July 23, 2017 DAD’S BIRTHDAY!!!
Mile 1124.5 to Mile 1142 (just past Squaw Valley Ski Lifts)
Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike: Day 79

We got service and I got to talk to dad today!!!!! I really hope he has a fun birthday and I really REALLY hope Ben gets him all his presents (we mailed the presents to Ben so they’d be a birthday surprise).

We’re currently resting at a stream on our second break (third if you count talking to dad), the stream has really cold, fresh, delicious water. Had dessert before lunch today, roasting marshmallows over the camp stove. I had two s’mores before making my pizza for lunch.

My knees are hurting pretty bad today. It might be because we’re doing so much up and down. I think NorCal is supposed to be like that. Up down up down.

We’re still thinking about going into Soda Springs to ship some food forward from the post office to the next section, but we’ve been eating pretty voraciously so I need to see what our stores of food look like when we come to the Soda Springs turnoff.

Panoramic Campsite Meets Uncomfortably Close Lightning Storm

Camped on a rocky outcrop, on a ridge with a nearly 360-degree view around our tent, with Tahoe to the east and Northern California’s upcoming mountains to the west. Had a delicious tikka masala dinner and roasted s’mores over the jetboil fire. No campfire tonight, we need to wake up a little early to meet Stone at the Donner Pass Trailhead tomorrow at noon.

I woke up in the middle of the night to a lightning storm nearby. Not the best thing to wake up to when you’re camped at a high point. Luckily, the storm stalled out over Lake Tahoe, but we had to get up and put the rain fly on. Then spent an hour lying in the tent counting the seconds between the lightning flashes and thunderclaps before finally falling asleep again.