Tuolumne Meadows seemed beaten and overwhelmed by all the people and cars, and I was glad to leave. Although I could not leave as soon as i would have liked. I had forgotten to buy stove alcohol and had to wait for the store to open.
The PCT leaves the JMT for good, to head into the North Yosemite region, which I believe is the largest roadless area in CA, if not the lower 48.
The the change in wilderness atmosphere was immediately apparent. Rather than passing well-scrubbed JMTers every quarter mile, I saw no one for miles, and then began seeing PCTers for the first time in over a week. Although also human, they are definitely a more feral breed, and lend an air of wildness to the place.
The trail follows the canyon of the Tuolumne River for several miles, alternating between placid deep pools in green meadows and spectacular plunges over granite ledges. After crossing the river at Glen Aulin (the head of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne), it leads into a deep forest that feels increasingly remote and isolated with every further step. It is a wild place.
Above the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
One might be surprised that such places still exist in California, with all its people and cars and roads, but exist they do. You just have to walk far to find them.
The granite ridges of the northern Yosemite