Day 52 – 25.9 km – Monday 17.06.2024
I get up at 6 a.m. and slowly set off.
For the first few miles it goes downhill through the forest and in the distance I can see some mountains.
After about an hour I pass a operated campsite. Since the access road is being made, there is very little going on during the week. I sat down at a table for two older hikers and order pancakes for breakfast. While I eat the delicious food, we talk about politics all over the world.
After some time, I’m leaving again, as I want to take a bath in a hot spring not far from here. In a small metal box, there is really very warm water and since nobody is here except me, I enjoy the soothing bath in peace.
Since this stay also took longer than expected, I only really start around half past nine. Until then, I’ve only managed 5 km. Due to another broken bridge on the next section, I now have almost 4 miles of road ahead of me. After all, it’s the campsite’s access road that is currently closed and so I can walk in the middle of the street and don’t have to endure annoying cars. Nevertheless, running on the hard ground is not much fun and I am all the more happy when I finally come across the PCT again. There I have a little refreshment and talk to a group of volunteers who want to wait for the trail and make the bypass that I have taken more obvious.
After the short break, you continue along the water through the forest uphill. At first I’m only slowly gaining height and don’t meet any other people either. Later the path becomes steeper and I gain height faster, which means that I will soon leave the last trees under me.
Above the tree line I have a very nice view of the opposite mountains. When I pass a nice campspot with a good view in the afternoon, I decide to set up my night camp here. Although it’s not late yet, I don’t want to miss such a beautiful view.
While I’m cooking my dinner, I marvel at the dreamlike landscape and wait until the sun goes down before I disappear back into my tent.
Day 53 – 26.8 km – Tuesday 18.06.2024
The night was very cold again today. When I wake up and take down my tent, the ground is frozen outside and yesterday’s many puddles are just ice. I set off with gloves and hat and I’m glad I warm up quickly while running.
It continues uphill and soon I will pass some lakes. Most of them are still frozen and with the white mountains in the background it is a fantastic sight.
But for me it goes further up and in the morning I meet the first snow fields, which I follow more and more upwards.
At first the path is still clearly visible, but later I somehow lose myself in nowhere. Apparently the foot dips that I followed for some time were not from the PCT and so I got a lot off track.
After all, that’s not bad in the snow, because I’m just making my way back to the trail. In the end it’s not even a detour and soon I’ll find a small path again, which takes me the last few meters to the actual pass.
I take a break there and try to get hold of a permit for the Yosemite National Park, since I actually have reception up here. Unfortunately, the online portal is once again very bad and so another hiker helps me to participate in the lottery. This is one way to get a permit for the promotion to the Half Dome at short notice, which would only be valid for June 20th. Tonight I should find out whether I can stay in the park longer or whether I can only cross this beautiful nature in one day. After the break, on the other side I start the descent again.
It continues through the snow and in front of me I can already see one of the valleys of the Yosemite National Park in which I am now. On small paths made of stone and snow, I continue downhill.
Arrived down in the valley, I notice the difference to the last few weeks. Instead of snow, forest or rock, there is a valley with green meadows and a small river in front of me. I follow this ever further and further forward and on the way I meet several deer.
At the last campsite that I can use with my PCT Permit, I set up my night camp. I cook something to eat and lie down in my tent to read something. Even today it was a shorter day and it looks like I won’t cover a lot of distance on the PCT for the next two days either.
Tomorrow I want to descend to Yosemite Valley and spend the night there. If the permit still works, I will also spend the following day there and take a short hike in the national park.
Day 54 – 10.8 km – Wednesday 19.06.2024
The night was bitterly cold again and this morning there was ice on the walls in my tent. I find it difficult to get up because it is so cozy and warm in my sleeping bag.
Nevertheless, I get up shortly after 6 a.m. and make myself a warm coffee and oatmeal. After that I run and hurry to warm up quickly. Equipped with gloves and a hat, it’s ok, but the temperatures are apparently well below zero. At least the puddles are frozen and in general the landscape looks very cold.
When the sun finally comes over the mountain, it changes quickly and soon I can walk around in a warm environment again. It goes through the forest and along the water.
After two hours, I’ve already reached my daily goal today. At a parking lot on a street where I want to hitchhike to Yosemite Valley, I stop and have a little breakfast for a moment. Instead of following the PCT, I want to descend to Yosemite Valley for a day to see this beautiful part of nature. A short time later, a Danish woman comes and sits down with me. She asks me if I saw the sign with the Trail-Magic as there are apparently burgers there. A short time later we walk a few meters further and arrive at another parking lot. There are actually burgers, soda and beer for PCT hikers. I happily squeeze my burger at half past nine in the morning and drink a cold beer with it.
Like me, some other hikers are there. Later, ‘One Town’, a Swiss I’ve known for a long time and is actually called Sascha, is added. He’s still eating something and around 11 we make our way to the road to hitchhike from there. Another German joins us and a short time later the three of us sit in the back seat of a car and drive almost 1.5 hours to Yosemite Valley.
There we get off at the wrong campsite and therefore have to go further back into the valley. ‘One Town’ and I first take the shuttle for a while and then walk the last few meters to the camp, where we, as a PCT hiker, can stay overnight for a night without a permit for 8 dollars. We set up our tents and go eat pizza. After the great refreshment, we buy food in a supermarket for the next few days and plan what we want to see tomorrow.
Then we return to the campsite and sit together for a while, while next to us more and more JMT (John Muir Trail) hikers come to us, who start their hike here. It’s pretty funny to see how Rey’s staff get an introduction to their trail equipment and how obvious it is which people have never set up their tent. While these people will wander through some of the Sierra from here, we already have this section behind us. Around half past nine in the evening we get ready for bed and after a very short hiking day (6 miles) we go to sleep.
Day 55 – 15.1 km – Thursday 20.06.2024
Sleeping is on the agenda today. I only get up at 7 a.m. and Sascha and I have breakfast together. Then we pack our tents to look around in the Valley.
First we walk to a lake in the back of the valley. Here the mountains are reflected in the water, even if the lake has little water for the season.
From here we make our way to the Yosemite Waterfall. The three-stage waterfall is one of the national park’s landmarks and accordingly many tourists can be found here. In contrast to the last, very quiet days in the remote nature of the Sierra, there is a lot going on here. We marvel at the waterfall and take a few pictures.
Then we continue to the front part of the park. Here we can see climbers climbing the Catedral Mountain, which looks really impressive. As we learn, it usually takes 4 days before people arrive upstairs.
Actually, we wanted to see another waterfall. Due to the advanced time, we then decide to turn back and prefer something to eat.
In a burger shop there are still delicious burgers and cola before we have to make our way back to the trail. Since there seems to be no bus, we have to hitchhike again. On a road we meet two other hikers who have been trying to get back to the trail for 3 hours. Eventually they give up and so we try our luck. Unlike you, we’re lucky and a younger couple who works here will take us at least until the next crossing. From here we walk a few more kilometers to the junction that leads up the mountain. When we stand on the street, a third PCT hiker joins in and in fact, after about 10 minutes, a younger woman who is already taking us to the trail stops. Since there is a small space problem in the car, the three of us will soon be sitting in the back seat, while the woman with her daughter is in front. In addition, there is a dog in the interior that climbs back and forth all the time. So you quickly end a 1.5 hour drive.
We take a short break at a lake before we meet the trail again 10 minutes later.
After we say goodbye, Sascha and I set off again because we still have about 8 miles to complete a campspot and it’s already after 4 p.m. So at a fast pace we walk around to get to the light. It goes first past meadows and rivers.
Later it’s slowly going downhill and we always see beautiful waterfalls.
After a small climb through the forest, where I am being followed by about 50 mosquitoes, I reach the campspot just before 8 p.m. We quickly cook a little for dinner and then go straight to our tents to sleep, as it’s almost unbearable outside with the many flies.
Day 56 – 36.1 km – Friday 21.06.2024
I get up at 6 a.m., have breakfast with Sascha and start walking shortly after him.
First it goes through forest and meadows, which are still partially frozen today.
Soon it’s going up and down and after a first longer climb, I pass a lake. Unfortunately, many mosquitoes are on the road again today, so I don’t stop, but continue to walk for some time to a rock where the wind blows and there are fewer flies. There I take a second breakfast break and enjoy the view of the mountains in front of me.
After that it goes downhill for a long time. In the forest I make quick progress and can leave a few kilometers behind me in the morning. After a small crossing of the river, which is very pleasant for your feet, you go uphill again on the other side. Some of the stairs can be found here, but they make running exhausting.
The path leads me further and further up, where I have to overcome a small pass today. But the last few meters drag on quite a bit and I’m glad when I finally reach the highest point. Here I take my well-deserved lunch break. After a little refreshment, I take a short nap in the warm sun.
After that I descend on the other side. It goes first past small snow fields and soon I will meet another lake.
From here it goes down for a long time. Due to the melting of the snow, there is quite a lot of mud and so I have to see more often how CH can continue.
Once down in the valley, there is another river to cross. Since both I and the other hikers who are there with me, can’t find a suitable way over it, we’re going barefoot through the pleasantly cool water again.
On the other side I walk through the forest for a short time and then climb up to my sleeping place today. On a hill I set up my tent and cook my dinner. Together with others, I eat the delicious meal and we talk for a few more minutes before the mosquitoes annoy us so much that we prefer to disappear into our tents.
Day 57 – 36.7 km – Saturday 22.06.2024
Since today is a somewhat exhausting day, I get up at 5:15 and pack everything up. After a cup of coffee, it starts.
In the ascending morning sun it goes straight uphill to overcome the first small pass. It goes on and up and in between I pass small lakes where the mountains are reflected.
After just a few kilometers I reach the climax of the almost snow-free pass and then it goes back down through the forest to a river.
I follow this for some time along the slope and later I have to cross it. Since I can’t find a bridge, a tree trunk or enough stones, there’s a morning cool down for my feet again. After all, the water is only about knees deep and not fast either.
On the other hand, I dry my legs and eat a bar while being attacked by mosquitoes again. Some other hikers who are out and about with me today are visibly annoyed by the little flies and accordingly their mood is already in the cellar in the morning.
But I’ll be on my way again quickly to hopefully get some rest upstairs. It’s going uphill again and I can see some beautiful flowers.
When I arrive at the second pass of the day, I look around for a place for a break. Unfortunately, there are so many mosquitoes on the road here that I don’t stay long.
Apparently the flies also let my mood sink a bit, because after the break I’m only on the road very slowly today. The many muds that can always be circumnavigated don’t necessarily raise my mood either, and so today I’m jogging in a way. Since there are no major scenic highlights either, I don’t particularly enjoy hiking today. Still, I keep walking.
I pass a lake again and then follow a river through a small valley with grass. Here the flies are always available in a particularly large number, so I run most of the time with my fly net on my head. My arms and legs are literally punctured despite mosquito repellent and until I arrive in the next forest, where at least it gets a little better, I must have hit more than 50 flies, but they still didn’t really lose weight.
I’m all the happier when it’s finally going up a bit again, where more wind is blowing. Here the pests gradually lose weight and when I arrive at a campspot at 5:30 p.m., I immediately set up my tent and crawl into it.
Although today was a rather exhausting day that was little fun, I still managed 36.5 km and overcome almost 1700 meters in altitude.
Now about 21 miles (34 km) are separate from Kennedy Meadows North, where I have to refresh my food again. Since the last shuttle there is already departing from the trail at 3 p.m., I either have to do another busy, fast day or walk 15 miles to the next camp and take the first shuttle the day after.
I’ll probably see what I choose tomorrow after getting up.
Overview
I’m currently on the verge of the 1000 miles mark, which I should overcome tomorrow morning. With the next pass, which is only about 2 miles away, I will leave Yosemite National Park again and hopefully the path should be a little flatter afterwards. At least that’s what I was told.
Here is the typical overview map:
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