PCT Day 67 – 70: Summiting in the Sierras

Day 67 – Muir Pass

It was another early start—we left camp at 4 a.m. with PDF and Stretch to begin the long climb up Muir Pass. The first couple miles were uneventful, but we soon began passing several alpine lakes and had to do some route finding. The boot tracks weren’t great, and a few sketchy snow bridges were forming that we wanted to avoid.

Almost to the top of the pass

We hiked through snow for about a mile, with the last half mile being especially tough. Even when snow is firm and packed, I find hiking on it more intense and tiring.

We finally reached the pass, where we found a very unique emergency shelter at the top. A ranger was there too, and we chatted for a bit before stepping inside the stone hut to sign the hiker log and read through the infamous “thru-hiker confessions” log. So scandalous!

The descent was long, with about two more miles of snow and additional route finding. By the time we crossed the snowfield, I was feeling wiped. We continued down a few more miles and took a well-earned lunch break by a creek.

Despite the challenging morning, we were determined to hike another 12 miles to position ourselves close to tomorrow’s pass. Most of the trail was downhill and cruisey. We took the Evolution Meadow alternate route to avoid a river crossing known for its strong current. The alternate was less than a mile long and brought us through a muddy meadow with a mellow river crossing.

Back on the PCT, we stopped around 4 p.m. for an early dinner to fuel up for the final push. The last two miles were tough—I was exhausted—but we made it to camp by 6:30 p.m., only to be immediately swarmed by mosquitoes. We set up camp as fast as we could and dove into our tent, where we stayed for the rest of the evening.

Day 68 – Seldon Pass

Another early morning! I was still feeling pretty wiped and not thrilled about hitting the trail again so early. We had six miles of steady climbing ahead, but the time passed quickly as I hiked and chatted with Chowder, PDF, and Stretch. Fortunately, the pass was easy to navigate and mostly free of snow.

Making our way up Seldon Pass

At the top, a marmot hung out nearby while we snacked and applied sunscreen. They’re such docile little critters.

After descending for a few miles, we stopped at a river for lunch. We were beginning to run low on food. Many hikers detour to the Vermillion Valley Resort to resupply after Seldon Pass, but we were committed to pushing on to Mammoth.

As if the dwindling food supply weren’t enough, Chowder’s shoe decided to bust open. We taped it together with Leukotape and hoped it would last the next 30 miles to town.

Chowder’s busted shoe. Will it make it to Canada?

The rest of the day was uneventful. We made it to camp, had dinner, and went to bed—ready to take on our final pass of this section the next day.

Day 69 – Silver Pass

Our last pass of this section! By now we felt like pros, but Silver Pass was still a challenge—especially for me. I felt undernourished and low on energy, and we weren’t eating enough to keep up with the demands of these climbs. After a few breaks, Chowder and I reached the top. Thankfully, there wasn’t much snow to navigate, and the view was stunning. We chatted with The Best Around for a bit before starting our descent.

Soon after, though, we faced another steep climb. I felt completely gassed by that second uphill. I was grateful when we stopped for lunch by a beautiful alpine lake with the rest of the gang.

That afternoon, Chowder and I pushed through another ten miles. I’d run out of podcasts and was honestly feeling pretty tired of hiking. As fun as this journey is, six days without a shower or real food was starting to take its toll.

Dinner was a small portion of rice, and we passed out by 7:30 p.m., eager to hike the final few miles into town the next morning.

Day 70 – Trolley to Town

We slept in until 6 a.m.! After quickly packing up, we hiked 3.5 miles on the Horseshoe Lake Trail, which led us to the trailhead into Mammoth Lakes. There, we joined a group of hikers waiting for the free trolley into town.

The trolley was super convenient—it dropped us off in town about twenty minutes later. Chowder, The Best Around, and I headed straight to the Breakfast Club for a massive meal: omelets and hash browns. Afterward, we picked up packages at the post office and I grabbed a gluten-free crepe from a food truck. It was so good. My hiker hunger was in full swing.

Later, we checked into an Airbnb we’d booked with our trail family. It was so nice to reconnect with everyone we’d been hiking with a few weeks ago and share a space again.

We ran a few errands in the afternoon and grabbed supplies for a big trail family dinner. We even picked up a cake to celebrate three birthdays happening this week—including Chowder’s!

We cooked, laughed, and enjoyed the evening together. It was the perfect way to end a tough but beautiful section of trail.