Atlas of Plant Basednorthern california
A waterfall and pools under the Highway 49 bridge on the North Yuba
Northern California: the whole sectionBACK ON TRAIL Northern California: the whole sectionDONNER SUMMIT Northern California: the whole sectionHWY 49, SIERRA CITY Northern California: the whole sectionMIDDLE FORK FEATHER Northern California: the whole sectionFIRE CLOSURE
NO. 13 OF 26 · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA · DAYS 72 to 78 · 146 MILES TRACKEDPHOTO #1716 · DAY 74, THE NORTH YUBA · ROUTE: TRAIL LINE + STRAVA
146 miles tracked·7 days, July 2021·20.8 miles a day·ended by the Dixie FireNorthern California, leg 13 of 26

Truckee to the fire closure

Back on trail after three zeros, through the Donner Summit crowds and the North Yuba pools, and off at day 77 when the Dixie Fire closed the trail.

After a bear got our food above Tahoe, we took three zeros and went to REI for Ursacks. We didn’t lose food again after that. Day 72 I was back on trail, 21.9 miles with Lake Tahoe falling away behind the crest.

Day 73 went through Donner Summit on a July Sunday. Strava calls it “crazy Donner Summit,” which is fair.

Quoted lines are from my 2021 logs, verbatim.

Lake Tahoe from the crest
Tahoe from the crest, day 72 · photo #1699
Atlas flexing on a boulder at the Yuba pool
the Yuba pool, day 74 · photo #1719

One more 27-mile day and I was finally out of the high traffic zone. That day ended at the pools under the Highway 49 bridge on the North Yuba. There’s a photo of me flexing on a boulder there.

We skipped Sierra City because we already had a good resupply. Day 76 pushed 28 miles through old burn scar toward Quincy. Near the hitch junction, an older woman who’d been section hiking the PCT for years warned us about a fire ahead. She was helping hikers that day and drove us into town once her car was full.

We hadn’t planned to stop in Quincy, but friends had a room booked and we stayed with them. Day 77 we hopped off trail for the fire closure. The plan was to take a bus to Chester, then get back on trail. Someone offered us a ride down a dirt road into Lassen.

Start // back on trail above Tahoe, day 72
Water // the North Yuba pools at Highway 49
Finish // off trail at the fire closure, day 77
Eat // Quincy, a long walk to the grocery store
the ridge toward Castle Peak, day 72
the ridge toward Castle Peak, day 72
above the Middle Fork Feather, day 75
above the Middle Fork Feather, day 75
ash to the shins after the old burn scar, day 76
ash to the shins after the old burn scar, day 76
poles over the smoke, day 77
poles over the smoke, day 77
the closure skip, day 78
the closure skip, day 78

The food, this leg

After the three zeros we mostly stocked up on the same goodies again: donuts from Whole Foods, hummus packs, Asian noodles to mix with dehydrated vegetables and beans, fresh salads and vegan sushi. Bitchin’ Sauce and Tofurky lunch meat came out of both Tahoe resupplies. With a long spoon and a folding knife I’d make sandwiches on bread, pita or rolls, with spread, plant-based lunch meat or vegan cheese, sometimes tomato or avocado. Fresh stuff first, then the dried meals and peanut butter and jelly tortillas. Avocados were good, but heavy and easy to smash. I saved Clif bars for the little resupply towns. When a town had loads of different bars, I bought those instead. I knew I’d be seeing Clif bars again. In Quincy there was a long walk to the grocery store and a smaller health food store with some good vegan stuff. I can’t remember what we bought.

keep walking

Leg 14: the skip to Burney being written
Northern California, leg by leg every leg in the section →