Which Way Is North?

PCT Mile 1,043.1 Saddle above Noble Lake to PCT Mile 1,066.8 Day Total: 23.7 miles We crossed some more snow patches on the way down from our campsite this morning. Several groups of backpackers coming up toward the pass asked how long we were out and had encouraging things to say. I don't feel like I need the external validation from strangers to feel motivated and good about our hike, but sometimes it's nice when people are super excited for us. The geology was fascinating today. Lots of crazy rock formations, huge conglomerates, and dark volcanic rocks that are quite a contrast from the granite of the southern Sierra. There's a lot of geology through this section that I wish I could ask a professor about. I'm taking photos of lots of bizarre formations in hopes of someday being able to understand them. We got rained on briefly at lunch and again in the afternoon. The sky was really dark, but fortunately the thunder stayed away. We listened to podcasts i...

PCT Mile 1,017.9 to PCT Mile 1,043.1 Campsite on the saddle above Noble Lake Day Total: 25.3 miles This morning we had a couple miles of climbing away from the road, up to an exposed rocky ridge. We ate a big breakfast looking out on the mountains we had hiked the last few days. From there, it was a very snowy descent. I thought we were through the slushy snow patches and challenging navigation, but not yet. We hardly saw the trail all morning, following snippets among the large, dense, old snow fields. Downed trees and lots of small streams added to the challenge. The trail had lots of little ups and downs today, which felt different than the long ascents to passes we had hiked farther south. We saw several more flip-floppers headed south, but didn't see any other PCT NOBOs. We've been in a weird vacuum since Tuolumne Meadows and have hardly seen any hikers we know. Hopefully we'll start seeing familiar faces again soon. All afternoon there were ominous rain ...

PCT Mile 1005.9 to PCT Mile 1017.9 Day Total: 12 Miles We had a big climb this morning, up and over a ridge and then down to the highway at Sonora Pass. From camp, we crossed Kennedy Creek on a snow bridge. A snow bridge and it's almost August! Then we traversed a number of long snow fields on the climb up to the ridge. We followed footsteps because the trail was nowhere to be found. At the top we were treated to views of mountains in every direction. We also found cell service for the first time in a while, so we sat and ate a big breakfast while catching up on emails and texts. Stephen downloaded a news podcast and we listened while enjoying instant coffee and pop tarts. The descent to Sonora pass included some ridge walking, walking on scree and loose rock, and crossing snow fields. We got to glissade down a few slopes, which always makes me happy. We met a few groups of day hikers and we hurried down to the road as dark clouds started to move in. We were racing t...

PCT Mile 985.5 to PCT Mile 1005.9 Kennedy Canyon Day Total: 20.4 Miles We climbed all morning. It was just a gently graded uphill, but it continued for miles. There was a lot of water on and near the trail, including a thigh-deep crossing of a lake outlet this morning. And with lots of water, comes lots of bugs. Holy moley mosquitoes. These were the worst bugs I've ever encountered. The mosquitoes this morning were up there with battling the heat in the desert and the snow in the southern Sierras. We got up to Dorothy Lake, the boundary of Yosemite National Park, and the top of the climb at lunch time. Thankfully, somehow, the mosquitoes weren't as bad up there. I was sweating like crazy because I'd been hiking in full rain gear and my head net all morning, so Stephen and I jumped in the lake, which was cold and refreshing. We met a bunch of PCT hikers who had flipped north to avoid the snow and are now hiking back south at lunch today. We traded information ab...

PCT Mile 970.6 to PCT Mile 985.5 Day Total: 14.9 miles What do I think about when I'm hiking? In the desert, for the most part, the trail was easy to follow and a surface where I didn't have to worry about where I put each footstep. The hiking part was brainless, so my thoughts wandered from food to many other topics. I often consider what I want to do for work after the hike and in the future. I think about my family and my friends and what they are doing at that very moment in time. I think about the trail and wonder about the other hikers we've met, if they're ahead of behind us, where they're from. I would think about science and politics and what books I want to read. Today wasn't like that. Today was hard. The trail was steep, with lots of ups and downs, and rocks on the trail that were big but loose. Every footstep was calculated. The trail was blocked by countless downed trees that I had to go over or around. There was water on the t...

PCT Mile 951.7 to PCT Mile 970.6 Day Total: 18.9 miles Today we saw the first trail crew we've seen on the entire hike! We came across a California Conservation Corps backcountry trail crew working on removing overgrown branches along the trail and replacing water bars. They were very friendly and we were grateful for their work. The trail looked great through that section. I've done a little trail work with the YCC program in Yellowstone and it is grueling work. I have nothing but respect for the strong people who maintain trails. We had lots of steep up and downs today, steeper sections than is typical for the PCT. We crossed some small creeks, but fortunately nothing too fast-moving or deep. The cool thing about all the water on the trail is there were lots of waterfalls! We hiked over Benson Pass this afternoon, which had a little snow near the top, but nothing in comparison to the high passes we've done. After Benson Pass, we met a PCT hiker who started a...

PCT Mile 942.5 Tuolumne Meadows to PCT Mile 951.7 Day Total: 9.2 miles Today was a big day. This morning, Stephen and I finished up our booklets and presented them to the ranger at the Yosemite Valley visitor center to became junior rangers! We were given wooden badges and colorful patches. I've been wearing my badge on my backpack ever since, and have gotten many compliments. We said goodbye to Tommy D and walked down the road to hitch back to the trail in Tuolumne Meadows. It took a long time to get a ride, which surprised me because there were so many cars. Eventually we were picked up by a young couple from Belgium and they brought us back to the trail. The trail along Tuolumne River was beautiful, winding over smoothed granite slabs and through green meadows. We saw mule deer grazing in front of snow-capped mountains. We even got to see a big waterfall. We hiked this afternoon with a PCT hiker named Flanders, who we'd met briefly about a week ago. He had hiked ...