7/5/13 mile 1525 to 1537 Porcupine Lake

Sunrise over my tent this morning.

We started hiking at 6:55 this morning after a cool night at 6600 ft. The air is crisp, great hiking weather as we made our way into this new valley.  There are beautiful lakes below us but the PCT follows the high ridge and we don't go near them.  Echo Lake sits beneath the rock face in the above pic and I really want to be there! This is called 7 lakes basin and we see many more lakes dotting the valley before we climb over the saddle at Trinity Divide where we decided to take a break and enjoy the view of 2 valleys, one on either side of the divide.  

Here's Colleen enjoying the view.

Today it's mostly even terrain as we make our way to Gumshoe Lake which can be accessed by car via Rd 26. Just a little past the lake we saw a sign for Picayune Spring 800 ft down a side trail. We left our packs and walked down, filled water from this cold clear spring and hiked back up. It was a steep climb but so worth the great water.  We hiked another 3 miles and rested on a mt. side for lunch, shoes off under a big ponderosa tree.  That afternoon the trail continued,  winding over saddles and across dry hillsides dotted with springs  that created bright green swathes carpeted with wildflowers and patches of Darlingtonia (carniverous pitcher plants), wild onion, blue toad flax and many more.  I'm beginning to be tired, needing to stop and take water breaks as we hike over boulder strewn trail. I know the lake we plan to overnight at is close so Colleen is going ahead. As I round the corner she calls out to me to take the side trail uphill to Porcupine Lake. It's a  1/4 mi uphill trail that is picturesque, lined with huge boulders and stunted trees I just know the lake is going to be like a postcard. I met an older man day hiking with his dog who lives in Mt Shasta and likes to hike and camp off the beaten path. We chatted a few minutes and he told me we're the only ones at the lake today. Colleen and I came into view of the lake and could only stare and sigh. It's just lovely and we are the only people here.  We chose a tent site, dropped our packs and went to the lakeside to see it all.

I ended up swimming and rinsing out my clothes, it was wonderful to feel clean and cool. Later Colleen and I walked a little way around on the boulders to a shallow where 5-8" trout are jumping completely out of the water for bugs. We lay on the big boulders watching for awhile. 2 more people joined us at the lake, one is a single lady of 61 named Judith who lives on the coast and hikes the PCT by parking by a trailhead and hiking in and back on both sides of the trail because she doesn't have anyone to shuttle the car or pick her up. She's done most of Ca & Or doing this and still has much of Wa to hike.  The other person was a mid 50s man, Dave, from the UK hiking from Donner's Pass, Ca to Canada if he can make it that far.  

Dinner tonight was black beans & rice with noodles that should have cooked longer but I was too hungry!  Judith brought us a choc chip cookie to split.  

2 day hikers came in on a 12 mile round trip from Gumshoe Lake where we were this morning.  

Bedtime 8:15pm

Hiked 11.5 mi today.