PCT: Yosemite Side Quests

Day 72 - 7/17/25 - Yosemite (Day 1), Permits and Chores

Distance: 6 miles

Weather: Sunny, hot

End Location: Yosemite Valley

Lessons Learned: Reddit has some awesome secret hikes

Woke up at 5:30 a.m.

Saw Tea Cup and Yaya already leaving.

Gabe and Bella beat me to the punch too.

Ate a cheese danish and drank coffee while I walked to the Ranger Station, 1.5 miles away.

Was mad that Gabe and Bella beat me; they weren’t even planning on doing Yosemite, let alone Half Dome.

Thought about them getting permits instead of me.

Misplaced anger 😬

When I got there, Tea Cup and Yaya were first in line.

No need to even worry.

Waited for an hour until the breakfast place opened.

Went and got a breakfast burrito, matcha, and some pastries.

Brought some goodies back for the others.

Chatted with Raw Dog as he smoked his pipe.

He hiked the PCT in 2018; cool dude.

When the station opened, we did not get the permits we wanted.

Apparently, they don’t save permits for walk-ups 😂

He found one permit, so we took that.

“Where did you guys sleep last night?”  the ranger asked with a laugh.

“Oh, we just hitched in from Tuolumne Meadows early,” Tea Cup responded, chuckling.

Nice.

The ranger said to come back at 11 a.m.

He would save any cancellations for us if we came back then.

Cool.

Bella, Yaya, and Gabe went to a drawing class.

Tea Cup and I said we would handle business hahaha.

With only 3 hours until 11 a.m., Tea Cup and I did a short venture over to the Nose of El Cap.

Then checked out Free Rider, the route Alex Honnold free soloed.

We did our own free solo up to a ledge and chilled there for a bit.

Rode bus back

Went to the store to get some sandwiches

By then it was 11am so went back to Ranger station

Got permits to start at Sunrise Lakes and summit half dome

The ranger said we could also stay at the backpacker camp the night after and showed us where that was

“We’ll take them”

The mission was a go, we would attempt to summit half dome tomorrow

Tea Cup had a hike he wanted to do that he found on Reddit, cool let’s do it

When we were leaving we saw someone from the group walking

Decided to say hi

Conflicting plans then drama with Gabe and Bella

Gabe came with Tea Cup and I

The girls would do something else I supposed

Walked to Lower Yosemite Falls trailhead

Accidentally went the wrong way

Backtracked and got in the right trail

Tea Cup said there would be some scrambling involved, sweeet

Climbed up a river bed and sloped granite rock

Maneuvered over trees

Tea Cup and I had left most of our stuff in the bear lockers but Gabe had his full pack on

Sheeeesh, I couldn’t imagine doing that😂

Went a little too high on the route but eventually found our way to the trail

Climbed probably 500 ft up, it was super hot out

Walked along rock until we hit the oasis I called “Middle Falls”

A scenic pool cascading over granite with views of another cascade and the upper falls

3 waterfalls in total

And no one else was up there

Set up pad and cracked open a beer

Jumped in the water and ate a sandwich, turkey pesto, delicious

Chilled heavily

Went back down but stuck to the trail

Wasn’t as difficult going down

After we got down, we went to the village to get some dinner, got a salad and other items

Also got some ice cream sandwiches

Ate the ice cream sandwich and took the bus back to backpacker camp

Gabe and I got a better spot than last night but still Cowboy camped

Some park rangers came around explaining bear safety

I didn’t want to interact with them and explain my situation so I left and washed off in the river

It was extremely hot in the valley and the hike had me sweaty and gross

I washed off and went back to the camp as it was getting dark, the rangers were gone

I boiled water for rice packet and made wraps with the southwest chicken salad I got at the store, trying to carbo load for Half Dome tomorrow

I prepped my bag for tomorrow, set my alarm for 3:40am and went to sleep around 11pm

Day 73 - 7/18/25 - Yosemite (Day 2), Side Quest: Half Dome Trip

Distance: 16 miles, 6000ft elevation gain

Weather: Sunny, hot

End Location: Yosemite Valley

Lessons Learned:

Woke up at 3:40 a.m.

Stashed ancillary items in the bear locker and just packed what I needed for the day

Hoped the park rangers wouldn’t take it

Yesterday, Tea Cup and Yaya got a warning saying that check-out was at 11 a.m. and if they didn’t remove their items from the locker, then they would confiscate their stuff

Not very thru-hiker friendly🧐

Left around 4:15 a.m. and drank my coffee as I walked

Hiked 1.5 miles in the dark to the Mist Trail

Started JMT / Mist Trail around 4:50 a.m.

8 miles to the top of Half Dome😤

Passed waterfalls in the dark and walked along the Merced River

Took the Mist Trail detour of steep switchbacks at 5:20 a.m.

Caught a view of Vernal Falls around 5:55 a.m.

The morning light was faint but lit up the valley

Reached the top of Vernal Falls around 6:30 a.m.

Ran into Bella and Gabe, they took the Mist Trail (only closed Monday through Thursday)

The air was colder due to the higher elevation in Little Yosemite Valley

Passed Tea Cup and Yaya

Tea Cup had a new turtle persona similar to Dana Carvey, made complete with his dark green quarter zip 😂

Even though we had permits, he said he would just act like a turtle if asked for them

With only the summit on my mind, I Kate Bushed it and ran up the hill

View of the backside of Half Dome around 7:55 a.m.

1 more mile to the summit

Reached the beginning of the cables around 8:15 a.m.

I stopped to catch my breath while another hiker was giving his girlfriend a pep talk.

Put on my gloves and started going up.

The cables were certainly different from regular hiking.

Literally pulling myself up, I slid my hands along the cables and tried to maintain at least 3 points of contact.

It was steep but never felt like I was in danger.

The hardest thing to navigate was the morning traffic descending along the same path. Had to duck under the cable to let people pass. Not a great system but didn’t really see another way.

While I was waiting for some people to pass, the cable hit one of my smart water bottles loose and I watched it fall off the side of the mountain. A spooky sight.

Reached the top of the cables at 8:30 a.m.

Walked along the smooth granite to the peak.

Set up shop and took pictures.

Tea Cup and Yaya joined shortly.

Tea cup tea ceremony.

Bella and Gabe joined.

Raw Dog (the guy from the permit line yesterday) and Fork Lift.

Some bros came up and ripped off their shirts as soon as they reached the summit.

They took pictures on the precarious lookout while flexing and shouting exclamations.

I liked their style 😂

Raw Dog smoked his tobacco pipe.

Liked his style too.

After a while it got hot up there and we decided to head out.

The group left but I went checked out the other side.

Had to be the caboose 😂

The traffic was pretty brutal.

And the gang was a bit slow going down.

One of the shirtless dudes was directly under me and so we chatted during breaks.

He told me his name was Cody and his buddy was Zach.

I joked “Zach & Cody: Suite Life Half Dome” and we laughed.

I was pretty comfortable balancing on the met poles as people passed but I could tell Cody was a bit uncomfortable.

A big group came as we were nearing the end and I went along the side to the finish.

I hiked down with haste wanting to get out of the heat and into the river.

Zach and Cody caught up and showed me the river beach they were camped by.

Set up Smurf Relaxation Enterprises TM.

Chilled and ate lunch.

Chicken salad tortilla, cheese, peanut butter cookie, and some gummy bears.

Tea Cup and Yaya pulled up; the others were going down though.

Chilled and swam.

Cody has goggles in his inventory; what a luxury item!

Forgot to ask to use them.

Saw the fattest squirrel yet.

Left with plans to go to Emerald Lake for rock slip and slide but made a wrong turn.

Ended up going in the pool right before Vernal Falls.

Chilled a bit but not as heavily due to the amount of people there.

Zach and Cody pulled up and chilled.

Then we hiked down together.

They were going to spend one more night in Little Yosemite Valley, but the idea of beer and pizza sounded too good.

We all flew down together.

Got on the bus and went to Curry Village.

I was worried about the status of my items and almost got off the bus to go check, but figured if they were already gone, then it was too late anyways.

And the idea of pizza and beer sounded too good.

The pizza line was too long, so we just got food and beer from the Curry Village store.

I showed them the spot by the theatre that had a good view of Half Dome.

We all sat down and ate ice cream and drank beer.

Cody just ate ice cream; he’s sober.

After hanging and watching the sun set on Half Dome, we went to the river by the backpackers camp to wash off.

Took the bus the wrong way, so that killed some time.

Finally got there with little light left but went swimming anyways.

Chilled and drank another beer.

Ate my Asian chicken salad.

Zach waved to a cute girl on the bridge.

“Do you guys have a spoon?” she shouted.

“Yeah, I think so,” we all laughed.

She came down and joined us.

Her name was Katie.

She was tan, had dirty, curly blonde hair, and beautiful blue eyes.

She was gorgeous.

Working for a guiding company, she just got done leading 3 women on a trip up Half Dome at sunset yesterday; very cool.

But forgot her spoon, so I washed off my spork and gave it to her, hoping that would suffice.

I think she ate ramen.

She told us about the women on her trip and all the ensuing drama.

We told her about our day.

She said she saw my PCT tag and asked me about the trip.

I told her about the trauma of the desert and the beauty of the Sierra, a tale of two cities

She did the Appalachian Trail a few years, we talked about that

Then we all talked about surfing

Explained my love for “sunset curls”

There’s no better feeling than surfing at sunset and riding a golden wave

I joked with her that we were all clean and that she stank

“Can I borrow your buff?” She asked me

“Sure”

She slipped over her feet and up her body to use it as a makeshift bikini top

Blue looked good on her

She certainly wore the buff better than me

As she walked in the river, I tried not to stare

She dunked and then floated down as the water carried her slowly

After a while she walked back over and joined us

She said she felt refreshed and was glad she went in

She put on sweatpants and a sweater and gave my buff back to me

It got dark and I walked them to the backpackers camp, where we were technically allowed to stay in now due to the permits

Showed the some spots I had scoped out

Zach and I set up cowboy and Cody and Katie set up their tents

Chilled with Zach and Katie on Zach’s pad

He gifted me some Jim Beam, what a guy

We all smoked a joint and Zach and I took some shots

We joked around and tried to laugh quietly but it was hard

I got too sleepy and went to bed around 11pm

Day 74 - 07/19/25 - Yosemite (Day 3), Rest and Relaxation

Woke up around 8:30 a.m. from the sun beaming on my face.

Cody was stretching in front of me and soaking up the sun, a funny view to wake up to🤣

Tea Cup made breakfast sandwiches for everyone, such a beast.

Also ate a cheese Danish.

Left backpacker camp, got a note on our stuff yesterday so not leaving my stuff there today.

Better safe than sorry.

Tea Cup also told me the other day, “if you’re going break the rules, only break one at a time.”

Noted.

Left camp around 10 a.m.

Took bus to Curry Village.

Stashed food, sleeping bag, and other unneeded items in the bear locker there.

Plugged in power at the guesthouse.

Bought a sandwich, snacks, and a 4-pack of Valley Haze.

Took green bus to El Cap Meadow where I planned on meeting Cody, Zach, and Katie.

Taking the bus made me want to bump some old-school rap 😂

Put on some Biggie Smalls, just felt right

Got a bit claustrophobic and hot on the crowded bus so got off at Camp 4 and walked.

Thought it would also be a good time to stretch out my legs.

Tried to take a trail but ended up going the wrong way.

Thought I had to cross the river, felt that the shoes needed to be cleaned anyways.

I was all turned around and ended up at Cathedral Beach.

Now that I knew where I was, I walked the road to the El Cap Meadow Bridge.

Looked for Zach and Cody but didn’t see them.

With my shoes already wet, I put my bag down and jumped off the bridge with my clothes and shoes on 😂

Swam to shore, put on my bag, and looked for Zach and Cody some more.

Followed trail, hoping to see them but just intersected the trail I took before.

Followed it to Cathedral Beach where I planned to hang for a bit and dry my stuff off.

Set up a spot in the shade, filled water, and ate my turkey pesto sandwich I got at the store.

A family with small children sat down probably 10 feet away from me… great.

Drank a beer.

It was harder to relax with the kids screaming “mom” so I packed up and planned to go to a different beach.

As I was walking out, I saw Katie walking down.

I didn’t recognize her at first with her bucket hat on.

I was happy to see her. I had just been thinking about her and the guys, but with no service, I didn’t think I’d be able to find them.

Luckily, she was on the same page as me and just wanted to rest and relax on a beach.

She said she had heard there was a spot with a rope swing.

I told her I’d be down to find it with her.

We walked to the bus stop and went to Housekeeping Camp.

Even if we couldn’t find the rope swing, I told her  I’d been scooping out a spot over there for a while anyways.

We asked some people about the swing, and they said it was 1 mile or so down but that they usually drove.

We walked along the river and saw a few swings but kept going.

With the two rivers merging, we realized we would have to cross and just decided to chill at the beach instead.

We set up under a tree and went swimming.

We crawled against the current along the rocks, laughing about how ridiculous we looked.

We dried off in the sun.

She asked me to put sunscreen on her back and shoulders.

Her skin was soft and tan, and I gave her a shoulder massage as I rubbed the sunscreen in.

She told me that she got a permit to camp on top of El Cap.

“I’ll go with you if you want the company,” I told her.

She said she’d be happy to have company.

When we got hungry, we made a plan to get pizza and supplies for the El Cap trip and sleep at Camp 4 (where the trailhead was).

As we were leaving, we saw some kids on a rope swing and went over to fulfill our goal.

The swing sucked, but we both did it😂

Then we saw Bella and Gabe hanging with some friends they’d met who worked in the valley.

We hung with them for a bit, but we were hungry, so we left.

Katie went to her car to get her backpack and supplies, and I went to get pizza.

The line for pizza was ridiculous, so I went to Seven Pines and got Baked Ziti and a big salad.

Sat at the theatre where I told her I’d meet her and ate my food.

Katie arrived just as a wilderness presentation was starting.

I apologized for not getting pizza and offered her some ziti and salad (I got enough for 2), but she made ramen.

Watched the park ranger, also named Katie, talk about bears, monarch butterflies, and other animals.

When the presentation ended, we got ready to leave for camp. The bus ends at 10 p.m.

I grabbed my charger and filled up water, and we headed to the bus stop around 9:30 p.m.

We saw a bus leaving and hoped it wasn’t the last one.

We sat at the bus stop, and I put down my bag on the bench behind me.

It was just us at the bus stop and felt like the best time as any.

I told her, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day.”

“Right here? With a flashlight on us?” She replied.

There was a flashlight from across the street shining on us, but it wasn’t exactly the response I’d wanted 😅

Then my bag fell over off the back of the bench, which ended the conversation.

Smooth 😂

Apparently, the bus we saw was the last one, so we started walking to Camp 4, 2 miles away.

We were the furthest away we could be, and I felt bad because it was mostly my fault we missed the bus (due to me filling up water).

We walked under the stars.

Bumped into Bella and Gabe going to their friends’ place.

Made it to Camp 4 around 11 p.m.

Walked around and set up incognito cowboy camp uphill and behind some rocks.

We weren’t technically supposed to camp there, but it was cool staying at the famous Camp 4.

She asked if we could cuddle, but of course.

Went to sleep around midnight.

Day 75 - 7/20/25 - Yosemite (Day 4), Side Quest: El Capitan Trip

Distance: 8 miles, 4000 ft elevation

Weather: Sunny, hot

End Location: Top of El Capitan

Lessons Learned:

Woke up around 5 a.m. and quickly packed up the cowboy set up.

Didn’t want to explain myself to a ranger.

Walked towards the trailhead.

Had breakfast, a cheese danish.

Watched some climbers warm up on “Lightning Bolt”, a casual dyno V8, while I drank my coffee.

“Gotta start your day with a V8,” they joked, referencing the commercial for vegetable juice, V8.

Left Camp 4 around 6:30 a.m.

The trail ascended 2000 ft over 3 miles, so it was basically just a giant staircase made of switchbacks.

Beautiful view of Yosemite Falls in the morning light

Reached the top of Upper Yosemite Falls around 8:30 a.m.

Went to the overlook for a brief moment but wanted to wash off, so I walked to the river.

I did this hike a few years ago with an ex, so I knew there was a spot to swim.

Set up a relaxation kit and went for a swim.

Washed my shirt.

Ate a granola burrito with peanut butter.

Spoon pulled up; also took a dip.

We decided to move to a different river due to the influx of day hikers coming to the Upper Falls.

Left around 10 a.m.

Walked through the woods for 2.5 miles, a little past the El Cap intersection.

Reached a nice little beach along a creek around 11:30 a.m.

Due to the heat and lack of water at the top of El Cap, we decided it would be best to hang by water most of the day and do the last few miles to make it in time for sunset.

Riveting.

We got split up for a bit and messaged Spoon on her Garmin.

She didn’t see the message but ended up finding me anyways.

We alternated between the cold water and the pebble beach and just hung around.

We did some yoga.

Spoon did a guided session.

Then I guided the second half.

Put on some reggae.

Felt good to hang in the sun at such a beautiful place with such a beautiful girl.

Compared to the almost 20 miles I usually do every day, this was a vacation.

Spoon is gorgeous: a blonde-haired beach bum that lives in SoCal and works as a backpacking guide for trips up Half Dome.

As we lay in the shade together on our mats, I asked her, “Is now a better time to kiss you?”

“Yes.” She said softly, as I leaned in.

We laid together, and I warmed her up.

She runs cold, and I run hot, perfect.

We swam some more and just waited out the time and heat of the day.

“Little Black Dress” played as Spoon laid in the sun to dry in her little black bikini.

We left around 4 p.m.

4 more miles to El Cap.

We started the hike together but ended up hiking separately. There was some uphill, and I just wanted to get in flow.

Put on a Kill Tony episode, cackled through the woods.

Not the easiest hiking, honestly.😅

Reached the top of El Cap around 6 p.m.

The tall granite dome extended downwards towards the valley.

You could see every part of the valley and beyond: Half Dome, Cloud’s Rest, Mt. McKinney, the Cathedral peaks, everything…

I wanted to see the sheer vertical drop, so I put my bag down and hiked downward.

After descending nearly 400ft, I reached the sheer cliffs and looked over them.

I imagined what it must’ve been like for Alex Honnold to top out with no ropes after finishing Free Rider.

Insane.

There’s a fine line between beauty and death.

I climbed back up, and Spoon was there.

The spot I had put my stuff at didn’t have great protection, so we went to a different spot with a constructed rock wall and pine tree.

Set up our mats and changed into warmer clothes.

With the wind, it was a little chilly up there but nice compared to the valley heat.

As the sun set, we made dinner and watched the alpine glow shades of pink and orange on Half Dome and surrounding peaks.

She made some ramen.

I made Mac and Cheese with the last of my dried peas, tomatoes, and lentils.

Once the water was boiling, I accidentally knocked my jet oil over onto the ground and a bit of my mat, a first for me this entire trip.

“Maybe you’re bad luck,” I told Spoon.

She got very offended in a comical kind of way.

We joked that this was our first fight.

I boiled some more water but not enough.

Added some Gouda and cheddar.

I had high hopes for this dinner but was let down.

Kept accidentally getting cheese in my beard, which Spoon would point out.

I was a mess, slightly embarrassed 😅

I worried she wouldn’t want to kiss me if I kept eating so messily.

Addicted to having tea in a gorgeous spot thanks to Tea Cup, I asked Spoon if she had any, which she did.

We made peppermint and cinnamon spice tea in her pot due to the lack of cheesiness.

Took pictures with the tea to show Tea Cup later.

Once the sun was done shining on Half Dome and the valley, we walked over to catch the 2nd sunset on the west side of the dome.

We brought our toothbrushes and brushed our teeth while watching the colors shift over the silhouetted trees.

Spoon said it was like a watercolor painting, and I agreed.

Then we sat on a rock together and put my arm around her to warm her up.

As I got darker, the thought crossed my mind to finish my camp chores before it got too dark.

I stashed my bear can and put away my stuff in my bag.

Spoon came back and did her chores.

We laid together for a bit and watched the new episode of Rick and Morty (a Jerry episode).

Then Spoon wanted to watch the stars.

Being under a tree, Spoon carried her mat up the hill to a more open spot.

I was tired but followed her anyways.

We laid there and watched shooting stars and made wishes.

Hopefully, mine will come true.

I passed out, and she woke me up with a kiss.

After lingering a bit longer, we went back to the tree and went to bed.

Spoon was spooned 🤣

Not sure what time we fell asleep but what a day: 8 miles, 4000 ft elevation gain, 3 swim spots, 2 sunsets, and 1 absolutely gorgeous girl.

Day 76 - 7/21/25 - Yosemite (Day 5), Descending El Cap and Goodbye

Distance: 8 miles

Weather: Sunny, very hot

End Location: Yosemite Valley

Lessons Learned: with every “hello”, comes a “goodbye”

Woke up briefly for sunrise.

Lingered and tried to dodge the sun.

Ate the rest of the nooget bar, coffee, and granola tortilla.

We both came to the same conclusion.

Last night was one of the most beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen.

Left at 9:40am

8 mile hike back down to the valley.

Serendipity blurs the line of reality.

After 4 miles, I stopped by Upper Yosemite Falls for a swim and lunch.

Spoon was there. I love it when you’re just on the same page as someone.

She also left her poles at the intersection to signal that she was down there.

This is a trick she learned when she did the AT. You leave the poles at the intersection to signal the turn, and the person behind grabs them.

But I wasn’t 100% sure they were her poles, so I didn’t grab them.

We ate lunch and hung at the swimming holes by the falls.

I ate a tuna tortilla with sriracha and Doritos.

And a mango.

I’d been carrying this damn mango for the past 4 days, hoping that it would ripen, but it was still hard.

I ate it anyways. It was decent.

Spoon left first, and I left around 1pm

Plan was to meet backup for chicken tenders at the village.

“Found You” by Kano came on. It felt like a good song for the valley.

Passed Spoon on the way down. Someone took her poles. 😬

Looked for her poles in the hands of hikers going down.

No luck.

Reached the bottom around 2:30 p.m.

Walked to the village.

The line for the grill was long, so I hit the store first so I could eat while I waited.

Got a Dr Pepper, Roast Beef Sandwich, and 2 Oreo ice cream sandwiches.

Ate the goodies while I waited.

Ordered 2 chicken tender baskets and onion rings.

I was craving a milkshake, but they were unavailable.

Sat down, and Spoon joined me. She gave her the other Oreo ice cream.

Felt bad about the poles, so I didn’t make her pay for the chicken tenders.

After we ate, I walked her to her car.

I gave her a kiss goodbye, and she said, “Thanks again for letting me borrow your spoon.”

“Anytime,” I told her and watched her drive away.

I was sad to see her leave but with every “hello” comes a “goodbye.”

After that, I went to Curry Village and plugged in my battery.

Hit the store and got dinner and some beer

Hung at the outside theatre and ate my food

Watched the darkness descend on Half Dome one last time

Walked back to the backpacker camp and cowboyed near a picnic table and a tent

It was crowded

Tried to be quiet setting up my stuff due to my close proximity to the tent

Went to bed around 11pm