PCT SECTION HIKE | DAY 8 Tuolumne Meadows to Above Lyell Fork Bridge
Miles Hiked: 10.9 miles
Elevation: 1538 ft ascent | 281 ft descent
It is supposed to rain today. Hopefully, this isn't the start of another rainy through hike (heads up, it is). I’ve got about 10 miles to my camp below Donohue. Same as last year. The first few miles were hard. My feet were sore and my legs stiff. I was wearing my shoes this time since I had new blister care supplies.
There was cloud cover for most of the morning, but it remained dry until around 1030. A quick heavy shower with a little hail, but it stopped. I kept moving. An hour went by, then the rain started again. Hoping it would be another quick passing storm, I decided to keep moving. I was already wet, so no harm there. Moving meant staying warmer. It didn’t stop. It kept on pouring. Then the lightning and thunder started. I stayed in place for a little while, but I needed to move. There was no place to set up a tent where I was. The trail was flooded, an actual stream—water above my ankles (higher in places).
I ran into Shannon taking cover under a group of trees in lightning stance, as well as some northbound hikers. Julia and Eldon showed up soon after. I had to keep moving to find a better spot. Julia and Eldon did the same. Eventually, we reached the start of the climb to Donohue. We saw Zach and Linnea who decided to turn back and take a bus to Mammoth instead of hiking there. The stream that is normally so low you don’t get your feet wet (I don’t even remember it from last year) was raging. It would have been at least mid-thigh if we tried to cross. Julia, Eldon, and I decided to hike upstream to see if there was a better place to cross. We then decided to find a flat spot and pitch our tents to wait out the never-ending storm. By 1400 or so, the rain finally stopped. Then the sun came out. We dried our clothes the best we could, and then set off—it looked as though the clouds were moving in again. We heard thunder once.
I left a little before Julia and Eldon. I met other hikers at the crossing, which had lowered and calmed significantly. It was about mid-calf or a little higher. Not too strong. I kept moving up the trail that had turned into a waterfall. There were at least 3-4 new streams running across the trail over the next half mile, each over ankle deep. It started to drizzle a little just before I reached the Lyell Fork bridge. The river was the biggest I’d seen it in three years. I kept moving and spotted Shannon about a quarter-mile up trail setting up camp. We decided to hike together and move a little further. We only went a short distance before finding a great campsite with more level spots. Julia and Eldon joined soon after. Then Zach and Linnea, who decided to keep going after they were able to dry things out. They considered moving further up the trail but ended up staying at the camp.
We made dinner, talked some, and enjoyed the sun that decided to peek through for just a little bit before going behind the mountains. Back in my tent, I tried to set things up best I could. I’m there will be condensation due to wet clothes, the tent, and once again, more rain starting just before 2000. It is cold, my Melanzana is slightly damp, so I am sleeping in my sun hoody and puffy.
I am ready for this day to be done. Despite nearly two weeks of rain on the trail last year, today has by far been the worst day. Tomorrow is a new day. It is *supposed* to be sunny and warm.