Up a bit late as there was no birdsong this morning, my usual cue to get moving. Out of camp a little after 6 and found clear skies framing the many lakes of Desolation Wilderness.
But I could see a cloud of smoke to the south- presumably from the Yosemite fire – and it soon reached me courtesy of a strong and gusty south wind.
The mountains and valleys have remained shrouded through the day. Haven’t been too bothered by the smoke although I have made sure to breathe through my nose to lessen irritation.
Most of the hike has been through forest, mostly dry but with some damp glens that sport abundant ferns and skunk cabbage. The smoke seemed less strong in these places and I took my breaks in them.
Almost walked into a small red deer, have seen little other wildlife but heard a couple tales of bear depredations at some of the popular lakes.
Have seen plenty of Tahoe Rim Trail Hikers but am unlikely to see any PCT hikers unless they are southbounders. The main herd probably passed through here 3-4 weeks ago and are in or nearing Oregon. So I expect this to be a mostly solitary hike, much like the AZT.
That’s fine. I like other hikers well enough and find them entertaining and interesting, but there’s nothing wrong with just striding through the forest alone either.
I seem to be a bit more proficient at hiking today, stumbling far less than I did yesterday. No wrong turns or any other foolery either. I expect in another 3-4 days I’ll be fully adapted to trail life, my brain undergoing the change to a constant pace of steady movement, rather than the flips between sedentary and speedy that define “normal “ life. I’ll take natural over normal.
The smoke moves in