DAY 90: TRUCKEE IS NICE

miles: 0

So many 0 days.

Sometimes you roll your ankle and it is swollen with a golf ball fluid sack and you can't put much weight on it so you decide to (unfortunately) skip a section. I never thought I'd skip a large section (this isn't that bad, it's only 46 miles. I will be resting the ankle in Seirra City with my girls for the next couple of days while Rocky, Dr. Slosh and Starfox do the proper miles to reach town. I'm bummed, but am also happy that this rest will mean that my ankle will be appropriately healed in order for me to continue north.

Our stay in the Truckee Donner Lodge was full of rest and relaxation. We all slept in, ate a hearty continental breakfast, and extended our stay a few hours, and wound up checking out at 1:00pm.

Truckee is a great little town. Probably one of my favorite towns so far, actually. It has real culture, not just small town charm.

We had a hell of a time trying to hitch to the Safeway so that we could resupply, so we eventually gave up and called a cab (the same cab company we used last night). It's weird to use taxi services, this is our first time using a cab, we've always had good luck with hitch hiking. Funny how comfortable we've become with hitch-hiking.

The temperature has really climbed in the past few days... I hope this is not indicative of what is to come in Northern California? It is in the 90's here in Truckee and we are sticky sweat sweat sweaty already. So much for showering in towns...

Chik Chak's attempt at eating a melted Reeses.

How we get around in town.

Resupply is hard in larger towns, Truckee was just small enough to get around on foot carrying grocer bags and all of our gear. Luckily we caught a bus with a nice bus driver!! Free ride to our dinner destination!

This bus driver had sympathy for us and let us ride for free (waiving the $2.50) to the pizza joint in Old Town.

...Our attempt at a Wolf Pack "symbol"...

Hiker "trash" at a dining establishment along with our packs.

 I can't get enough pizza.

Chik Chak, Smiles and Dr. Slosh.

There was a Truckee fair happening! It happens every Thursday I guess?

I need one.

I also need a sundae.

Cutest cupcake/ice cream sundae place EVER.

My sundae of choice.

Starfox enjoying a cupcake made of pure butter.

WHAOOAOAOH.

Hikers wandering around on a hot afternoon browsing at things.

We don't get to pet enough dogs!

Do we look homeless?

Found this guy photographing the train tracks.

Smiles.

Truckee Diner.

Truckee Diner.

Truckee Diner.

Smiles decided to join Chik Chak and I in our quest to get to Sierra City independent of the boys. Chik Chak's knee could use just as much rest as my ankle at this point! We are thrilled to get to have girl time in Sierra City!! What will it be like without the guys? I haven't been separated from Ben on this trip, yet and am curious how it will go! All three of us are looking forward to resting up (all of us are hurting) and spending some time relaxing and nursing nagging injuries...

We said goodbye to the boys in the parking lot next to the Truckee Diner where Cindy (YES, Cindy from yesterday!) was picking them up to take them to the trail head. It was not more than 2 minutes before us girls found a ride to Hwy 89 (just a few miles away, but closer to our goal)... A nice man (a backpacker - he had a bear canister in the back of his truck) picked us up after I (jokingly) asked, "Wanna take us to Sierra City" as he drove by in the parking lot. He was not going that far (46 miles on two highways) but offered to get us to highway 89... making our travels MUCH easier.

Once on 89, we had no problem hitching: 4 cars, none of them willing to go the entire way to highway 49, let alone Sierra City, but the 5th car was a success!

A man named Dennis was going all the way to Sierra City, particularly across from the Red Moose Inn! We couldn't believe it - and suddenly (a carsick hour later) we were there... and boy was it a quaint, pretty little sleepy town.

We were instructed to go around back of the Red Moose Inn, where Bill and Margaret Price run the Inn and Restaurant, and pitch our tents there. There were plenty of other thru-hikers already set up back there in the micro-oasis of a place, Running Commentary and Haggis were two of them! It was SO GOOD to see them! We hadn't seen them since the desert!!!! Also, who rolls in? Manchurian. He must have been booking it!

The night ended on a sweet note at the sleepy, shut-down-except-for-pct-hikers bar where we each had a beer and a chat while Margaret combed some wool and provided $1.00 beers.

I'd say this is the perfect place for a double zero.

Our attempt at hitching on Highway 89 was successful.

What helped get us all the way to Sierra City.