PCT Day 60: 1,000 Miles (8/31)

Today’s Miles: 19

Total Miles: 1,008

It’s 7am and I’ve been hiking for about 20 minutes when I run into a group of 3 hikers heading north. They are PCT hikers from 2019 and are making up some sections that they missed due to the big snow year. They are very nice and understanding when I tell them about not hiking Nor Cal due to the fires. As we depart, they tell me to keep my PCT permit handy as they have gotten their’s checked three times.

The morning dips between warm and cold. It’s warm on ridges as the sun shines brightly over the mountains but cold when I dip down into valleys and meadows. There is still frost on some of the vegetation at lower elevations. I have my puffy and gloves on until I start climbing at 8:30 am.

On the climb, I run into Roadrunner and Calves and we hike together to Miller Lake. At Miller, we all put down our packs down on the sandy shores and by the time I’m getting out breakfast, Roadrunner has already dipped into the lake. At some point CatManDu shows up and we talk about who is going to go into Yosemite Valley and who is not. Cat is waiting for a friend so he is going to head into the Valley and Road Runner and Calves are going to try to stealth hike in, as you have to take the JMT to get into the Valley (which none of us have permits for). I think I’ll just cruise through Tuolumne Meadows and skip the Valley for now. I live close by, a little under two hours, and have been there on many of occasions.

I roll out from the group first and do some solo hiking until lunch. I find a great spot next to a creek and have tuna and the rest of the cheese I packed out, along with a bar and some trail mix. Also, I mix in a crystal lite lemonade packet which are always so good.

After lunch and a short nap, it’s back on trail. I hike for a little and to my complete surprise see a rock marker that makes out the number 1,000. It’s incredible to see the marker because based on the notes I’ve been keeping here, I’m within one mile of hitting 1,000 miles for my trip. That includes the 60 or so miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail, and the border tag and back. So I don’t know who or what the 1,000 is for, maybe Northbounders (?), but it’s pretty awesome to see that and in the moment it feels like it was put in place for me.

As I keep on hiking into the afternoon, I run into Still Sam and we hike together for a bit. We talk about all kind of things, what would John Muir think of thru-hiking, teaching, and just different ways to live life. We depart at Tuolumne Falls where I elect to take a dip in the pool at the base of falls while Still Sam continues to hike.

After my dip, I poke around a bit at Glen Aulan which is a High Sierra Camp. High Sierra Camps offer rustic lodging and food services for hikers and backpackers. It’d be fun to set up base camp at a High Sierra Camp and explore your surroundings, without 35 pounds on your back. And maybe no bear canister, which has been the subject of much loathing along the trail over the past week.

I ultimately stop at a spot along the Tuolumne River, about 4 miles outside of the Tuolumne Meadow store. The store opens at 9am so I’ll head in there tomorrow morning, get a quick bite, and then keep moving to exit the park and head into Ansel Adam’s Wilderness.