PCT SOBO DAY 94 – I’m a SOBO again

Day 94

Start: Tuolumne Meadows, mile 1712.1

End: campground, mile 1728.7

Miles driven: 16.6 miles

Once again, I got up and left early to catch the bus. This time, however, I was heading in the opposite direction, back to Yosemite National Park. It was a smooth ride to Tuolumne Meadow and before I knew it, I found myself back on the road.

A swirl of cloud covered part of the sky, but I managed to stay out of the rain for the first few miles. I was back on the John Muir Trail section of the PCT and seeing the trail from a new perspective. I had been up the JMT going to NOBO before, so even though I had been through this part of the trail before, things looked different from the opposite direction. It felt good to be SOBO again.

I followed the clear Tuolumne River along the flat valley it called home and enjoyed gazing into its crystal clear waters from time to time to see the fish swimming by. There were some people fishing and also a group of hikers.

As I approached the start of the climb to Donahue Pass, I suddenly ran out of luck with the weather. It started to rain! At first it fell gently, but then it was an absolute downpour. I put on my raincoat and set up my umbrella, which attracted a lot of praise and jealous looks from my fellow hikers. My umbrella will never cease to be an essential piece for me.

As I climbed the mountain, the trail turned into an absolute river. I found a small dry spot under a tree that protected me perfectly from the rain. While I was having a snack there, a man walked by and greeted me.

«If you see my brother, tell him I’m in camp number 4.»

I asked him a few clarifying questions to make sure I could get the message across to the right person, and then I wished him luck. A little further on I found the brother. Message delivered!

By then, the rain had mostly stopped and I was hopeful that the rest of the day would bring clear skies. Still a mile and a half from the pass, I stopped to take in the views around me. A small, clear alpine lake dominated the space. Picturesque campsites were hidden among the trees. In the distance rose the snow-covered mountain. This view was worth all the hard work he had put in until today.

However, my hard work was not over yet. The trail became almost all rock as I climbed Donahue Pass. The higher I went, the stronger the wind blew and the clouds began to change. The air was cold. Just as I got to the other side of the pass, I was hit with cold, wet hail! Ahhh! I hurried to put my waterproof jacket back on and open the umbrella, but my fingers were very cold. The hail was relentless and by the time I managed to set up my gear, my toes were frozen. My only goal now was to get to the tree cover as quickly as possible.

I went down, down, down, the cacophony of hail falling on my umbrella drowning out my internal dialogue. The trail was a river full of ice water, which I tried (and failed) to avoid. It seemed like it took me forever to get to a suitable camping spot among the trees and away from the cold wind, but I finally found the perfect spot.

I wish I could have walked more; I still had a lot of energy left, but I was absolutely frozen. The rain and hail had stopped, but the wind was still howling strongly. I drank water, set up my tent, and got into my quilt as quickly as possible. After changing into my dry sleeping clothes and burying myself in my quilt for a while, I was finally warm again.

After dinner, I looked at my map to determine my plan for the next day. From the looks of it, I could be in Mammoth tomorrow night if I head out over Mammoth Pass. There was a tram that could take me from Horseshoe Lake to town. However, there was a small snag. The last tram left at five in the afternoon. Could I walk the 22 miles needed to get there by then? There was nothing left to do but try!

And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!

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