DONNER PEAK 18X August 15, 2022

Fighting off my urge to stay in bed and sleep late, or even all day, I enjoyed my computer and other tech. About lunchtime, I motored over to the fast food for a chicken sandwich meal. I had given myself options, with my pack and water in the car. The sky was clear of clouds, so I motored up to the trailhead by Donner Pass. There was road construction on the Interstate, so a big delay in getting there. I didn't fret much since I knew my times hiking the peak, and I'd be back by sundown if the traffic jam was that terrible.

I sauntered up the PCT south, and ran into a couple PCT hikers, mostly section hikers. One claimed to be doing 20-30 miles a day, in response to my query on getting to Canada before the snows came. The wildflowers had mostly wilted, but I did see a lizard on my descent. Fearful of losing my balance at the wrong time, I did make it to the top, where I found the register. The book had gotten damp, and mildew was growing. I tried to dry out the pages, with plenty of time to savor the view.

It turned to be 5 p.m., so I made it down, and the class 2 step was easily negotiated. I saw that I had plenty of time to make the restaurant which closes at 9. Back to the car by about 6:30 p.m., there was plenty of space for more cars, this late in the day. I drove the main street through Truckee, then took the roads to the traffic circle where I made it down the side street and parked my car. The eatery was as busy as I've ever seen it, but I got my order fast. Still unable to leave a digital tip, I'd tip more in cash next time to make up for this.

Motoring on home in the twilight, I had been expecting fatigue and my turnaround, and so this was a success. Good for me that the driving totalled about 40 miles each way, not 100 as from Sacramento. I made a good decision to move to Reno, NV, back in 2014.

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