I packed and started hiking around 6am this morning.    I need to get this hiking business over early today so I can catch a hitch into Truckee at at decent hour.   Octane will catch up for our 9am breakfast somewhere around Squaw Valley.

Passing through both Alpine and Squaw ski resorts today.    Interesting seeing these slopes bare of snow.   

Stopped at the the crest of Squaw’s Granite Chief hill for breakfast.   About a 1k foot climb.   Octane skis here during the winter.   Figure this would be a cool place for him to poke around.

I heated up and ate everything I had left in my food bag this morning.   That leaves me with a handful of soggy fritos and a mustard packet. I cut this one a little too close given the crappy weather. 

It is a bittersweet end to a bittersweet week.   I’m ticking off a lists of “lasts” for the hike.   Last climb above 9k.   Last 1k climb.   Last bag of dehydrated whatever.  

All that is left now is a long walk along a ridgeline to Mount Judah, a walk past Donner pass, then highway 80.    Octane got a pic of me before we got moving again. 

Octane and I stopped at Donner ski area for a burger and a couple beers.   After that we crossed through a drainage tunnel under I-80 and parted ways.   He is going to do another 12 days to Chester.   

As for me, this connects all the pieces.   An unbroken footpath on the PCT from the Mexican border to Southern Oregon.   1,771 PCT miles of hiking.