[Slow Magic reunion in South Lake Tahoe]
"Bonus! 25% more! Well... I didn't need that." - Spearhead commenting on the size and weight of her bug spray
We woke up with Lake Tahoe just out of reach, about 25 miles away. We had been on trail eleven days, and I was eager to enjoy a shower, get a good meal, and take some time off trail to get the third volume of Catalyst to print. I had known that I needed a break for several days now, and I was ready to make that a reality. As we neared Carson Pass around lunch, we started playing with the idea of skipping the remaining 15 miles and grabbing a hitch from there. We had visions of a cozy hotel room in the last big stop in California. Within about a mile of the pass, we went from being the only two on trail to finding the trail bustling with dayhikers, and we knew it would be a piece of cake to grab a ride.
And then, out of no where, we spot Spearhead, less than a mile from the parking lot, enjoying her lunch just off trail and watching the tourists pass by. We were so thrilled to see her, even though we knew that meant no skipping around or cheating. We plopped down to join her for an extended oatmeal lunch before making our way to Carson Pass, where we enjoyed some snacks and eventually carried on down the trail with 15 miles to go until Lake Tahoe and waning afternoon hours.
The trail meandered through a lovely valley, and every couple and family that hiked there had one or two dogs, some with packs of their own. There's nothing that can cheer me and Adam up like a dog in a backpack.
We didn't make it the entire 15 miles, but we ended up camping just three miles away from the road, knowing we would make it into town by morning.
The following morning, we met up at the road, where cars were whizzing by. We had heard it was difficult to catch a hitch on this road given the high speed limit, but Spear and I stuck out our thumbs and had a ride by car numero tres.
Cody, our driver, had a summer job in Lake Tahoe that he was on his way to in his truck, which had been refurbished so that he could sleep in it. He gave us several recommendations for food and dropped us off at a little breakfast joint just 4 minutes' walk from our motel, which let us check in early! Life was looking good.
We spent the day running errands, including a long mile and half walk to the post office, which did not yet have our resupply boxes. In the evening, we met up with all original members of Slow Magic plus a few for dollar beers and tacos at a local joint. After twelve days on trail, this was exactly what we needed.