Friday, July 22, 2016

July 21 - Slow Climbs and Bear Hangs



Today started with a climb, had a climb in the middle, and ended with a short climb in preparation for tomorrow's big climb. The middle climb was the most interesting since it ended at the Squaw Valley Ski Area, but all along the way I could see huge buildings along the cliffs to the east. I passed through two ski areas, the first of which contained some trail magic in the form of a cooler filled with iced sodas! Squaw Valley was the larger of the two with multiple lifts and cliffside buildings. It clearly has some challenging terrain. 


Most of the day I didn't see anyone doing the PCT, just a few day hikers and three young women I camped next to last night. We leapfrogged until early afternoon when they decided to call it a day at a nice creekside campsite. Last night they were pretty funny as we tried to do our 'bear hang.' 


Of course a 'bear hang' is when and artful camper without a bear canister in bear country must select a tree with a downward sloping branch of 4-6 inches thickness at least twenty feet high and twelve feet long to loop a cord over from which he or she will counterbalance two bags of food. There is some art to completing the hang without undue frustration, believe me. Last night I selected three different trees, but could get the cord over only one of their branches after some ungodly number of tries. And while I was finally successful it was not without peril; a forty foot long rotten tree section just up the hill from me fell just as I was completing my hang and covered me with rust colored dust! The girls, who were having their own hanging troubles, yelled to see if I was alright. To pay them back for their concern I helped them complete a very poor bear hang. They chose a branch only a few feet long and only fifteen feet up the tree. They tied their food bags to one end of the line and then hoisted it up to the branch. Next they wrapped their cord around the tree to complete their hang. After it was done I helped them understand that there was a better way to do it, and that bears can climb trees! LOL. Fortunately they were using UrSacks, a special bear-proof bag. 


Tonight I chose a rock of exceptionally good weight to tie my cord to and then lobbed it underhand over the perfect branch on my second try. Woo Hoo!!!


Tahoe in the distance. 

Trail Magic again!

A cold one sure was good!

Don't ski there, but it's okay to walk there. 

Ride anyone?

Now that's how to hang em high!


















Hikingsolo

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