They’re here. PCT Thru-Hikers. What a Trip.
Posted on July 30, 2011
Filed Under Mountaineering
You’ve probably seen them lately.
Huge backpacks. Shoes dangling.
In need of a shower; a place to stay for the night.
And a glimmer in their eye that no one can possibly understand unless you’ve done it.
Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hikers. Trucking from Mexico to Canada. Talk about life changing.
And, they’re descending on Tahoe now, and have been the last month or so. With all the snow this year, they got started a little later than usual and the trip has been tough. Imagine hiking over precarious snow fields and crossing raging streams, creeks and rivers. These people are hard core.
Hikers #1, Fool, Search & Rescue and Icarus just passed through Tahoe and and reported epic feats along the Sierra Nevada.
As the PCT thru hikers take on a new way of life, they take on new identities and names, like these individuals we met:
- Rico, short for Ricola, because she had a cough for a month.
- Eric the Black. Big guy. Kind of like Brutus on Popeye. Legend has it he caught 8 fish with his bare hands in the Eastern Sierra.
- Out There… and he was.
- Hilton…who likes nice accommodations.
- LITSL, aka Life in the Slow Lane.
- Amtrak – because he’ll get there when he gets there.
So, when you see them don’t be shy. Offer them a shower, a place to stay and a home cooked meal, even a ride to an air-conditioned movie theater like Red humbly requested.
Don’t worry. They’ll be gone soon. They can’t wait to get back on the trail.
Local Tip:
The wildflowers at Winnemucca Lake at Round Top, situated on the PCT, are going off right now. Don’t miss them this week, or you’ll miss one of Lake Tahoe’s main natural attractions. Bring $5 for parking, your wildflower guidebook because you’ll need it, and don’t forget your camera.
Have fun! Tahoe’s 5th Season is in Full Bloom at 7,000 feet and above.
