Days 46 - 59. Home: Yosemite to Truckee. Miles 903 to 1153.

Mammoth proved to be a great mountain town for a double zero, easy to get around, very friendly with great food and resupply options. A double zero sounds like I just sat around and took it easy, I did part of the time but there are a lot of hiker chores to pack in. A visit to the laundromat - all computerized, very different from when my mom would take my brother and I to the launderette with a big brown suitcase to do the family wash when I was a kid! Replacing gear - new hoodie (a shout out to Ridge Merino who’s products I love and who give PCT hikers 30% off), new gloves and a new hat. The trail is tough on gear, my inflatable mattress had started to delaminate and bulge - still usable but not comfortable. I called the store I bought it from to see what the warranty was, they suggested I call Thermarest the manufacturer for quicker service, and what great service, a few questions and they agreed to send me out a replacement.

I also tried to eat a lot! Having lost a lot of weight and very conscious of the lack of fresh fruit and veg in my diet I didn’t feel guilty ordering the large portions with extra veg.

Leaving Mammoth just prior to the holiday weekend the road to the trailhead was still closed so returning to the PCT involved an additional 6 miles of hiking but it was a beautiful sunny morning and the miles flew by. Keen to get as close as possible to Donaghue Pass, the gateway to Yosemite, that day so I could cross the pass while the miles of snow that needed to be covered was still firm I camped for the night on a sheltered ridge with amazing views. I awoke to the sound of snow and hail on the tent, my planned early start evaporated as I waited for the sun to rise and hoped for the snow to stop. Accepting I just needed to hike in the snow I set off for Donaghue Pass around 7am and made good progress until I reached the snow fields. Fortunately the snow had stopped falling but the snow on the ground was soft and it was slow going into Yosemite.

Even though the PCT doesn’t go into Yosemite Valley (it stays high through Tuolumne Meadows and continues through the less visited northern parts of Yosemite) the scenery was spectacular with alpine meadows, the granite landscape broken up by fast flowing creeks and the amazing Tuolumne Falls.

As I approached Glen Aulin just a few miles past Tuolumne Meadows a ranger approached me and asked to see my PCT permit - the first time I’d been asked to show it. She also checked I was carrying a bear can. She was the last person I was to see for two and a half days! Through the desert section I was use to seeing multiple fellow hikers each day but now the numbers seemed to be thinning out and while it felt like I had Yosemite to myself it was a little surreal!

I’d expected the snow to ease up north of Mammoth given the lower altitudes but especially on north facing slopes there were still miles of snow to travel over. One difficult section involved traversing on a steep slope with a raging river below - 3 miles of very slow and careful going. I was very pleased I’d kept my micro spikes with me and hadn’t sent them home from Mammoth as a lot of people had done to save weight.

The climb up to Sonora Pass also proved challenging with miles of fairly steep snow covered slopes to traverse. However once on the final climb before dropping down to Sonora Pass the snow eased up and the trail wound itself around some spectacular scenery, very different from the granite slabs I’d got use to seeing in Yosemite.

The final descent to the road at Sonora Pass was very challenging, there were ski tracks and I later learnt a group of women had climbed and skied the route I was descending earlier that day, I wish I’d had my skis! I met a day hiker and his dog and we picked our way down the snowy slopes together. He was also kind enough to give me a ride to Kennedy Meadows North where I had a resupply box waiting and was able to shower and have a great lunch and dinner.

I’d been looking forward to the next section as it would take me to Truckee and a few days at home. However it proved to be the most difficult section for me, tendinitis in my foot, a lot of snow travel and a few days of constant rain meant it became about getting to Truckee rather than enjoying the trail. Having said that the scenery was dramatic, the drama heightened by the dark clouds and driving rain.

I’ve now had nearly a week off trail in Truckee. The tendinitis in my foot was so bad I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to continue, the soles of my feet were also swollen and painful, doubtless related to the fact they’d be soaking wet 16 hours a day for well over a week. However the body is amazing, the tendinitis seems nearly to have resolved and while my skin on my feet is hard and dry there is no pain. I’ve also used the time to try and put some weight back on.

Reading up on extensor tendinitis it seems one cause is running or walking on slippy or icy surfaces - I’ve covered so many miles on snow it’s perhaps not surprising I’m suffering. While the next 40 miles or so still has snow after that the trail is mostly snow free for sometime so I’m hoping I can get back on trial without it flaring up - and it will probably help if I use micro spikes on any snowfield not just when there is a risk of sliding.

So a few more days resting here in Truckee and then looking forward to getting back to the peace and beauty of the trail.