It's possible! The "big loop" between Tuolumne and Hwy 50, via Carson City by bike and bus

This is sort of my Holy Grail of a PCT section hike...

As you recall, the Rim fire scorched the possibility of hiking the section between Tuolumne and Hwy 50 in two steps, first from Sonora Pass (where I'd leave my car) north to hwy 50 (or just short of there at Carson Pass) where my friend Sandy would pick me up on her way to Las Vegas via her planned layover in the Mono lake area, where she could drop me off at Lee Vining where I would catch the YARTS shuttle up to Tuolumne, where I would hike north back to my car at Sonora Pass.

Well, then there seemed to be a second chance to do this in conjunction with a vaguely possible 2nd Camping trip lead by Peter W to the Mono Lake area, but that possibility has kind of faded due to lack of other potential camping participants with time on their hands, and then Peter became busy with new contract work.

I had been ready to settle on the "smaller" loop - bicycling down Sonora Pass east to 395 then south with a long-ish uphill to Bridgeport where I'd catch ESTA's Reno-to-Bishop "airport" shuttle one stop south to Lee Vining, where I'd have to overnight to catch the YARTS bus up to Tuolumne, before hiking for a week back to my car.  This would leave the section between Sonora north with no easy loop back possibilities, so might require a second car (and both would have to drive the steep hwy 108 to/from Sonora Pass, though I could bicycle down to the Kennedy Meadows resort just west of the pass so the pickup vehicle could avoid the steepest grade.)

Meanwhile, I had also been trying to find an alternative way around bicycling the dangerous and strenuous section of hwy 89 in the Emerald Bay area to complete the section of trail through the Desolation Wilderness south of Barker Pass, which is not serviced completely by either of the two transit systems in the Lake Tahoe area: TART on the north services only between Tahoma on the southwest to Truckee on the north, while Blue Go's Nifty Fifty Trolly's northernmost stop is at Eagle Falls, leaving a 10 mile gap that unfortunately coincides with the only section of the West shore that has no bike path, and instead is a hilly windy narrow but busy road (Route 89) that the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition designates as "CAUTION - Little or No Shoulder Widths" on their Lake Tahoe Bikway Map.  So I've been looking at a bus connection all the way around the east side of the lake.

Google maps directions does not reveal any public transit connection between the north and south sides of the lake.  It does show a $45 connection via North lake Tahoe Express to the Reno airport from either Truckee or Squaw Valley, and then either RTC-Ride's INTC bus or ESTA's Reno-to-Lone Pine bus from Reno to Carson City.  Google maps doesn't show a connection between Reno and South Lake Tahoe nor between Carson City and S. Lk Tahoe.  But wandering around the BlueGo website (S.Lk.Tahoes bus system) I discovered this: http://www.tahoetransportation.org/images/assets/transit/valleyandlakebluego.jpg  which does show routes to Carson City.  Haven't yet sorted that all out, but it looks like I could connect those 10 miles via probably a half dozen transfers, some walking, and half a hundred dollars.

But also, that link shows a more direct connection between S.Lk.Tahoe and ESTA's Reno-to-LonePine bus that I was thinking to catch from Bridgeport after a long bike ride from Sonora Pass, to ultimately connect with YARTS to Tuolumne in Lee Vining.  The connection would be from Gardnerville which is on 395 a bit south of Carson City at the east end of hwy 207 Kingsbury Grade Rd from Stateline S. Lk Tahoe. Trouble is, it would probably be about two overnights due to the unfortunate connection timings.  Working backwards, the YARTS bus leaves in the morning from Lee Vining but ESTA's Reno-LonePine bus arrives at Lee Vining around 5:30 the previous evening.  That bus leaves Gardnerville Lampe Park at 2:55pm. But the Eastbound 20x BLueGo bus arrives Gardnerville at 9:40 in the morning. (The next one is an evening bus arriving at 4:45 which would mean a layover in Gardnerville.)  But the morning 20x leaves the Stateline Transit center at 8:35. To catch that I'd need to take the route 50 BlueGo bus that arrives an hour earlier, at 7:35, which leaves the "Y" transit center (west side S.LkTahoe) at 7:15AM.  To get to the "Y" I'd have to bicycle down Hwy 50 from Echo Summit where the PCT crosses (or hitchhike down)  about an hour earlier, at sunrise or before.

Not likely, so I'd be descending the previous day and probably booking a hotel room or campground with showers & power (will have to recharge my camera batteries and copy photo's - oh, so I'll need to backpack with my small eeePC netbook along) in S Lk Tahoe.  Also to resupply food. Then board the buses next morning.  Or do the layover in Gardnerville.  Either way, two overnights in "towns".  Expensive.  But possible!  (Probably good that I'll have three places to "wait" - three opportunities to finish charging batteries, copying photos, and resupplying food.)

One other complication.  I'd have my backpack with me bicycling down hwy 50 from Echo Summit, and will need to have my bear canister for the Tuolumne-Sonora section. The canister is optional north of Sonora, and I'd rather not for the Sonora to Echo section. So I might want to stash it somewhere at S.LkTahoe or Lee Vining.  If at Lee Vining, whould mean more driving.  Will need to find a place in S.Lk Tahoe.  Could leave my EeePC hidden in it.

So, this should be my "next step".  It's about a two-week commitment only the first week of which I'd have a clue about the weather.  The longer I wait, the less daylight, more likelihood of inclement weather.   The other sections still on my agenda this fall: Desolation Wilderness from Hwy 50 Echo Summit to Barker Pass, Donner Summit at hwy 80 to hwy 49 near Sierra City, and from the Quincy-LaPorte road to Belden on hwy 70, are shorter hikes so I can choose the timing between storms more easily.

Likely I would try these in the order mentioned.  Since I've already been researching in detail (and have discussed above) the logistics of the section south of Barker Pass, let me just dwell on that just a bit further here:  the "long way round the lake" showing itself to be absurd to avoid a 10 mile gap, I think maybe I can instead venture a few miles south with my bicycle on that 10 mile gap to, say, the D.L. Bliss State Park (thay I stopped at for a shower and short hike the other day.) There is a foot path that goes from there to Eagle Falls. I could hike the Eagle trail up from there past Eagle Lake to the PCT and hike north to my car at Barker Pass, then do the southern half of the Desolation Wilderness by parking car at Echo Summit, bicycling down hwy 50 to S.LkTahoe, take the Trolley to Eagle Falls, again take the Eagle Lake trail up to the PCT then south to the car.

Anyway, my picts are now backed up and the storm today turned out to be a dud and the upcoming forecast calls for a week of sunshine at least.  I should get going.

Indeed I should get moving - just looked at the date.  End of month is approaching too fast!  I may NOT be able to get to Lee Vining in time to catch the last Yarts bus this year!  Oh no! This may have to wait til next year!