Rcluster - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2009

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Our cabin at Berkeley Camp

Showers Lake

We finished charging the batteries, got everything packed, filled our water bottles and were finally on the trail at 10:00am. The first couple of miles were a gentle climb up to Hwy 50 but then the steepness increased a lot for the next 4 miles. The trail was more like a scramble over big granite rock in some areas. Sometimes there were steps made out of rock, other areas were just decomposed granite that would slide under your feet if you weren't careful. It took us at least 4 hours to make it those 4 miles. Near the top we stopped to eat part of our dinner and Glen from Newport Beach caught up to us. We had met him a few days ago and he is doing the Sierra southbound just as we are. He takes a month off each year to do this same hike and he knows the trail really well. He thinks the climb southbound out of Echo Lake, the part we just did, is one of the toughest climbs on the PCT. I guess we'll see.

Once we finished the climb we were a little over 8900 feet. Thunder was booming to the east of us and the wind was beginning to blow. There weren't any thunderstorms near us though so we enjoyed the concert. Our goal for the day was Showers Lake at about 8700 feet. About two miles from the lake we climbed up the final ridge and we were overlooking a huge horseshoe shaped bowl. The trail took us down and around the upper part of this bowl and it was filled with many different colors of wildflowers. An amazing display, and the healthiest wildflower plants we had ever seen. Blue and purple Lupine that was head high and red Indian Paintbrush that was up our waists. We stopped so many times to take photos that it took us almost two hours to go those two miles, and it was downhill!

We reached the lake and got the tent set up. The wind is really blowing and it's even blowing dirt and dust around at ground level. We stacked up some logs and rocks all around the outside of the tent to try and deflect some of the wind but everything is covered with dirt and grit, including us. Oh well, so much for clean clothes.

Animal sitings: Grouse, squirrels, marmot, quail, hummingbird.

Entry 99 of 118
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