TRT Day 3, Relay Peak and Yellow Jackets

September 6, 2016
42.7 to 60.9 for 18.2 trail miles.

I woke after six and didn't stir until 6:45. I was about to go at 8 and noticed there was a geocache about 100' from camp so I went and found it. I was finally on trail at 8:10.

After about two miles, I reached Galena Falls. It's a nice cascade and the trail switchbacked up next to it.

Galena Falls

The big thing today was climbing up Relay Peak, high point of the TRT. It's 10,335' tall. I found two geocaches there, one a bit before the summit and one at the summit, then took a break. The views were great and I took a 360° panorama video I posted on Instagram.

I met a woman, Megan, who is thru-hiking the TRT too. She started at South Kingsbury like I did but she's going clockwise. Each of us knew the other would be on the trail from the TRT Thru Hiker Facebook group. A bit later I met another thru-hiker named Kale. He also started at South Kingsbury. Kale hiked the PCT in 2014 and hiked an 1100 mile section of it this year.

There're a lot of hornets out. I stopped to get a drink and one landed on the edge of my shorts and when I moved it stung me. Then later I was holding my camera up taking a video and when I lowered my arms, I got stung.

Shortly after that, I stopped at a spring to get water for the rest of the day. The next water source is around 17 miles farther so I filled up, especially since I would be dry camping again tonight. There were a lot of yellow jackets near the spring so I was a bit on edge after getting stung not long before but they didn't bother me here.

Spring Water

So far I haven't bothered to use sunscreen but I should have today. Today the trail was much more exposed and the left side of my neck ended up getting sun burnt.

Where I Got Stung for the Second Time

I stopped to get a drink and noticed there was a geocache less than 100' away. It was placed for the Placer County high point. I found the cache and ended up with a county high point too.

My plan is to stop about five miles before Tahoe City tomorrow, then the next day, I'll get to Tahoe City in the morning and resupply, then get back on the trail in the afternoon.  That made today fairly easy, even with Relay Peak. It should make for another easy day tomorrow too.

When I started setting up camp, the mosquitoes came out. I set up my tarp and net-tent, no cowboy camping tonight. I also zipped on my pant legs and wore my wind jacket and hood to keep the bugs at bay while I had dinner.