And, the peak rush of hikers are descending on Tahoe now, and have been the last month or so. With big snow this year, they’ve had some issues. Imagine hiking over precarious snow fields and crossing raging streams, creeks and rivers. Or across the Mojave Desert. These people are hard core. Sand Pocket, Star Burst, Hikers #1, Fool, Search & Rescue and Icarus just passed through Tahoe and and reported epic feats along the way.
As the PCT Thru-Hikers take on a new way of life, they take on new identities and names, like these characters we’ve met:
- Ghost, his white jacket precedes him.
- Mermaid, she loves to swim.
- Rico, short for Ricola, because she had a cough for a month.
- Eric the Black. Big guy. Kind of like Brutus on Popeye. Legend has it he caught 8 fish with his bare hands in the Eastern Sierra.
- Out There… and he was.
- Hilton…who likes nice accommodations.
- LITSL, aka Life in the Slow Lane.
- Amtrak – because he’ll get there when he gets there.
So, when you see them don’t be shy. Offer them a shower, a place to stay and a home cooked meal, even a ride to an air-conditioned movie theater like Red humbly requested.
Don’t worry. They’ll be gone soon. They can’t wait to get back on the trail.