The End
I decided that I would make it to Toulomne Meadows today no matter how late i got there... 29 miles in the Sierras may seem crazy but it will happen.
My day started with an intense climb and I had to cross a stream in the dark which probably wasn't the smartest but meh. When I passed the first lake of the day I was attacked by a golden retriever that had been camping by the lake (with his owners of course). They asked where I was heading and when I told them they were like "oh ya us too in about three days". They wished me luck and I kept walking.
When I finally got to the top of what felt like an endless up I let out a sigh and kept going because I knew there would still be more climbing later.
There were meadows and waterfalls and rivers and everything in these last few miles it was amazing and later on I got to see it all in the pink evening glow that I love so much. Like i predicted I got to 6 miles away from the road where my dad and i decided to meet as the sun was getting low so i knew it would be dark by the time I reached it. I got out extra layers just in case and my headlamp securely attached to my head and kept on keeping on. At some point i passed some person's tent and i thought "that looks nice, but no. I said I would be there so even if my feet turn to nubs I will be there" (I sent my dad multiple pings that day which was our signal that I would reach the road that day). A little after I saw that tent i came across a huge arrow in the middle of the trail with the letters IZ next to it in giant sticks pointing to a trail that went off the PCT. I stood there looking at it going back and forth between which way to go for a good 10 minutes. Should I follow the arrow because it is definitely something my dad would do. Should I keep going to our agreed on location? There could be other people named Isabel, Isabelle, Isabella, Elizabeth on trail that could have that nickname as well. WHAT DO I DO!!!! This sign was so specific and yet so vague at the same time ugh. I ended up going straight on the PCT towards where we planned to meet. about a mile later however, because it was dark as all get out paired with my incredibly terrible night vision (even with a headlamp) I got lost... So I went back to the arrow and followed it to what my map showed was going to be a horse stable. When I got there I found the stables, a couple cars, a motorcycle and no dad. Welp. Okay. I finally found my way back to the PCT and went to the intersection with highway 120 (Tioga Road). Not finding my dad there either was slightly disappointing but understandable considering how dark it was. Any reasonable person would have set up camp 6 miles ago and finished hiking in the morning BUT I said I was going to do something so I did it and I found myself cowboy camping in a small stand of trees next to the road amidst a bunch of signs that say no camping in this area.
The next morning I made sure I had all my stuff put away and out of my camp spot before I could be spotted by anyone in authority. I sat at the entrance of the parking lot for a while until it became unbearably cold as the sun had not come up above the mountains yet. To stay warm and to figure out if there was any way I could contact my dad (T-mobile does not work in Yosemite except at the Yosemite Valley grocery store). I walked to the ranger station and asked if there was anything we could do and they told me to go back to where I was sitting... Okay I can do that...
A few crossword puzzles later my dad rolled up. Apparently he did put that sign in the middle of the trail but after a while of darkness thought I was a reasonable person (waiting until morning to hike the rest of the way) and went back to his hotel... He will never doubt me again.
I can now (finally) say I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017.