June 12, 1982, I was on the Pacific Crest Trail in Yosemite National Park

Dave Rhebhen in soft snow in Yosemite National Park, trying to follow the PCT. June 12, 1982

This year Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail hikers are having to deal with deep snow in the High Sierra. The same was true 35 years ago for my PCT hike. After taking 23 days to cross the snowbound mountains from Kennedy Meadows to Mammoth Lakes I'd left the latter place after several days eating vast quantities of food with 17 days food and a pack weighing 92lbs - and that was after I'd ditched crampons and snowshoes!

Travelling with three American companions it took four arduous days slogging through soft snow to hike the forty miles to Tuolumne Meadows which we reached on June 12. On that day we forded ice cold, thigh deep Rush Creek and crossed Donohoe Pass, the last pass above 11,000 feet on the PCT for northbound hikers. From there we descended to Lyell Canyon, which was snow free so the last nine miles to Tuolumne Meadows only took three hours.

The full story of my PCT hike is told in my book Rattlesnakes and Bald Eagles.