Day 61 – 73 | Mile 912.2 – 1092.0 | Thousand Island Lake & Yosemite

Day 61 | Fourth of July | Mammoth Lakes

Fourth of July! We had tons of fun and did the classics: parade, fireworks, beers. In the mix of everything we also sorted out our resupply for the next stretch where Lando and I were planning to take a zero day on trail at Thousand Island Lake. While doing laundry, I had my credit card information stolen and my bank immediately called to notify they blocked an online transaction and had cancelled my card… Very glad their response time was so quick and glad I wasn’t on this trip solo in that moment. Shout out to Lando, Riley, and Adele for getting me through the next week.

In town we met a vlogger Lando had been following on YouTube named Phil. We ended up having some drinks and dinner with Phil before parting ways. Riley let us know he was going to stay an extra day in Mammoth and skip the trail zero where Lando and I were planning.

Day 62 | Mile 912.2 – 924.1

Lando and I set out early to try and get back on trail as early as possible to maximize our time at Thousand Island Lake. We took a bus up to the ski resort and another shuttle into the park area to meet the trail. The resort was jammed pack with tourists taking the shuttle into the park to see the sights and mountain bikers there to ride the mountain. Seeing all of the mountain bikes made me really want to bike. I’ll just have to go back some time.

Thousand Island Lake is fairly accessible to weekend hikers being between 10 – 12 miles from the road depending on what trailhead you use. Our trip there was highlighted by run ins with Neck Tie, Can Do, and Phil. It’s always a nice surprise to run into friends on trail, stopping to chat and catch up before continuing on. When we arrived to the lake, there were a lot of other campers and hikers. Lando and I found a reasonably level spot high up the ridge overlooking the lake and ate our dinner taking in the sunset and view.

Day 63 | Zero | Thousand Island Lake

Thousand Island Lake was Lando’s must stop destination and on trail zero, being one of the locations that nudged him into wanting to do the PCT. We had a great day here swimming, sun bathing on some of the many islands, and chatting with other hikers and campers around the lake. It was a fun and relaxing day.

One oversight on our part was the lack of shade in the area. There are trees spotted around the lake but no where to pitch your tent in the shade meaning your tent becomes a sauna. We had such great weather there wasn’t a cloud in the sky which was great. In our infinite wisdom, we didn’t bring sunscreen with us on the lake. As you can imagine, the high altitude sun exposure left us with the worst sunburns we’ve ever had.

Riley met up with us in the evening so the three of us could start tomorrow together.

Day 64 | Mile 924.1 – 939.7 | Donohue Pass

My sun burn was in full force when waking up and my gosh, my pack felt like knives on my shoulders and chest when putting it on. From camp, we climbed up Banner Ridge to get on trial. We had a number of water crossings to do in the morning before reaching Donohue Pass. At the pass, a number of hikers were resting and interacting with the particularly beefy marmots hanging around.

On the North side of the pass, we started getting a taste of the magnificent meadows that are sprinkled throughout the Yosemite valley and surrounding area.

We camped beside Lyell Fork, a meandering creek in Lyell Canyon. After a lot of stalling, I finally built up the courage to lay down in the creek to sooth my sunburn. It was oh so cold but felt oh so good.

In the morning, Riley and I would be leaving Lando to hike 4 miles to Tuolumne Meadows which was our gateway into Yosemite Valley. Lando’s parents were visiting and picking him up from Tuolumne to go to Lee Vining, a small town East of Yosemite near Mono Lake.

Day 65 | Mile 939.7 – 943.7 | Yosemite

Ri and I left camp at 6am to maximize our time in Yosemite. We got to Tuolumne Meadows before 8am and started hitchhiking to get into the park. It was a tough hitch and we were standing there for nearly an hour before getting picked up by some tourists. I know we smelled ripe because they immediately rolled their windows down when we got in.

Yosemite is a hugely popular park ranking sixth in the US’s top 10 most visited parks resulting in it being quite busy at most times. It is for good reason why the park is so visited as it is absolutely breathtaking. Coming in from the East side, we caught a glimpse of Half Dome, the famous batholith that commands the valley. Driving through the valley, we passed the famous El Capitan wall and Yosemite Falls. Needless to say, Riley and I were over the moon coming into Yosemite.

We set up camp in the “hiker section” of the North Pines campground which is basically a small area of tent-only sites separated from the rest of the campers. The rangers warned of us of black bears frequenting the hiker section to munch on the abundant berry bushes in the camp. They also casually alluded to a “light clawing” two nights earlier when a hiker and a bear met in the night at camp. That didn’t deter us. We set up and went straight for pizza! We happily ate our pizzas taking in the sights around us. Stocking up on snacks and drinks at the convenience store, we hopped on the free valley shuttle bus and took a tour of the valley. We agreed that since it was >40C degrees we’d minimize the walking we’d do. We still ended up doing ~15 miles that day but we tried our darnedest. After our bus tour, we went and cooled off in the nearby river.

In Yosemite Valley, there is an old and bougie hotel and restaurant called The Ahwahnee. Most hikers go to the Ahwahnee for their buffet breakfast but not us.

Riley and I decided we were too good for the breakfast buffet and instead went for their dinner buffet. It cost a pretty USD penny but was completely worth it. We showed up in our best hiker clothes, completely stained and dirty, and were seated at a perfect table for two at the window overlooking the valley. Feeling completely out of place and drawing looks from the collared shirt and dress-wearing patrons, we proceeded to eat as much prime rib, grilled shrimp, chicken, and roasted vegetables as we could.

Day 66 | Mile 943.7 – 956.4

We had a difficult time getting a hitch out of the park and back to Tuolumne Meadows. We met back up with Lando at the trailhead around 1pm and only did around ~13 miles and 4 hours of hiking. We took a swim at an awesome waterfall that had multiple pools to dip and swim in. Our friends 10 Speed and Wonky were there and we spent about an hour cooling off.

Spoiled with more pristine meadows.

Day 67 | Mile 956.4 – 976.9 | Seavey Pass

Hard pushes with some steep climbs this day. Towards the end of the day, we didn’t have many options for camp. 10 Speed and Wonky had set up at Small Lake and there wasn’t any more room for the three of us. We continued another mile ahead and ended up camping at the top of Seavey Pass. Some nice views, another hiker with a dog nearby, and mosquitos. A solid night.

Day 68 | Mile 976.9 – 997.6 | Dorothy Lake

The meadows and wildflowers through this section make it impossible to not feel good and smile, no matter how tired you are or how many mosquitos are around. That night, we indulged in the combination of chocolatey, browned marshmallow, and graham cracker (known as smores), Riley had packed out from underneath our bug nets.

Day 69 | Mile 997.6 – 1018.2 | Dorothy & Sonora Pass to Kennedy Meadows North

Our camp at Dorothy Lake was just before Dorothy Pass, and within an hour of starting our day we found ourselves crossing the 1000 mile marker. .

We took a few minutes for a photo shoot and expressed our disbelief about how far we’ve come by foot. The next few hours passed seamlessly with a steady climb up Sonora Pass.

For the most part, the weather was favourable being mostly blue skies. However, as we started to get near the plateau and top of Sonora Pass, some darker clouds were starting to roll in. When we reached the top of the main climb (near the top-centre of the photo above), we stopped to take our lunch break. Starting to prep our food, we watched as the clouds grew darker and closer until the first drops started falling. We quickly packed up and started moving along the ridge.

Around 30 minutes later, the rain broke long enough for us to attempt another food break. I managed to get all of my lunch in before the rain started again. Now halfway across the top, we started to see lightning in the distance and knew it was coming our way. At first, the lightning was beautiful and added to the landscape. As we were rounding a corner into a bowl at the top of the pass, a bolt hit the ground on the opposite side of the bowl and kicked up a plume of dust; 300m away, slightly below us, and about 100m off the trail, right where we were heading.

This threw Ri and I into flight mode after seeing how close the bolt was and we started hustling. Lando did not seem to have the same sense of urgency but the list of places to avoid during a lightning storm is short and an exposed mountain pass is up there. Ri and I took off. The bulk of the lightning grew nearer to us and to the trail ahead. The time between flash and thunder was consistently between 1-3 seconds for the next 45 minutes.

I eventually slowed down and Riley kept his pace up setting a segment record on Strava for the fastest descent from Sonora. When I was beginning my descent, we started to get pelted with marble-sized hail which added to the “fun”. In hindsight, I probably overreacted about the lightning near us but, in the moment, I was genuinely afraid. By the time I reached the highway, Riley and his parents (who were bringing us to Kennedy Meadows North) were nowhere to be seen. I waited roadside, trying to contact him or Lando to no success.

Another hiker showed up and said he was quitting…going home. The trail wasn’t for him and he was finished. He was the first person I met face-to-face who was actually leaving. I’d heard of people leaving but not in the flesh. Unfortunately, this would become more common as we made it further on trail.

After 30-40 minutes, a white van pulled up and I instantly recognized the front occupants. Even though I had never met them before, I knew they had to be Riley’s parents. They picked me up along with four others and brought us all down to Kennedy Meadows North (KMN). That evening, Riley, his parents, and Banter all ate dinner together at the KMN restaurant. Thank you to the Stringer’s! After dinner, Riley and I found the tenting section of the campground and squeezed our tents on a small patch of dirt between the road and a slope down to the river. The rain continued through the night. This was also the last day I saw Lando until Lake Tahoe as he didn’t come to KMN and was instead picked up by his parents at Sonora Pass.

Day 70 | Mile 1018.2 – 1032.0

We woke up early to have a big breakfast at the restaurant and charge our electronics before heading out, taking the 10am resort shuttle back to Sonora Pass. The forecast was calling for rain but we were determined to press on. The two of us were just hoping there wouldn’t be any more lightning. About 2 hours into the hike the rain started and shortly after…the lightning. This time we weren’t on an exposed mountain ridge but instead, tucked in a valley with high mountain tops all around making us feel much better about the situation. Nonetheless, we took refuge under a fallen tree to try and stay dry and wait out the storm. We stayed there for 20-30 minutes before continuing after the lightning passed but was still raining.

The combination of the multi-day rain, humidity, and sweat made hiking all the more taxing and everything was just wet. Eventually, the storm gave way for some sunshine to come poking through, letting us see the valley.

Day 71 | Mile 1032.0 – 1058.6 | Ebbetts Pass

With all of the rain, the wildflowers were coming out in full force. Offering spectacular yellows, blues, purples, oranges, and whites.

Our goal was to reach Lando at Ebbetts Pass but the timing didn’t work out and he continued on to Carson Pass. However, we did see Riley’s parents who greeted us with Subway, cold Coke, and snacks. I got to eat in the comfort of the van on a real cushioned seat, just wonderful. At this point, Riley decided to go with his parents to Lake Tahoe. Even though we knew we’d see each other in a few days, it was tough saying goodbye. We had been hiking together for two months and these next 50 miles I’d be solo.

We parted ways and I don’t know if it was the soda and Subway or the scenery, but I was feeling on top of the world for the rest of the day. I pushed another 11 miles after separating finishing the day with just under 27 miles (43 km). The section after Ebbetts was full a fascinating geology and big views, lightning-free skies and fields abundant with wildflowers.

That night was my first night camping truly alone on trail without any other hikers around. I picked a spot at the top of a climb where I knew I’d have a great sunset. I enjoyed my dinner watching the sun creep over the landscape with only the slightest thought of mountain lions in the back of my mind.

Day 72 | Mile 1058.6 – 1085.4 | Carson Pass

I hit the trail by 7am with the goal of putting up another big mileage day. The morning weather was on my side with clear skies and cool temps.

One hour into my morning, I found myself being run down by a black (actually blonde in colour) bear. As I was about to crest the saddle of a small climb, the bear came over the saddle sprinting at full speed on the trail…directly towards me. This is one of those moments where you think you’d respond with more intention but the bear was moving with such speed (and so early in the morning might I add) that all I managed to do was yell…”HEY!”. And apparently, that was enough to defeat the bear. After I yelled, it altered its course and diverted just beside me. The bear did not break stride and barreled straight down the slope, crashing through bushes and snapping sticks, grunting as it kept pace.

Needless to say, that will wake you up more than any cup of coffee. I was buzzing. When I was finally descending the other side of the saddle, I came across other hikers. What I think happened was the others hikers spooked the bear and sent it scrambling away from them but straight towards me. I warned them of the bear ahead and kept moving.

The weather started to turn on me around 1pm and I made it to Carson Pass shortly after. The volunteer staff at Carson Pass are fantastic; they have a hiker logbook to sign and they provide snacks and cold drinks, all free of charge. There must have been 15 other hikers here, clumping up, waiting out the rain, and enjoying the cold beverages.

After a couple of hours, I thought it was best to get off my butt and try to hit my mileage target for the day. Right after Carson was a long stretch through a meadow full of even more wildflowers. I came across an elderly man on his way back to the road after spending the day photographing and enjoying the flowers.

My goal was to leave about 6-7 miles for the following morning into Lake Tahoe. When I made it to camp, I was expecting it to be another solo night when a fellow Canadian I met back at Carson Pass strolled in and asked if I minded if they stayed. His name was Trail Bait from the sunshine coast in BC and he was only 17 (hence the trail name)! He proceeded to tell me how he got giardia (beaver fever) in the Sierras and had lost so much weight , he had to take a week off to try and put some pounds back on. He was 6′ 4″ and was weighing in around 145 lbs. while eating 5000+ calories a day.

Day 73 | Mile 1085.4 – 1092.0 | Lake Tahoe

I got another early start on trail to get to Lake Tahoe for breakfast. With only ~6.5 miles to the highway and being almost entirely downhill, I made quick work of the descent. I spent the hike chatting with a hiker named Scratch who was very interesting. We made it to the highway around 9:30am and tried hitching for 30-40 minutes without any luck. We called a local trail angel who happily came up to the trailhead and gave us a ride into town. First order of business was brekky. I ate with Scratch’s trail family and we all ordered the most calorie dense items on the menu.

After eating, I made my way into the heart of Lake Tahoe and checked into a hostel. I had to start getting cleaned up for my visitor coming the next day but more to come on that later. In the evening, I met up with the Stringer’s and had a lovely dinner with them. Again, can’t thank them enough for all of the support. After dinner, Riley and I met up with Lando to grab a beer and discuss what we wanted to do for the next section of trail, Northern California. NorCal is known for it’s heavily burned areas and high temps. There were some differences of opinion on whether or not continue our footpath North or skip NorCal up to Oregon. We didn’t reach a conclusion that night but soon would.

With my belly full, laundry done, and decisions not made, I went to bed with great anticipation for the upcoming day when I’d be getting a very special visitor!