New Shoes, fresh clothes - S. Lake Tahoe

Most of the towns where we exit the trail are small, some with fewer than 500 residents. South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe are one of the biggest areas that we will stop. These resort towns offer a lot of places to stay, eat, get fuel and get hiking resupplies. Along the trail, we heard stories about the all-you-can eat buffets at S. Lake Tahoe so were eager to get into town and try a few of them.

After a hitchhike and a bus ride, we were in the town. I had to write 3 essays for medical school applications, do laundry, and pick up packages so I opted to take a zero day which means NO HIKING.  After finishing most of the tasks, Nightrider and I headed to the beach. Others in the group used their Zero day to do a little sight seeing in California or meet up with other friends/family.

S. Lake Tahoe is where I planned to make a gear change. The pack I was carrying was much larger than I really needed and I wanted to switch to a hammock/tarp setup.  I opted to wait until S.L.Tahoe because I knew I didn't need a bear canister anymore so the smaller pack would be ok. The local outfitters store Lake of the Sky Outfitters is a ULA vendor so my family called them ahead of time to see if they had the pack that I wanted. They didn't carry the pack but allowed me to have ULA to send the pack there and my other packages free of charge. They are open 7 days a week, I suggest any other PCT hikers to give the outfitters a chance.  They have Darn Tough socks, and also have a list of trail angels that offer rides back to the trail if needed.

In addition the pack, I received a box from the family that included fresh shoes, food, and a new PCT with Purpose shirt for me to hike the rest of the trail.  It is ironic that I had called my mom before I got the package and asked if she could send some chocolate covered espresso beans. Reading my mind she had included the beans plus some salt water taffy from Main Street Sweets that I had also been craving. I can't thank my family enough for their help.

My new pack is locked and loaded.

My shoes - the 2nd pair after over 1,000 miles hiking.

As you can see by the picture below, it was time for a new pair of shoes.  This will be pair #3. It is estimated that most hikers go through at least 5 pairs of shoes on the trail. I am on track to replace them about every 500 miles.






If you are wondering how I communicate with my family, I send a  text via satellite link that gives my location. To give you an idea of what it looks like, I am posting an image of the map that they see.  I try to turn on the satellite when I start my hike and then shut it off later to try and save battery. Sometime later in the day, I turn the unit on a second time to check for any text messages I need to address. The blue boxes represent a messages. The red flags are way points along the trail. I can set the GPS to help me get to any waypoint if I have gotten off trail.

One of my friends requested a picture of my changing appearance. I have to say my hair is growing like crazy. I have dropped a few pounds and gotten stronger.  I have over 1,500 miles to go so at the end of the trail, I will try to do a side by side picture of my transformation.