Basin Peak 12X, July 13, 2021

BASIN PEAK 12X July 13, 2021

Up with webwork mostly done, I had my frugal but healthy breakfast at home. Deciding on the fly to take Interstate 80 westbound, I stopped with free parking in Truckee, CA to get another bargain meal. Half off for early birds, I had biscuits and gravy with sausage and eggs. They were nice enough, and the eatery was like a museum, with memorabilia on the walls. Energized, I'd hike northbound on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Sauntering up the dirt road to Castle Pass, I noted the new signs and changes. A truck pulled into the parking area below the pass proper, and as I rested with drink at the Pass, other hikers took the trail to Castle Peak. I continued on the PCT, with thru-hikers coming by. Then to come upon a use trail headed right, up the hill towards the peak. Figuring this went to the summit, this was new to me. Not having bagged this peak for over 10 years, I surmised work had been done.

I summited with energy, and captured the scenic view, and took photos of the register art. Another hiker appeared, and he went on along the use trail to Castle Peak. I qucikly caught up and passed him, but he refused to bag another peak, claiming falsely, as the enviro hiking club, that he did it. Looking like another nut job hiker with words similar to the enviro hiking club hate, I left to go to the top of the north crag of Castle Peak.

Being it is class 3 to the true top, I waited for a peak bagger to come up to the summit area, but it was apparently too late in the day. As I have bagged the true summit 13X, and I can wait to do it another day, I started down the peak use trail. Back to Castle Pass, my Watch went to low power reserve, so I then captured screenshots of the stats. Seeing two mountain bikers and crazy people in a truck to ask how far to Castle Peak, I told them there is no road to the top, or even close.

Back to the car, I had another can of cold drink, and motored to the rest area, for washing hands, and using the facility. I did have to take a dump using the enviro hiking club outhouse, with their hut all locked up. With two cans of cold soda, and a 99 cent bottle of spring water, for my climb, this was enough to sustain me for my peak bag. I never had to use my pee bottle, with my fluid intake completely balanced.

Then to get dinner by the Superchargers, with rather somber help. Zooming home on the Interstate, I had done another safe and successful peak bag. Good with energy, I enjoyed music with the news, and stayed up late.

Looking that the hateful enviro hiking club has allies on the trails, the eatery owner agreed with me, the terrible fires were caused in part by the nut job policies of the Club bent on planetary destruction. Attempts by the Cal Fire people a long time ago to help fire suppression were refused by the idiot bosses of the Club. With nut jobs winning their elections, so the massive environmental damage gets to be their policy supreme. I quit this hateful club many decades ago, as they hate outdoors, loudly said. With none of them with any objection whatsoever to total fraud, how likely would it be that peak fraud is their true policy? Looking at the peak register, going back to 2015, I saw nothing of any Club hikers signing in.

As smoke from what other fires blew into the area, I declined to bag the class 3 peak, as views wouldn't be so crystal clear. To see how the summer goes, predicted to be the worst fire season ever. A cartoon advised that this would be the coldest summer for the rest of your life. To see how bad the air quality is, day by day, dictates what I'll be doing as far as my daily exercise. In past years, it was impossible to ever escape the smoke.

Movie clips Forward Dash Cam 3.69 GB (9:52)

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