Wildfires were my main concern before starting this section hike. A check of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) website for fire closures showed that there were none, at least at the start. As it turned out I encountered no fires and very little, really only slight, smoke pollution.

The fire that was causing the most havoc for hikers was the Sequoia Fire. Hikers on the PCT/John Muir Trail (JMT), south of where I'd begin, were having to exit the trail at Red Meadows, outside Mammoth, due not to the fire itself, but to the heavy smoke and ash it created. Some hikers choose to re-enter at Carson Pass or Echo Lake, 100 to 150 miles north of Tuolumne Meadows. It was sad to see hikers from foreign countries, who had planned to hike the JMT for at least a year, having to get off only 34 miles into their hike. But those that re-entered to the north weren't disappointed.

My first night at Glen Auldin I met a woman of similar age, Adria, who was doing a 65 mile solo hike. We ran into each other the following day on the trail and spent the next two days hiking and camping together. Our hiking speed was about the same, though Adria was slightly faster, and it was a pleasant change to have the company. On previous hikes I've met other people, camped a few times together, but not hiked the whole day with each other. When we parted two days later I went back to my usual routine of being on my own.

I had planned initially on having two re-supply points. Unfortunately the 2nd point was to be at Echo Lake, close to South Lake Tahoe, and it was closing on Labor Day. I would arrive about that time, but it meant that I couldn't afford any delays and the possibility missing my re-supply. So instead I changed my plan to only one pickup a week into the hike at North Kennedy Meadows, 9 miles east of Sonora Pass.

Kennedy Meadows has been a family run pack/trail horse ranch since the 1930's. The staff is very friendly and helpful, the food good, and there's a small store for treats and additional re-supply items. For PCT hikers they offer a bed in a dorm room (I had a room to myself), shower(s) and laundry for $35. In 2007 the main building, cabins and other support structures were burned down in a fire and all memorabilia lost. Fortunately the owner was able to find some replacement items in second-hand stores, including two original posters from the 1930's.

They will also send your food supply bear canister, required in Yosemite National Park, home for $20. I had planned on carrying my cannister the whole trail and did not bring any extra stuff bags for hanging my food. After spending the night asking myself whether to send it, keep it, send it, ... I opted to keep it and carry the 2.5 pounds of weight along with the 2nd re-supply food.

I had to hitch-hike from Sonora Pass to and from Kennedy Meadows, which was a little tricky at the Pass itself. But when I returned to the Pass the following morning, my ride was a classic red convertible, one of 3 vehicles of a group of male friends on their way to the first Nevada casino over the border for a batchelor party.

Starting with Tioga Pass, the trail crosses over five Sierra Nevada highway passes. All the passes have a gradual approach from the west, then a steep descent to the east. Depending on the winter conditions, some of the passes can close during the winter. Each pass has its own interesting history, and several were surveyed for the transcontinental railroad.

Tioga Pass, 9,943 ft., on Hwy 120, is the highest road pass in California, and the one most likely to close in winter. In nine miles it drops 3,000 feet to Hwy 395. It was named by a New Yorker after the Tioga Mine, and is an Iroquois and Mohawk term meaning "where it forks".

Sonora Pass, 9,633 ft., on Hwy 108, was first crossed by settlers in 1852 by the Clark Skidmore Party, originating from Ohio and Indiana. It took 35 days to blaze a trail 60 miles over this roughest Sierra crossing. That summer approximately 600 wagons, 2,400 emigrants and 19,000 head of cattle used this route. In 1880 a narrow gauge railroad was proposed but never built.

Ebbetts Pass, 8,723 ft., on Hwy 4, was used by the Miwok and Washoe Indians to cross the mountains. The route was used only occasionally until silver was discovered east of the Sierra. Merchants in the town of Murphys had a road constructed to more easily transport supplies over the pass to the miners.

Carson Pass, 8,602 ft., on Hwy 88, was named for Kit Carson, guide for the 1844 Fremont Expedition. Wanting to get to Sutter's Fort in California for supplies, a route through the pass was suggested by the local Wahoe Indians. They were warned not to cross the pass if there was snow, but Fremont continued and the expedition almost starved before reaching the fort. Remnants of the Mormon Battalion, who came to California in 1846 with the US Army to assist in the fight against Mexico, built a trail upon leaving California for Utah in the summer of 1848. The route would become known as the Carson Trail, one of the primary routes across the Sierras used by overland emigrants during the Gold Rush.

Donner Pass, 7,056 ft., Hwy 40, was first used by emigrants in 1844, but it was from the fabled Donner Party, in the winter of 1846, that it earned its name. In the spring of 1868 the route through the Sierra Nevadas was "conquered" by the Central Pacific Railroad after almost 5 years of continuous construction and the completion of Tunnel #6 at Donner Pass. There is an historical marker on the trail above Donner Pass that gives a good account of the emigrants going over near-by Roller Pass. (click on link to read more)

I seem to be having bad luck with cameras on the trail. In April 2014 I lost my camera on day 3, last summer on the last day on the trail I accidentalIy erased all the photos on the memory card. Luckily I was able to retrieve them. This season, after re-charging my camera battery at Kennedy Meadows and sending the charger home, the battery was nevertheless completely dead in less than 48 hours. Very frustrating. Due to the kindness of other hikers I was able to collect photos from Sonora Pass to Donner Pass. Thank you Jeff and Rachel!

I ran into my first SoBo (southbound PCT thru-Hiker) just before Sonora Pass, and would continue to meet almost 20 SoBos before departing the trail at Donner Pass. I have run into other SoBos on my hikes late in the summer, but this was the largest number yet. Most had left the Canadian Border in July and were expecting to be finished by October. I'll be curious how the Sequoia fire and those very long, dry stretches south of the Sierras affected them.

By 7:30 am on my last day on the trailI I had already been hiking for an hour. Suddenly I heard what sounded like a large animal galloping through the lightly treed woods. To me, the sound was that of a horse on the run, and there had been horses on the trail. As I looked up, I saw a bear running full-out in my direction, but not necessarily at me. Somehow, intuitively I knew he was not charging me, and he seemed completely unaware that I was even there. It was apparent that he would cross right in front of me, so I raised my hiking poles and let out a loud "Heh!!". He seemed to notice me for the first time, veered slightly off his course, but continued to run past me. It happened so fast and unexpectedly that I didn't have time to even be afraid, but as I continued on, I kept looking over my shoulder. I really don't think he saw me until I yelled out. After over 1,400 miles I finally had a bear story to tell.

The weather overall was excellent. There were two nights of very high winds (tent held up very well) but no rain, and no lightning or thunder showers. And as is the norm on the trail, I met many fun and interesting hikers of all age groups.

I have now hiked more than half of the PCT, 1,490.8 miles. I've been able to do two hikes a year, one in the spring and one late summer, but with the completion of all the Southern Californa miles, I will now, hence forward, be only hiking in late summer. And in order to complete the trail by the time I'm 70, I'll have a couple of sections of over 300 miles. Something to look forward to!

Photo by Rachel Yahn