PCT part 4 halfway point at 1325 (day 70) to CA/OR border (1712 day 86)

At this point in time I have left the snow behind. The terrain is a little flatter. I can make more miles per day now. I am hiking in more forest. Sometimes these forest are burned out zones from fires. Us PCT hikers are pretty spread out now. I will be seeing and spending more time with PI. Our daily mileages match so we camp together every so often. 

Sulfur hot springs. It is not safe to go into these pools. 

Very nice boardwalk for the trail. I loved walking through the green spaces. 

This was not my favorite place to walk. The sun can be intense, the trail is sandy and dusty and there is usually blowdowns to get over.

Wide open land with views forever. 

This plant is beautiful, but it is full of thorns. 

Bernabe falls. It do not look like it from this point, but these are pretty tall. 

The trail goes over the top of this dam. 

Nice creek. There are lots of places like this. 

Blue, Caveman and Smokey, PCT hikers I crossed paths with for a day. 

PI tent and mine. 

More trail with wide open views. 

There are lots of flowers everywhere. I liked this one. 

Butterfly on flower. I saw butterflies on most of the trip. They were to fast for me to get photos of them most of the time. 

My favorite flower, Indian paintbrush. 

Nice to see this. 

The XX means the state of Jefferson. They have a different philosophy on government views in this part of the US. 

Sunrise. 

I beautiful flower. 

PI and I at the CA/OR border. 

PCT part 3 Kennedy Meadows North (1030.8/day 55) to the halfway point at 1325 (day 70)

I left Kennedy Meadows North with Lugnut. Once we got on trail we meet up with four other pct hikers to camp that evening. Lugnut and I would yoyo back and forth for a few days doing our own pace. My pack is much liter now that I sent the bear can back. The terrain is changing also. There is still snow, but a lot less of it. 

Changing terrain, note trail on right center of photo.  

This was easier travel. 

I liked the geology in the mountain. This was taken during a thunderstorm. 

Morning light.

Lots of little lakes like this. 

More nice walking. 

My normal. 

Beauty around every corner. 

Walking a ridge out to a great lunch. 

Lugnut, Dos Equis and I at Donner pass ski area for a great lunch. The three of us split a pie for desert. 

Lodging for the night. I stayed in three cabin along the trail. 

More nice trail and blue skies. 

Lodging for the night. 

Lugnut and Dos Equis in the trailer. 

The views never end. 

Moring light. 

This bridge was amazing for being in the middle of no where. 

Some trap shooters we meet that gave us beer and water. Two of the gang I was with tried there hand at shooting the clay targets.  

Down the trail I go. 

This group give me water. 

More easy walking. 

Big moment on the trail, I am half way to Canada!!!

PCT part 2 Kennedy Meadows South (680.8/day 32) to Kennedy Meadows North (1030.8/day 55)

Kennedy Meadows south is a interesting place. It is powered by a generator from 8am to 8pm. It consistence of a restaurant, bar, store, post office and more all in one place. Across the meadow is the triple crown outfitters. This is a one stop shop for those interested in backpacking.  This is where one camps at while here. Coming off the trail and being able to buy real food and ice-cream is a real treat. This is where one picks up their bear can for food, micro spikes and ice axe. There is usually a larger group of PCT hikers here. There was over a dozen here while I here for one night. One issue of places like this, is one can get stuck here with the social seen that develops. 

Real food for a  change.

This is Kennedy Meadows South. The van is the shuttle what took us to the from the trailhead. 

White plastic structure is the shower. 

PCT gang hangout by trail angel RV. Free beer was given away a lot by people that wanted to help us. I am not a beer drinker so this had no value for me. 

  PCT gang being shuttled to the trailhead.

From this point I am going into the Sierra's. I travel with other people for most of my time in this section. I will be going to higher elevations, walking through snow and walking through very cold water across streams and rivers. I spend the first night with different groups of people before spending a few days with Best Western. In this part, we tried to summit Mt Whitney. The snow conditions were not in our favor. We ended up turning around as I felt it was not safe to continue on. 

 

The terrain is changing

  

I liked the pattern on all the trees.

 

I liked the rock formations in this area. 

 

Lots of open area as we work our way up in elevation. 

The way this rock was placed by the glaciers is interesting. 

Best Western crossing one of the many streams. 

There are lots of views like this. 

On our way to try to climb Mt Whitney. If you zoom in, you can see some amazing trail work. I was impressed by all the time what went into all the work to establish a trail in a place like this. 

The summit of Mt Whitney is the flat rock on the left center in the photo. Today was not our day to summit due to the snow fields on the route. One slip and our trip would be over. We made it to 13,700 before turning back. 

More open spaces between the passes. Note, it is quite chilly here. I am wearing a lot of clothes. 

I am standing on the trail to Forester pass. The pass is behind me at 13,200 feet. We will be crossing the snow field behind me. 

Typical camp site in the sierras.  

More shots of the area. That is frost on the ground. 

From this point Best Western leaves the trail at Kearsarge Pass for a day off and resupply. I continue forward as I carried enough supplies for several more days. I will hook up with Skipper and Lugnut next for the next part of the trail. I meet these people at random. I decide to stick with them if their goals on the trail meet mine and we get along well. This section of photos will end at Vermilion Valley Resort. I will pick up some more supplies to get me to the next resupply point. 

On the trail working my way north. 

Note trail crossing the snowfield. 

This is another water crossing on the trail. My feet were wet for most of the trail in this section. As you can guess, the water is not warm. Wet feet water crossing happened every day. Sometimes two or three times a day. In addition your feet would get wet in the snow you were walking through. 

More alpine lakes. 

The trail follows this stream up the valley to the pass at the top. 

On top of a nother high point. 

You can not see me if I do not move. Note bird in the middle of the photo. 

One more water crossing. I got lucky on this one as they put stones in for me to walk on. 

This is normal for getting up and over a pass. We would do this most every day while in this section. There is more snow on the other side to get down. We would do this in the morning as the snow was still firm. If you wait, you would be sinking up to your knees at times.  

Up on top of the pass with Humming bird, Nugnut and Skipper. 

Heading down to the lake in the middle of the photo and beyond. 

Me, Humming bird and Lugnut at camp. 

Nugnut with more nice views beyond. 

Water everywhere. 

"I eat PCT hikers for breakfast". Lucky It was not hungry when I passed. 

Typical camp site in the Sierrs

Alpine lake near the top of one more pass. 

Muir hut at the top of the pass. 

Inside the hut with Skipper and Lugnut. 

Skipper and Lugnut getting ready to head down. 

Skipper at one more water crossing. 

Skipper and Lugnut at lunch stop. 

Alpine lake. 

Skipper at one more water crossing. 

Up I go to one more pass. 

At the top heading down past the lakes and beyond. 

It snowed last night. I woke up to frozen shoes. It is happened a few times while in this section. 

Today I get good food. At the resupply. 

BBQ for dinner. 

PCT gang Sticks, Skipper, Lugnut, Break time, To clean and me chowing down. 

Skipper, Lugnut and I on the boat to take up back to the trail. 

Heading down to more alpine lakes and the valley beyond. 

At camp trying to dry my socks. 

The top of one more pass. 

Heading down the trail. 

Lugnut, me, Skipper, Break time and Sticks at one of the mile markers. 

I am leaving Red Meadows now for section to Kennedy Meadows North for  a resupply mail my bear can back. Skipper, Sticks and Break time got off trail to Bishop for a day off. We will go through part Yosemite park on this next section. 

Devils post pile. 

Horse people from Red Meadows. 

More alpine lakes and mountains. 

There are lots of very nice bridges in Yosemite. 

One of the many rock domes in Yosemite.

More rock domes in Yosemite. 

One of the many water falls I saw along the way. I ate lunch by this one. 

This is part of the trail I am taking up through this valley. 

Flowers by the trail. There are flowers everywhere. 

One more mountain by a lake. If I was not seeing scene like this for weeks on end I would be wowed. I do appreciate the views, but things blend after all the time I am out here. This is my normal.  

1,000 miles on the trail, a mile stone. 

Skytree, my new hiking partner. 

The trail goes on behind me. 

Life at Kennedy Meadows North. 

Kennedy Meadows north. 

Many horses for the guest to go no trail rides.