Sierra Nevada From Mammoth Lakes To Tahoe

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I spent a night in Mammoth Lakes to launder my clothes, ship my ice ax and spikes home and, of course, have some delicious town food. So far I had lost about 20 pounds and I worked hard to get some of them back.  On the way back to the PCT I checked out the odd basalt formations of the Devil’s Post Pile National Monument.


Devil’s Postpile - Needs Some Sorting


Next I entered the amazing Ansel Adams Wilderness with its pretty lakes.


1000 Island Lake - Water Tastes Just Like The Dressing


The mountain passes in the Sierra Nevada usually provide sweeping vistas over the valleys on either side. Donahue Pass is no exception and I was rewarded for the steep climb with amazing views. This pass is also the border to Yosemite Wilderness. 


View From Donahue Pass


The PCT permit does not include any backpacking into and around Yosemite Valley, but I had secured a separate permit to hike from the PCT at Tuolumne Meadows over the Tuolumne and Vogelsang Passes into the valley. 


First Rain Of The Hike


First I picked up my new gear at the Tuolumne Post Office though. Both, my next pair of shoes and my warranty replacement backpack were waiting for me there.



New Gear


Then I made my way up Rafferty Creek and across Tuolumne Pass to beautiful Boothe Lake where I camped that night. 


Boothe Lake

Camp Near Vogelsang Pass


I made my way over Vogelsang Pass the next morning.


View From Vogelsang Pass


As I was getting into the valley on the other side and hiked towards Merced Lake, I unexpectedly got my first glance of Half Dome.


Merced Lake With Half Dome In The Background 


I kept on hiking along the Merced River towards Yosemite Valley. Even after hiking the spectacular scenery of the Sierra Nevada for several weeks, I could clearly see why this was considered a special place and I understood at once why it was so popular. 


Merced River Valley


The next day I made my way up Clouds Rest, a hike that had been recommended to me by several people familiar with Yosemite, and I was definitely not disappointed.


Yosemite Valley


My add-on permit allowed me to camp nearby which gave me a head start to climb Half Dome the next morning. Again, my efforts were rewarded with world class views.


The Famous Cables

 View From Half Dome


And the highlights kept on coming as I hiked from the Half Dome area into Little Yosemite Valley, passing spectacular Nevada Falls.


Nevada Falls


It was already dark when I finally reached the Backpackers Camp at Yosemite Valley.

Although I had planned a rest day in the valley, I decided to hike up to Yosemite Falls after waking up the next day.


Upper Yosemite Falls


I also decided to spend another night before returning to the PCT. All in all I spent six days in Yosemite National Park. They were absolutely amazing. 


Tuolumne Meadows


Of course this side trip didn’t bring me any closer to Canada, so it was time to return to Tuolumne Meadows where I had left the PCT.


Tuolumne Falls


The challenging mountain passes, canyons and general terrain of the next days crushed any hopes I had to increase my daily mileage to make up for the time spent in Yosemite.


The First 1000 Miles


The scenery was as spectacular as ever, so I couldn’t complain. One amazing mountain pass followed the next and eventually I made it to Sonora Pass. Here I crossed Hwy 108, only the second paved road since Kennedy Meadows, some 317 trail miles earlier.


Approaching Sonora Pass


I had been here on a road trip almost exactly one year before, driving across the Sierra from Mono Lake in the east to San Francisco. I had stopped at the pass and a PCT hiker had appeared, taking a rest at a picnic table nearby. Back then I had thought how cool it would be to hike the PCT.

Now I am that PCT hiker and I hope I inspired someone at that rest stop to take on this amazing trail!

Near Sonora Pass


After Sonora Pass the trail enters the Carson Iceberg Wilderness and climbs over 10000 feet for the last time in its journey north.


Next came beautiful Mokelumne Wilderness. It was finally getting a little warmer and I was able to swim for a little in pretty Frog Lake, just before getting to Carson Pass. Here I met a few hikers that I hadn’t seen in a long time and we camped together a few miles after the pass.

Mokelumne Wilderness

The next day I made it to South Lake Tahoe. I remembered my plane ride from Seattle to San Diego a few months earlier. How impossible it had looked to hike the Sierra Nevada. And now, after climbing many mountain passes and crossing even more raging creeks, streams and rivers, I have done it!


Good Bye Sierra Nevada!


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