PCT: CA Section I - Tuolumne Meadow to Sonora Pass
Day 77 - 7/22/25 - Back on Trail to Elbow Hill
Distance: 11 miles
Weather: Sunny, cool
End Location: Elbow Hill
Lessons Learned: Wait to swim in waterfalls
Woke up from alarm around 6:30 a.m.
Met the guy whose camp I crashed, Dave (San Diego). He just did the portion from Mammoth to Yosemite, first backpacking trip and loved it.
Gave me some extra snacks he had, Kind Bars and beef sticks.
Also met PCT hikers Ingle and Frostbite (Germany).
They needed pliers to fix their Durston tent.
Told them I was having difficulties with might tent as well but did not have pliers.
Left for Curry Village at 7:45 a.m., gonna be close making the 8 a.m. bus😂
Missed the bus…
Considered hiking out of the valley, but it’d be an extra 20 miles with a full pack uphill… Nope.
Came up with a new plan, will just take the 11:00 a.m. YARTS bus.
Went and got breakfast and coffee at the Seven Pines Lodge, eggs, pancakes, bacon, and home fries.
Walked to bus pick-up spot.
Got a gift for my little sister’s birthday and mailed my family a postcard.
Talked to my mom on the phone, it was good to hear her voice.
Her and my dad just got back from a cruise in Europe, so I hadn’t heard from them in a while.
She told me she had adopted the phrase “hike your hike” to the cruise: “cruise your cruise” 🤣
Saw the bus coming so walked over there while still on the phone, wasn’t going to miss another bus😂
Paid the $17 and
got on the bus.
Saw Dave there.
Took vitamins and Aleve to take the edge off😂
Watched Free Solo.
Really put the valley and walls in perspective, just wished I watched it on top of El Cap.
Got off the bus at 1:15 p.m.
The cool breeze was a welcome change from the heat of the valley.
Hit my head as I pulled my bag out😂
Stopped in store for some more tuna packets and bread.
Ordered a burger and root beer.
Left at 2 p.m.
Goal is to hike 9 miles to the outside of the prohibited camping zone.
As I passed the ranger station, I contemplated asking for permits and doing another side quest to Cathedral Peak.
But decided against it, even though I am absolutely in love with Yosemite, there’s always a time to leave.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder or sometimes you need to save some adventures so you have a reason to come back.
I’m sure that I will be back again, hopefully next time with my climbing set up.
Accidentally walked a mile southbound but glad I did, I bumped into Peter (now called “Flying Dutchman”) who I last saw in Idyllwild.
He told me I was going the wrong way 😂
We caught up as I walked with him, he had a cyst burst behind his knee and had to get helicoptered out.
They told him not to hike anymore but he got back on trail😆
I resumed the trail going north around 2:45 p.m.
Read the signs along the meadow path.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks” - John Muir
True.
“Left my love in California” by Fortunate Youth
Took a break around 4 p.m. by the river to wash off the sweat and grime from yesterday.
Sat next to a cascade.
The water felt amazing.
Brushed hair and beard, felt good to be clean again.
Played a little harmonica.
“We’re so back” I said to myself 😂
1.5 miles to the waterfall, 3 miles until I’m out of no camp zone, 5 miles to the creek where I’ll likely camp.
Passed Tuolumne Falls at 5:30 p.m.
Wish I waited to swim but didn’t think I’d be able to swim there.
You can, and it’s looked majestic.
Lesson learned… wait to swim in waterfalls.
Out of no camp zone at 6 p.m.
Passed a few old bolete mushrooms.
The woods got quiet as I moved away from the river.
Filled up 2L of water.
Passed campsite, already in the shade from the mountain and not a good sunset view.
Passed a beautiful meadow.
Saw a sunlit peak across the meadow called Elbow Hill, decided to camp up there for a better view.
Climbed up.
Found a good spot on a cliff😂
Ate on a mat.
Tamales and ramen with chicken.
Watched sunset and alpine glow.
Was concerned about clouds for a minute.
Ate as it got dark.
Set up a blow-up pad and sleeping bag.
Listened to Marvel Years “Canopy Chilling” while I chilled in the canopy.
Went to bed around 10 p.m.
Day 78 - 7/23/25 - Benson Pass and Smedberg Lake
Distance: 16 miles
Weather: cloudy on the verge of storming
End Location: Smedberg Lake
Lessons Learned: Without the storms and rain, life would cease to be
Woke up briefly for sunrise, blue and green and yellow.
Snoozed.
Woke up sun warming me at 7:40 a.m.
Packed up.
Ants everywhere😂
I had terraformed my spot last night and kicked a few ant piles. When no ants came out, I thought they were abandoned.
Apparently not, lesson learned.
But no bites.
Put on one of my reggae playlists.
Drank coffee and ate donuts.
Felt like a cop hahaha.
Left at 8:40 a.m.
Goal is 20 miles and a swim in an alpine lake. Kennedy Meadows North (next resupply) is 65 miles away. Miller Lake is 7 miles away.
Resumed trail at 9:10 a.m.
Although sleeping on a cliff was fun, the down climb first thing in the morning was not.
And it was cool in the meadow, wouldn’t have been woken up by the sun.
“Wind on My Back” by Elovators.
Took a break at McCabe Creek at 10:30 a.m.
Left at 10:45 a.m.
4 miles to Miller Lake and steep uphill.
Reached the lake around 12:15 p.m.
Passed a few other PCT hikers but went around the lake for more peace and quiet.
Put bag down and set up water.
Jumped and swam in the lake, changed into a bug-proof outfit.
Set up a spot with some shade next to the sun.
Ate lunch, a chicken salad sandwich on sourdough with butter, sriracha, and soy sauce.
Yum.
Relaxed and watched the clouds cumulate. They didn’t look too heavy though.
Left at 2 p.m.
6 miles to Benson Pass, 8 miles to Smedberg Lake, potential campsite.
The clouds looked heavier up ahead, great.
Passed a Boy Scout troop.
Thunder, fuck…
Crossed Creek at 3:10 p.m.
Felt the energy of the storm build, probably have less than an hour before rain.
Benson Pass, 4 miles away and 2000ft up, was sunny and clear. Gonna Kate bush it and hope for the best😂
Started the up climb at 3:30 a.m. as the first rain drops fell on my shoulders.
The clouds behind me merged together and turned dark.
At 4:20 p.m., a wilderness ranger named Katie passed me.
Asked to check my permit and bear can.
All good to go, first time my permit has been checked this entire trip😂
A nice interaction but still annoyed.
I hate rules and the authority that enforces them.
After I left, I realized she was the same ranger that gave the wildlife presentation a few days ago.
Wish I would’ve complimented her on the show but probably best I didn’t😂
Top of Benson Pass (10,107 ft) at 5 p.m.
Clouds everywhere, no longer a matter of if it would rain but when
2 mile descent to Schrödinger’s Lake.
Dark indigo lupine along a granite staircase.
Kept an eye on the clouds.
Arrived at Smedberg Lake, beautiful.
Walk around the lake to find a private camp spot, pretty packed.
Saw the spot Katie “closed.”
Broke tree branches and put rocks there, good job you solved nothing.
Now people will just camp somewhere they really shouldn’t.
Walked along the lake until I found a good spot.
3 giant sawmill mushrooms (the ones I thought were chanterelles) told me I’d found the right place.
The clouds still looked mean so I chose a protected area and yes Ranger Katie, 100 ft from the water.
I set up water then camp.
There was a really deep section so jumped off a rock and washed off.
Changed into camp outfit.
Went to a nice spot and made dinner
Mash potatoes with beef jerky and chicken packet.
After the water came to a boil, I put the jerky in to soften it a bit.
Tasted like steak and potatoes.
Added some buffalo potato chips for extra crunch.
Scarfed down then, washed dishes and then made tea.
Honey chai with a sweetener packet 🤌
Tea Cup would be proud.
The yogi wisdom was unbelievable:
“Without the storms and rain, life would cease to be.”
Lesson learned.
I laughed when I read it, I had been so worried about the storms all day😂
It’s like they knew
Watched the sunset as mosquitoes buzzed around
Went to tent around 8:45pm, it was nice to be in my tent by the time it got dark
Maybe I should camp earlier more often
Day 79 - 7/24/25 - Seavy Pass and Wilma Lake
Distance: 20 miles
Weather: Sunny, then cloudy
End Location: Wilma Lake
Lessons Learned:
Woke up around 7:30 a.m., the trees blocked the sun.
It was nice to sleep in.
Charged my phone while I packed up.
Went to the lake to eat breakfast and drink coffee while my tent dried out a little.
The mosquitoes slept in as well.
Peacefully watched Volunteer Peak as I drank coffee and stretched.
I saved some chai tea from last night, so it was a dirty chai, delicious.
There seems no better place to quiet the mind than an alpine lake in the morning.
Packed up and left around 9 a.m.
Goal is 20 miles today and tomorrow, so I only have 10 miles to KMN for a Nero.
7 miles to Seavy Pass and a lake for lunch.
Passed a couple on their 25th anniversary doing the Matterhorn Loop.
“Ya Mar” by Leo Keottke
Short uphill then steep down climb for 2.5 miles.
Reached the bottom around 11 a.m., beautiful old-growth forest with pine trees, quaking aspens, and ferns.
Took the 0.5-mile detour to check out Benson Lake and planned on having a little snack there.
The trail opened up into a quarter-mile-long sandy beach.
I picked a spot and set up my mat.
Washed off clothes and filled up my water.
I looked around and didn’t see anyone, so I stripped and swam nude.
The water felt amazing, warm compared to the windy air above.
Changed into a warm outfit and charged my headphones while my other clothes dried.
Ate a protein cookie.
Wrote a poem:
Grains of sand
demand more thought
than given;
For what are we,
But pebbles
On a beach
In the passing
waves of time
Left around 12:30 p.m.
Seavy Pass in 3.4 miles and 1500 ft elevation gain.
Will have lunch after the pass.
Passed by a nice meadow halfway up.
Saw a grouse and harvested some wild onion for lunch.
Beautiful lake near the top of the pass.
Top of pass at 2 p.m., anticlimactic, passed the pass without realizing and no big view.
Nice descent along Racheria Creek.
Ate a kind bar, continued 3.8 miles to Kerrick Creek where there is a potential Kenny Chesney crossing; no shoes nation.
Came up with a plan to get supplies to make a mixed drink (prob a piña colada) at the next resupply.
Spun hiking pole like a baton, better with my left hand.
Didn’t have to take shoes off at the creek crossing but found a nice spot for lunch.
Terraformed a bit.
Ate chicken salad on sourdough with buffalo chips and olives.
Left at 4:30 p.m.
7 more miles to Wilma Lake.
Grey clouds moved in as I climbed uphill, and thunder rumbled in the distance and the air cooled.
I was pretty sure it would rain but wasn’t fully convinced after yesterday.
Top of hill 1 at 5 p.m.
Down.
Bottom around 5:30 p.m., big trees and creek.
Crossed log.
Hiked up again.
Switched to house music then bass music.
Top of hill 2 around 6:30 p.m.
2.5 miles left to camp at Wilma Lake.
The mosquitoes got worse the closer I got to the lakes.
Arrived at Wilma Lake around 7:40 p.m.
Met another PCT hiker named Richie (Hawaii).
Nice guy, hiked with him for a bit and chatted.
Put on pants and rain jacket to become mosquito proof as Richie hiked on.
Went around the lake to find a quiet camp spot.
Filled up water.
Set up camp, the bugs were bad.
Ate dinner and used a rock as a backrest as I watched the still lake.
Ramen with sriracha, wild onion stock and flowers, and tuna packet.
One of the best ramen yet.
Figured out trick for the wild onion, grab stock towards the bottom (the best part) and dice with a knife.
Watched the stars for a bit while lightning from distant storms made the night sky flicker.
Retreated to the tent and went to bed around 10 p.m.
Day 80 - 7/25/25 - Dorothy Lake Pass and Leaving Yosemite
Distance: 19 miles
Weather: cloudy, on the verge of storming
End Location: spot at 1009.9
Lessons Learned:
Woke up at 6:30 a.m.
Grabbed a bear can and brought it back to the tent.
It was bitter cold out; camping by a lake has that effect.
Had a cheese Danish, coffee, and a ration for breakfast in the tent and sleeping bag.
The bugs weren’t out yet, but I was feeling lazy and wanted to be warm.
Packed up and left at 8:15am
Goal is 20 miles to a spot Bella messaged for an awesome sunset.
Dorothy Lake is 9 miles away; I will stop there for a swim and lunch. I stink.
8:40 a.m., I changed into shorts.
It was too hot going uphill in the sun, between mosquitoes and sweating, I chose mosquitoes.
Got destroyed, I probably had 20 mosquitoes on me at one point
Took vitamins for morale
Met pct hiker named Steve.
The bugs were driving me crazy, so I put my pants back on.
Every step is a choice
Passed trail workers hammering away with pick axes, fixing sections of the trail
“What’s with the tail?” One of them asked me
“What’s with the suits?” I responded
“Touché” he said
They told me they were wearing cheap suits for Formal Friday🤣
Eventually the mosquitoes went away, but then the black flies came out.
Reached Dorothy Lake at 11:45 a.m.
The Indian paintbrush is pink / magenta and orange here
Ate lunch
Left around 1pm, it got chilly, and dark clouds moved in
Exited Yosemite via Dorothy Pass (9562 ft) and entered Hoover Wilderness around 1:15 p.m.
Lake Harriet at 1:40pm
Passed 1000 miles around 2pm, met PCT hiker Jester and Northstar
Passed a different 1000 sign.
The hiking was easy but boring; it reminded me of the solo trip I took to Indian Heaven Wilderness last summer.
Thunder at 2:49 p.m.
I missed the ocean.
Thoughts of going back to Bali to write, surf, and live cheaply.
Stopped to fill up water.
Richie stopped to say hey, bet him a beer in KMN that it rained today, and we shook on it.
Laid on mat and stretched as I watched the dark clouds rumble.
Put on rain fly on pack, left around 4:30 p.m.
Will hike 2.5 more miles and assess before going further up.
2 biggest sawgill mushrooms yet.
Thought about the buy 2 beers approach.
Made it to a campsite by creek around 6 p.m.
The sky looked mean and the wind was blowing.
Decided to play it safe, I’d rather be down than up there if it started storming.
Set up water then tent.
Figure out a pretty good solution to both of my outside tent zippers being broken.
I cut holes in the bottom and used the 2 carabiners I’d been using for water to attach the flaps at the bottom.
Worked pretty well and even matched the tent.
This will help with condensation, warmth, and the problem of being caught in the rain or a storm.
I was going to have to address this issue anyways so it felt good to have a solution.
Plus I had an extra tiny carabiner that worked better with the water bladder.
Then I ate dinner with a group camped on the other side of the river.
4 gals doing the Sierra portion of the PCT, today was their first day.
They were nice and gave me some hot goldfish.
I ate some and put the rest in my mashed potatoes with tuna, made it like a chowder and those were the crackers.
One of them just got a job as a park ranger in TX.
Hung out for a bit then went to my tent around 8 p.m.
The Carabiner Privacy System (CPS) works great.
Watched an episode of Edge of the Unknown about climbing.
Listened to some Kill Tony.
Went to bed at 9:30 p.m.
It never did rain or storm, guess I owe Richie a beer.
Day 81 - 7/26/25 - Sonora Pass and Kennedy Meadows North
Distance: 11 miles
Weather: cloudy, rain, hail
End Location: Kennedy Meadows North
Lessons Learned:
Set an alarm for 5:30 a.m.
Snoozed until 6:40 a.m.
Left at 8:00 a.m.
11 miles to KMN, should take 5 hours
Will try to make the 3:30 p.m. bus
I thought I had everything figured out, until I realized I had nothing figured out.
Steep uphill to start the morning, so took a multivitamin and put on some house music.
The red mountains in this area reminded me of Eagle Cap and Polaris Pass.
I was surprised the route didn’t consider this as a pass, it certainly looked and felt like a pass😂
Reached the top of “Not-a-Pass Pass” (10,551 ft) at 9:10 a.m.
Amazing views.
Hiked along the ridgeline.
Sonora Pass was 8.2 miles ahead.
Along the ridgeline, the PCT National Scenic Route was back to being scenic.
I was not impressed with the route through Yosemite after seeing what they could’ve included, they gave us scraps.
Hiked over to check out Take it or Leavitt Lake.
There were trucks that had driven up to the bottom.
“Jessica” by Allmam Bros.
Cold-soaked ramen at 10:15 p.m. before the steep uphill, used like electrolyte water because that’s all I had - maybe it’ll help add to the taste.
Ideas for sandwiches: red onion pickles.
What are people that wander looking for?
Adventure?
Somewhere that feels like home?
Tales of adventures to bring home?
Or something else?
What’s all this for?
Crossed snow at 10:45 a.m., clouds gathering again.
Would today finally be the day?
This riddle was awesome.
Beautiful view of the lake, stopped to have lunch at 11:00 a.m.
Jester and Northstar passed. I asked them what they were going to get in KMN.
She said a coke, he said a burger, I said a Dr Pepper.
As I finished my ramen, it started lightly raining, like tears for being done with the Sierra.
Felt fitting for the last pass.
The rain turned to light hail /sleet.
Put on a rain jacket and gloves.
Left at 11:30 a.m.
4 miles to KMN.
Beautiful hike down, views of the vast mountains in every direction.
Thunder at 12:41 p.m.
Just 1.6 more miles down to the road.
Chatted with a day hiker named Yvon as she tied her shoe.
I saw her first eating lunch at the top of the pass close to where I ate.
She told me she was doing elevation training in preparation for the JMT in a few weeks.
Asked if I could catch a ride with her to KMN.
Sure, just meet at the bottom trailhead parking lot.
Hiked down as the clouds got darker and the storm’s energy grew.
Felt like a race against the weather.
Made it to the parking lot around 1 p.m. and signed log book at Sonora Pass.
Yvonne drove me to KMN and we chatted about backpacking.
When we got to the resort, I offered to buy her lunch but the parking lot was crowded and she had a long drive ahead of her so she just dropped me off.
Picked up the resupply box and bought a few snacks (honeybuns, Dr Pepper).
Booked the yurt for $40, 3 more people could stay there, figured I’d make some friends.
Set down my bag and got lunch with Jester, Northstar, and Marvin (France).
Told Jester and Northstar about the yurt, they said they would join me.
Ate a double cheeseburger and fries and drank a Sierra Nevada.
After lunch, went to the back porch and hung out.
Organized the resupply, bought a few more chicken and tuna packets.
Also bought a six-pack and gave Richie the beer I owed him for incorrectly judging the weather.
Met another PCT hiker named Toby, gave him the trail name Spider-Man.
A hiker staying in KMN and doing some peak bagging named Blake came over and joined us with a beer.
Toby and I convinced Richie to stay the night and he joined the yurt.
The yurt was now full, nice.
We all decided to get dinner, the special was prime rib.
Sat down at a table on the porch.
Toby, Richie, and I ordered the prime rib “extra thick.”
Blake got the chicken
Out waitress, Desiree (Desire with 2 e’s), hooked us up with a free bottle of red wine. She said they were just going to throw it out anyways, amazing
Scarfed down the food.
Went over to the saloon for a few post-dinner drinks.
I saw a sign that “Cash Only.” And when I walked into the bar, Johnny Cash was playing.
I wondered if they only accepted cash and only played cash, but I don’t think that’s what they meant.
Blake gave me a drink token, and I got a Kentucky Mule.
The bartender, Bojo, had a thick gray beard that reminded me of Bob Weir.
He was an amicable guy.
After my Mule, I got a Macallan 12-Year Scotch on rocks.
After her shift ended, a Street Car Named Desiree walked in.
I joked and said she was looking “extra thick,” referencing our prime rib order. 🤣
We played a dice game: Ace, 4, 24 with the other patrons.
You needed to roll a 1 and a 4 by the end of your turn to be in contention.
Then every other roll, we tried to get as close to 24, keeping at least 1 die every time.
We wagered with drink tokens, and Desiree put me in for a turn. What a saint!
I didn’t win a single game though. I was hardly able to understand the rules in an altered state of mind.😅
I contributed some money to the jukebox and played “Man I Feel Like a Woman,” which I thought might get my ass beat, and then Alabama’s “I’m in a Hurry” - a trail anthem.
As the bar quieted down, we retreated to the back porch with whoever was left, and Bojo joined us.
Richie and I stumbled back to the Yurt and passed out on our cots around 2 a.m.
