July 7th
Tired still from the town stop, we slept in. Finally the tent warmed up so much we felt we had to get up. After only a few minutes on the trail my left ankle started to hurt, as if it had been twisted, although no such trauma occurred just prior to its problem. This ankle pain would persist through the day.
We have left the snow capped peaks of the sierras behind, an occasional ridge would offer glimpses of them retreating back into the distance today. We are entering the region of ridges and plateaus, punctuated by river canyons and occasional lesser peaks, most unnamed except by elevation. It’s warmer too. And the mossies are still out in force.
It is a fairly unspectacular walk for most of the day, although the wildflowers continue to be a delight. The afternoon storms have retreated too. Only on, way off in the distant south, near the higher Sierras, is even visible and from where we are it is not even a factor in our weather.
We had dinner by a creek, the last water source for almost ten miles. After this creek the trail regains the crest and follows a narrow volcanic ridge, offering views of Lake Tahoe and its basin to the east and the long gradual plain of the Sierra foothills to the west. We walk until dark along the ridge and find a place to sleep. It is not entirely out of the wind. It takes a bit of looking to find something suitable, as there are not many level spots. For the first night in several weeks we are not threatened, and driven into our tent, by storms or mosquitoes. Tonight we are able to sleep out under the stars. With the moon not rising until well after midnight the Milky Way dances brightly overhead.
