Pacific Crest Trail Hike Section Review: The Sierra Nevada

Hello all! As I continue to prep for the Appalachian Trail, I can’t help but think about where I was at this time last year for my 2024 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike. This has been a great time for reflection and while reflecting, I wanted to share some of the information I wish I had known. I started the trail on March 22nd, 2024 and arrived at Kennedy Meadows South on May 10th, 2024. My time in this section went from May 12th, 2024 - June 11th, 2024.

I wrote individual section posts that go over mileage day over day (section by section), other statistics, and a narrative. If you are diving head first into what a realistic hike would/could look like, I’ve linked those below for easy access.

Remember that my PCT Sierra Nevada Highlights/Lowlights are completely subjective to my experience. No one’s experience will look exactly the same.

I’ve tried to list out as much town information as I remember and can recommend. Please reach out (email and socials below) if you have any specific questions about a location.

**A note about the Sierra Nevada - every year the hiking conditions are very different. There were a lot of early Spring storms in 2024, whereas 2025 thus far has had a lighter snow year. I hiked nearly exclusively on snow for the first 2.5 weeks of my 4 weeks. My last 1.5 weeks was a lot of water, high river crossings, and mud.

I’m so excited for your journey!

Individual Section Posts:

PCT Sierra Nevada Highlights:

Arriving in Kennedy Meadows and heading into the high mountains.
Good communication amongst our solid Sierra Squad - Bags, Prick, and Bobcat.
Completing the historically most challenging section of the Pacific Crest Trail during the snowy early season.
The solid trust and community formed with hikers not only in my immediate group but also those around us.
Towns were full of wonderful hikers that were an absolute treat to spend time with.
Being proud of myself for doing hard things.
Living in the places that have inspired so many for nearly a month was a gift.

PCT Sierra Nevada Lowlights:

Poor communication amongst the initial group of 6 of us that lead to safety concerns in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
An upsetting interaction with an establishment owner in Kennedy Meadows South put a sour taste in my mouth.
The water crossings were just plain scary and dangerous during peak snow melt - as a 5’5” small framed woman, this was an added stress.
The Sierra Nevada mountain were difficult. Early mornings, scary climbs, fear inducing descents, added miles to resupply, frustrating slushy snow, wet feet, water crossings, and more made this not particularly fun. Type 2 fun, anyone?
In the last 1.5 weeks, the temperatures were not getting as cold overnight which meant dealing with slushier snow earlier in the day than previously experienced.

Town Stops in the Sierra Nevada

Here I’ve outlined all of the town stops I made while in the Sierra Nevada and included things I would recommend. If you see something on here missing, i.e. accommodation or a restaurant, it is because I do not recommend it and therefore will not be mentioning it.

The 2024 season in the Sierra Nevada had a logistical problem to work through with the South Fork San Joaquin bridge being out of commission. The PCTA officially came out and said that hikers should exit Bishop Pass and return to trail at Piute Pass. This would mean missing Muir Pass on the official trail, but because this was due to a safety concern, I followed their guidance. But to be honest - Bishop Pass and Piute Pass were both beautiful and I’m glad I got to see them!

My itinerary was as follows:

Kennedy Meadows South (mm 703) to Kearsarge Pass (mm 789)
Kearsarge Pass (mm 789) to Bishop Pass (mm 831)
Piute Pass (mm 857) to Mammoth Pass (mm 904)
Mammoth Pass (mm 904) to Kennedy Meadows North (mm 1018)
Kennedy Meadows North (mm 1018) to South Lake Tahoe (mm 1093)

Towns

Kennedy Meadows South (Section G):
- Transportation: Arrived there from northbound trail.
- Accommodation: Kennedy Meadows General Store had a ton of free camping spots. It was a quiet and restful place to be. They also had a small restaurant/window that was delicious - specifically the breakfast!
- Resupply: I had my Sierra Nevada gear sent here, which included nearly a full resupply. It does cost money to pick up your packages, but it makes the most sense in relation to the mountains.
  - For everything else, I went to Triple Crown Outfitters - which was a wonderfully curated spot with thru-hikers in mind. Any gear you may be missing is there along with great advice from Jackie (Yogi), the owner.
- Laundry: Kennedy Meadows General Store had laundry for $5.
Bishop (Section H)
- Transportation: I was in the town of Bishop twice because we chose to go there after Kearsarge Pass and Bishop Pass. From Kearsarge, we had arranged a ride in advance - which I would recommend doing if you are getting there during the week. To get back to Kearsarge, we arranged a ride with Debi, a trail angel. Then at Bishop Pass, we hitched back into Bishop - which was fairly easy. Then to get to Piute Pass ( North Lake), we reached back out to Debi, the trail angel!
- Accommodation: There are a decent amount of hotels in the area. We stayed at the Comfort Inn for one of the trips into town. It had a breakfast buffet, which always was a good thing!
- Food: There were some good restaurants here! Las Palmas had great Mexican food, Mountain Rambler Brewery had good food and drinks, and Erik Schatz’s Bakery had wonderful treats (gluten free options!).
- Post Office: Located right in town, easy to access.
- Laundry: Comfort Inn had laundry, but my second hotel did not. There is a laundromat in town, but leaves little to be desired.
- Resupply: Many options. There are several gear shops that have hiker specific food, but also many grocery stores.
- Extra Curriculars: Mule Days! This is a festival of literal mules and it so popular. Look out for this in regards to accommodation!
Mammoth Lakes (Section H)
- Transportation: Red’s Meadow had not yet opened for the season, which meant we went out of Mammoth Pass. Luckily the shuttle from Horseshoe had just started running that day! We took the shuttle back to this area when we hit the trail again.
- Accommodation: I stayed at the Quality Inn and it was nice. Breakfast buffet in the morning and laundry available on site.
- Food: There was a lot of good food in Mammoth Lakes! More than anything, I recommend the Latin Market and Black Velvet coffee.
- Post Office: Located right in town, easily accessible.
- Resupply: There are several gear shops that cater to thru-hikers and a few grocery stores. You will have options!
Kennedy Meadows North (Section I/J)
- Transportation: Hitched from the road crossing to Kennedy Meadows North Resort.
- Accommodation: We stayed in the dorm rooms at KMN, which were sufficient! This also came with a shower token - note that it is only 5 minutes which was not enough for me to wash my hair.. oh well.
- Food: There was a restaurant on site - limited gluten free options for me - but enough choices for others.
- Post Office: No official post office, but they accept packages for a fee.
- Laundry: If you stay at the Resort, laundry is free!

Advice to new hikers:

Communication, communication, communication.
If your gut is telling you that some obstacle, some person, or some situation is dangerous - it probably is.
Start early in the day when the snow is hard. Getting up at 3am sucks, but walking in afternoon mashed potatoes is worse.
Don’t compare your desert mileage to Sierra Nevada mileage, these 2 sections are not created equal.
Remember your ‘Why’.

Here are some of my favorite Sierra Nevada memories in photos below.

xoxo Kanga/Leeann