PCT Day 67 – PCT mile 848.5 to Mile 865.4

June 10, 2026

Total PCT miles: 16.9

Non PCT miles: 0

Total: 16.9 miles / 27.2 km

Total elevation gain: 3287 ft

Total elevation loss: 2844 ft

Steps: 39269

Today was a no mountain pass day. To celebrate what should be an easier day we slept in again and didn’t start on trail until 0700 hrs. Unlike yesterday we didn’t pay dearly for the extra sleep.

A few miles into our day came the biggest obstacle of the day, Evolution Creek. This is one of the more notorious water crossings on the PCT. You have two options on how to cross this creek. 1) at the actual PCT crossing point or 2) at Evolution Meadow alternate route. In high water years it is strongly recommended to cross at the alternate. This year the snow levels are really low But what is around is melting fast due to the unseasonably warm temperatures. High Stakes and I chose to do the alternate while the rest of the group did the PCT crossing.

Evolution Meadow was the perfect way to cross this creek in my opinion. It was nice and easy and only knee deep with very little current. It happens that the main crossing wasn’t that bad either. Depending on how you crossed it was either waist deep with little current or knee deep with some current. All that to say this year this crossing is not a concern.

Over all the morning was really nice. Once you make your way down to the valley you have multiple miles of almost flat hiking. It was nice to be moving fast and coming to the realization that once I’m out of the Sierra I will be able to move fast regularly. Through the valley the trail follows the South Fork of the San Joaquin River and crosses it three times on bridges. I’m very glad there are bridges here. In 2023 one of the bridges was destroyed in the record snow year. This resulted in a long bypass. In 2024 people tried to cross the river without the bridge and several were swept down river (no serious injuries that I know of.)

In the afternoon we started our accent towards Selden Pass that we will cross tomorrow. It was 23 degrees and bright blue sunny skies as we made the 2000 ft climb. If it wasn’t for the shade I would have swore I was back in the desert. I took my time hiking from shady spot to shady spot until i reached a creek where the group was taking a break. At least the water is still ice cold!

It wasn’t far to our campsite located next to Sallie Keys Lakes and the million mosquitoes that were waiting for us there. I guess mosquito season is arriving in force…. Great.

Today was suppose to be an “easy” day and I guess for the Sierra it was. I’m starting to get more pain in my right ankle, Achilles / posterior chain. The shoes I’m currently wearing don’t have the insoles I normally Hike in so maybe I’ll pick up some in Mammoth. Or maybe it’s the decents that have really been like giant stone stair cases the last few days.

Thankfully my pack is still holding up and it’s replacement has allegedly been shipped so I should get that in Mammoth as well!