“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken”.
– Frank Herbert
The Twelfth Week – Into The Unknown
After such spectacular scenery in the High sierra, we weren’t sure what to expect as we moved into Northern California… But we weren’t disappointed. We found the landscape to be equally as impressive!
Day 78 – Tuesday 26th June 2018, Tuolumne Meadows Campground at Mile 942 to Wild Camp by Spiller Creek at Mile 957, 15 miles
Today we woke up feeling really rejuvenated; not just because of the ‘half day’ yesterday or the fact that we ate quadruple the calories of a normal hiking day (courtesy of the Tuolumne Meadows Store & Grill!) But because we were excited to be venturing into uncharted territory! Beyond Tuolumne Meadows we had only previously hiked in Yosemite Valley, and had no experience of the route north to Sonora Pass that the PCT would be taking us on. So yes, we were very excited about what was to come!
As we had the luxury of a picnic bench in the Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground, we allowed ourselves time for a proper breakfast and a cup of tea. By ‘proper’ I mean an actual bowl of cereal – well it was more of a granola, fruit and nut mix, courtesy of the Hiker Box at the TM Store that someone had kindly donated (more likely off-loaded as it was a big, heavy bag of the stuff!) But it tasted good even with powdered milk, so we felt like we’d made a healthier start to the day.
All packed up and ready to get back on the trail, we left the campground at 8am with the intention of just nipping back to the store to sign the PCT Register, which we forgot to do the previous day. As it was the first register we’d seen since just after Kennedy Meadows South, we also wanted to check out who had signed it to see if we recognised any names, and also find out how far ahead of us they were on the trail. (There are now plenty of people we keep wondering about – Gandalph the Blonde, The Catalonians, Marc and Tami, Alex, Chaos and Germanator, Gummy Bear, Ironman, Windburn, Dianna and Sandra – to name but a few, and of course, Rooster and Horsey! Whether they’re now in front or behind, we hope they’re all still making their way north to Canada and that our paths will cross again!)
Signing in! The PCTA has registers at various points along the trail. It’s a really useful tool for us to check on other thru-hikers’ progress, especially if we haven’t seen them in a while.
Just nipping back to the store… Was a fatal mistake! As soon as we saw hikers coming out of the Grill with breakfast and coffee we couldn’t resist partaking in a second breakfast of the day. So we ordered ‘Sausage and Egg Biscuits’ (In England, the biscuits would be considered a scone) and sat with the ‘Hiker Trash’ outside at the picnic tables in the designated ‘thru hiker area’. (It’s really funny how ‘normal’ people sit at the tables next to the Grill on the other side of the parking lot, whilst thru-hikers are kept separate like they have leprosy and need to be kept in quarantine! I guess we all smell worse than what any of us really thinks!)
Our second breakfast of the day! (And we hadn’t even started hiking yet!)
The ‘Hiker Trash’ Area was a hive of activity again. Most of the thru-hikers who were sat outside eating burgers yesterday were now sat outside again (just like us) eating breakfast! It seemed that we were all putting off the inevitable and not quite ready to get back on the trail just yet. Laurids, our new Danish hiker friend, was in a quandary as he was having knee problems after just two days back on the trail and was undecided whether to take a zero and rest it for today. Some hikers were sorting out resupply boxes and organising food rations, whilst others were simply being gluttonous as there was a shop selling goodies like ice-cream, doughnuts and crisps, that on the trail everyone is constantly craving. We fell in the latter category after completing our 3-course breakfast with an ice-cream! It was a wonder we could still walk after the mammoth amount of calories we’d just consumed!
Dragging ourselves away just after 10am, (2 hours later than planned), we bid everyone a safe onward journey and set off northwards from Tuolumne through Yosemite National Park. After crossing the Tuolumne River, the first thing that caught our attention was the giant granite lump of Lemberg Dome dominating the skyline. In complete contrast to the scenery in both the desert and the High Sierra, the huge granite domes that soar into the sky are what makes Yosemite National Park instantly recognisable.
At 9,449 feet, Lemberg Dome dominates our view as we leave Tuolumne Meadows.
As we re-joined the PCT, (the route now completely split and going in a different direction from the JMT), we were pleased to be starting ‘California Section I’, a total of 74.4 miles from Highway 120 (Tuolumne Meadow, PCT Mile 942.5) to Highway 108 (Sonora Pass, PCT Mile 1016.9). We had planned on completing this section in 5 days, averaging 15 miles per day, simply because we were walking into the unknown. We weren’t too sure about the terrain, but most importantly, if it was as beautiful as the High Sierra, we didn’t want to rush right through it! It would also be a major triumph, reaching the 1000 mile marker!
Dragging ourselves away from the Tuolumne Meadows Store and Grill and getting back on the PCT to explore some of Northern California!
Walking by the Tuolumne River and looking back towards Cathedral Peak in Yosemite Valley.
Being in the middle of a major tourist attraction, we had a lovely trail to walk on at the start of the day.
Yosemite – Stepping into the land of granite peaks and giant boulders!
Yosemite is famed for its ancient sequoia trees and iconic granite cliffs.
Another wonderful day to be walking in the mountains!
We had two treats within the first 5 miles, as we got to see a very full and fast flowing Tuolumne Falls, followed by the immense power of White Cascade as the waters hurtled over the edge of the cliff and tumbled their way down the valley. By sheer coincidence, we also bumped into Leah again, mum to PCT thru-hiker Grynch. She had spoken to us on Friday morning at Reds Meadow Campground and offered us doughnuts and root beer, so we couldn’t forget a friendly face and unwitting trail angel. She was on a day hike also enjoying the falls and updated us on Grynch’s progress on the PCT.
Crossing Tuolumne River. Thankfully it was by bridge and not a rock hop!
Getting close to the edge! The sheer scale of Tuolumne Falls was very impressive.
After such a long, dry stint in the desert, it always excites us to see water!
The spectacular falls of White Cascade, one of the major waterfalls of the Tuolumne River.
After a little climb beyond the Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp, the trail from then on was fairly straightforward running directly through the wonderful, green meadow of Cold Canyon, with Elbow Hill to the west on the distant skyline. It was along this part of the trail that we were met by Ranger Wayne, (good name choice) who asked us if we were hiking the PCT and could we show him our wilderness permit. Buried deep in my backpack since starting at Campo some 78 days ago, it was a pleasure to finally show someone our permits that had been like gold dust to obtain! As he was carrying a firearm, Wayne asked him some questions about the legalities of weapons in the National Park and for some general information about river crossings that were coming upon the trail. And then we were on our way once more.
After negotiating such difficult terrain in the High Sierra, we now really appreciate a nice, simple walking trail.
Although traversing snow seemed to be over for the time being, we still had some fast flowing creek crossings to contend with.
After a final uphill climb we arrived at Spiller Creek where we had planned on camping. There were already some PCTers there who had set up camp in the woodland area across the river, but as we walked through we found it to be extremely buggy. So alternatively, we set the tent up to be free-standing on some nearby granite slabs in the hope that there would be a breeze and we could avoid being pestered by mosquitoes. It was late in the day to have only covered 15 miles, but we couldn’t complain about the time, especially having set off so late. At 6:30pm, the sun was almost off our side of the canyon leaving us in shade, but we still had enough light to set up the tent and cook, which made it a whole lot easier. And for once, we were on top of the mosquito situation so we could eat in peace.
Making use of the free-standing function of our tent. Our lovely wild camp spot on a large granite slab above Spiller Creek.
It was a full moon tonight so we also had a great end to the day. Looking to the south from our camp spot, we had a wonderful view of the moon in its entirety. It’s enormous, bright face was reflecting down and lighting up the tops of the granite domes across the horizon, the sky becoming a light purple haze. Without a doubt, the North Sierra has certainly impressed us so far!
A full moon casts a whole new perspective as we settle down for the night!
Day 79 – Wednesday 27th June 2018, Wild Camp by Spiller Creek at Mile 957 to Beach Camp by Benson Lake at Mile 973, 16 miles
It had been a hot, comfy night, helped by the heat radiating through the tent floor from the giant granite slab we were camped on! We were up and away before 7:30am, but no sooner had we left camp than we had a creek crossing to contend with. It was one that we couldn’t rock hop, so we had to wade on through, the icy cold water soaking our feet a real shock to the system!
Making our way to Miller Lake before the mosquitoes began tormenting us again.
We had an uphill climb to Mile 960 and Miller Lake at 9,467 feet, but the switchbacks were steady and it wasn’t too taxing a start to the day. The small lake surrounded by lodge pole pines looked serene in the early morning sun. But our second breakfast stop overlooking the lake was interrupted by swarms of mosquitoes out for their first feast of the day, so we quickly got going again!
As we made our way up through the rocky terrain interspersed with various pine trees it suddenly opened out to give us a tremendous view of Matterhorn Canyon, and in the distance, Matterhorn Peak. Once again, Yosemite, as one of the wonders of the natural world, was proving a spectacular scenic location to hike!
Taking in the view of the peaks surrounding Matterhorn Canyon.
Looking towards Matterhorn Peak in the distance.
Panorama of the pine forested peaks.
Apart from the noisy mating song of the cicadas, this section of the trail felt particularly quiet compared with the constant footfall of hikers through Tuolumne Meadows. So far this morning, we had only seen one other hiker on the trail – Captain Kangaroo (from Australia, as you might have guessed) before we were stopped by two more Park Rangers asking to see our PCT permits. They also checked that we were carrying bear cans and were packing out our trash. (We had heard that this was standard practice in the section leading up to Sonora Pass as some hikers were sending home their bear cans too early when they were still legally required at this point.)
We spied a couple of deer up ahead, but they are notoriously skittish and difficult to catch on camera!
We had to cross Matterhorn Creek, which was an easy ford, then also wade through Wilson Creek a couple of times as the trail wound uphill to Benson Pass at 10,125 feet. As mountain passes go, it wasn’t too strenuous a climb as there were some short switchbacks, followed by a direct path uphill across a section of granite slabs, and then we were at the top! Even on the pass there were still some mosquitoes around, but as there was a strong breeze holding them back, we stopped at the top for lunch. It was our standard fayre of tuna mayo wraps, followed by a cup of tea and biscuits. (It has become a bit of a habit now having a cuppa at lunchtime, so we’ve been saving our breakfast biscuits for a dunk!)
The view from Benson Pass.
We couldn’t believe our luck! What fantastic trail to stride out on!
After Benson Pass, it was downhill all the way to Smedberg Lake.
More granite peaks as we head north through the Yosemite Wilderness Area.
Taking in the spectacular views.
After the pass it was downhill to Smedberg Lake at Mile 968 before our final climb of the day. We were heading for Benson Lake at Mile 973 as we had heard via trail talk that it’s a great place to camp as the lake has its own beach. From the trail junction, the last 3 miles to the lake however seemed a very long ‘three’ miles, mostly because the trail descended on rocky switchbacks where you had to take extra care and constantly watch your footing. Navigating rocks and roots along the trail is always frustrating as our pace is slowed and we ended up reaching the lake and setting up camp after 16 or so miles at 5:30pm, an hour later than we expected.
Setting off on the last 3 miles to Benson Lake…
The meadow areas were very wet, so we were expecting to be in mosquito hell when we got to the lake.
To reach the lake it is half a mile off the PCT, and those ‘off-trail’ miles don’t count! But it was worth it! The lake was beautiful and we had our own little beach spot looking out onto the clear waters, with granite peaks standing guard either side. Instead of palm trees, we had aspens providing us with dappled shade, their delicate leaves catching the early evening sunlight whilst fluttering in the breeze. The breeze – that’s what we were most thankful of! Camping at the lake could have been a disaster based on our experience at Marie Lake last week when we were harassed by mosquitoes. But thankfully, today the breeze was working in our favour and keeping them at bay!
Benson Lake was named in 1895 after Harry C. Benson, an army officer and acting superintendent of Yosemite National Park from 1905 to 1908.
Our fantastic ‘beach’ wild camp spot next to Benson Lake surrounded by fluttering aspens.
We enjoyed an early dinner with a view, watching the light change on the lake as the sun dipped behind the mountains. Annoyingly though, we had already eaten when ‘No Boots’, a fellow PCTer from Japan came over with a rainbow trout he had fished out of the lake to see if we wanted it for dinner as he had caught more than expected. We declined the offer, but it would have made a tasty change to Idahoan mash if only we’d have known earlier! (Even ‘Two Plates’ couldn’t manage two dinners on this occasion!)
Enjoying an early dinner, which meant we declined the chance of a fresh fish supper.
Surprisingly, even though the trail had been virtually empty all day, by nightfall there were at least half a dozen hikers pitched at various points around the lake. As we get closer to Sonora Pass and the end of the Sierra section, we’re sure we’ll see a few familiar faces again as everyone begins to crank up the miles to make it to Canada before the snow hits!
Day 80 – Thursday 28th June 2018, Beach Camp by Benson Lake at Mile 973 to Wild Camp at Mile 988, 15 miles
It was a beautiful morning as the sun began to rise and shine over Benson Lake. But we didn’t spend too long enjoying the wonderful view as we were up and away at 7:15am before the mosquitoes began to stir!
A beautiful early morning at Benson Lake.
On paper, it looked to be a strenuous hiking day to Wilma Lake (around 14 miles away), with three uphill climbs and two mountain passes to go over between valleys. And indeed it was! The terrain was similar to yesterday afternoon so we had rocks and roots to contend with as we made our way up the switchbacks to Seavey Pass at 9,131 feet, the first pass of the day. It therefore took us around two hours just to go two miles, a frustrating pace having gotten used to covering three miles an hour in the desert!
We had a tough time making our way up to Seavey Pass as the trail was so rough.
One consolation of going slow was that we passed several small mountain lakes on the ascent, so we had some good scenery to take our minds off the climb. What caught our attention was the pretty pockets of bright yellow wild flowers growing between huge granite slabs. There were also several other alpine wild flowers injecting the trail with colour, some that looked like purple daisies and others that had vivid violet trumpets, which made a nice change. Despite the vast number of meadows, so far in the Yosemite Wilderness we hadn’t seen many flowers. Instead it was huge vistas of giant granite domes covered in pine forest with plunging cascades flowing down the mountainsides that had captured our attention.
A lot like sunflowers, these were one of the most common wild flowers we saw growing in Northern California.
Purple coloured daisies were also growing in abundance alongside the trail.
From macros to micro. We were also enjoying the smaller beauties on trail.
The alpine tundra was alive with colour.
Our first creek crossing of the day came soon after when we crossed Kerrick Creek flowing through Kerrick Canyon. We were conscious that it could have been a difficult crossing (as noted on our maps), but fording it was straightforward as the current wasn’t too strong, despite the water level being thigh deep in places. We did have to take care walking over the rocks as they were a little slippery, but it was nothing worse than what we had already experienced in the Kings Canyon National Park.
After all the practise in the High Sierra, we were ‘experienced’ creek crossers now!
The next ascent took us up and around Macomb Ridge, so it wasn’t technically a pass but it was still a climb of 1,500 feet over a mile. This was followed by a steep descent, once again on uneven terrain, so our knees and ankles were feeling it today, the cumulative effects of two day’s of heavy footwork traversing rocks and roots. We were thankful of a little respite when the trail took us through an area of forest, which was softer underfoot as we walked on pine needles and bark mulch enabling us to stride out and stretch the legs.
It might not be classed as the High Sierra, but the peaks north of Tuolumne Meadows are still both grand and impressive.
Our view as we traversed Macomb Ridge.
The trail was rocky but the switchbacks helped us gain height quickly.
On our approach to Wilma Lake, we walked through another splendid area filled with wildflowers in full bloom. There was a real variety of flower types in bright colours growing amongst vivid green leafy plants that looked like hostas. It kind of felt like walking through a ‘secret garden’. Everything was undisturbed and the only sound was bird song from high in the surrounding trees. If there had been a camp spot, it would have been a wonderful place to pitch for the night!
More beautiful wild flowers brightening up the trail.
This wild flower meadow was especially pretty. It felt like walking through a ‘secret garden’.
Delicate flowers grow undisturbed by the trail.
The trail then wound around the shoreline of Wilma Lake, named after Wilma Seavey, daughter of Clyde L. Seavey, an early 20th century Federal bureaucrat, for whom the pass was named after that we had traversed earlier. We had to divert a little off trail at one point as it was flooded by the lake, but we managed to avoid any boggy patches.
Late afternoon lake reflections.
With deep plunge pools and clear waters, the lakes that we passed looked very inviting.
Walking around the shoreline of Wilma Lake.
Happy that we hadn’t got our feet wet now that they had finally dried out from the earlier creek crossings, we were disappointed to find that we had one final ford of the day! We had to cross a large creek running through Tilden Canyon, that potentially could have been waist deep (according to the last Snow Report update). It was certainly deep in places, but it was a relief to find that where the PCT crossed it, the creek was wide and no deeper than the knee. It still meant wet shoes for the morning however as there wouldn’t be enough sunlight at camp to help dry them out with it already being 5pm.
Our final creek crossing late in the day meant that we’d start tomorrow with wet shoes!
After leaving the lake we had intended on hiking on a further two miles, but when we came to a granite outcrop overlooking a series of waterfalls that had a good breeze, we decided to pitch right there in the hope we would avoid any mosquitoes that evening. Compared with other recent nights they were around, but they were bearable, meaning we could sit outside the tent and have a cup of tea before dinner instead of immediately barricading ourselves inside! We would have to add the two miles onto tomorrow’s distance as our new plan is now to try and get to Lake Tahoe for July 4th as there is a firework display that evening marking Independence Day. We might as well go along and join in the festivities as we have a motel booked for the following night and a zero day coming up after this 20 day stint without a motel or shower!
Day 81 – Friday 29th June 2018,Wild Camp at Mile 988 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,006, 18 miles
We were on a roll as we were up and away again before 7:30am – that’s three days in a row! And what a rare treat today to have a 10 mile section of easy walking on relatively flat terrain, the route following alongside Falls Creek all the way through Jack Main Canyon on what was mostly a well trodden pathway.
Setting off on this fine morning for Dorothy Lake.
Looking back to where we had hiked up through the valley yesterday.
Enjoying a pleasant walking trail through Jack Main Canyon.
Simply stunning terrain!
We were motoring along the trail, striding out and making excellent time through Grace Meadow to Dorothy Lake, where we stopped to filter water before heading up to Dorothy Pass. But we were even quicker when a cloud of mosquitoes descended on us! They were that persistent we had to get the head nets out and get back on the trail swiftly to try and outrun them. Clearly mosquito season is now well and truly upon us and there’s just no getting away from the belligerent blood sucking machines!
Hot-footing it to Dorothy Pass with hungry mosquitoes in hot pursuit!
More beautiful wild flowers growing in Grace Meadow.
We were hoping for a breeze and to have an early lunch at the top of the pass, but we had no such luck, as the mosquitoes were still out in full force. So we pushed on further crossing over the boundary from Yosemite National Park into the Toiyabe National Forest. We were still in the mountains, although they were less dome like and much more rugged, the granite of Yosemite changing to a landscape of volcanic rock, the last few remaining patches of snow on the peaks still clinging on into early summer.
As we crossed into the Toiyabe National Forest, we were heading into a rugged landscape of volcanic rock.
Just before Mile 1000, we found a nice spot on a rocky outcrop at the edge of the forest looking onto the peaks surrounding Lake Harriet. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any of our mossie friends around so we had an extra long lunch break whilst we were able to properly relax. After 12 weeks on the trail, we are both now bored of tuna wraps at lunch time and want to change our hiker menu again the next time we do a big food resupply shop, which should be in Lake Tahoe. Wayne is trying his hardest to come up with a daily ration plan that will give him 4,000 calories, which mostly includes peanut butter and lots of chocolate bars! (We’ll let you know how that goes!)
Finding a nice spot for lunch overlooking Lake Harriet.
Life on trail doesn’t get much better than this!
Shortly after lunch we reached 1,000 miles! I’d like to say we got a bit emotional about it, like the PCTer known as Skinny Dip who was in tears at the stone marker. However, we had a photo next to it and just took it in our stride. Yes, it’s a significant milestone, but it’s not even halfway! I think we’ll be happier to reach 1,325 which is exactly halfway to the Canadian border! (Then we might be a bit more emotional about it!)
A momentous milestone – hitting the big ‘one thousand’!
We were happier that we only had 6 miles left to get to our planned camp spot! We passed through Walker Meadow, which seemed significantly drier than any we had walked through previously, so the prospect of a mosquito-free camp seemed promising. Although we were now starting the uphill climb to Sonora Pass, the trail wound around the hillsides and then steadily up through woodland following Kennedy Canyon Creek, reminding us of the gentler trails we had experienced in the desert compared with the rough trails and giant rock steps of the High Sierra.
Starting the uphill climb to Sonora Pass, which we would go over the next morning.
We made it to camp by 4:45pm, which was excellent as we had hiked 18 miles. The earlier finish meant we had more time at camp for getting chores done and we even had time to have a dip and wash in the creek. Laurids, whom we had met at Reds Meadow Campground earlier in the week, also arrived about an hour later and pitched next to us, so we had a catch up and were pleased to hear that his knee was feeling much better. By sunset, there were at least ten other hikers pitched around the creek, like us, ready to make it the rest of the way to Sonora Pass in the morning. (Sonora Pass is the official end of the Sierra section where we no longer have to use a bear cannister to store our food and scented items, so we are looking forward to off-loading them when we get to Lake Tahoe.)
The lovely wild flower meadow we camped next to at Mile 1,006 that was thankfully fairly mosquito free.
An early finish meant we could enjoy time at camp before it got dark.
We are also looking forward to tomorrow as we’re making a pit-stop at Kennedy Meadows North, where we have sent our next food resupply package. We might just stock up on a few more calories with a bite to eat at the café too!
Day 82 – Saturday 30th June 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,006 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,018, 12 miles
Today was a great day! When we got back on the trail at 7:30am, we couldn’t believe the difference in terrain compared with just yesterday. We had an 11 mile hike to reach Sonora Pass, where we were going to hitch 10 miles to North Kennedy Meadows to collect our food resupply package that we’d sent ourselves from Bishop. And that 11 miles was through truly stunning landscape!
Heading to Sonora Pass felt like a complete change of scenery.
Leaving Kennedy Canyon, we had a gentle uphill climb walking on long, steady switchbacks that were etched into the stony mountainside. We quickly gained height, the trail taking us up to the ridge line, which afforded us a wonderful view in all directions of the Emigrant Wilderness. The dark volcanic peaks to the southwest, still covered in a smattering of snow, reminded us of hiking in New Zealand, which was in complete contrast to the granite domes and slabs of Yosemite National Park just a few days ago.
Leaving Yosemite behind and heading north into the unknown…
Walking north into the Emigrant Wilderness.
Surrounded by towering volcanic peaks, the trail was excellent so we could stride out and make good time.
As we hiked through a little notch in the ridge that took us from one valley to another, we had a tremendous view looking onto distant mountains cloaked in green within the Toiyabe National Forest. As we haven’t previously hiked this far north beyond Yosemite, it just whet our appetite for what is to come as we begin to make our way through Northern California.
Our first glimpse into the Toiyabe National Forest.
The expansive view was spectacular!
What a treat! Today was an awesome day on the trail!
Our splendid view from the top!
At what felt like the highest point with a 360° view, I switched on my phone to see if I could get cell service, and surprisingly yes, I had a full signal with AT&T, my US network provider. So we spent a few minutes updating family and friends with news of hitting the 1,000 mile marker yesterday! By the time we left the ‘hot spot’, several other hikers were all transfixed to their phones busy catching up with the real world, the Sierra having virtually no service throughout.
Today the volcanic trail reminded us of hiking in New Zealand.
You can’t ask for a better grade than this!
Traversing one of the remaining snowy patches.
Shorts and snow!
Just one of the many incredible views we enjoyed as we headed towards Sonora Pass.
We made it down to Sonora Pass and Highway 108 by 1pm. We then had the problem of trying to hitch to Kennedy Meadows North. I say ‘problem’ as most cars were going in the opposite direction to where we wanted to travel, and by the time we arrived, there were already 5 other hikers trying to hitch a ride as well, so today the odds of getting a ride quickly were not in our favour. So out came my trusted ‘PCT Hiker to Town’ sign. We tried from the spot where the PCT crosses the road for about ten minutes. After no luck, we decided to move further down the road towards the parking area. There were two other hikers also waiting there, sticking their thumbs out to any passing vehicle. As a truck pulled out of the car park, the driver shouted ‘Which town do you want to go to?’ When I replied Kennedy Meadows North, he invited us all to jump in the flat bed at the back. After thinking we might have to walk the ten miles there, we couldn’t have been more grateful!
Entering the spectacularly scenic Emigrant Wilderness.
After the hard slog of the High Sierra, today was just a wonderful walk in the mountains.
Soaking up the change of scenery!
We made it to Sonora Pass! Our next challenge was to get a hitch to Kennedy Meadows North to pick up our food resupply package.
Securing a hitch and riding in the back of a pick-up truck!
Kennedy Meadows North was heaving with people – day trippers and backpackers alike, although the PCT ‘hiker trash’ had to use the porch round the back. But it was all good as there was a couple of hiker boxes and most importantly, a charging station. We took the opportunity to recharge our phones and battery packs as they were now running low after 7 days. We then went straight to the Diner and ordered ‘Chilli Cheeseburgers with Fries’ and full fat sodas. Calorie loading was about to commence!
Kennedy Meadows was a wonderful, hiker friendly place to stop!
The ‘back porch’ was heaving with hikers sorting out their food resupply and making use of the charging station.
Chilli Cheese Burgers and Fries to suppress the hiker hunger!
There were several PCTers whom we knew, also picking up their resupply and grabbing a bite to eat at the diner before getting back on the trail. Laurids, who had left camp about an hour before us this morning, was all set to hitch back and knock off another 12 miles or so. We had planned to return to the trail and hike on 6 more miles, but that was being optimistic as it depended how quickly we got organised with our food resupply and also if we were able to get a hitch back to the trailhead. Fortunately for us, Leah (Grynch’s mum whom we had now spoken to a couple of times at Reds Meadow Campground and at Tuolumne Falls) was now at Kennedy Meadows North meeting up with her son again, so she kindly offered us a lift back to the trailhead when we were ready.
Sorting out our food package, ready to re-fill our bear cans with a fresh supply of high calorie goodies!
Our package mostly consisted of chocolate bars, fig bars, cheese sticks and packet tuna!
Two newly replenished bear cans later, we were almost ready to leave. We just had to indulge in an ice-cream before heading off! It took about half an hour to drive back up the winding 108 road, but we had such a scenic view the entire way, we were even more excited about starting this new section of trail between Sonora Pass and Lake Tahoe. When we arrived back at the pass, our fellow thru-hiker friend Jen was waiting at the side of the road trying to hitch to the town of Bridgeport to use the hot springs there. We had a quick chat about her plans this week, as she too is hoping to make it to Lake Tahoe for Independence Day. We then thanked Leah for her amazing hospitality and re-joined the PCT.
Enjoying seeing a familiar face! Our personal trail angel Leah helps us out again with a ride back to Sonora Pass.
At 6pm, six miles was a little too hopeful! But we made it a mile or so up the trail to the first tent site, which was already busy with PCTers cooking kebabs over a campfire and had a mini tent village established! We weren’t sure if they’d be space for us, but we did manage to find a flattish spot just beyond where they had congregated.
Our scenic wild camp spot just a mile up trail from Sonora Pass.
You’ve got to be careful what you wish for! Having not had much cloud at all in 80 or so days, Wayne had been saying he was going to bounce his tripod in Lake Tahoe as he was not getting much use out of it and it would save him around a kilogram in weight. Well lo and behold, when we got to camp, there were some serious looking cumulus clouds with a dark edge rolling in over the mountains we had walked around that morning! I was hoping after all this time we were not going to get a freak rain storm, but Wayne was happy he got to do a time-lapse sequence and use his tripod at last!
Wayne makes the most of having some clouds and sets up his tripod in readiness for a time-lapse.
Enjoying a subtle sunset with a gentle shade of pink.
We didn’t have dinner after such a big lunch, but we did have chocolate bars and hot chocolate drinks before bed, which has become one of our camp routines and nightly creature comforts. A hot drink always helps us sleep, not that we have any trouble nodding off after a busy day on the trail!
Day 83 – Sunday 1st July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,018 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,039, 21 miles
All the other PCT hikers had left camp around 6am when we were just getting up! I don’t know how they manage to get up and packed away so quickly as even though we’ve been breaking camp earlier than in the desert, it still takes us over an hour to get sorted. 12 weeks down the line and even with all this practise, I think that will always be the case!
When we set off, we had an initial uphill climb on hard volcanic rock to cross into the next valley, then it was another day of big mountains, tree-lined valleys, rushing creeks and wonderful wild flowers as we entered the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The landscape had changed again, the large granite slabs and boulders that we had to step around reminding us of being back in Yosemite.
We can do this! We started the day with an uphill climb as we made our way into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
We couldn’t believe how far we’d come and how much the landscape had changed in less than a week.
Panorama looking onto the Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
Happy to be making greater strides north.
Our descent followed the Carson River, weaving down over rocks and roots until the trail became much gentler underfoot, meandering through shaded woodland where we saw our first clues on the trail that there had been a bear in the vicinity. Taller than myself, there were large claw marks scraped into the bark of a tree that looked like a bear had been reaching up. They could have been there for quite a while as the sap that had then leached out had crystallised hard, but we were excited all the same.
Claw marks scraped into the bark of a tree. Our first clues of a possible bear in the vicinity.
To start with we had a cloudless, blue sky, but by lunchtime when we stopped just after the junction to Boulder Lake for a break, several large cumulus clouds had built up again, so maybe the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm was on the cards after all. Whilst brewing a cup of tea and preparing lunch, we took our shoes off and laid out in the sun, conscious that something was missing. What was missing was the annoying mosquitoes that had blighted our days during the last couple of weeks on the trail. We were amazed that they were not around, which meant we had the most relaxing, undisturbed lunch we’d had in what felt like a long while! Could it be that as we hike further north, mosquito season may have been and gone? It’s probably too much to hope…
Instead of mosquitoes, we had butterflies following us along the trail, keen to get a taste of the salt we had been sweating out!
Enjoying the salty taste from our walking poles.
The rest of the day was then spent powering our way up and down rocky undulations, which was quite frustrating after having such good, flat trail the past few days, as it seemed to slow our pace a lot. But we had lots of interesting volcanic peaks to focus our attention on, Kennedy Peak and Leavitt Peak, just like yesterday, dominating our view on the distant skyline for much of the day. If you remember the game ‘Kerplunk!’ from the 80s, where you had to take turns pulling out random sticks in the hope that the marbles wouldn’t drop, hiking below Boulder Peak reminded us of that! A giant pile of volcanic rocks, we laughed that the mountain might just come toppling down if someone removed a single rock from the bottom!
Grinning and bearing it! Rocky undulations began to slow our pace down after having such fantastic trail conditions over the past few days.
We were rewarded with wonderful views so we couldn’t complain too much!
The last 5 or so miles seemed to take an age as we hiked past Disaster Peak, the trail weaving around the walls of Murray Canyon. Although the earth seemed dry, an abundance of wild flowers once again cloaked the hillsides, the bright yellow sunflowers giving off a strong aroma as we hiked through. We were pushing on for Wolf Creek and the campsite at Mile 1,039. We just hoped it wouldn’t be a case of us being late to the party so to speak, as that particular camp spot close to the creek only had space for 3 tents. Luckily, as we arrived there were a couple of camp spots vacant just before the creek, so we pitched straight away as we were not sure how many people were already camped the other side.
More beautiful wild flowers livened up the trail as we headed to our chosen wild camp spot.
The sun had already dipped from the area so we wouldn’t have long for washing and cooking before it got dark. We had completed 21 miles today, but we didn’t get to camp until just after 7pm, so we had spent almost 12 hours on the trail. (Including rest stops and lunch too.) When we start doing our 25 mile days after Lake Tahoe, we are going to either have to start earlier or take shorter breaks, otherwise we won’t be reaching camp until 9pm! We keep reading that everyone has to up their game and increase their daily miles by the time they get to Oregon, so we are all in the same predicament of needing to get to Canada mid-September before the weather turns.
We had once read an article about Carrot Quinn’s journey on the PCT, and what always sticks in my head is that when she was routinely completing 25 mile days, she said that she looked down one day and ‘her legs had turned to wood’! With our own deadline playing in the back of our minds, let’s hope that our own legs have the strength to get us there in the next 12 weeks!
Day 84 – Monday 2nd July 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 1,039 to Wild Camp at Mile 1,060, 21 miles
There were a few mosquitoes around at camp this morning, but not enough to bother us too much. We were back on the trail by our standard 7:30am and making our way uphill to Wolf Creek Pass in the early morning sun. We can tell summer is here as it was already baking hot by 8am! Once again the trail had many undulations, but where it wound around the mountainsides we could stride out on good track and enjoy much easier walking compared with some of the tougher days of late.
Back on the trail by 7:30am!
When we stopped for second breakfast on the saddle overlooking Lower Gardner Meadow on one side and a small lake on the other, we were surrounded by more beautiful wild flowers and we noticed there was a distinct aroma of peppermint. We said it would have been great if we could recognise more of the wild herbs growing alongside the trail as we would pick them and use them in our trail cooking to enhance the flavours and liven up our dishes some more. (Even on a rotation, we are starting to get bored of our trail dinners. After 12 weeks on the trail, that’s not surprising! So when we resupply in Lake Tahoe we’re going to try and have a revamp of our hiker menu!)
The abundance of wild flowers on this section of trail really impressed us.
Not just pretty to look at, but these yellow flowers that reminded us of small sunflowers were really fragrant, giving off a strong aroma as we brushed past.
At Mile 1,048, the trail wound down to Ebbetts Pass and Highway 4. Even though we were keeping our fingers crossed, we knew it would be too much to hope for a little trail magic at the side of the road. Since leaving the desert, we have been missing our regular support from trail angels. In fairness, our needs on the trail are much less since we now have regular access to water, and for any hiker who has made it this far, food resupply should now be fine-tuned. (Water caches for example are a thing of the past as there is an abundance of water throughout the Sierra Nevada.) But a nice, cold soda would have been very welcome after powering down several rocky switchbacks in the heat! For any prospective trail angels out there, this would be a really good spot to rehydrate a hiker and maybe feed them some fruit!
A little while later we stopped for lunch at Mile 1,050 at the Kinney Lake overlook. As well as refuelling with more calories, we used the time to also start planning our daily miles and resupply options for the next section after Lake Tahoe. To our amazement, over the lunch hour, there must have been at least 15 thru-hikers who passed by, all pushing on to get to Lake Tahoe, like us for the 4th of July ‘National Holiday’ celebrations! Already ahead was the big group whom we had camped near after our pit-stop at Kennedy Meadows North. But since then, we had barely seen a soul on the trail, so we just wondered where they had all appeared from? We’re definitely becoming part of a growing bubble now making its way to Tahoe!
More wonderful expansive views…
Our route down the mountains via well graded switchbacks.
Simple beauty. Even in the driest, rockiest soil, flowers grow and survive here.
When we got back on the trail, we found we were crossing into the Mokelumne Wilderness. Again we were surrounded by volcanic peaks and expansive green meadows. After hiking around Raymond Meadow, the trail took us below Raymond Peak. I had a quick geology lesson from Wayne about the rock types and how the lava had solidified into tubular shapes, much like that of the Devil’s Postpile National Monument. It was now nearing 6:30pm but we pushed on to Mile 1,060 where there was water and camping by a creek. We picked a spot just out of the trees to catch the last remnants of sunlight before it dipped behind the surrounding peaks.
Crossing into the Mokelumne Wilderness, I had an ‘interesting’ geology lesson from Wayne!
This volcanic landscape we were now hiking through was in complete contrast to anything we had hiked through previously on the PCT.
We were both tired and very much looking forward to our zero in Lake Tahoe in just a couple of days’ time. As there was a mosquito presence, we lit a campfire in the hope that the smoke from the fire would ward them off, at least whilst Wayne prepared and cooked dinner. Tonight we were having Chinese style rice with some added packets of flavoured tuna just for extra calories. (It was also to use up some of our rations as we have quite a few ‘extras’, which means if we don’t eat them, we’re carrying food unnecessarily.)
Tomorrow, we are trying for our first 25-miler, which will leave us just 5 miles to the Echo Summit trailhead at Mile 1,090 where we will hitch into South Lake Tahoe on Highway 50. If we can get to the road early morning and secure ourselves a ride, it just means we will have more time in town on ‘Independence Day’.
As we’ll be having to do 25 mile days regularly between here and Canada, tomorrow will test our mettle and see if we can cover the distance in 12 hours or less, including breaks. I’m looking forward to the challenge but also think we’re going to find it both tough and tiring, especially getting to camp later in the evening, as we do like to get an early finish when we can! But we’ll see… Maybe we are now much stronger than we realise!
12 Comments
Amazing scenery! Well done.
Thanks for continuing to follow along! 👍
Always a great read. You are still going strong. Great writing and as if we are hiking with you. We met may 5th I think at mile 312. Wow the ground you have covered.
Thanks Scott! We always enjoy reading your email replies and tips 🙂 We’ve reached 1,400 miles now and just had a zero at Burney Mountain Guest Ranch before we start powering through some 30-mile days! Now we’ve passed the halfway marker, it seems a little easier somehow! Will hopefully update again from Castella👍
Ok, I admit I might have jumped the gun a little with the “being consumed by bears” comment. Glad to see that you are indeed alive and well and posting again. I really enjoy reading your posts, and miss them when they are not there. You guys are pretty amazing. And I totally empathize regarding the mosquito thing. Butterflies are better. Thanks for doing this.
You’re very welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment and for following along with our journey 🙂 We’re trying our best to get updates online, it’s the poor WiFi that’s holding us back! Will hopefully post again soon.
Blimey, you guys are motoring now! Checked the live map when I got up, and you were still going at 10pm after 34 trail miles. Must have been dark by then. It’s seems to be a PCT irony that just as you become super fit hiking machines capable of knocking out 15+ hour days you will start to lose the daylight.
Hey Neil! We had just got to camp around then and yes, it was dark!
We had given ourselves the challenge of hiking 93 miles in 3 days as I needed to collect new trail shoes from the Post Office in Castella & on Saturdays it’s only open until 10am. So we pushed to get there Friday night before the grocery store shut at 9pm. Got there at 8:45pm, the thought of a few beers a top motivator!
Got quite a few 30 mile days now planned for Oregon as we want to cover the state in 19 days! Sunset is now around 8:30pm, so we’ve been trying to get on the trail around 6am to give us enough time to do the miles & have enough rest breaks.
Just magnificent – lakes, mountains and wildflowers. In total awe of your effort and the number of miles per day.
Thank you! It’s getting harder now, especially as we’ve been close to the wild fires so the air is just filled with smoke. We’ve had little in the way of views for the past 10 days and it doesn’t look any better in Oregon. But only six weeks left – time is flying by!
Excellent write up and pictures yet again. Looking forward to the next update. Y’all take care now!
Thank you so much! Glad you are enjoying reading the updates 🙂