{"id":5090,"date":"2023-10-07T16:52:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wandering.earth\/?p=5090"},"modified":"2023-10-07T16:52:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T23:52:25","slug":"pct-section-k-hike-september-2023-tinker-knob","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wandering.earth\/index.php\/2023\/10\/07\/pct-section-k-hike-september-2023-tinker-knob\/","title":{"rendered":"PCT Section K Hike September 2023 \u2013 Tinker Knob"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Goal for the day: Donner Pass and Summit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The skies were very clear overnight, so I had a good chance to take some pictures of the stars overnight. I would have taken more, but didn’t feel like getting out of the tent that much. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since I couldn’t see the eastern sky from my tent site, I decided to take my baggie of granola and walk a hundred feet or so to the top of the ridge to see the sunrise from there while I had breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After taking a few pictures from the spot I’d chosen, there was enough light that I could see there was a little rock outcropping that would have an unobstructed view of the sunrise. So, I relocated and suddenly found a camping spot nearby that would have been a great spot to spend the night. Not quite as sheltered from the wind as the spot I had used, but may have been enough for what little wind there had been that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After scolding myself to look around a little more before settling on my campsites, I sat down and enjoyed the sunrise. It was easily the best sunrise of this hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I couldn’t even see the town of Truckee below me, since the low lying valleys were covered by a think blanket of fog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Then it was time to pack up my gear and head north. First, I had to circle around Anderson Peak. Nothing hard, just took time. As I passed the north side, I did get a peak at the Benson Hut tucked into the trees and also an antenna at the top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The rest of the hike had some great views, but enough ups and downs along the ridge that it seemed like I’d never reach civilization. I saw some of that as I passed by and then thru the Sugar Bowl ski area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also saw Roller Pass, which was the route that the Donner Party SHOULD<\/span> have used. It was a place where they had to pull wagons up the side of a steep incline to get thru the Sierra Nevada mountains. I have to marvel at that being a route someone thought was a good way to go. It wouldn’t have been easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I continued and saw the goal in the far distance: Interstate 80 where it crosses Donner Summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But first I had to reach Donner Pass Road, which I did eventually and was very happy to take a break. I dumped my trash and anything else I didn’t need (extra food, gas canister, etc…) in a garbage can. I also had to decide what to do since there was still a three and a half mile section to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could do a short hike along Donner Pass Road to get a real meal at a nearby ski lodge that still had it’s cafe open in the summer. There was also a newly refurbished ‘Donner Pass Information station’, which I checked out. I found it odd that this seemed like it was geared towards attracting tourists and people, but had no bathroom in the plans they displayed. Just a porta-potty. Even the (unfortunately not open) Summit Haus had porta-potties. Maybe the pass didn’t have sewer service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, being that close to civilization has it’s temptations. I thought about getting an Uber or a taxi to a hotel to get a meal, shower, and spend the night before finishing up section K in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I decided to see if I could get an Uber back to my Jeep at Barker Pass, since I knew that would likely be tricky and just wanted to see if I could get lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, that kind of made up my mind. It was long drive, but I got back to Barker Pass and drove my Jeep to Truckee. I could still try to finish section K that day, but decided to take a night off the trail. Seemed silly with only 3.5 miles to go, but sometimes being too close to civilization can prove to be too much of a temptation after 4 days on a trail. I had no intention to abort my hike, but slipping in a rest night was very enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That I got to use a hot tub at the hotel was just icing on the cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miles hiked on PCT section K: 7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goal: Partially successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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