Day 59 – South Lake Hatoe(s)?
Originally published on Mason Hikes the PCT 2017.
Mileage: 24 into South Lake Tahoe
I knew I wanted to be in Tahoe for a good portion of the afternoon in order to get some town stuff done and prepare for the sushi feast, so I woke up nice and early to try to be to the highway by 2PM.
Initially, it was tiny bit chilly but not too bad, but then the wind picked up. What had started out as a pleasant breeze quickly turned into gale-force winds that were threatening to blow me off the mountain. This wind was relentless, blowing constantly at an absurd level for hours, which mostly just meant more difficulty walking, but in the case of snow, it was approaching the “dangerous” level. The wind was forcing you away from the mountain, meaning closer to the long slide down a snow field into rocks. Gotta be veeeery careful.
As I climbed, I noticed that a lot of the mountains looked hazy and that I couldn’t see more than a few miles in any direction. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but I was definitely curious about how much fog South Lake Tahoe gets. I later learned that it was actually smoke from various fires burning around the area, which is apparently common here in the summertime.
The wind was brutally pounding me for hours this morning, and I was really afraid that my sleeping pad would act as a kite and I would fly off the mountain. Luckily, that didn’t happen and I made it down to a visitors center whose workers were providing trail magic inside. They get tons of hikers since they’re on trail, so they started stocking a cooler with drinks (ooh yeah, chocolate milk) and snacks! I tried to pay for a postcard and stamp and they kept refusing my money, so eventually I just made a small donation to show my appreciation. They also take pictures of the hikers that come through and post them on Facebook, so you may be able to find me on the Carson Pass Information Station Facebook page! I’m famous! 😎
With 14 miles left to Highway 50 and my hitch, I soon left with two other hikers to head into Tahoe. The walk was a pretty one through some nice, flat meadows, but it eventually got hilly again and like usual, I followed some bad boot tracks in the snow and lost the trail for 20 minutes because it was so far above me. Ugh. I really need to stop doing that.
When I got to the first intersection with Highway 50, a trail angel was sitting there with a cooler full of fresh, cold treats, like sandwiches, plums, oranges, sodas, etc. HEAVEN! Frank, a hiker named Vice’s dad, had heard such great things about trail magic from his son that he had decided to pay it forward a bit out in Tahoe. Well Frank, Yoav and Dean (the self-proclaimed “Jew Crew” from Israel) and I immensely appreciated your hospitality.
I left soon after finishing my sandwich to get to the actual Highway 50 trail crossing, which was a “mile” further. I made it there super fast and saw a car parked at the crossing, seemingly waiting to give rides. Yessssss! Maybe I wouldn’t have to hitch! I walked up to the window to talk to the driver and… Wait. Hot Toes!? (Hatoe(s)… get it!? 😆)
I’m not sure how much I’ve mentioned Hot Toes on the blog, but he’s been a pretty consistent figure in my hiking life. I first met him in Lake Isabella, then he magically showed up in Kennedy Meadows, then he magically showed up in Lone Pine, now he’s magically in Tahoe!? What is going on? He’s more of a “freeform” hiker, who is basically just going on adventures that are vaguely related to the trail. A good example is how he hitched out about 60 miles into the middle of the desert from Lake Isabella and then got picked up by the cops and driven most of the way to Kennedy Meadows while riding in the back of a police cruiser. Well now he’s taking a quick break from hiking and driving hikers around Tahoe as a trail angel. Nice! I jumped in and then I directed him back to the other hikers that hadn’t hiked on, so the Jew Crew hopped in and we were off towards town!
Hot Toes knew his way around, so he showed us a few things and then we parked near the hostel and went to grab a beer in Nevada in one of the casinos. A nice cold $3 beer that you could walk around with on the street was great, but now I needed to get a room at the hostel and prepare for sushi.
As soon as I had a room key card, I headed in for a much needed shower. The dirt, the grime, and the smell all disappeared after a nice, long, deep scrubbing, and I emerged a new man, ready for my night on the town smelling like a normal person. I also realized that Hot Toes was very generous to drive us so far, so I decided I owed him a beer. We drove over to another casino for his complimentary drink before sushi, but we ended up having a few drinks and playing blackjack for a while, until I decided to walk away having won a little and head for sushi. The last I saw Hot Toes, maybe ever, he was sitting at the blackjack table sipping his complementary (from the casino) beer and focusing intently on the game. It’s pretty strange how fleeting your relationships on trail can be, but that’s just the nature of long-distance hiking at different speeds and a society where no one uses their real names.
Done with the pre-sushi drinks, it was time for the main event. The moment I had been waiting for all week. All-you-can-eat sushi! I had no idea what to expect, but I was excited, though maybe I shouldn’t have filled up on beer beforehand. 😬
I got to the restaurant and was seated at the bar, where five sushi chefs were taking orders and making delicious raw fish creations right in front of the customers. Any of the sushi rolls or nigiri were included in the all-you-can-eat price, as well as appetizers, salad, soup, and dessert. Quite the deal! I started small with one roll, but quickly ramped up to ordering two at a time. Each one was incredible, combining ingredients in ways I had never seen before. I asked the chef to make me his favorite roll and his favorite nigiri, and what he presented was both not on the menu and incredible. The nigiri had carmelized bacon on it, which he told me was not used in any menu items but was only used for their specialties. I was in sushi heaven, shoveling roll after roll into my mouth and enjoying every bite. Until roll #5. For roll #5, I ordered something off the menu and when I began eating it, I started to hit a wall. I’m not sure if it was how full I was after 50+ pieces of sushi or if the roll was just bad, but I could hardly stomach the rest of my 5th and final 11-piece roll. As much as I love sushi, I couldn’t fathom taking another bite and I didn’t even feel up for my “happy ending” dessert, so I paid and left immediately.
Delicious
Delicious
Deep fried. Obviously delicious.
So delicious I ate some before the picture
Blegh
Chef’s special
The walk home was agonizing, with every step solidifying the mass of rice and fish in my belly until I could barely move towards the hostel. What had started as a dream had become my nightmare, threatening to ruin sushi for me forever. Why did I eat so much sushi? Why didn’t I feel full until it was too late? Could I go back for my happy ending later?
Luckily, my pains subsided after a few fishy burps and I was back to my sushi-loving self in no time. Dodged a bullet there. I only ended up eating five rolls and a few orders of nigiri, which would have at least doubled the all-you-can-eat price, so I got my money’s worth, but I feel that I can improve my all-you-can-eat buffet skills in the future.
I got back to the hostel, hung out in the common area with everyone until way too late, then did my laundry until 2AM. Not the ideal hiker rest night, but at least I had fun! And I got my sushi, which, while destructive to my digestive tract and general well-being, was phenomenal and finally satisfied my hiker hunger. Successful town stop!