Tinker's Knob

PCT ridge from Cold Stream Ridge

 Six of us and a big, well-behaved dog decided if that smoke wasn't too bad from the Boca fire, we would hike from Horse Shoe Bend behind Donner Lake up to the PCT and then climb Tinker's Knob. The smoke wasn't evident so we headed up the trail  past Lost Trail Lodge on what appears to be more of a dirt bike trail than a hiker's trail.  It was dusty and full of excursions that dirt bikers like to perform, gauging out areas around bends.  We could even see that a dirt biker had been all the way up to the PCT in the not too distant past.   In a while we crossed Cold Stream and headed up to a ridge that afforded a view of the PCT ridge.  We could see Anderson Peak, Benson Hut, and Tinker's Knob.  The rest of the hike up was spectacular.  Towards the top we could see out to Tahoe, Granite Chief, and Squaw.  The hike up had been steep and slow but we made it to the PCT for a late lunch.

After lunch we climbed up the rock out-cropping that forms the Knob.  Being impatient to get on with the climb, I turned too soon and found myself and another hiker taking the hard way to the top.  But everyone made it (even the dog who was worried about one section) and enjoyed the 360 degree view for a few minutes before descending.  Especially interesting was the way the PCT goes past Anderson Peak.  We saw where we turned around a few weeks ago.

That steep trail made for a treacherous descent.  Loose rocks rolled under our feet and while the dirt bikers might enjoy that, we found it scary and tiresome.  One didn't dare take their eyes off the trail. There were quite a few falls, though the only one that was a problem was the one where the hiker fell into a thorn bush.  Maybe we should be adding tweezers to our first aid kits. 

We had hiked just short of 12 miles with an almost 3000 foot elevation gain. 




Top of Tinker's Knob

Top looking South

the loveliest part about going down - still on the PCT