August 20
1153 – 1161
I had a day off at Donner Lake with my parents. It was hard to sleep in a bed at first but I got the hang of it by the second night. I read a couple of books and ate lots of calories and told my parents all my stories. After brunch, they took me back up to the pass and dropped me off. We made plans to meet again at Mount Shasta. And because I like the challenge, I said I’d be there in three weeks. I started doing the math after I started walking again, and realized I’d be doing lots of hiking.
To get under Interstate 70, there are some creepy tunnels you have to get though. I was pretty excited about the rest stop on the Interstate. Because vending machines! Good vending machines, with pickles and ice cream and coffee drinks. I munched some candy and read all the informational literature on the walls. Of course I love the Donner Party story. It’s like the worst, worst case scenario of what can go wrong on a big trip. 
The trees were wearing stripey moss socks. They look like the legs of some Dr. Seuss creature.
I slept at the Peter Grubb Hut, one of the only huts on the PCT. I wonder if the huts on the Appalachian trail are as luxury as this one? The Peter Grubb hut is double decker, and so is the outhouse. I thought it was for storage or something, until I saw the photos inside of the hut covered in snow, only the upstairs door poking out. Yikes. Count me out for snowhiking. If the snow was that deep underneath me, I’d be too scared of falling into it and suffocating. Like the ocean but you can’t swim.
There were three other hikers at the hut, all women, for once! It was a little like a slumber party, everyone sleeping on the floor of the attic. One thing I don’t notice when I’m alone in the tent is that plastic sleeping pads are very noisy. Every time you roll over shhhtttccchhh!
Spinstera 