[pct-l] Desolation permits

[wpsnotebook at charter.net (Richard Woods)]

Had one, but never talked to a ranger the whole time. I was also moving 
through faster than my plans. You can get one mailed to you if you call 
a week or two in advance to 1-530-543-2600, and tell them that you're a 
thru-hiker. You'll need a ccard for the $10 fee, send them a check. 
Mine was for three days, included the stove permit (no open camp fires 
at all), no designated camp area restrictions. The staff I talked to 
seemed to be willing to work with long distance hikers. We usually blow 
through quickly with minimal impact and load on the environment.

July 27, crossed paths with Groovy and Donna, southbound from Ashland, 
just long enough to say hi.
Salty Dog, Raz and Hombre blew by me northbound, determined to make the 
post office window by 2 pm at Echo Lake Lodge for their bounce boxes. 
Caught up with them there. Said they were doing close to 30 mile days 
to make a rendezvous with a relative. They are doing well and planning 
to take a zero day in South Lake Tahoe for some gear changes and 
replacements. Two other northbounders there as well, a couple of 
vegans, but didn't catch their names.

Stayed at Tamarack Lake July 27 and then Dick's Lake July 28. I would 
have gone farther but backtracked a few miles in a futile search 
looking for the reading glasses I lost somewhere between Susie Lake and 
Dick's Pass saddle.
The gods sometimes reward humble pilgrims: the next day I took a long 
break at Middle Velma Lake to clean up, and found somebody's reading 
glasses just off shore when I jumped in for a swim. Photogray Ralph 
Lauren Polo prescription bifocal glasses, copper frames. The frames 
were a little trashed but I could read with one eye!

Can't say it enough. Sierra mosquitos are voracious this year. New 
Cutter Advanced with picaridin only worked for about twenty minutes for 
me before it started to sweat right back off again. 100% deet seemed to 
be good for an hour or two depending on how hard I was working.

Camp high and dry, downwind from any nearby water source. In fact, next 
time I'll target any of three spots that looked absolutely wonderful, 
if I had the water and time to linger: ridge line a hundred yards south 
of the PCT/Tahoe Rim Trail junction on the south side of Granite Chief 
Wilderness. Expect a great sunset/sunrise view from your flop spot, 
with level duff and just enough cover to break the wind. Middle Velma 
Lake seemed to be fairly clear of mosquitos at mid-day, almost level 
granite slabs around a pristine little lake dotted with islets. Like a 
miniature Lake Aloha, with lots of open bare rock around.

Mo Jo