Riding The Crest 2009

SECTION K   ECHO LAKE TO I-80

July 18 -  July 24

Whew! The rock! So glad Linda R. did not ride this section. Jur was so slow on the rock we had only gone 5 miles at noon. The rocks between Echo Lake and Aloha Lake are bad as any I've been on. I am on edge worrying about Jur's heels and just keep praying. The surface was great from Echo Summit to Echo Lake but then I put all four boots on for the rest of the day. The surface also was fair after Dicks Lake. The climb up to Dicks pass was over an hour of continuous grade. On the other side the down hill did not seem so long but was rocky. At Dicks Lake I spoke briefly with a trail crew working on a section of the trail. They said one other equestrian was using the trail and they were happy to see it. We passed several hikers and two Forest Rangers. The rangers passed me again at lunch and asked for my permit. I could not find it!!! They were understanding and just took my info and would check the records. I think they thought I was credible  having come 1094 miles from Mexico. I spoke to several day hikers. The men are incredulous and the women rooting for me. It is getting fun to see people’s reaction; there is a lot of incredulousness! I pushed on wanting to make at least the 17 miles to Middle Lake Thelma. Unfortunately I never saw it or realized it was there. The signs pushed me on to Phipps Pass and as it got past 8pm I began to worry. I started looking for a good camp but never found one I really liked. In the end I was afraid I was off trail and just made camp with barely enough light right beside the trail and too close to a little water. I was in my tent at 8:45 with some hungry mosquitoes. I was a little intimidated at that camp. I think it was the feeling of not knowing where I was. I guess I was feeling “safe” on the PCT but not elsewhere. No reasoning to it.

On July 19, Jur and I went from  Phipps Pass to Barker Pass, a mere 8 miles. I was up at 5:30 and so  I could spray Jur  with fly and mosquito spray again. The mosquitoes were ferocious and Jur was miserable. I was in long sleeves and long pants and they went for my head and neck. I also got Jur fed while I was out there and then fed my self and did a little writing in my journal, which I was too tired to do last night. By 7:45am I was saddled and packed and was adding the last few things. I mounted up and headed north praying I was still on the PCT and for a hiker to come and verify it. Well, I never saw a hiker on the trail the whole day but after a mile I came to a junction pointing the PCT in my direction (woohoo!) and  General Creek to my right. Thank God I had not gotten off trail. I would feel bad enough for myself but especially bad for making Jur do extra, unnecessary work. The entire morning was a forest ride with only the skimpiest of views. But it was cool and a good surface for Jur’s bare hoofs. We carried the horse boots all the way to Barker Pass. There was occasional water for him as well so he got some good drinks but, of course, was more interested in the grass being the Chow Hound he is. I let him snatch and go and even stopped for longer graze throughout the morning. At 10:30 we passed a meadow with a tower transmitter and then a jeep road. It wasn’t until 11 that I saw a sign saying Barker Pass was four miles further that I had any idea where I was other than on the trail. I must have done much more mileage last night than I knew. The day started with cloudy skies but went to pure blue. I got to Barker Pass around one and knew I was going to have a restful afternoon. I called Ralph from Barker Pass as I had a connection and minimum power left on the phone. I told him what I  needed (fly sheet and masks and more spray and my PCT permit, if he could find it) and to wait to come in the morning. No sense in Linda not getting a goodnight’s sleep. After setting Jur up in hobbles to graze after our lunch, I set up my tent. I set it back into the tiny meadow and where I cannot see the cars nor the trail. Then I used the vault toilet (surprisingly okay, meaning clean, to use). I took about a two hour nap. That was a big help. By five I had eaten my grits and bacon for my dinner. I also had snack foods but did not need them. 

In the morning I was packing up when Linda and Leon R. arrived with Linda's horse Cane. [Linda R. (a cousin of a friend of mine, Susan S., back in GA) joined me for two days on the trail. First we thought she was going to ride from Echo Lake to Barker Pass with me Sat. & Sunday. But we learned the terrain was very rocky. Having been in this rock since Yosemite, I highly advised her to wait and ride with me on her inexperienced horse, Cane, after Barker, which she did, Monday and Tuesday. We had one of those great days and ride. Every obstacle and every terrain – just awesome. Linda was in awe and so thankful for the opportunity to realize her longtime dream of riding these mountains that she has lived looking at for many years.] Ralph and William arrived with Ech and my re-supplies. I could hear them coming – the diesels. They had already had an eventful morning. When Ralph went out to walk Ech he surprised some bear(s) in the bed of our truck trying to get in the horse feed. Right there in South Lake Tahoe we had a bear problem as we had not anywhere else! Fortunately they did not do too much damage. Ripped a few bags but never got anything. Put prints on the truck but no scratches. Linda started saddling up and Ralph started cooking eggs on the back of the pickup while William helped me pack up. All Jur wanted was more of the wonderful grass in the little meadow so as soon as we could we let him graze. It took me almost two hours even with help as I had to re-supply both horse feed and human feed and repack clean clothes. But Linda and I were finally ready, took pictures and rode  out at 9 o’clock. We had not gone far down the forest trail before we came to a built up walkway through a wet area. Cane did not want to go through even with Jur leading. I then tried to pony him with Linda on board. Almost across, he reared vertical and fell over; it appeared on Linda. Linda was okay and able to walk. Cane ran off and I had Linda grab Jur and I ran after Cane. I had visions of him running back to where we started. Though not far it was farther than I wanted to walk or run. I also had visions of the day ending before it started. If Linda was badly hurt she could not ride and camp out. I led Cane back to her to see she was on her feet holding Jur. She said she was bruised but nothing was broken. Her right thigh hurt and she had scraped the same shin. We mounted up and rode on. It was another beautiful, blue sky day. We had some tremendous views across saddles and atop ridges. We crossed some water, which Cane did not like to do but no longer reared, and lots of meadows of mule ears. Linda said this had been a dream for her for many years, to ride atop these mountains. How great! She said she was understanding what Leon meant when he said he was closer to God out here. The vastness is either overwhelming or inspiring.  Late in the day we crossed Squaw Valley and started looking for a campsite. We found Backtrack already eating his dinner on a windy spot. He said he would not camp there because of the wind. So we moved on and found a great spot with fire pit already arranged. Backtrack, Big John, and Not a Chance joined us and the horses. We had quite the camp. No campfire as fires were not allowed at that time and the wind was up anyway. We talked around the fire pit with our dinners and then got some sleep.

Linda was out of the tent before me, not having gotten a great amount of sleep in a tent for the first time in 20 years. A great campsite at Squaw Creek. the hikers left before we were in the saddles. Once we got the horses saddled and offered them water at the creek we mounted up. Almost immediately we came to a huge tree across the trail. It was surrounded by huge boulders so I decided to clear the downward way around. It took quite a bit of limb removal and rock displacement. Still the horses would have a BIG step between two BIG boulders with a narrow passage. We led them through one at a time and unfortunately, they both still got scratches from scrambling. There were several more trees down throughout the morning but most we walked around though a couple I sawed branches off (one on switchbacks on a rocky climb). We crossed two streams too. Cane did okay on those until we crossed one that was overgrown and narrow. He refused. Linda finally had to get off and lead him. We had a long forest downhill with more trees down in it. We had some stone stair steps up an incline. A lot of trail work needed with a lot of downfall. We went through a lot of fields of mule ears in bloom. At noon on Tuesday we decided to go ahead and ride across a barren saddle before breaking for lunch. It was right after Tinker Knob and before Anderson Peak where we had encountered and seen many day hikers. At one we were still not across it and it was full of rock, scree and all downhill. I got off and started leading Jur (I usually do this to save his joints on the downhill). Linda doesn’t have to do that since it was only for two days but it soon got so precarious I suggested she do so. So we were both on our feet leading our horses. I heard a scream and turned to see Linda sliding down a VERY steep embankment and still holding the lead line. Cane was leaning back on the lead line but still being pulled over the edge. I imagined he was seconds away from loosing his footing and falling on top of Linda so I dropped Jur’s line, running as best I could, toward Linda on about 12” of scree trail yelling, “Let go of the line, let go of the line.” Her entire being (she said later) was against that move as it felt like a lifeline separating her from space. But she did it. Cane regained his balance and then with a lunge that sent more rock atop Linda he regained the trail. Linda was in a slight gully, down from the trail about 10 feet, with nothing but one 12” rock between her and another 1000 feet down. She was at a 50 to 60 degree angle – a very sharp drop if she fell. I was between the two horses and looking down at Linda who immediately tried to start climbing up but let out a cry and told me she could not put pressure on her right foot. I ran for the high line, my longest rope. When I could not dig it out fast enough, I unclipped a lead line and went to Linda with it. After I coached her where to get a foothold with her left foot and she got a hand hold with her left hand, she took the lead line and clipped it to her back belt loop. Not the safest bet to hold an entire life, but our best option for the moment. I wanted her more secure on that cliff. Then I braced myself against what rocks I could find, pulled the lead around my waist and we started the slow process of dragging her 10 feet vertically up, back to the trail edge. I kept tension on the line and she kept the faith that God would give her strength to overcome pain and a near vertical, loose rock climb with one leg. It took about a half hour just to get her back on the trail. Once she was safely back on the trail I called Ralph to tell him our situation and to stay where he was so I’d have phone connection if we needed him. (Miracles of miracles I had phone connection!) Linda had 150 yards of very rocky 18” trail to drag herself over just to get out of the sun. (I tried to be her crutch but it did not work.) She used her hands to scoot along the trail on her butt, dragging her bad leg. Sit, brace, skoot – over and over again. Later she found she had a black and blue butt! All this time we hoped for a hiker. Linda had gotten about half the distance and an hour of dragging before we made the decision we must call 911. Ralph actually made the call (after I called him) so he could explain the situation. It was just after that call a hiker named Peter came and immediately offered to help. I told him Linda and I thought that if we could get her to the horses and get her horse up against the mountainside, she would have one chance to slide down upon his back and ride out of there. Peter was all for it and gave us every assistance. And we did it! By the grace of God we got her in the saddle and then she rode 8 miles, mostly downhill, without right stirrup, in great pain, through snow drifts, over logs, around several fallen trees, up and down some steep inclines, and the final 1/4 mile down stone stair steps. Every step jarring what we later learned was multiple breaks in a shattered ankle. We called off 911 but they already had a chopper in the air and they circled us twice making sure we were okay. We had the accident at 1 and arrived at Old Hwy 40 at 5. After Ralph came and joined us they assisted Linda unto our tailgate and then to the ground and into Leon’s truck. (Leon had spent the afternoon trying to get to us by a Forest Road and scratched his truck and trailer all up. He even tried to walk up the trail but the elevation over worked his heart. He got back to the trailhead at Hwy 40 just after we got there.) After many thanks to Peter, he drove off and we started to the Interstate. As Ralph and I were driving from Hwy 40 we saw two hikers and pulled over to offer them a ride. It was Four Cheeses and Meghan. I had not met Meghan yet. When she was introduced to me she said “Oh, you’re the famous Pepperoni.” I answered, “And you’re the famous Meghan.” [She had gotten 'famous" back before Walker Pass when her SPOT devise did not work for over a week and her parents, not hearing from her, called out search and rescue.] That evening we drove to Elk Grove, CA to Leon and Linda's home with William following so we could follow her progress. A day later Linda had surgery to get her ankle pinned back together to start the healing process. Linda is a one tough cookie with the heart of a softie. I am, again, so blessed to have met and made another great friend. 

Three days later Ralph, William and I returned to Hwy 40 so I could ride to I-80 at Donner Pass. While I was tacking up Skywalker arrived off the trail. Ralph offered to take his pack to the next trailhead (I-80) so he could make good time. So he put his pack in our truck and headed up the trail while I finished saddling and started 10 minutes behind him. I caught up to him at the rest stop at I-80. The terrain in those three miles was solid rock in first few hundred yards and then turned to mixed rock and sand and eventually became forest floor with nice footing. There was constant traffic noise from I-80. Jur started slowly not liking the rock and even tried to turn around on a rock ledge. The few miles took just over an hour and Ralph had beef sausage, beans and rice ready for our dinner. Soon after Skywalker arrived. Ralph gave Skywalker a meal and then took him to town for supplies. They came back with a chocolate shake for me. Yum!  The horses were high lined for the night and had water and hay after their dinners. We slept with the hum of I-80 in our ears.

I am well. Ralph is stressed (heehee-it is harder off trail than on)! The horses are incredible! I am amazed at how well they are doing. Harmony is on R & R as he has really put in the distance these past few weeks. Jur got over his first heel cut and then got another, coming through rock again! Or should I say still! This is one rocky land! This is NOT  a walk in the park horse trail. I appreciate every good foot of it. 

NEXT: A Two Day ride!

 So many trails - So little time!

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