Wild Magic on the Pacific Crest Trail

Many years ago our Reno friends got the wild idea of spending our Fourth of July by running to a place called Fourth of July Lake, followed by a tailgate feast in the Carson Pass Ranger Station parking lot. The route starts on the Pacific Crest Trail and we saw that “thru-hikers”—those intrepid adventurers who started more than a thousand miles away—passed by and looked longingly at our spread—so of course we asked them to join us. It became a tradition. So much so, that in 2026 we got a return visit from Gadget, a thru hiker we met the previous year.

  Providing what the thru-hikers call “trail magic” and getting called “trail angels” makes us feel good—almost as good as the thru-hikers feel when they get fresh food and chairs to sit on. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/504829_e5afad187d2d433abfabcd51a0c17744/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Further 4th of July wild adventures on the Pacific Crest Trail, joined by thru-hikers Scraps, Gadget, Phantasia, Birddog, Aunt Jess & Cascade

We sit, eat, and share stories, all of us praising the beauty of the great outdoors; what a perfect way to celebrate our country.