Faith In Serendipity - Saturday, July 5

Today was a lesson in world views. A contrast between ways of handling the unknown. A matter of faith I suppose. Or serendipity. It separates those that plunge forward in life with the belief that the world and it's people will just workout for the best and those that must have every moment planned to avoid the uncertainty of unforeseen events. It might be the difference between the way a young person sees the world compared to one older, or one who has traveled more compared to one who has traveled less. Or it just may come down to confidence. Someone who has confidence in their abilities to react to people and conditions quickly to attain their needs and someone who isn't sure they can rely on themselves to negotiate the world without a plan in place to make it all go smoothly. Both the one that relies on serendipity and the one that relies on planning can be successful, and at times each adopts the other's methods when appropriate. Today, the planner (me) and the serendipitous (Happy Feet) applied our methods to deal with the Interface from trail to Tahoe on the busiest day of the vacation year. The outcome was startling, planned, and serendipitous all at the same time. And, it contained a large element of Trail Magic.

Knowing we only had 12 miles to go to get to Highway 50, or in my plan only 8 miles until the last campsite and water before Highway 50, we slept in, until 6:00am, when I started on my blog, waiting for Happy Feet to start stirring.

We were up and out by 8:30, but our pace was slow with many stops for water, food, swimming in a lake and talk with other hikers. There was no urgency about our pace, because I was planning to stay at that aforementioned campsite tonight, July 5th, the busiest Saturday night in Tahoe, wait until the crowds left and hotel rates dropped, then hit the highway, thumb a ride into South Tahoe, catch a bus to Reno, and hole up in a hotel room a couple nights, catching my breath before hopping on my flight home on Tuesday.

As we walked and talked it became apparent the Happy Feet was thinking of all the food he could score if we went into town tonight. About 8 miles out I got cell service, so we stopped to check room rates and look for camping in South Tahoe. After an hour of calling and running my cell battery from 60% to 25% we had confirmed my earlier suspicions that the hotel rates were high and out of our league. Motel 6 was $160 for Saturday night and $60 for Sunday night. We reached the water and campsite at 4 miles from the highway and I sat down, expecting this to be our site for the night.

Happy Feet did not have the concern I had for lack of accommodations for the night in town. As we sat, snacked and drank water he began to make noises about heading down the trail to town. His faith in serendipity was much greater than mine. Our contrasting world views were coming to the surface. I could not bring myself to just trust to fate that something would materialize once we hit town. Happy Feet was willing to. As we discussed our situation I began to poisen his faith. He began to doubt his own ability to make a trip to town work. After 45 minutes of discussion, a few more phone calls (I had been given a list of Trail Angels in the area by some southbound kids a couple days before, so we tried 10 or so, but not a single one picked up) and a growing antsyness to do something, Happy Feet was about ready to head out. At that moment the universe texted me, this time disguised as Coyote, the first person Sally and I met on the PCT on day one just outside Campo. I quickly called her and she picked up. It was nice to hear her voice. We had not seen her since Big Bear in late April.

I asked what she was doing for arrangements in Tahoe for the evening after explaining we were at a campsite 4 miles up the trail due to lack of accommodations. She said she would be staying in a house on Lake Tahoe with a friend. I asked if we could pile in on this opportunity. She sounded excited to see us but reticent about the arrangements and said she would call back in a few. Happy Feet now perked up and looked interested, but we were back to waiting. The longest half hour ever finally ended when Coyote called back to say it would work and we were to get to the Library in South Tahoe as soon as possible.

We hurriedly packed and were about to start our race down the trail when Shutter and Captain hiked in. They asked what we were doing for the night, so we told them we were going to camp here but just got hooked up with Coyote in South Tahoe. They asked if they could piggy back on the deal. It hurt to say it, but due to the tentativeness in Coyote's voice about the situation I said it was only for two. The look of disappointment on their faces was crushing, but I had no choice. Shutter immediately pulled out his phone and sent me a text, saying if when we got to Coyote if there was anyway to swing it to text him. I agreed as Happy Feet and I began sprinting down the trail.

We covered the 4 miles in 50 minutes and stationed ourselves on the highway, thumbs out. Happy Feet rolled up his pant leg and made come on gestures to the passing cars, but to no avail. From my vantage point behind him I could see his begging motions, down on one knee, hands clasped together in a praying position did affect the drivers and passengers as they sped by at 60 miles per hour, but not enough to induce them to stop.

After about 10 minutes a Subaru sports car screeched to a halt in the pull off area we had strategically put behind us and we ran back to secure our ride. An ER doctor from Tahoe who was on his way home from work in Placerville picked us up and drove us directly to the library after a quick stop for ice cream for his kids. We arrived at the library at 4:50, much quicker than I imagined we could make it. We walked to Safeway to buy contributions to the dinner so as not to show up empty handed, then walked a mile to Coyote's position where we boarded a pick up and drove to the lake shore home for the night.

What a place! Built in 1927, it is a classic Tahoe style house right on the water owned by the same family for generations. Even though Happy Feet and I were 8 days without a bath, dirty and stinky we were welcomed in by the home owners Penny and Jim, and the two couples that were staying with them.

We showered before dinner, then enjoyed a marvelous salad and chicken and potato "stir fry" on the lake side deck in the light of the setting sun. Everyone was captivated by stories of the trail and we talked until 10pm, enjoying ice cream, cookies and grapes as desert while we were peppered with questions. Penny and Jim are gentle souls who genuinely enjoyed our company and the excitement of the trail brought into their lives.

Coyote and Don't Panic shared a bedroom in the house while Happy Feet and I spread our ground tarps on the beach and slept near the water's edge. I could hardly sleep as the quarter moon reflected off the lake and a light breeze rustled the nylon of my quilt. Plus, our extraordinary good fortune at having this opportunity dropped in our laps had me all charged up.

So, was it the planning that brought about the events of today, or was it serendipity? Did my stodgy refusal to enter town until a plan was in effect or Happy Feet's free wheeling reliance on serendipity land us on a moonlit beach of Lake Tahoe inside a gated community with full bellies and happy hearts? You be the judge, but I have learned much from the younger people on the trail about seat of the pants living. They seem unflappable in their belief that it will all work out if you just give the universe the chance to take care of you. I appreciate the lessons they have taught me and although less flexible than they, I begin to see their point of view.