PCT SOBO DAY 85 – Stop at a Magical Town

Day 85

Start: Stealthsite, mile 1629.6

End: Highway 108/Sonora Pass/Pinecrest, mile 1637.7

Miles driven: 8.1 miles

When I woke up in the morning it was cold! Deep in the canyon, the sun had no chance of warming me up anytime soon. So, bundled up in my puffy gloves and suede, I set out for my morning climb and hoped to warm up quickly.

The trees took on a blue glow in the shadow of the high mountains. I passed a woman walking through NOBO who was as bundled up as I was. We exchanged small pleasantries and then continued in our respective directions.

I was dreading this climb, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad. Slowly, the sun crept to the right, getting closer and closer to me. Near the top, I was greeted by a set of stone stairs that took me to the steep part of the climb. And still, the climb wasn’t too bad for my tired legs.

At the top, I finally felt the full warmth of the sun. Hurrah! With only a few miles left in the day, I sat there for a while, soaking in the warmth and looking out at the valley spread out before me. It was a perfect morning; I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

After soaking up the sun for more than a few minutes, I decided it was finally time to ride the last few miles to Sonora Pass. Getting to this point was huge. The next section would take me to Yosemite! This was the place that really started my solo hiking trip. I did my first 2 shakedown walks here in 2020 and experienced the beauty of the countryside for the first time. And soon I would pass my Triple Crown hike. What a trip!

Along the road, I stuck out my thumb so I could get to Kennedy Meadows to pick up the resupply package I had sent myself. It took a while, but I finally got a hitch on a camouflage pickup truck with an inflatable alien propped up in the cab. Well…

But my hitch was a very nice guy. He told me about the native traditions he and his family practiced, their beliefs, and how everything on the land was sacred to his tribe. Not only did he offer me water, but he also gave me a beer when he dropped me off. Nice!

At Kennedy Meadows, I entered a chaotic scene. I assumed that with the cooler weather there would be fewer people, but that was far from the truth. There were people, cars, and RVs everywhere! I was completely overwhelmed. I just wanted to pick up my package, have lunch and leave. And that’s exactly what I did. Turns out it was the first day of deer hunting season and there was a Portuguese festival going on. What a day to arrive!

Instead of trying to find a place to camp, I managed to hitchhike to Pinecrest. It’s a town that’s quite far away, but I contacted a tracker angel there and planned to spend the night at his cabin. This time my hookup was a young guy and his son who were out looking for a place to fish. Like me, they had entered Kennedy Meadows, but immediately turned around when they saw the large crowd. He was a rafting guide and his son loved to fish, so we chatted about our respective adventures.

Once at Pinecrest, I said goodbye to my hitch and was completely impressed by the trail angel cabin. It was from the early 1900’s and was cute in a cabin style. The trail angel was running errands, so I had the place to myself until nightfall.

After doing the essentials like doing laundry and showering, I hopped on the bike and headed into town. Pinecrest is actually a huge Forest Service campground around a lake. The lake blew me away! The mountains provided the background and people and their families had fun on the beach. A church service was being held in the amphitheater and posters advertised a movie under the stars for later that night. I loved it!

Yes, the water on my clothes was that dirty!

I grabbed ice cream from the store and sat on a bench, soaking in the scene and smiling at all the happy families. This was definitely one of my favorite stops in the city.

Back at the cabin, I made dinner and relaxed until the trail angel arrived. Her name was Cookie and as we started talking, we realized we had lived in the same area years before. Small world!

That night, I fell asleep while it was warm and cozy on the cabin window bench.

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

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