July 4, 2013
20 miles today
mile 1092 on the journey

Perfect

The day bloomed across whitewashed trunks and I set off towards South Lake Tahoe and a country’s birthday. Offroaders had torn up the trail as far as they could until the terrain repulsed their efforts. I plodded along slicing glacier bowls horizontally. The pattern of sharp down, groove the curve and then scramble up Repeated repeatedly. After 6 miles Carson Pass was within range. A trickle of hikers became a flood as many were free from work. A rumor of donuts at the Carson Pass visitor center quickened my pace and destination enthusiasm.

The visitor center was staffed by volunteers a cut above, many cuts above. The first question “would you like a slice of watermelon?” The next, “anything else?” Yes and yes. Orbit and slack pulled up as a platter of french bread, butter, hummus, guacamole, Three different kinds of gourmet cheese, finely sliced cucumber, grapes and the aforementioned watermelon were placed in front of us.Had a wine list been presented I would not have registered Shock, because I was in shock. The volunteers asked for nothing in return but conversation, which ranged wide. We talk of early climbing days and characters who had populated the ranges. Of Indonesia and Nepal. Their knowledge of trails as well as trails of the world was expansive. I tried to contribute to the conversation between inhaling my picnic, but it was easier and more entertaining to listen. Hey, full thanks to the fine volunteers at Carson Pass.

Ambled on. Passed a large woman with a large dog. The dog looked interested in my leg so I said “hello big un” to indicate my friendliness. The woman turned to me and said “are you talking to me?” “No!” I returned in panic. She smiled, joke on me. The path began its long slow pour into South Lake Tahoe. Hung out at a bygone cabin and had a formal bath in the lake to spruce up for town. In other words I dove in the lake with all my clothes on. My drying line was more hiking. As I steamed a horse fly landed on my beard, just below my lower lip, looking for a bite point. Non instinctively I sucked in my lower lip, and drug him into my mouth with my front teeth. Then I spit him without breaking stride. Probably the next step in my trail evolution will be swallowing him but I’m not there yet.

Arrived at the trailhead/highway 50 at about the same time as a couple and their dog that we had been playing pass tag with throughout the day. They pass, or we pass, depending on breaks, speed or dogs rolling in snowbanks. Their friend was picking them up in a van and they offered us a ride into town. In town, their generosity continued it streak. Mike and Jen, professors at the local community college, opened their doors and vacationing kids bedrooms to three oderous through hikers. The kindness and generosity of people all along this trail needs to be trumpeted, but it goes unsung because it is not newsworthy. I’ll do my best here. Thank you Mike and Jen for your kindness, hospitality and good unto others. And also for the Q-tips which I used to pull something that once had wings out of my left ear.

Deposit by Jen at the heart of South Lake Tahoe we beelined to an all you can eat Indian restaurant. The clientele was almost exclusively Indian which immediately established the restaurants credentials. We did the usual damage to the restaurants profits, but the main event was the arrival of doc, returned from lost in the forest. He caught up on his tail of misdirection, adventure, woe and guiding his parents through the high Sierras. But the good doctor was ready to rejoin orbit and sons and hike properly again.

Soon Tashi joined the party. A climbing friend of Slacks, we had first met at the hot springs in Bridgeport. There, she had arrived after dark, so we had an extensive conversation completely blind. This I was meeting her for the second time but seeing her for the first time. Our party moved towards ever higher vantage points for the start of the fireworks. It was quite a show though a rude Pine refused to move out of the way. The highlight to me were the fireworks that blossomed into smiley faces which made me think of my daughter. The evening closed on party rock high over Tahoe. The vantage point allowed one to digest both the city and solar system with a click of the eye. Tahoe was not done celebrating but we were. We dropped Tashi and Doc off at the brothel. A rental house so named because all its inhabitants are females. I’ll never forget Doc’s frightened face as we drove away. Orbit’s extensive navigational skills, honed on the back roads of Albany, New York brought us back to Mike and Jen’s place on Hunk Papa Road. There to sleep. Thanks in order to the lovely Tashi for her car loan. And finally feliz cumpleanos de Estados Unidos.

Steve Halteman
On the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking the PCT for the Kids of Escuela Verde

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