Saturday, August 24
Start: Round Lake
End: Susie Lake
Miles: 24.0
Elevation gain/loss: 4754’/5023′
After falling asleep around 9pm, I had a good night sleep and woke up around 5:45am. I was on trail by 6:30am. I reached the intersection with the PCT at Meis Meadow around 7:30am. I passed by the Upper Truckee River and Showers Lake, and then headed down to the Echo Summit trailhead and then a brief up to get to Echo Lake trailhead and the chalet/deli. I arrived there around 1pm and had a good lunch (though the staff there were somewhat terse) and headed out around 1:30pm.
I then climbed up to Lake Aloha in the wilting afternoon heat by way of Lower and Upper Echo Lakes. I hiked past Lake Aloha (getting my permit checked by a ranger), and then hiked past Heather Lake and halfway around Susie Lake before finding a decently flat campsite with a good water source nearby, arriving around 6:15pm.
After the JMT, I’m spoiled on water sources. Even clear lake water here has small things swimming in it, so finding water that doesn’t need to be filtered and can be chemically treated is a bit tricky.
This trail has been somewhat hard on my feet. The majority of trail is hard packed sand, which feels more similar to road walking on my joints and is fairly punishing. I’ve had to tape up my feet and I expect I’ll continue needing to do so.
Transcending Mountains 