Day 84: Heavenly Hiking

Forest near Miller Creek - cowboy camp above Squaw Valley ski area
Mile 1120 - 1142
Total 22 miles





The loud drumming of a woodpecker signals the start of a brand new day. The old-growth forest is awake. I'm also awake and quickly get going to warm up, walk a few miles, and eat a big breakfast - thanks to my friend from Utah there's delicious raisins, nuts and seeds mixed with the oats - and watch the first rays of the rising sun lighting up the deep woods.








It is a pleasant walk under tall fir trees and across wet meadows. My feet are happy on this kind of trail as it heads towards a summit of volcanic origin: Barker Peak.








After more colorful meadows and little streams there is a dirt road and a trailhead at Barker Pass.








I walk together with two hikers who are doing the Tahoe Rim Trail. And a nice surprise awaits us in the pass. Three guys named Stitch, Pip and Jim are camping out there and are preparing a delicious breakfast for all hikers who pass by. They make fried onion, mushrooms and tomatoes and kindly give me a bit before they add the eggs. And as a bonus they give me one red onion and two tomatoes which I'm going to use for a royal lunch and dinner!








A climb up on a ridge feels easy after the double breakfast. After Barker Pass, more views open up towards the deep blue Lake Tahoe.










From a volcanic rocky outcrop the trail descends down east facing slopes, crossing multiple streams. It's a pleasure to be in the Sierra where you can drink water straight from a stream and don't need to carry more than a liter with you because the streams are so abundant.








The slopes are still moving; and the trees form almost perfect curves, bent near the ground but still standing straight, reaching upward. It would be an interesting multi-discipline problem to calculate how high above ground the inflection point will be for a tree, given the geomorphologic conditions, hillslope movement  and the tree growth speed. Also it's a reminder for my life, even though my initial conditions are not perfect, still I strive to reach high, in vertical direction, not trying to please everyone, but standing up straight for what feels right.






With a brand "Osprey" written on the back of my backpack, I soar like an osprey up switchbacks and near Twin Peaks enter another wilderness area: the Granite Chief wilderness. There in shade of firs I cook the royal lunch: rice with stir-fried garlic, red onion and tomatoes kindly given to me by the three trail angels.








The walk on the ridge above the tree line is like walking in the sky. The sky-blue Lake Tahoe is on my east side, and views across endless blue ridges open up to the west. There is strong fresh wind and clear air and no big ups or downs. I love sections like this where the Pacific Crest Trail lives up to its name and stays on top of the crest.








After a few miles of heavenly walk the trail passes the Alpine Meadows ski area and then it descends by gentle switchbacks into shady fir forest.








At the bottom of the side valley flows a stream with a funny name "Whiskey Creek" surrounded by meadows with many kinds of aromatic herbs.








Then it goes up again; But for some reason the 1500 feet elevation gain feels very light. And as I climb higher there is more light, iluminating the rocks, pines and mules ears plants on the slopes. In the meadows is the source of the American River that flows into California's capital city of Sacramento.








Up in the saddle under the summit of Granite Chief, view opens up east again towards Lake Tahoe. I am at the top station of the Squaw Valley winter Olympic ski area.








From there I continue walking high on the ridge, until I find a flat hidden spot on a rock with view of the Lake of the Sky. It's windy and only a few bugs, and so I go to sleep "cowboy camping", the moonlit sky being my roof. It has been a glorious heavenly hiking day.




A song for tonight from Nigeria:

When I think upon your goodness;
And Your faithfulness each day
I’m convinced it’s not because I am worthy –
to receive the kind of love that You give.
But I’m grateful for your mercy,
and I’m grateful for your grace
And because of how You’ve poured out Yourself,
I have come to sing this song out in praise:

Imela, Imela
Okaka, Onyekeruwa
Imela, Imela,
Eze m Oh

Who am I to sing Your praises?
Who am I to worship You?
It’s Your blood that makes the difference in me
And made a way to enter into Your throne
I could not come near Your presence
I could never sing Your song
But the sacrifice on Calvary’s tree
is the reason I can cry out today:

Imela, Imela (Thank You! Thank You!)
Okaka, Onyekeruwa (Great and Might creator of the world)
Imela, Imela, (Thank You! Thank You!)
Eze m Oh (My King)