It was time to check on the zone I have "adopted" as a Desolation Wilderness volunteer, but I wanted to try a new route and see some new territory. And so I chose the Ralston Peak Trail. This had a few advantages over my usual route via the Echo Lake Ferry, not the least of which was being free.
Sure, I'd read (and seen on the topo map) that it was steep, but how steep could it be? I now know that answer. In the first two miles, this trail climbs 2,000 feet. That's steep. But it doesn't really tell the tale. Because in the first 1.1 miles it goes up about 650 feet. Which means in the following mile it climbs 1350 feet. Once it leaves a fork of Tamarack Creek, it looks and feels a lot more like a bobsled run than a trail--except for those chunks of granite along the way. And there's not much shade, since it runs through the burn scar of the Caldor Fire pretty much until it gets to the tree line. Which is around 9,000 feet.
Well.
It knocked me for a loop. I took it slow. I had all day to hike six miles, but I wasn't really prepared for my 72-year-old legs to need two hours to hike that climb. And in the sun I used up much of my water, as well. I made it another mile (one half-mile contours around the peak, the other climbs another 500 feet in half a mile) in time for lunch. I drank the rest of my water and thanked my stars that I was done with the hard climbs for the day. From the top of a mountain, it's all downhill, right?
Almost. A nasty little 150-foot climb to go over a knoll on the way to the PCT gave me one more chance to flex those quads and hamstrings. Ugh. (Why not just contour AROUND the knoll? Only trail makers will know the answer to that one...)
But I did make it to zone 39 and set up camp by the middle of the afternoon. The first thing I did was filter some water, because I was showing clear signs of dehydration.
Then I took a walk around the zone, enjoying the amazing garden-like setting of the small lakes and ponds set in granite, and adorned with trees. It really is magical. And compared to the rest of Desolation Wilderness, not crowded.
I ran into one group on this trip. They had been hiking Desolation for thirty years, and usually aimed to camp in this zone, as it was both beautiful and isolated. Cool! A breezy night with moderate temperatures allowed me to test my new Tarptent, which performed beautifully.
And now for the more exciting part of the story.
I've been using HiTec Apex hiking boots for years. I have literally hiked about 1,500 miles in them over the past few years. So when I needed another pair, I bought them--same size as always. This new pair seemed to fit a bit snugly in the toes, but I assumed that it was my imagination. At any rate, on previous hikes they had caused mild discomfort, a few times, but nothing too serious. And on our last hike in Yosemite they worked great.
Of course, that hike was mainly on level ground.
The descent off Ralston Peak was brutal. Yes, I had a hiking pole to take some of the strain, but the more my toes jammed into those tight boots, the slower my progress became. I tightened the laces. I tried to take the impact on my thighs, easing into each step--until my thighs began to complain loudly enough that I had to stop and take a rest going downhill!
I finally arrived at the trailhead, once again using a full two hours to descend that 2,000 feet, and walking slowly, rocking side to side, and looking very much like a sailor on land, or an old man who had no business being on such a trail.
Once at the car, I gratefully eased into my camp shoes and drove into Placerville, where I drank a full bottle of Gatorade and headed for home.
In the end, I was able to put in my hours as a volunteer, and met more than 60 people over the course of two days, chatting, sharing information, and generally letting them know that someone cared about this area. And the photos from the trip are wonderful. The views on this hike are spectacular. But I'll spare you the photo of my feet, where it looks as if two toenails may well be lost for a long time...
the full photo log--minus feet: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EFecBtFsqsU6733j6
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