PCT Day 85 – Sherald Lake (1050.1) to PCT Mile 1073.8

June 28, 2026

Total PCT miles: 23.7

Non PCT miles: 0.0

Total: 23.8 miles / 38.3 km

Total elevation gain: 4728 ft

Total elevation loss: 5036 ft

Steps: 55175

I was completely exhausted after today’s effort and didn’t write this post the same day. So I’m going a bit off my poor memory in the comfort of my hotel room in South Lake Tahoe. I think part of the reason I deferred was I really wasn’t sure what to write about today.

Today was a true test in if I made a horrible decision to send home my puffy jacket or not. It got down to near freezing last night but since there was no frost on my tent it must be just above. It was a rare night in that I slept with my tent door closed. I almost always sleep with it open to prevent condensation. But with wind last night closing it made for a much more comfortable experience. I put on my alpha fleece and my rain jacket and I was certainly more than adequately warm. Thank goodness! I slowly packed up my tent as the sun started to peak up behind the mountains and enjoyed a coke that I carried from the trail magic last night with breakfast.

I started on the trail at 0600 which meant the sun was already starting to warm up the crisp morning air. Within 1.5 miles I had taken the rain jacket and fleece off and was hiking in just my shirt. Better to be a little cool than sweating. I’m also not complaining about the cold. I know I’ve got hot weather coming in fast so I’ll enjoy this while I can!

I entered into the Mokelumne Wilderness and soon after passed the group of hikers I’ve been leapfrogging. They were camped just a bit higher in elevation than I and had frost on their tents. Amazing what a small difference can make.

The next section of trail was incredibly beautiful. The rocks and soil are remnants of an ancient volcano and the number of wildflowers was spectacular. I found probably the most picturesque spot to have an early lunch.

From here the trail hugs the side of the mountain with steep cliffs. This is not a section of trail I would want to hike if there was still lots of snow. There is even a warning in FarOut about a steep traverse. Fortunately all the snow is gone from the trail and it was easy peasy.

The last climb of the day which brings you near Mount The Nipple and by the Lost lakes was gorgeous but it gassed me. From here I made very slow progress to my final destination. The plan was to get as close to Carson Pass as possible but I ultimately found a hidden campsite 0.7 miles before this that even had cell reception!

As much as it’s nice to get out into the wilderness and not be bothered by technology it was nice for a change to have access to some modern world amenities over the past two days.