PCT Day 58 – Crabtree Meadows (767.5) to Tyndall Creek (775.9)
June 1, 2026
Total PCT miles: 8.4
Non PCT miles: 1.1
Total: 9.5 miles / 15.3 km
Total elevation gain: 1946 ft
Total elevation loss: 1640 ft
Steps: 23169
What a difference a day and a change of pace can make. Ultimately I decided against an early morning start and sumitting Mount Whitney. I would have preferred to have done the summit but I was in no physical or mental state to do it. It would have just been miserable and only served to continue to darken my mood. Instead of getting up at some ungodly hour and completing an exhausting zombie hike I slept… decently until 0700.
When I got out of bed I learned that Ness had also made the decision not to do the early morning death march. We decided together we would have a lazy morning, leave camp around 10ish and hike to Tyndall creek. This would put us in good position to hike Forester Pass, the offical highest pont on the PCT, the next day.
The extra sleep, combined with the relaxed pace really lifted our spirits. Hiking 18 plus miles a day in the Sierra is grueling both physically and mentally and I personally can not recommend that approach unless you are an athlete. I am far away from being an athlete and even my ability to embrace the suck has its limits.
The hike today was beautiful high Sierra and at times left me without words. The first obstacle was Wallace Creek which I almost successfully navigated the rock hop across. I celebrated the dry crossing a little early and ended up with one wet shoe. Shortly after was Wright creek where I was successful at keeping both feet dry.
From here we climbed and with each step the Sierra became more and more beautiful Until we reached the Bighorn Plateau. I was greatful for the slow pace today that allowed us lots of time to take in the beautiful scenery. All around us Were mountains. In the rear we could still see Whitney and in front Forester Pass was came into view and in between nothing but mountains And marmots. I think we counted a dozen or so marmots running around the plateau. This is truly the Sierra and what everyone has been telling me to look forward to.
From here it was a short distance to Tyndall Creek in which there was no way for me to cross without getting my feet wet. So across I went, shoes on (this will suck tomorrow). The water was knee high and moving quickly. I can’t imagine what this creek looks like in a high snow year!
We arrived at camp at 1600 just as the sky began to darken and thunder could be heard from the direction we came. Fortunately we only got a few rain drops at our location.
Tomorrow will be an early start over Forester Pass, one I am actually nervous for. All the reports we have been able to get on trail don’t make it sound too bad. One of the hikers camped here has friends who bailed yesterday. They are in town and have spoken with PCT hikers who said we shouldn’t be concerned. I guess I’ll find out for myself soon enough.
Although I missed out on Whitney today was a great day. I don’t feel emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted. Now I can’t only do 8 PCT miles a day through the rest of the Sierra. But there sure is a better balance to be found. The rest of the group are hiking part way here today and will probably meet up with us tomorrow.
PCT Day 57 – PCT mile 750.7 to Crabtree Meadows (767.5)
May 31, 2026
Total PCT miles: 16.8
Non PCT miles: 1.1
Total: 17.9 miles / 28.8 km
Total elevation gain: 3094 ft
Total elevation loss: 3524 ft
Steps: 44070
Sleeping at elevation is not easy and often results in a poor outcome. Last night camped at 11119 ft, the highest we’ve been on the PCT so far, resulted in the worst sleep I’ve had on trail. Maybe 4 hours of broken, interrupted and not restful sleep. But at least the sun was out and hitting us at 0700 am warming us from the below freezing temperatures last night.
Today was another challenging day but as it progressed started to get more beautiful. It’s really starting to feel like we are in the High Sierra both in exertion levels required to move and in the beautiful landscapes.
We climbed almost to 12000 ft where we came across Chicken Spring Lake our first alpine lake. Apparently there is some sort of tradition to go swimming in it… but I had little desire to experience what hell freezing over actual feels like so I just continued on my way.
The forests here are interesting. Large pine and cedar trees with quite a bit of separation growing in sand or between rocks.
At times the trial provided beautiful views of green meadow valleys and the mountains in front. Today we had to cross our first two of many creek/river crossings on the PCT. The name of the game is keeping your shoes dry. The prize – dry feet. Rock creek was the first and fortunately there was a well placed narrow log that made the crossing easy. Whitney Creek was the second and rocks made it easy as well.
Coming down into Crabtree Meadows, the PCT gateway to Mount Whitney was beautiful. The view of Whitney and surrounding mountains was incredible.
Finished our hiking at 1700 and I am exhausted. Most of our group will hike to the Summit of Mount Whitney tomorrow but I am likley just going to take it easy. The elevation and miles have really taken a toll on my body the last few days and I probably should listen to it. Whitney is not part of the PCT, just a very popular optional side quest many hikers do. I had hoped to summit it, but not at any cost.
I have a strong dislike for the cold. Not very Canadian of me I know, but winter and sports are not words that generally go together in my vocabulary. Fortunately even with below freezing temperatures overnight I stay quite warm in my tent. It’s the getting out of my tent in the morning I have a particularly strong dislike of. The frozen fingers and frozen toes secondary to frozen shoes is particularly a strong dislike. Packing up the frozen tent because of frozen condensation is also not a lot of fun. Oh! How about filtering near freezing water! I know I’m making this adventure sound oh so very appealing aren’t I?
Regardless of all off this I actually slept fairly well last night. I even felt somewhat rested. We had another ambitious almost 19 miles planned for the day. These are big miles for the Sierra but at least the elevation profile didn’t appear to be as challenging as yesterdays.
We got the first climb out of the way right off the hop climbing to 10500 ft which provided some beautiful views of the Sierra mountains before us. Then a great view of Owen’s Valley where I had cell service! It was nice to call home and hear a friendly voice! It was here where one of the members of our group told us they was getting off trail and going home. It came as a shock to the group. I know what a difficult decision it is to leave the trail. But from what they said I’m sure they made the best decision for themselves.
Only 25-30% of people finish the PCT and that is because it’s hard. It’s easy to imaging all the ways it’s hard. But unless you’ve ever attempted a thru-hike you can never really know how grueling it actually is.
From here the trail descended back below 9500 ft. Its wild how just 1000 ft can make a difference in breathing and warmth. I found a nice meadow with a stream and had lunch and dried out my tent And sleeping bag. Yesterday I waited until I was at camp and there was little sun thanks to the clouds so I didn’t want to repeat that mistake.
From here we climbed again up to 11119 ft where I am currently camped. Had a beautiful view of Horseshoe Meadow where I also got cell service briefly. I was making good time until the last two miles when my body finally had enough.
When I arrived at camp I suddenly out of nowhere and for no particular reason started crying.
Maybe it’s the exhaustion, maybe the elevation is getting to me. Maybe I miss home or I’m too much in my head. Maybe I just need a giant feast. Maybe having one of our group members decide to leave the trail made me think about leaving too. Or maybe it’s knowing it’s still only going to get harder over the next few days. Maybe the last two days I’ve failed to embrace the suck.
Really that’s all thru-hiking is… learning to thrive in the suck. Unless your watching someone on social media do one… they tend to edit out all the real suck.
I woke up at 0100 hrs secondary to the call of nature. At some point the wet heavy snow had frozen and for a few moments I didn’t think I would be able to open the zipper. When I finally did I was greeted to a winter wonderland. It had stopped snowing… but we certainly got a lot more snow than was forecasted. I did my business and fell back asleep.
My alarm woke me up at 0630 and I had little desire to leave the comfort of my warm tent. It had gotten down to about -2 Celsius last night but inside my tent I was cozy. We had made the decision to start hiking around 0800 today to give the sun a chance to rise and start the process of meting the snow. The outside of my tent was covered in ice and snow but the inside was dry. So I separated the two and packed them in different bags in case I didn’t get a chance to dry everything out. Being cold is one thing but wet and cold is no good. Getting the ice off our tents proved to be challenging until the sun finally crested the hill and started providing some warmth.
Now I’ve never winter camped in my life. In fact I think this is the first time I have camped in snow. I was not suprised to learn that I am not a fan. I will say the landscape was beautiful. But I’d much rather be warm than cold. Not very Canadian of me I supoose.
We set off shortly after 8 into our winter wonderland. Fortunately for some reason the trail itself had very little snow accumulation on it so we don’t have to route find. The first few miles were quite easy and we took a break at the Bridge that goes over the south fork of the Kern River.
From here we started to climb. My daily stats may not look super impressive. 18.2 miles and 3600 ft accent however because of the elevation it was probably one of the toughest days I’ve had so far on trail. We climbed up to 10500 ft and will only continue to go up over the next few days. We need to do about 18 miles a day to have a chance to summit Whitney As we all only have 7 days of food. If I’m being honest I’m not sure I can continue this pace but we will see what tomorrow brings.
As we climbed more of the trail became covered in snow or slush making for a nice ice bath for my feet. For a while we were even hiking in clouds. I was getting concerned on what our campsite tonight might look like. Would I have to set up on the snow!?!
Fortunately as we descended back towards 9000 ft it quickly became obvious that finding a dry camp would not be a problem. It didn’t even look like it had snowed on this side of the mountain. The views of the surrounding mountains were breathtaking… or was that just the elevation.
The US military seems to enjoy using the Sierra to fly jet fighters. All last night and today I could hear them but never saw one. Today I saw two flying quite close to the mountains. Looked like they were having more fun than I.
We arrived at camp at 1730 next to Death Canyon Creek. The name is fitting because I think we all feel dead and exhausted. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.
Kenny Meadows is a vortex but with a pretty valid reason. The small mountain community marks the transition from the desert to the Sierra and timing means everything when entering the mountains. This is even more true when it’s early season.
It’s been one of the lowest snow years on record. But other than a March heat wave, unseasonably cool weather in the Sierra has delayed some of the melting on the high passes. Combine this with a forecasted late snow storm on May 27-28 we decided it was best to wait it out. Well mostly anyway.
Being a small mountain community with very few shopping options Kennedy Meadows is expensive. Its not over priced, but expensive none the less. Camping might be free but food and drinks quickly add up. Or maybe there are drugs in the breakfast juice that makes you stay.
Yes I ate the whole thing. It’s all you can eat pancakes I almost got a second but decided I’d probably regret it.
I spent my first two nights at Grumpy Bears before heading to the General Store for the remaining 3 nights. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but the food at Grumpy Bears was definitely better and faster. Many times we waited well over an hour for our food at the General store.
New ice axe I hope to not need!
I resupplied for the Sierra at Triple Crown Outfitters located beside Grumpy’s. This included an Ice Axe and microspikes and later got a pair of water proof socks from 2Foot Adventures located outside the general store. Between this and food I spent a lot more money than I would have liked.
Jay Go giving an Ice Axe lesson to hikers.
I will say the atmosphere at the General Store was more fun. Being able to cheer in hikers as they came in and lament about when we would leave was a good time. Jokingly we always said tomorrow even when we knew that wasn’t going to happen. There was lots of great conversation and it was nice to relax and just watch Netflix For a while. Finally we decided based on the forecast we would leave on May 28th. There was some snow in that day (tenth on an inch) and it would be nice for the following 7.
Stopping this long has been hard. I really miss home, my family, my dog and my friends. Thruhiking is really disruptive to one’s life and I admire those that have done multiple long distance trails.
May 28
Our group of 6: Ness, Chops, Cry Baby, Yukon, Reroll and myself decided to leave Kennedy Meadows at 0700. We hoped to get 15 miles done before the weather came in. Also this avoided spending more money on Breakfast and drinking more of the juice. As a joke we had a few hikers cheer us out as we left the comfort and safety of the General Store and made our way to the Sierra.
The hike today was a steady incline through mostly pine forest with the Sierra foothills surrounding us. There is water everywhere and because of this the 7 day food carry and extra gear doesn’t feel so bad. My body protested for the first few miles as if it had forgotten this is what we are doing for the next few months.
Slowly and earlier than forecasted the sun was blocked out by clouds. Soon after it started to lightly snow. Out group convened at the next campsite and the decision was made to set up now while everything was dry vs carrying on and getting wet. It was only noon but Am I ever glad we made this call. Soon after the snow was falling with force.
At some point I fell asleep in my tent and was woken up by the sounds of people hitting snow off their tents. A few inches Of snow had fallen in a short period of time. I’m thankful to my freestanding tent today. It can handle a pretty significant snow load so I’m not concerned. I’m also thankful there is no wind. Really, we probably should have waited one or two more days. But we were not alone we were later joined my 6 other hikers at this location and a few more carried on to our original destination.
It’s suppose to be sunny an 12ish degrees tomorrow… let’s hope that forecast is correct so I can dry out my tent and some of this new snow melts. Also I really hope I don’t have to get out of my tent to pee before the snow stops.
Set up at Kenny MedowsWe got a lot more snow than forecasted.
PCT Day 49 – PCT mile 669.9 to Kennedy Meadows mile 703.4
May 23, 2026
Total PCT miles: 15.0
Non PCT miles: 0.7
Total: 15.7 miles / 25.3 km
Total elevation gain: 1470 ft
Total elevation loss: 3310 ft
Steps: 34512
Today is the day I officially say good bye to the desert section of the Pacific Crest Trail and hello to the Sierra section. The small mountain town of Kennedy Meadows South, PCT mile 703.4 has traditionally marked this transition and today I will arrive.
I woke up today feeling a sense of excitement after one of the better sleeps I have had in this journey. Didn’t eat much for breakfast but stuffed my hip belt full of snacks and was on trail shortly after the sun crested the nearby mountain. Although not officially in the Sierra section of the PCT yesterday we had entered its foothills and the transition had been evident. Pine Trees and shrubs grew next to each other and the elevation had started to get higher. Lizards still scurried about and the threat of rattle snakes remained. Actually, Yukon, a guy I have been hiking with was bit in the shoe yesterday by one. Fortunately it was only his shoe and nothing worse.
The hike was mostly downhill for the bulk of the day and I made excellent time reaching the valley below and 10 miles around 0930. Somewhere around here you officially enter Sequoia National Forest but the sign is long gone. I reached the South Fork of the Kern River and the most water I’ve seen in what feels like hundreds of miles. Eventually, in the Sierra, I’ll cross the Middle and North Fork of this river. It had started to get hot and I stopped to filter some water.
700 miles
A short while later I passed the 700 mile marker on the PCT! Only 3.4 miles left to Kennedy Meadows! I was passed by a man with the smallest pack I’ve seen so far on trail. I swear I would have more in a day bag then he had. It takes skill, confidence and honestly a little bit of luck to travel with so little. I was instantly jealous of how much better his back must feel compared to mine.
The trail arrives at Sherman Pass Road where it is a 0.6 mile walk to the Kennedy Meadows General store. It is a tradition that when a hiker arrives here all the other hikes cheer them on for successfully completing the desert section. I won’t lie it was an emotional moment for me and one I won’t soon forget.
There are two places hikers can stay at Kennedy Meadows, the General Store or Grumpy bears. We had decided to stay at Grumpy Bears even though they were having a large Memorial Day weekend party tonight so I retrieved my package from the General Store and waited for the shuttle. My package carefully put together by Mel back home had my bear canister (required for the Sierra), new shoes (thank goodness), some town clothes (sick of wearing rain gear when doing laundry in town), warm hat and mits, new socks and a few pieces of home with personal touches. Without her unwavering support I could not be here. Thank you.
The shuttle to Grumpy Bears was an interesting event. The shuttle never leaves anyone behind space or not. So I and two other people (Cry Baby and Chef) ended up in the trunk of this dodge caravan. The drive is only 3 miles… It was funny at first but then it was uncomfortable and then honestly quite painful. But we all arrived in one piece.
In 49 days of hiking I have:
-Taken 10 zeros (5 due to injury)
-Done one Nero
-Hiked 673.85 miles (PCT and Non PCT)
-Averaged 17.25 miles per day (not including zeros).
-Climbed 123787 ft (as per my watch)
-Taken 1.6 million steps
Here I am 700 miles and the desert section of the PCT completed. It’s been too hot, too cold, too sunny, too dry, too windy but also, in its own way beautiful. I’ve over come injury and embraced the suck more times than I can count. With the exception of some of my experiences at work this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Spending so much time with nothing other than the contents of my pack has given me appreciation for the little things I take for granted everyday. Along the way I’ve met so many interesting people and been the recipient of so much genuine kindness.
Next up the Sierra and the beauty and adventure it holds.
MmmmmmmNew shoes meet old shoes. These are 1/2 size larger as your feet flatten out when doing a thru hike. Memorial Day party. Thankfully the music was done at 9pm
