Day 73 – Echo Lake

Miles: 1076.9 to 1101.7

Trail Miles: 24.8

I woke at 5:18 AM and saw other hikers were already packed and getting on the trail. Everybody was in a hurry today to get to South Lake Tahoe. They were moving at what we call “town speed.” Momento and Waterfall were up and Sage, who’d camp with us last night, was already gone as well.

I was on the trail by 0605, the second to last to leave the campsite. In spite of the road noise going over CarsonPass, I’d gotten decent sleep, better than the night before. I felt a lot better. No doubt a sleep deficit was contributing to my low energy.

It was strange to be so close to roads again. In the Sierras you had to hike out to get to the road. Now we were crossing roads a couple times a day. It was odd to be that close to civilization again. In the desert you never felt that far removed. In the Sierras you were totally removed, and now it was something in between.

I spent a lot of time thinking about nutrition and energy. Prior to starting the hike, I’d believed my body would tell me what it needed, through hunger and cravings. At my age, my metabolism wasn’t so high that under-eating was a concern. I’d prepared food that was varied and nutritious. Still, there was a distinct change in my energy level since leaving Tuolumne. There wasn’t much I could do on the trail except eat more. When I got into a town I could supplement my diet and look at other causes, but at the moment my goal was to get to Echo Lake, 15 miles away. There was a marina there with a small deli. I could get some fresh food and a sandwich or two.

I fell behind Waterfall and Momento after 8 miles. Even my “sandwich” speed was no match for their “town speed”.

When I got to the Echo Lake deli, I was like a kid in a candy store. I ordered a pastrami sandwich with DOUBLE meat and ALL the fixings. An oversized bag of kettle chips. A 24 oz vanilla milkshake with peanut butter and a banana mixed in, plus a bottle of beer. I ate everything. I did feel a little queasy 20 min later, but drank a bunch of water and felt so much better an hour later. The fatigue was, at least for now, gone.

Meanwhile Smokebeard had arrived. I hadn’t seen him in over a week. It was great to see him as well Sonic, Fish and Bandit when they arrived. Everyone was fresh from a resupply in South Lake Tahoe, so I’d caught up to them.

There was cell service at the deli so I called HH and Betty’s Mom. I talked with them about how I was feeling and my concerns. My left foot was 90% healed. My rib cage was only about 65% – it still really hurt to sneeze, cough and even clear my throat. And of course, my fatigue and energy. They both gave some good advice, and Betty’s Mom was going to consult two doctor friends who were also hikers.

Echo Lake

After three hours at Echo Lake I finally got on the trail. I had ten miles to do to catch up to Smokebeard. After that huge lunch I felt much better. There was a big climb leaving the lake and I felt stronger energy-wise than I had been the days prior.

I definitely feel I haven’t been eating enough and I may even be deficient in some vitamin and minerals. The food I prepared for the trail apparently isn’t enough by itself.

I crossed the 1100 mile point. For the first time there was no marker, so I took a screenshot of Guthooks to note it.

I found Smokebeard camped at Susie Lake, Mile 1101.7. Even though I wasn’t hungry, I cooked dinner, ate and chatted with Smokebeard. It was nice to catch up.

As we talked, I realized it’s only 52 miles to Soda Springs. If I can keep eating and feeling better, I might get there before the P.O. closes on Friday.

Aloha Lake