~Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass.

Miles 955 – 1,018.

Days 48 – 50.

The PCT continues through Yosemite National Park after it diverges from the Tuolumne River. Thru-hikers tackle rugged trails full of roots, rocks, mud, and steep climbs. They are rewarded with views of massive rock domes, rivers, and ponds. Around the 1,000-mile mark on the PCT, the trail exits Yosemite, shortly before Sonora Pass – where there’s a road and hikers can access the resupply point of Kennedy Meadows North.

Day 48

The Sierras are having a bit of a cold snap. I don’t know how cold it was when I woke up. But while I ate breakfast and packed up camp, I needed to wear my gloves to keep my fingers from going numb. They are just a cheap pair of Home Depot gardening gloves, but they do the trick! They also keep the sun off my hands while hiking all day.

The day started in typical Sierra fashion – with several creek crossings. After that, I worked my way up to my first pass of the day: Benson Pass. There was hardly any snow going up Benson Pass – but it was still hard work. I’m finding that the PCT in Yosemite is quite rugged. There are tons of rocks, roots, mud, and steep climbs in pine forests. It brings back memories of Vermont and Maine on the AT.

I spent the morning “leap frogging” (passing back and forth) with several other thru-hikers and we all had lunch together after the pass. After that, it was a long downhill.

At the base of the hill, I encountered another river crossing. This was my deepest crossing yet, but not a challenging one. The water was barely flowing. I hiked my dress up around my waist. The water came up to almost the top of the spandex shorts I wear underneath!

I stopped and ate dinner at the top of my second pass for the day, Seavey Pass. It was a lovely, sunny spot to sit with a view. I enjoyed my break there immensely.

At the end of the day, I camped with a group of 4 other thru-hikers: Isabella, Cherry, AC, and Jukebox. This is the largest group I’ve camped with in a long time! AC built a fire and we all gathered around to warm up. It was very cold all day long, and I expect it will be an extra chilly night tonight.

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Day 49

It was an extra chilly night: 29 degrees F. I fully cocooned myself inside my quilt, over the top of my head. But since I was so cozy with my head under the covers, the sun didn’t wake me. Yet again, I didn’t start hiking until after 8 am. Maybe that’s just my new normal.

As I started walking down the trail, I began playing my daily game. I call it “How long can I make it before my shoes get wet?”  Today, I was determined to win for as long as possible. So I got very crafty – rock hopping, walking across logs, and even removing my shoes and socks twice to wade barefoot across sandy, slow-flowing streams.

The morning miles were much like yesterday – rugged, steep, and muddy. This section of the trail has truly been a unique challenge. Even the downhills are uphill. That sentence makes more sense to anyone hiking here.

I stopped and ate my first lunch with Cherry and Isabella. Then, I started up towards Dorothy Lake and Dorothy Lake Pass. It was a long, gradual climb to the pass. Finally, after a day and a half of a rocky, washed-out obstacle course of a trail, I got some cruise-y miles. It was nice to stretch my legs and walk fast again after many miles of plodding along on more challenging terrain.

Alas, around 2 pm, I lost my game of keeping my feet dry. It wasn’t a creek crossing that thwarted me, but rather a muddy and flooded section of trail on the way up to the pass. Fortunately, Dorothy Lake and the top of the pass were so lovely that I forgot all about my damp socks soon enough.

In the afternoon, I left Yosemite National Park. Shortly after that, I crossed the 1,000-mile marker on the trail! It feels surreal that I’ve covered this distance on foot! But I still have 1,650 more miles to get to Canada.

I hiked some evening miles with AC. Then I stopped for dinner and to set up camp early near the start of the next climb. While my legs might be up for more climbing today, it’s quite cold. And I don’t want to camp up high where it will be more exposed and even colder. So I bid AC good evening before he continued onwards and camped solo. Though I am not truly solo. There are several other tents in the woods nearby – I just don’t know the people in them.

All in all, it was a 28-mile day – my longest day since before Mt.Whitney! It’s starting to feel like the end of the Sierras. While I’ll miss the Sierras with their spectacular views and challenging passes, I am excited to see the different terrain that lies ahead.

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Day 50

I had a very chill time getting out of camp. There was no pressure, since I only planned to hike 11 miles today to Sonora Pass. Furthermore, I planned to catch the 3 pm shuttle from Sonora Pass to the Kennedy Meadows North Pack Station. So the pressure was really off! No need for speed.

To get to Sonora Pass, I went over my last really big climb of the Sierras. The climb takes us up to nearly 11,000 feet, then stays high for several miles on ridges before descending to the pass. Of course, that’s just the stats – the actual experience of hiking this bit of the PCT was simply incredible.

The mountains in this area were made of dark gray and reddish volcanic rock, unlike the granite peaks from earlier on. Furthermore, they were almost completely devoid of any plant life. Climbing up was like ascending onto a strange moonscape above the surrounding green valleys.

For the first time since Muir Pass, I encountered significant snowfield crossings. Fortunately, I still carry my microspikes. It was nice to put them to use since they were beginning to feel like useless pack weight after many snow-free days. It was slow going, but so beautiful that I couldn’t care less how long it took me.

The day only got even better from there! When I arrived at the Sonora Pass trailhead, I found a group of hikers gathered around a folding table piled with food next to a van. Trail magic!

I filled up on goodies at the trail magic, and was reunited with several of the hikers I’ve met and hiked with over the past few days! Together, Isabella (now trail name “Cheeky”, referring to how she got road rash on her bum while glissading down Forester Pass,), Marian, and I hitched a ride down the road to the Kennedy Meadows North Pack Station.

The Kennedy Meadows North (KMN) Pack Station is not to be confused with Kennedy Meadows South (i.e., Grumpy Bear’s) at the start of the Sierras. This is an entirely different Kennedy Meadows, many miles away.  I haven’t walked for two and a half weeks just to end up in the same place!

The KMN Pack Station is a horse facility, with a restaurant, store, and lodging. Guests come to KMN Pack Station to begin riding trips. But this place also caters heavily to thru-hikers – offering all the hiker staples for a fee: showers, laundry, charging stations, and wifi. I enjoyed these amenities as well as a restaurant meal.

While I was eating at the restaurant, it started to pour outside. Not wanting to go back out into the rain to camp, the other thru-hikers and I all scrambled to make plans to stay in the lodging at the pack station. Fortunately for me, Cheeky found a cabin with enough room for a group of 7 of us. It was a very cozy evening.

Until today, I haven’t seen any rain since the first day of my trip. And this time I was indoors. I feel quite lucky.