How do I get to Truckee? The trick is to get to Lone Pine from Kennedy Meadows first, an hour drive, because I should have my new pack waiting for me at the post office. Then there is a bus from Lone Pine to Reno, and another bus from Reno to Truckee. Viola! Easy right, right?

Before all that, I went to a breakfast place called Grumpys. The owner comes by and picks you up because it’s a bit of a walk otherwise. We do like our hitches and rides if we can get them. It’s a great little ‘diner’ in the middle of nowhere. 

They serve a breakfast special that includes eggs, potatoes, and all you can eat pancakes. Although the first pancake is so big it falls off the edge of the plate. I did not get a second pancake. 

After breakfast a bunch of us walked across the road and went to shop at Yogi’s house. Yogi is the woman who wrote the PCT Guidebook. Her shop is just getting going so she has set up a room in her house with gear and supplies for people to peruse. I, of course, bought some gear. And I don’t do this often but I got a selfie with her! Lol! I was pretty excited to meet her her and she was really cool. 

Finished up here and got the hitch back to Kennedy Meadows. Went through my new gear that was sent here. Unfortunately that included my bear vault, ice axe, and crampons. All of which I will now not need because I’m skipping past the Sierras. Packed it all up and cut some large pieces of cardboard from my supply boxes to make hitching signs. My plan was to sit in the parking lot with a sign that says ‘PCT Hiker, Lone Pine’, and wait. There were constantly cars and trucks coming and going here so I hoped one would be going that way.

When I got to the parking lot, I happened to notice two women gathering gear and getting into a truck with a camper trailer in tow. Just before I was about to write my sign the younger woman came by the building to fill up on water. I asked her if they were going toward Lone Pine and if so can I get a ride. She said yes. What a great stroke of luck! Turns out she and her mother were section hiking the PCT and her husband was picking them up to continue camping near Lone Pine. 

On the ride to Lone Pine the temp outside was 103, and then it rained on us a little. Crazy. Looking to the left/west there were heavy clouds over the Sierras. 

Also thought this was coincidental and Awesome! 

Got into Lone Pine, thanked my ride and checked into the a historic hotel called the Dow. Cool rooms! 

Settled in and headed to the post office to pick up my pack that should be waiting for me. I had been notified that the pack had arrived when I left Lake Isabella and since I had made arrangements to have it bounced up here I should be good to go. And, you guessed it, it wasn’t there. What? I jumped on Amazon, and it showed that it did arrive…. but wait! It arrived in Onyx, CA?! That’s two towns over from Lake Isabella. Might as well have been delivered to Egypt. Onyx post office was closed now so I called them the next day and had them send it back to Amazon. Luckily there are a couple gear shops here in Lone Pine. I ended up finding a replacement here, but for a bit more money. Well, at least my pack problem had been solved. 

After finding out that my pack hadn’t arrived in the mail, and before the next day when I called Onyx, I decided to treat myself to a great meal in town. Or rather some friends back home treated me. ( You know who you are! Thank you! ) I went to the front desk and asked where I can get a great meal where I needed a knife and fork to eat it, since I only use my hands and a titanium spoon normally. He suggested a steak place down the block. I ate well that night! 

Delicious! Paired that with a half bottle of wine. 

After buying a new pack and sending the old one home to get fixed later I checked on the bus schedule to Reno. It leaves at 6:15am the next morning. No nonsense day. Did some re-supplying, got the new pack all filled and ready, and headed to bed early. 

Got up, grabbed coffee and a bite, and boarded the bus to Reno. Arrived at Reno, got a room at a casino with another hiker buddy. I may or may not have gambled. I may or may not have eaten at a buffet. I took a total of 2 pictures. This is one of them. 

The other was a picture of someone who looked like a friend back home. What happens in Reno…

The next day we grabbed a bus to Truckee to continue hiking. 

( July 5 – July 8 )

• PCT