Aug 4 Marlette Peak Campground 8,200’

3:38 pm Success! I got some deep sleep last night. Not too much, but I am happy to of gotten some. I was visited by 2 guests in the night. The first was banging around my cook pot, but when I managed to find my glasses and a lamp, nobody was there. A minute or two later I heard some crashing in the trees. So who know what kind of critter it was. A noisy one I guess.

The second guest was a fit of sneezing followed by a torrent of nasal activity. Unfortunately, this guest has stayed with me all day long and as a result I’ve felt a little under the weather. I do believe I have a cold. I forget when I’m out here just how much of a blessing it is to have a nice clean handkerchief with which to wipe my nose. If you saw the funky, little dirty bandanna I’m using, well, let’s just say the germs would be afraid of living on it. I guess that could be a good thing, eh?

Fortunately for me the first 9 miles of the day were generally non-taxing. Some up, some down. After lunch began the big climb of the day 700’ in 2.5 miles. That might not seem like much, but it is hard work in the full sun, right after lunch. I am quire nervous about the possibility of there not being any water in the campground as the guide book states there is no water here. The backpackers I met my first day out told me there was a big green box with water in it so I was hoping it would prove to be true. I was doing all kinds of contingency planning, in my head, just in case, but when I rolled in here @ 3:30pm with less than 1 liter in my bottles I was happy to see that big green box and even happier to find it chocked full of 1 liter water bottles. The Tahoe Rim Association stocks it so that people using the trail won’t be left high and dry, as it were.

Marlette Peak campground is in Nevada State Park and in this whole area one can only camp in two places, only one campground is on the Tahoe Rim trail. So imagine my surprise when I walked on in here, to see lots of forestry type people scurrying around with their Nomex suits (fire gear), yellow hard hats and chain saws. It looks like they have taken down, oh I don’t know, probably 50 trees and have neatly stacked the cut trees in large tidy piles. It’s early yet and they are still at the sawing, but when they quit for the day, I’ll ask them all about what is happening. The Tahoe Rim trail, at least the part I’ve seen so far, is predominately used by bikers. Today I saw no day hikers or back packers, but probably 15-20 people on bikes. Most are nice, hikers are supposed to leave the right of way, but some are positively obnoxious, screaming by at top speed with hardly a thanks while I’m scrambling to get off the trail. Thankfully I only saw 3 of that vanity today.

Speaking of vanity, I haven’t seen to much wildlife, birds, chipmunks and little mousy looking critters, but no large types. Every morning when I begin walking I see deer tracks over the tracks of the previous day, but no deer themselves, and I’ve been looking!

5:55pm I’ve eaten, washed up as much as can be expected, settled my tent and gear in good order and now I can check out tomorrows plan of action.

It looks like I have 9+miles to go tomorrow until I come to Spooner Summit and the last segment of this first of three food drops. I say drop, but really my friend Char and her wonder dog Blue will be meeting me day after tomorrow with my second box of food and supplies.

There is reliable water from Spooner Summit to Kingsbury North-a12.2 mile section. Therefore, I will again be taking enough water to dry camp over night and get to Kingsbury in an excellent hydrated state. I’m clueless about where I’ll stay in that section. Probably where I am just to tired to hike up yet another hill. I do know I am looking forward to a shower and a salad on Wednesday afternoon!

The group of sawyers is part of Americorp. They work 10 hr. days in the summer with 3 days off. In this spot they are clearing weak trees and underbrush to lessen fire danger. They will come back in winter for the wood and to burn the piles of brush. All three of the folks, 1 man, 2 women, loved their work. Sure wish there had been something like that when I was coming up. Women with chainsaws….sounds good to me! Days approx. miles-13