Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike: Sonora Pass to Castella Photos

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Puddles and Bumps north of Sonora Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail

Hiking north towards Lake Tahoe. The granduer of the High Sierra has dissapated to almost nothing by thing point, but some glimmers of former glory still appear here and there.

Looking down at Upper and Lower Blue Lake on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Stone walls next to the PCT

After the South Lake Tahoe resupply, the trail continues North past Echo Lake. The trail winds between many reflective pools within these miles.

Mirrors for the sky are everywhere as I make my way north on the PCT.

More reflecting pools just south of Aloha Lake.

Aloha Lake explodes around a corner. There was something about this body of water that tended to draw hikers in and mesmerize them with it’s depths.

The trail along Aloha Lake on the Pacific Crest Trail

This is truly the pseudo Sierra. A tad bigger in the mountains, a bit bluer lake water, and this might be the High Sierra. It is not though.

Climbed a rock for this full lake view.

Susie Lake was going to be home for the night. I even started boiling water. Just before the water boiled, I got up and kept hiking. I don’t know what made me do it. End of Story.

Approaching Dick’s Pass on the PCT. A storm was chasing me at this point. I did not have a shelter so continued to push forward.

Looking back at the approaching storm and the area I just hiked. The storm would eventually catch me.

The Pacific Crest Trail in all of it’s non descript glory. There are so many random places like this on the trail that never get any love. It’s alway the trail celebrities like the Sierra and Crater Lake, etc.

Looking down from the false summit of Dick’s Pass at Dick’s Lake.

The ridge continues upward to the real summit.

A storm over Half Moon Lake.

Wet Rock after the rain storm.

Looking down at Upper Velma Lake during Sunset. I slept on a slab of rock without a shelter and got rained on slightly all night.

My view of the sunset from camp part 1.

My view of the sunset from camp part 2/

Verdant fields become the norm as the elevation continues to drop.

Lake Tahoe from the trail. For a few days, the massive lake is always somewhere in sight.

I woke up like this.

Wild Flowers on the Pacific Crest Trail near Lake Tahoe.

The trail is suddenly attacked by flowers!

Made it to Sierra City! Temperatures were continually over 100 degrees for the whole section.

We went exploring in an old mine down by the river in Sierra City.

Hiking out of Sierra City while the sun sets.

Never forget to look back sometimes. The world still exists after you’ve passed through it.

Walking up the Sierra Buttes after Sierra City.

We ended up hiking until it became dark and slept, cowboy style, right on top of the trail.

…is crazy? I know.

Deer Lake from a ridge on the PCT.

Wolf Lichen marks the snow line on the PCT in California.

So many times did I look up and believe myself walking into the sky.

Crepuscular rays bath the trail. The half way point is not far now.

Hot days means night hiking on the PCT. That also means awesome sunsets to hike with.

The Feather River swimming hole. One of the better swimming holes on the trail.

Approaching Belden we again stopped right on the trail and slept. This time, we set up shop on a small wooden bridge over this creek.

Looks like rain. No good when you don’t have a shelter! Luckily I managed to avoid it.

Approaching the Halfway Point

The ‘halfway’ marker of the Pacific Crest Trail. Technically, the trail has changed since this marker was put in so it isn’t the true half way point.

It was very revitalizing to pass this point, but it also made me consider stopping here.

Approaching Lassen Park and Mt. Lassen.

Subway Cave near Old Station, CA. It was blissfully cool in this lava tube, whereas top side, the temps were reaching triple digits.

Looking Back at Mt. Lassen from the beginning of the Hat Creek Rim.

Night hiking on the Hat Creek Rim. The HCR is one of the longest waterless stretches on the trail and is in a notoriously hot area. I decided to tackle it all at night, hiking over 40 miles to Burney Falls.