16     South Lake Tahoe - Sierra City   103 miles

South Lake Tahoe

Lake Fontanillis                  16.5 m

Granite Chief                     23.5 m

Soda Springs                     21.5 m

Near Jones Valley               23.0 m

Sierra City                        18.5 m

Fortunately the owner of the motel was willing to give us a ride back to the trail. This way we arrived soon at Echo Lake. From here the PCT runs together with the Tahoe Rim Trail. Here too the section hikers can easily be distinguished from us long distance hikers. Their packs look a lot heavier and the hikers themselves look and sometimes smell cleaner. For a while Lake Tahoe was on and off visible from the PCT. At the same time the forest became more sparsely and the trail rockier. Despite the warm temperature I made good progress. During the descent to Donner Pass I met a fellow hiker whose husband was waiting for her at the pass. They offered me a ride to Soda Springs. I spent the night at the local hostel which is mostly visited by truckers. At the bar a local invited me to his house for dinner. That was a very interesting evening. And then he offered to give me a ride back to the pass very early next morning. This short unplanned side trip was really worth it.

I arrived at Sierra City two days later. Of course this hamlet was located way down in a valley. I reached it on foot. I staid at the Red Moose Inn. Here I met a number of well known fellow hikers. Besides shower and laundry we got freshly made spare ribs. As by now common my food package was waiting for me.

Echo Lake

PCT passes through flowering meadow near Lake Gilmore

Lake along PCT in Yosemite National Park

Sun set in Sierra Nevada

PCT passes ski area of former Winter Olympics site Squaw Valley

Many old volcanic eruptions are visible along the PCT

Visitor center announcement board of Sierra City

<< Tuolumne Meadows <<      >> Belden  >>