PCT Day 70 – PCT mile 883.6 to Deer Creek (902.3)
June 13, 2026
Total PCT miles: 18.7
Non PCT miles: 0
Total: 18.7 miles / 30.1 km
Total elevation gain: 4111 ft
Total elevation loss: 4675 ft
Steps: 44371
I was up early today to get ready for our 0500 hrs start. The goal was to get over Silver Pass and the following nameless accent before it got too hot outside. The sun seems to just hit differently in th Sierra. It’s Been in the low 20 Celsius which isn’t that hot even if it’s unseasonably warm. But add in no clouds and the elevation and it often feels like I am roasting.
We were up Silver Pass (10778 ft) by 06:30 just as the Sun was starting to really hit the surrounding mountains. Even if the passes are starting to get lower in elevation the views are still beautiful and the accents are still painful.
From here High Stakes and I decended down to towards the valley below. I must have really looked like I was zombie walking because eventually High Stakes stopped me and basically forced me to eat. I hadn’t had much of a breakfast this morning and was definitely feeling well past lethargic. Having now lost 35 lbs it appears my body has few if any reserves. I ate near 1000 calories of snacks. Now feeling much more human, we continued on our way.
We made our way up the nameless exposed accent at 1000 hrs before it was too hot in the day for which I was very grateful. The climb would have been much worse a few short hours later.
The afternoon was one of my favorites so far in the Sierra. Not only was the trail much more dirt than rock but we past several incredible alpine lakes. Lake Virginia was definitely my favorite even if we had to do an underwater rock hop to prevent us from getting completely wet. On top of this we had great views of the mountains to our west all day long and eventually I believe we could see into Yosemite which isn’t far away!
We crossed paths with a few South bound John Muir Trail hikers and traded intel on the passes ahead. I had hoped to send home my microspikes in Mammoth but based on what they said I’ll hold onto them for a while longer.
The last 5 miles I started to get some pretty significant pain in my lower legs / ankles and needed lots of breaks. I’m really glad that tomorrow we will be in Mammoth and are taking 2 zero days to give our bodies a chance to recover a little and eat as much as possible.
Just shortly before camp we passed the 900 mile marker on the PCT!!!! We are now more than 1/3 complete the trail and have less than 200 miles left of the Sierra section but still a long way left to Canada.
The Sierra Nevada has been everything I hoped it would be and everything I feared it might be. The scenery has been absolutely breathtaking. Towering granite peaks, alpine lakes, snow-covered passes, and some of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever experienced. But it’s also been the hardest section of the trail so far.
The days have been defined by long climbs, thin air, rocky terrain, and carrying heavier food loads than anywhere else on the trail. Every pass seems to reveal another pass. Every exhausting climb is rewarded with incredible views that somehow make you breifly forget how much your legs hurt.
There have been moments when the Sierra felt relentless. The combination of elevation, distance, and terrain can wear you down physically and mentally. Yet looking back now, those are the days I’ll probably remember most clearly when this journey is over.
Mammoth feels like a turning point. Almost every hiker I’ve talked to says the trail begins to ease up after this section. The climbs become more gradual, resupplies become easier, and the miles start coming a little faster. After weeks of grinding through some of the toughest terrain on the PCT, that’s a welcome thought.
Of course, “easier” is a relative term when you’re still walking across the United States. 900 miles down. A lot more trail ahead. One step at a time.
More than 1/3 done! That’s freakin’ fantastic, dude. Although by my math, you’ll make it home weighing around 103 pounds unless you up your ice cold coke and cheeseburger regiment in town