A little descanso (break) from the trail was just what we both needed if we were to have both the physical and mental strength to finish this beast of a trail.
Casey headed home to sunny (hot) Florida for a few days, and mostly just enjoyed beach days and relaxing her muscles, all while getting in cuddles with her pup!
Meanwhile, we got to Lake Tahoe on July 3, after spending two nights in the Bridgeport area. Our first night here we stayed with a couchsurfer, who was also hosting two other hikers, so that was swell. We ventured over to the casino that evening, just to see what all of the hype was about, only to lose a stupid amount of money on roulette. But, after calling our losses, we went on a quest to find food, and our friends we made playing roulette found us and insisted on treating us to dinner and drinks because they were so enamored with the fact that we were doing the PCT.
Independence Day turned out to be quite the lazy day, but we did drive around the entirety of the lake, and gosh is it pretty from literally every single way you look at it. We did, as promised, reunite with hiker friends as dusk came about and we all ventured to the beach to watch the fireworks. The fireworks on the water were really pretty, and it felt good to partake in this patriotic act I'd missed out on these past 3 years.
The next morning we decided we would rent some paddle boards and go out on the lake! This turned out to be a lot of fun, despite my lack of upper body strength (therefore I sat down most of the time). We got out into the lake a decent ways, and enjoyed the crystal clear water! After our time on the water, we made the drive to San Francisco, where we'd reunite with Casey the next day!!
We scooped Casey up in Oakland the following day, and it was so exciting to have her back out here! We spent this evening with Casey's friend Lis (at her insanely beautiful house) and roaming about Oakland.
The next morning we decided to be tourists, and we headed down to the Embarcadero. We made our way all the way along the water to the Palace of Fine Arts, soaking in the touristy things and the Bay. After our feet grew tired, we switched scenes and went to the Mission for drinks and food.
The highlight of the following day was that we were in Santa Cruz and definitely rode the roller coasters on the beach! We also got to see a bit of sunset on the coast this night. Meanwhile, Casey and Lis took a Big Bus Tour this day!
The last day in the city was spent trolling about the different neighborhoods and enjoying the city atmosphere before we had to head back to the trail the following day.
Last Sunday, the 10th, we made our way back to Tahoe and had our final moments of rest before we got back on the trail that Monday. It was so nice to be able to take this time off, despite the price tag it may have come with. Everyone's bodies were grateful for the rest and for the replenishing of real food! But Monday we were back at it, and we'll be sure to get some pictures up of the past two weeks here soon!
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