Tahoe Rim Trail: Day 3 – Phipps Creek to North Fork Blackwood Creek
8/15/21 - 14.5 Miles
Carol and I were judicious with our water carried from Middle Velma Lake yesterday, and before we left camp this morning we calculated how much we needed to hike 6 miles to the next source at Richardson Lake. I decided on 3 liters for me (2 in my hydration pack and 1 in a plastic bottle). I drank my fill before we set out and dumped almost a liter – again, the symbolic mental weight made my pack feel lighter.
I started out in front as the dirt (dust) trail continued its downward trend, weaving through the trees and heading north from Phipps Creek. There was a noticeable pick-up in our pace compared to the first two days. Less elevation gain? A good night’s sleep? Trail legs at last? Even the little bump up and over to the General Creek Trail junction seemed easier.
We noticed a phenomenon that we’d seen every day but seems more pronounced in this section – dead fir trees with branches that are cupped downward and drooping almost to the trunk, needles completely dead brown. They are among healthy trees with bright green needles on branches that curve up slightly. It looks like all the moisture was sucked out of them. Is it a destructive insect (bark beetle?) or drought – or both?
The forest was littered with deadfall that looked ready to burn. Yes, all forests have deadfall, and maybe we were reacting to the dry air that we were not accustomed to, but we talked about how fragile and highly flammable the area seemed.
Note: Campfires/open flames were restricted in El Dorado National Forest and there were no campfire rings at any campsites on our hike. During the Caldor Fire a red flag warning went into effect, meaning no camp stoves or anything that would produce a spark.
Moving at our brisk pace, Carol and I covered the 6 miles down to Richardson Lake in less than 3 hours. Along the way we identified some flowers and passed out of the Desolation Wilderness boundary.
so I took a photo for the memory books
Richardson Lake is nestled between the bases of Lost Corner Mountain and Sourdough Hill. It’s also accessible via four-wheel-drive dirt roads but we didn’t see anyone out and about. The campsites were empty on this Sunday morning. We took a leisurely break here and decided we still had enough water to get to the next source at Miller Creek (1.8 miles). Sometimes lessons must be repeated…
Were they habituated to food here?
with a couple of stagnant puddles
Just past Miller Creek is the McKinney Rubicon OHV Trail, a dirt road that gives access all the way to Tahoma on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. It was a bit of a shock to cross paths with a Jeep caravan (we should have asked for water)!
The next possible water source was at Bear Creek (the outlet from Bear Lake) which was 1.7 miles further on the TRT. At this point we were hurrying (still downhill) and now conserving water. The sun was strong and we grew tired and had to slow it down. We were dismayed to find that Bear Creek was also dry. Don’t be alarmed – we weren’t in danger of dehydration or near death, but we needed to evaluate our options. We sat down in the shade to eat and think.
Carol consulted her Guthook app and saw a note confirming that the next possible water source, Barker Creek, had been flowing well a week prior. The note said “Flowing and very cold! I dumped the water I had collected at Richardson Lake for this nice, rushing source.”
the trail - FLOWING steadily and deliciously cold.
We dropped our packs, busted out the Sawyer filters and treated three liters each for the remaining 4 miles to tonight’s campsite. And we drank a lot! Then we took “bandana baths” because it just felt so good. I tried to scrub off the thick layer of dust sticking to my sunscreened legs.
With a quenched thirst and a new attitude, we hiked through Barker Meadow and up to Barker Pass. It was surprisingly easy – maybe because we were no longer worried about water?
Barker Pass is a trailhead access point with a pit latrine, picnic tables and a couple of vehicles, and cell coverage if we stood exactly the right way in exactly the right spot. Carol and I were successful with phone calls home.
A hippie couple straight out of my 1970’s teenage years was at the pass, apparently living there for a while in their van. During our conversation we told them that they were sitting on Tahoe Rim Trail and Pacific Crest Trail, and they offered us bottled water – no thanks, we’ve got this delicious fresh super cold water! The young woman took our photo at the trailhead sign and we continued on our way at 3:00 p.m.
The remaining 2.4 miles of the day were the steepest uphill yet, through hot dry open meadows of fading woolly mule's ears foliage. It was tough going and we had to call on that good mojo from our magic Barker Creek water.
An odd moment: we caught up to a guy wearing full camouflage carrying a crossbow and a backpack full of arrows. We passed him by and didn’t see him again. (Hunting is not allowed within 100 feet of the TRT, but maybe he was just looking?)
At the top of the climb were two volcanic rock outcroppings. Beyond that point, the trail again descended and its character changed to shady trees and pleasant hiking.
We arrived at the North Fork of Blackwood Creek around 4:00 p.m. We were skeptical as we walked through several tent sites – is this going to be a dry camp again? - but we found the creek running deep in a ravine. Guthook noted that there were more tent sites on the far side of the creek, so we scrambled up and found that indeed there were terrific spaces on the bluff. No other backpackers were there and none came in after us. The space felt very comfortable and very remote. (I was glad not to be there on my own.)
First things first – we walked over to the edge of the bluff, found a cell signal once again and sat to catch our breath and shake off the day. We’d hiked 14.5 miles in about 9 hours – what an improvement over the first two days! There was less elevation gain and we were motivated (?) by our quest for water, but we’d planned our rest breaks more strategically and had become accustomed to our backpack weight.
We returned to our tents and commenced unpacking chores. The resident chipmunks were bold, going after my day’s plastic bag of food and trash, so we took turns down at the creek taking luxurious baths and rinsing out hiking shirts while the other guarded the food supply.
We prepared and ate our supper in a spot away from our tents (keeping all food away from those chipmunks). We talked about tomorrow’s hike into Tahoe City, where we planned to spend the night and the whole next day (called a zero day) and night, before continuing on the next 4-day section of the TRT. Carol suggested we determine what we don’t really need now that we’re in the groove and package it up to mail back home (for example, we could pare down to one stove - my Jetboil - and one fuel canister and send home Carol’s stove. There were also extra clothes that we could let go of - goodbye, Smartwool quarter zip!)
After supper, we returned to the edge of the bluff and watched the smoke slowly drift through the valley, enjoying 4G and Facebook (feeling connected lifted our spirits). Then we stretched out in our tents as the daylight faded, both of us writing our own notes of the day.
Day 1: I don’t want to do this!
Day 2: How can I shorten this?
Day 3: I know more now and I’m at least going to finish this first section of the Tahoe Rim Trail and start the next one.
Day 4: to be continued...
