High Sierra Topix

During our last hike at Sonora Pass, one thing was clear: PCT NOBOs are supposed to get to Sonora Pass by the end of June.

(For those of you unfamiliar with the terminology, those people hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in its entirety, from Mexico to Canada--North Bound--are NOBOs.)

We met at least ten of these hikers on the few miles of trail we hiked on June 30th, and they were all right on schedule. They were also young, friendly, and seemed to be having a great time. They were also really looking forward to the food (and showers) they were expecting at Sonora Pass.

The section they had just completed was a long one, from Tuolumne Meadows to Sonora Pass, and the next few stages will be much shorter and easier. At least one of the next stages, from Carson Pass to Echo Summit, can easily be done as a day hike.

It was fun to see them on the trail. Here's hoping that they all make it!

There have been a ton in Bishop resupplying.

We had several, as usual, in our Independence parade this morning. They really bring the cheers!

We met a group at TM a few weeks ago from REI Boulder. They were nice indeed. I commented to my partner that they were people I wouldn't mind spending time with hiking. Not that they'd want to hike with me!

We were at Rae Lakes on 6/18-6/19 and met about 100 of them in 2 days! They said that from 700 to 1000 people have started PCT this year. For those we met, the starting dates were between 4/24 and 5/9.