Pictures -- Central California
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Tuolumne River at Tuolumne Meadows, with iconic domes in the background
Tuolumne Falls, a few miles upstream from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Beautiful Smedberg Lake
Sonora Pass is the beginning of the transition from the Sierra Nevada (dominated by hard granite) to the Cascade Range (dominated by erosion-prone volcanic flows). The mountains become less steep; alpine lakes become less common; and the ecology changes because of the differences in soil types and water availability.
Boulder Lakes, one of the few glacial lakes in the area
Perhaps the best ridge-walking of the entire PCT was just south of Donner Pass, starting near Granite Chief. The views of Tahoe were fantastic, the conditions were really comfortable, and the trail was conducive to staring far off.
I was still encountering a lot of snow in early-July around the Tahoe area, as low as 7,000 feet. By that point I was tired of snow and wet feet.
Eating a slab of pork in Sierra City, one of the few pieces of meat that I enjoyed during the hike. Most of my dinners were instant mashed potato burritos or couscous.
Sierra Buttes
At the "mid-point" of the trail. I had mixed feelings about reaching it: I was not planning on finishing the second half of the hike, and so it was somewhat irrelevant; but it was still a good measure of all the progress I had made.