Spent the day yesterday with brother Dave at the Trapper Spring campground near Courtright Reservoir. We hiked a little, hoping to find a good fishing spot, but the fish were not active near the shore of the reservoir nor in the small streams flowing into it.
We did see a sight I have not witnessed for decades: USFS rangers heading into the backcountry for patrol and trail work. They were sitting in the back of their truck, full packs at their feet, sharpening their 1/2 axes when I accosted them. They seemed genuinely surprised when I told them I’d hiked the length of CA on the PCT without seeing a FS ranger more than a few steps away from a nice new pickup truck. They allowed that maybe Sierra NF did things differently. They also had heard of the TST and thought it was gaining in popularity. I left them feeling encouraged about the trail stewardship efforts of Sierra NF.
This morning Dave dropped me off at Rancherias TH, about 7 mi W of the TST. The traverse trail was nicely maintained and is apparently popular as I passed 3 separate pack outfits.
I also passed a group of 5 women headed forMineral King via Roads End — essentially the route I had skipped over. I relayed my concerns about fording the M Fk Kings and what I’d heard of the rockslide closing the trail above Simpson’s Meadow. It hasn’t rained for 2 days so maybe the river will drop enough to let them cross safely. Otherwise, they said, plan B is to come back out the way they came in.
We parted ways at Crown Valley, me heading north to Crown L, they going south to Tehipite Valley, Granite Pass and Roads End.
The trail disappeared immediately.
That there once was a trail is confirmed by the presence of old cuts in dead falls. Otherwise the route is a bushwhack. Much of it is through boggy terrain and the skeeters are out in full force. I was hoping that Crown L would be above the skeeter zone but no such luck. About hundred accompanied me as I dove into my tent. I think I have thinned their ranks to less than a dozen, enough to enjoy dinner (homemade posole, delicious) and sleep. Which it is now time to do.