had eaten two breakfasts and started on crackers and cheese. I had my next two days all packed. I had put things away in the trailer and the truck. Then I worked on pictures and showed William and Ralph the last four days in pictures. Leon and Linda arrived about 1:30 and we loaded our horses and took the high line down. We were headed out in less than a half hour. The Cascade Stable Pack Station was right on the lake. Buzz greeted us and showed us wonderful pens to put the horses in. When Leon tried to pay him he would not accept any money. This generosity is overwhelming and I can hardly take it in. To be at the receiving end is incredibly humbling and I hope I never take advantage but do return it. And this was not the first pack station to be so generous. We put hay in the pens and planned to come back morning and night to feed. Then we headed into South Lake Tahoe. The traffic was bumper to bumper. The place reminded me of Hilton Head, SC with restricted signs and weekenders coming for the sights. Linda’s father’s house is on a corner on Overlook Drive and it does overlook the lake. It is off the Lake but you can see the Lake. It is several floors plus a garage and very compact; a lot of house on a small lot. We parked the trailer on the side street and it had a fabulous view of the Lake. But we took advantage of a king size bed and full size shower and accepted the hospitality of the Rowland’s in the house. We went to dinner at Harrah’s Casino. The all-you-can-eat buffet was a hikers dream and I told Leon who treated us, I would be dreaming of it the following night on the trail. At dinner Linda and I talked and she decided to wait two days and ride with me from Barker Pass to I-80. The trail from Echo Lake to Barker is reported to be very rocky and we are concerned about her green horse having too rough a go his first big ride out. So tomorrow I will head out for two days alone. We drove home and the guys went to feed the horses. Linda and I walked Ech and then she, William and I talked till the guys arrived. I went and got a shower and went to bed soon after. We snuck Ech into the bedroom so he would not howl as he had done while we were at dinner.

NEXT: A new friend rides the trail with me but it is not all fun!

 So many trails - So little time!

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