It was probably crazy, but I started my hike out of Sierra City at noon when it was supposedly over 100°F. I would have left much earlier in the morning if I hadn’t been seduced by a breakfast in town, updating my iPod, and napping in a comfortable bed.
It was hard to say goodbye to Art again. We had such a great two nights and the lure of returning home with him was strong. I’m so tired, even after taking a couple zero days, my body still hurts and it’s hotter than So. Cal. had been. I wasn’t exactly excited to get back on the trail. At least this time I didn’t cry!
The trail started with an eight-mile climb around the Sierra Buttes. It was so hot that I took breaks to sit in any patch of shade I could find. The first water source I came to was bone dry and the second was a slow seep from a spring. The puddles from the spring were so small, I had to use my syringe to pull out water.
I’m camping near a dirt road above a beautiful lake. My dinner tonight was a prepackaged Apple Waldorf Salad made by Packit Gourmet. It was pretty good for a trail salad, but it was just too much food. I washed down my feet and legs with some wet wipes I found in the hiker box before climbing into my tent. As I approached the tent, I could hear what sounded like tiny raindrops all over the fabric. I looked inside and saw dozens and dozens of little flies bouncing off the walls. It took forever to swish them all out or smash them against the walls.
Packit Gourmet’s Waldorf Salad
I’ve been lying on my sleeping pad working on a crazy knot I just found in my hair. I don’t understand how I got it because I just washed it this morning. I hope I’m not getting dreads.
As I worked on the knot, I think I heard a buck- at least, that’s what I’m hoping I just heard! There was first what sounded like wood being broken or beaten. I thought there must be another hiker nearby preparing for a campfire, but the direction from which the sounds came didn’t make sense for there to be a hiker because it was coming from down the hill, away from the available camp spots. Then I heard what sounded like high pitched snorts. I’m guessing that it was a buck doing some territorial thing against a tree. All the same, I’ve brought my other trekking pole inside the tent in case I need to fight anything and my ears are perked up to the max trying to pick out sounds other than the overwhelming buzz of bugs trying to get in my tent.
July 1st- 23 miles
It was so warm last night that I barely used my sleeping bag. I kept waking up in a sweat. I guess this is the Nor. Cal. heat that I’ve heard about.
For the first time, I had a Carnations Instant Breakfast drink. Oh, delicious! Now I know what all the other hikers are going on about. I know it’s just that tasty because sugar is the number one ingredient. Oh, Sugar, why must you be such a great fuel for hikers and also be so bad for me? I’m starting to get sick of some of the food I’m eating. Some of it’s too healthy tasting, some of it’s too junky. I can’t even stand the amount of sugar on my dried pineapple anymore. I think I need more fats and protein, rather than carbs.
I had to ask myself today what it is I look forward to each day out here. I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated today and am not really inspired by my surroundings. The forest is lovely, but there isn’t was much diversity in shapes, colors, or textures out here. So, what is it I look forward to? I love the adventure and being outside. I really love coming across things of beauty like little wildflowers, bodies of water, or grand vistas. I like the exertion, until it hurts too much. I don’t mind being alone, until I get lonely or scared. Something is missing from today. I know learning how to deal with boredom and discomfort are part of the journey, but one never thinks it’ll be as mentally difficult as it really is.
[Update, Nov. 2014: Rereading this paragraph several months after being home is really frustrating. It’s hard for me to remember how challenged I was hiking through Northern California because I’m now sitting at home YEARNing to be back there! I will never again take my journeys for granted. In fact, I’d really like to re-hike this entire stretch, next time with an improved perspective!]
A beautiful young buck walked right through my camp while I was making dinner. His antlers weren’t yet developed and walked by only 20 feet from me. He stopped to look me in the eye, then kept moving. Beautiful.
I’ve made a fire to keep me company tonight. I haven’t seen a single person all day and that feels strange after seeing so many familiar faces recently.
Camping near Duck Lake
July 2nd- 27.5 miles
Last night a visitor came to check me out and it scared the *mmm* out of me. Around 10:45, I was woken up by the sound of footsteps crunching across dead branches. I didn’t think it was a person because I hadn’t seen anyone all day and it wasn’t coming from the trail. I quickly sat up, grabbed my flashlight and shined it out from my tent. Two glowing eyes stared back at me from about 20 feet away and it wasn’t a small animal.
I yelled out, “NO! GO AWAY!” as fiercely as I could. It stared at me and slowly turned around. It walked across my line of sight behind the trees and stopped at the trail about 35 feet away. I couldn’t tell what it was, but my mind immediately went to either a bear or lion. I didn’t think a deer would be that loud and it didn’t seem very bothered by my yelling. I kept yelling, trying to sound like an aggressive dog. The animal stood in the trail staring at me; it bobbed it’s head down and up a couple of times, probably trying to get a good look at me.
After what felt like forever, it finally moved away into the trees. I could hear it scratching against a tree, and the wood sounded like it was splintering. I imagined large, sharp claws being sharpened against that tree trunk. I laid back down, still clutching my little light, listening hard. I thought about making a video for the blog at that moment, but I was so frightened and didn’t dare stop listening in case it came back to investigate me. It must’ve been a couple hours until I fell asleep.
This morning, I looked around for any prints on the ground or marks in the tree it had been scratching on. I didn’t see anything that would’ve indicated what kind of animal it had been. There were too many dead branches on the ground for prints and the tree must’ve been further away than I had thought.
I hiked on through the morning, leaving behind the creepy feelings of last night’s campsite. Reaching a road midmorning, I spied a couple coolers stashed by the side of the trail near a road crossing. “Yay! Trail magic! Maybe there’s a Gatorade or cookies!” Alas, I found only trash in the coolers.
I had a long, slow decent for most of the day toward the Middle Fork Feather River. It was hot and muggy, and the lower I got, the more jungle-like became my surroundings. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t a great big river with a massive bridge. It was such a great surprise and it was the perfect temperature for a swim.
Middle Fork Feather River
Middle Fork Feather River
I spent two hours by the river, filtering water, making lunch and then going for a dip. I found a small area among the rocks where the water pooled like in a bathtub, but was flushed through by the rapids. I dunked myself in and it was HEAVEN. I must’ve lounged for 20 minutes before I noticed that I’d knocked what I thought was lichen off the rocks and that it was then attaching itself to me all over my body: leeches. Tiny, squirmy leeches were everywhere and I was frantically trying to find them and pull them all off. UCK! Not so heavenly.
The ten-mile climb out of the canyon was hot and steep. I had intended to only go a couple miles and camp at the next site, but it was dark and rampant with mosquitoes. So, I kept marching on another couple miles to the next site: same story. I ended up hiking all ten miles that evening to reach decent camping. Of course, my feet were hurting by the top of the ridge, but that two hour break really made it possible. If only there could be a beautiful river at 3:00pm every day I hiked, where I could wash and relax for two hours- I’d probably hike 27-28 mikes every day!
July 3rd- 23.5 miles, camping above Belden Town
It was exceptionally hot today. At every water source I came across, I stopped to soak my shirt before continuing on the hike. I carried extra water just so I could pour it over myself when the heat became unbearable.
There seems to be two groups of hikers: those that are putting in 20 to 27 miles each day and those that put in 27 to 32. I must be in the first group and not because I’m lazy. My feet just don’t want to walk more than 23 miles a day. Usually, the first few steps of the day are excruciating and, after about a tenth of a mile, they warmup and give in to the monotony of walking again. They often do great until after I hit mile twelve for the day, then they start asking me, “Are we there yet?” Then they just ache all afternoon until I get into camp. This is our normal routine. Whenever I put in more than 23 miles, however, my feet will hurt ALL THE NEXT DAY, from the very first step to the very last, and that makes it hard to put in the miles.
Beckworth Trail- Bucks Summit
Cowboy camping above Belden
I’m cowboy camping tonight. The land here on this side of the mountian range is more desert-like, with low shrubs and large boulders. It’s not that I’m claustrophobic, but I definitely like being able to see my surroundings. On peaks and in the desert, I can look around and say, “That’s where I’ve been and that’s where I’m going.” In the forests of Northern California, I can’t see past the trees. I’m just surrounded by walls and walls of trees.
I just got sprayed by a skunk. JUST NOW. Holy, $h!#!! I am NOT having good luck with the wildlife. It’s smells, I smell. Great. [Update: That little skunk came charging towards me and was probably surprised by the big human burrito he found in his path. He skidded to a stop just in time for me to shine the light from my cell phone on him. He was adorable: less than a foot long, back arched and tail straight up in the air like a Halloween cat. I’d already heard the little “pppth” sound, but I was secretly hoping he hadn’t actually sprayed me yet. “No…, nooooo. Don’t do it,” I gently tried to coerce him. But it was pointless because just after he sped around and took off, I smelled the stench and could see the yellow stains all along the side of my bag and down jacket. Despite the heat, I stuffed my head entirely in my sleeping bag to block out the smell and dreamed of town food only six miles below.]
July 4th- 6.5 miles, staying with The Braatans in Belden Town
North Fork Feather River, Belden
I got into Belden Town early enough to catch breakfast at the Belden Town Resort. The resort is hosting an electronic music festival and there are TONS of tents all along the river bank. Several hundred people came from all over to attend the concerts, which go on all day long for the weekend.
Belden
I called the Braatans of Hiker Haven and Brenda Braatan immediately came out to pick me up. They built an addition to their house specifically for PCT hikers, complete with two bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. By the time I’d showered and napped, three other hikers showed up: Joker, Cracker Keeper, and Glitter. You can check out Glitter’s blog at UltraLightRob.Blogspot.com.
Home of the Braatens
The three of us walked a quarter mile down the road to an RV park for laundry and some pretty famous milkshakes. The Caribou Crossroads milkshakes are famous among the PCT community for being “The Best Milkshakes on the PCT.” The kids at the park wanted to put on a little parade for 4th of July, which was super cute. They decked themselves and their little bicycles out with red, white, and blue streamers, beads, and flags. Someone played some all American country music while they rode in circles around the RV parking lot. It was pretty fun to be a part of their little celebration.
Caribou Crossroads with Glitter
Glitter’s got too much food.
Back at the Braatens, we went through our resupply boxes. Glitter, Joker & Cracker keeper all had WAAAY too much because their parents were sending them extra stuff. All that extra food goes into the hiker boxes where people like me can swap out things their sick of for new goodies. Sometimes people put fun things in the resupply boxes. Another hiker got this tear out from Backpacker Magazine:
Doodles Does the PCT
There are some pretty cute and, might I add, accurate depictions of hikers here. Doodles is a PCT hiker from 2013 who’s compiled and published her art in a book called Doodles Does the Pct.
I even got a few doodles of my own from my own resupply honey…
Herrington\'s Sierra Pines: 39.562929, -120.642680
Echo Lake: 38.833796, -120.041573
Sierra City: 39.576519, -120.612566
Peter Grubb Hut: 39.367885, -120.367525
Benson Hut: 39.260938, -120.296369
June 23rd- 7 miles, camping at Susie Lake
People might think that town stops mean rest and relaxation for hikers. In reality, there are usually so many chores to be done that napping, etc. doesn’t happen as much as you might expect. I was really hoping to get a nap in before hitting the trail this afternoon, but there were just too many things to do. I had to make phone calls and send emails, check my bank account and bills, organize my gear, fix my tent, duct tape my pack, shower, eat breakfast, mail home my bear canister, and eat lunch. Whew… even now, it seems like a lot. I still didn’t manage to contact my cell carrier to figure out my data plan. It’ll be postponed again.
Bert’s Cafe, So. Lake Tahoe
I really enjoyed my stay at the Apex Inn. My super clean room had a mini fridge, a microwave and a coffeemaker, all of which I took full advantage of. I especially loved that it was within walking distance to all of the facilities and shops I needed. They Indian family that runs it were so hospitable and sweet. The hotel owner even shuttled me back to the trail today.
The very affordable & pleasant Apex Inn, So. Lake Tahoe
After checking out, I hung out at the Lake of the Sky Outfitters hiker lounge waiting for my ride to finish up his work. While there, I worked on replacing guy lines on my tent and taped up the fraying fabric on my backpack. I bought an awesome stuff sack that can double as a day pack and am using that to store my food in from now on. Lunch was a Subway sandwich. Mmm… Veggie Delight.
Echo Lake
I rode with the owner of the Apex Inn and his two children back up to Highway 50 and the two miles to Echo Lake. He even waited to be sure I got my Echo Lake resupply package okay before he left.
I lolly gagged at the picnic table sorting my resupply food. Apparently, I never got around to putting in any dinners for this box. I looked closely at the list I made of the box contents and could see my note to myself: “Add 5 dinners.” I had to buy a bunch of top ramen from the Echo Lake Store. Bleh! Another solo lady hiker, trailname “Freedom,” was sorting her box, too. She and I took.the speedboat ferry across the lake to shave off a couple miles and just for fun.
Echo Lake Ferry with Freedom
Since I bought two new poles in Tahoe, I now have to get used to hiking with them. They’re much more secure feeling, but it’s kind of like walking with four feet instead of two. I feel a bit like a baby giraffe trying to get the swing of it.
Old trekking pole, new trekking pole
1,100 mile-marker on the PCT
Lake Aloha
I hiked only seven miles today and am camping next to a beautiful little lake, but it’s swarming with mosquitoes. They’re thick in the air and they’re EVERYWHERE! Every time I left and reentered my tent, I spent five minutes smashing all the buggies that snuck in. Little do they know that entering this tent is their DEATH SENTENCE. I’m like a cat, enjoying the chase and kill of its prey! Bwahhhahahaha!
Camping near Susie Lake
June 24th- 21 miles, camping below Barker Pass
It’s funny how you can look at a mountain and get an idea of its shape, dimensions, colors and textures; and all of those things together give you a sense of character for that mountain. You think you KNOW it even because you’ve observed and admired it for so many footsteps or minutes. Then you continue to hike and you get a different perspective on the mountain. Suddenly, it’s not the same mountain you thought you knew, it’s shape is completely different than what you thought and the texture or colors change. These mountains have so much character to me, and, like a good story, the characters are always developing.
So, I guess I had a rough start to the day. I just didn’t feel good in my body, mind, or spirit. I struggled with the uphill climb and struggled with getting my pack comfortable on my sore hip. My feet were sliding around in my shoes as I went over rocky trail because I’m trying new insoles. I’m not sure if it’s my diet, all the exertion over the last month, maybe it’s dealing with the overall discomfort of my body, or maybe I’m just PMSing. I don’t know, but it’s wearing me down. I didn’t bother trying to keep up with T-Fox and Lorax as they past me this morning; I knew I just wasn’t up to it.
Dicks Pass
Lunch
I felt so much better after a second breakfast of salmon wraps, Fritos, and tea. Sounds like exactly the kind of picnic my dad would have, except maybe there’d be a Boddington’s, too! I am my father’s daughter! I hiked well for several more hours and was starting to feel like myself again.
Around 2:00, the ache in my feet came back. Again, I spent the afternoon hobbling mile after mile toward camp. I dreaded taking breaks because it was so much more painful to get up again than it was to just keep moving. How can I make it another 1,030 miles like this?
Freedom, the solo hiker I met at Echo Lake, caught up with me this evening and we’re camping together tonight. She’s a a recent college graduate from Portland and is moving to Germany to manage a family farm when she finishes her hike. Which, I think, is the coolest thing ever.
Camping with Freedom
June 25- 20.5 miles
I learned a very important lesson today: caffeine is essential for good hiking in the morning. I flew up Barker Pass and felt great the whole way. Along the way, I talked to a number of day and section hikers. This area is really popular and accessible for that kind of hiking.
My first view of Lake Tahoe this morning caught me by surprise. It was so beautiful and maps just can’t do it justice. It’s the most majestic lake I’ve ever seen.
The trail weaved in and out of view of the lake. I stopped around noon along a ridge because I had reception and could check my email. While waiting for a video to upload to Vimeo (which never did) I had a tuna wrap for lunch and dried fruit. I’m getting better at eating more of my food, but it’s still hard. When you’re full, you’re FULL- you’re body doesn’t want any more. It makes me sick to my stomach when I force myself to eat any more. Ahh, hiker problems.
Grand vistas of Lake Tahoe
This afternoon I ran into a big group of PCTA trail workers cleaning up the trail. They were a great group of people. They’re collecting videos of hikers saying, “I am the PCTA.” Maybe I’ll be in one of their fundraiser promos! Stay tuned to their website for my moment of fame!
PCTA trail crews
The wind has been strong all day. I’m starting to think it has a vendetta against me. As it blew into the afternoon, a light thunderstorm came with it. I had to stop and change into my long johns and rain gear. Oh, I LOVE my rain gear! I was so comfortable and dry all through the showers.
View towards Tinker Knob & Anderson Peak
Rainbow!
According to Yogi’s PCT guidebook, there is a Sierra Club hut in the area. I thought it would be great to spend the night there, high and dry. I wouldn’t have to unpack my tent or worry about having to dry it out the following day because of rain. I reached the campsite that marks 20 miles for the day, but it was only 6:15. I sat on the ground staring at the maps; if I kept going up the ridge, I’d have to climb four and a half miles with threatening rain clouds looming over my head. I decided it would be better to chance the night in my tent down at the bottom of the climb rather than hike until 9 pm in the wind and rain. Plus, what if the hut was locked? Or if I couldn’t find it because it’s not on the trail? So, here I am, 20.5 miles for the day. I felt like I could’ve done more, but at least it gives my feet a rest.
After a dinner of Knorr’s Pasta Sides, which I’d bought at Echo Lake, three other PCT hikers showed up: Potluck, High-Robics, and Wall-E. They’re setting up camp up the hill in a more exposed area. I hope it’s not too cold there! I think I got the sweet spot protected by the trees.
High-robics & Potluck
The sky is now a beautiful, dynamic tangle of clouds blowing by. I’ve crawled back into my tent because it’s too cold for socializing. Since I had so much time this evening, I did more stretching and foam rolling than I think I’ve done any other night on the trail. I hope I wake up early tomorrow- no more sleeping in!
June 26th-17 miles, staying at the Peter Grub Sierra Club Hut
The wind gusted and it rained lightly on and off throughout the night, and it continued into the morning. A Canadian hiker named Early Bee hiked up the ridge with me during the morning storm. He was great to talk to and kept a good pace for me to keep up with him. He lived and worked for about a decade in Saudi Arabia, and since I’ve visited the Middle East, we had some stories to compare.
As we hiked, we came across Crusher and his friend, Section Hiker Katie. I hadn’t seen Crusher since Kennedy Meadows and was so surprised to learn he’d actually been hiking close to me the entire time. He has a wonderful blog that you can read: WesleyTrimble. Three ladies training for an ultra run approached us in their little shorts an t-shirts shivering and wet. They asked us if the weather improved further down where we’d just hiked up from. It definitely didn’t and we recommended they turn around based on how cold they looked. The wind was blowing pretty hard all along the ridge and the rain was coming down harder. Even us hikers, in our long johns and rain gear, we’re getting too cold. We all decided to head for a Sierra Club hut we’d read about in the guidebook.
Hiking with Early B.
Early B. and I reached the area where the hut was said to be and wandered around the hillside looking for it. Just as we were going to head on up the trail, the fog cleared for a moment and I could see the hut on the opposite side of the trail. The guidebook, which is usually dead on, had given the wrong location for the hut. I was delighted to find the runners already stoking a fire inside.
Sierra Club Benson Hut
Joggers, Early B. Katie & Crusher
The seven of us hung out for nearly two hours, drying out and warming up, eating chocolate and drinking tea. The storm cleared up and we were able to head out again toward Donner Pass.
Even though I hadn’t done many miles, I felt so wiped out by the time I reached Highway 40 at Donner Pass. I crashed hard on some chair cushions I found near the trailhead parking lot. I pulled out all my gear and spread it out in the sunshine to dry while I ate lunch.
Approaching Donahue Pass
Donahue Pass, Hwy 40
Crusher convinced me to stay at the next Sierra Club hut on the trail, the Peter Grub Hut. It meant I only put in 17 miles for the day, but the hut and the company had a strong pull. Turns out Steve the nurse from Michigan was there, too. It made for a fun little party! Steve finally got a trail name that’s sticking: “Knock Out.” I pride myself in giving it to him back in Tuolumne Meadows after he accidentally punched himself in the face and got a bloody nose. He had been trying to tighten cords on his pack, I think.
Sierra Club Peter Grub Hut with Gas Pedal & Crusher
Peter Grub Hut with Knock Out & Crusher
The hut had three rooms: a kitchen/dining room and a game room room (full of board and card games) on the first floor and an empty attic accessible by a ladder. We all slept on the floor of the attic, sleepover style.
(L->R) Knock Out, Crusher & Katie
June 27th- 23.5 miles
Sleeping in the attic of the hut was awesome except that it didn’t have any working windows to air out the hiker stench. For most of the day, I leapfrogged with T – Fox and Lorax. Update: I posted their blog incorrectly back in the Lone Pine to Reds Meadows Journal. Here it is corrected: DanTaraPCT.
I don’t think I’ve had so many ups and downs on the trail in a single day before. None of them were very bad, but it felt a bit like a roller coaster. It was a great day for loading up on caffeine and hiking to some hip hop!
Lorax & T-Fox
There have been so many wildflowers all through the Sierras. Some are shaped like trumpets, others look like little fireworks or feather dusters. They come in all colors of the rainbow and when growing in patches together, they look just like bouquets from the flower shop. Sometimes, as I walk through the patches of colors, I feel like Dorothy in some alternate Oz universe where the enchanted poppies have been replaced by enchantING orchids, lupine, and mariposa lilies.
I’m cowboy camping under the stars. I’ve missed it: the cool air on my face, the sparkling sky above, and the anticipation of a shoot star at any moment. Tomorrow I’ll be in Sierra City and Art’s driving up to meet me. Yay!
Camping with Lorax & T-Fox
The view from my bed
June 28th- 11 miles, staying at Herrington’s in Sierra City
The laws of the universe must have been turned upside down because I was packed at out of camp by 6 am while T-Fox and Lorax were still eating breakfast. The thought of hot coffee drove me all morning up one last hill, down a very long mountain, and straight into Sierra City
The Red Moose Inn with Crusher, Half & Half, and Liverpool, Sierra City
Crusher enjoying a famous Gut Buster Burger
I walked directly into the Red Moose Inn for a late breakfast and was greeted by Crusher, Half & Half (a police officer from Germany), and Liverpool. I thought Liverpool would’ve been several days ahead of me! Numerous hikers showed up throughout the day, most of whom hung out on the Country Store porch eating sandwiches and ice cream. Knock out and I enjoyed some baseball watching and a drumstick dinner from the local saloon before I headed down to Herrington’s Resort for the night. I made sure to stop by the store one last time and grab more juice, ice cream, and pudding. I must’ve been quite a sight carrying my pack, resupply box, trekking poles and groceries a half mile along Highway 49.
A visit from my honey <3
Art met me a few hours later and he’ll hang out with me while I take a zero tomorrow. We plan on eating lots of chip and dip from the store and I’ve got my fingers crossed for a foot massage!
Art and I had a wonderfully relaxing day at Northern Kennedy Meadows, eating and napping. I could’ve napped for a whole week, I was so tired. Since the resort didn’t have working Wi Fi, Art and I drove 30 miles east of the PCT to the little town of Bridgeport on Highway 395. We went to breakfast at the Hays Street Cafe, which was delicious!
Hayes Street Cafe, Bridgeport
Next, we went to a coffee shop that had Wi Fi so I could upload my Vimeo videos and my journals for the last section.
Drop-off from Art & Pepper at Hwy 108
We didn’t get back to the trailhead until 3:30, and I was so tempted to just turn around and stay another night with Art and Pepper in town. It was so hard to say goodbye. We tried to make it quick, but of course we couldn’t.
After making this video on the trail, Art drove the car around the road to catch me one more time where the trail crossed it. That was all I needed to start getting teary eyed. It’s always so quiet after someone you love drops you off at the trail and you head out into the wilderness. It’s just the void of them not being near you is so apparent.
Climbing north out of Sonora Pass
The hike was beautiful all afternoon. I had planned on doing eight miles, but after sloshing through more snow then I expected, I felt like calling it a night early.
I found Cheryl Strayed’s boot!
I made a little fire while I tried to organize my food. I’m carrying so much, it’s impossible to fit it all in my bear canister.
Camping near the East Carson River
While back at the resort, I got a look at myself in the mirror at was shocked to see how much weight I’d already lost. I looked like a starvation victim with bones showing in my chest and back, and my arms and hips thinner than I think they’ve ever been in my life. I didn’t think I’d loose this much so quickly and it has me a little concerned. Art and I went through the resort market picking out foods high in protein, fat, and carbs to add to my diet. I’ve been forcing myself to snack today, even when I’m not hungry, on seeds and dried fruit. Tonight I had a salami and cheese tortilla wrap as an appetizer before my home-assembled ramen dinner. I have cookies sitting next to me as I write this, and I really should eat them, but I just can’t get motivated. I’m having tea instead.
June 19th- 24 miles, camping on ridge before Highway 4
I think Toiyabe might be my new favorite national forest. I never got tired of the red rock mountains or the barren mountain tops or the contrasting colors from green trees and grass to bright little flowers. The mountains here have a southwest look to them. I wish I knew more about geology because I’m sure these rocks have some great story to them.
The trail climbed up and down through forest and meadow. The trees remind me of a Salvador Dali painting because they grow in a bent shape to align with the hillside.
Dali trees
All day today my body ached, especially my feet and hips. I’ve noticed that as I loose more weight, my backpack becomes more and more uncomfortable. I’ve had to get creative and use my fleece hat and neck gaiter, my gloves, and my wool socks as padding under the straps.I took a longer than usual lunch break rolling out my feet and eating as much as I could stand.
Lunchtime
While looking over my maps and my guidebook last night, I realized that I either have to put in some big miles to reach my next resupply stop before they close for the weekend or take an extra zero day. In order to make it to the post office in Echo Lake by 2 pm on Saturday, I would have to do 26 miles today, 26 miles tomorrow and 18 miles on Saturday, starting at 5am. Since I didn’t make it 26 miles today, I’m debating whether I should just accept another zero day, but possibly take it in South Lake Tahoe instead. At least there I could have amenities and a solid rest in a bed. There’s no guarantee that Echo Lake even has beds available because they’re a summer camp facility for kids. If they DO have beds, though, it’d be way cheaper and logistically easier! Argh, choices.
I groaned pretty much the entire last five miles today. I’m just aching so much. Looking ahead at how many more miles I have until Cascade Locks, I started to get really intimidated. What if my body aches the entire way? What if I loose interest and would just rather be comfortable at home for the rest of the summer? I’d feel like a quitter, even though I know it’s just a hike. I always have the choice to just do what I want, including go home, and having that option so accessible makes sticking to a tough goal even harder.
June 20th- 25 miles, camping above Lost Lakes
This forest continues to enchant me with its colors, forests, open spaces, and dramatic mountains. I slept in again and didn’t start hiking until 8:30. I need to figure out a new hiking plan, I think. Before I began this big hike, I assumed it would be just like when I section hiked. On those shorter hikes, I would wake up early without an alarm and hike at a comfortable speed all day. Now, I’ve got a schedule to stick to if I’m going to reach my goal of Cascade Locks by mid – August. I know I sleep better in the morning, so hiking later and sleeping in makes sense, but I don’t really like hiking until sunset.
The birds all through central California are the most vocal I’ve heard anywhere, and they all have such different bird calls. Some sound like little alarm clocks, others sound like they’re gargling, and I often hear a particular kind of bird asking for a “CHEESEburger.” One kind of bird seems to be having a conversation with itself: “Will you eat this beetle? Yes, I’ll eat that beetle!” I’ve tried so hard to figure out which sounds go with which birds I’ve seen.
As I looked at the map, I had to wonder about a hill I was approaching named “The Nipple.” Rarely are any of these hills named and for one to be named after a body part seemed especially funny; and then I saw it:
The Nipple 😀
The wind is gusting rather fiercely on and off this evening. I’ve battened down the hatches by placing rocks on top of my tent stakes. I hope they stick!
Beautiful views near Lost Lakes
Quinoa noodle soup for dinner & camping near Blue Lakes Road
June 21st- 19.5 miles, staying at the Apex Motel in So. Lake Tahoe
After thinking about all the things I could do in South Lake Tahoe, I convinced myself to take my zero there instead of in Echo Lake. I need to buy some gear, like new trekking poles, fuel, repair goo, water treatment, etc. Also, this will be the last major town until Ashland, Oregon.
I met two new PCT hikers from Israel at Carson Pass this morning, Roy and Sarah. Roy busted out his ukulele and played for us a bit. It made me regret not bringing my own uke on this trip.
Ray & Sarah from Israel
Even though I’ve been excited all day to come into town, I just couldn’t move as fast as I wanted. My feet are so bruised on the bottoms and I’ve had to take way more breaks than usual. I stopped every time I came across a rock or log that looked like a decent seat.
After Carson Pass, I descended into a huge meadow with the Truckee River winding through it. The mosquitoes were awful, so I almost didn’t take the side trip to see the old Meiss cabin. It was built by Louis Meiss in 1878 after he immigrated from Germany. A historical society has renovated his cabin and put up an informational plaque.
Meiss Cabin
It was slow going all afternoon. I fell in a huge mud puddle while trying to cross a stream. (I didn’t take a picture because all I wanted was to keep moving.) I lost the trail twice and had to look for trail markers nailed to trees. And I had to pick my way through a very steep, two-mile long rocky trail downhill to Highway 50.
Lucky for me, I had no trouble getting a lift into town! First, Chaz picked me up and dropped me off at a hot dog stand on the outskirts of town. The dog-seller was so excited about the trail that he upgraded my purchase to a meal and gave me a drink and chips for free! Then, a former PCT hiker named Dave gave me a lift to the town center. Dave drove me around, showing me where all the different shops were and helped me find the most affordable hotel. THANK YOU, CHAZ & DAVE!!
Dave (top) & Chaz (bottom)
June 22nd, Zero Day in Tahoe
Oh, to lounge all morning in a soft, warm hotel bed after cold, windy nights in a tent. Heavenly! I made coffee and chowed down on Honey Nut Cherrios with half and half. Having bought Epsom salts and disposable aluminum pans, I treated myself to a foot soak.
An epsom salt foot soak
After a good deal of pampering, coffee, and watching Contact on SyFy, I finally roused to do chores and errands. On my way to the laundromat, I ran into Lorax and T-Fox. They were loaded down with groceries from the discount store. They’d bought pints of ice cream for 50 cents and other cheap goodies.
T-Fox & Lorax in So. Lake Tahoe
The Lake of the Sky Outfitters offers PCT hikers not only gear, but they hand you a cold drink and take your picture right when you enter their door. They also have a hiker lounge with Wi Fi and snacks and will watch your pack while you run errands around town.
Everything was within walking distance of my motel, there is even an Italian restaurant next door, which I’d been eyeballing since my arrival yesterday. Tonight, I gave in and it was delicious.
Believe it or not, I was really good about writing my blog on my phone every night this week. When I got to Northern Kennedy Meadows, however, and tried to upload the page using their Wi Fi, everything disappeared. This is what I can remember:
June 11- 11 miles, camping above Shadow Lake on the JMT
Being clean is such a great feeling, unfortunately, my little baby toenail fell off while I was scrubbing in the shower last night. I couldn’t believe it! It’s not like my shoes are too tight or I’m hiking unreasonably long miles. WHY?!? I remembered another girl hiker complaining about her toenails falling off and her solution was to just paint all the toe stubs so they looked like they had nails. Hm… it’s an idea!
Devils Postpile & the nearby San Joaquin River
I hung around Reds Meadows all morning updating the blog, checking emails, and making phone calls. Even though my bag had been packed and ready to go since 7am, it wasn’t until 2:45 that I actually headed out on the trail. I decided to take the Devils Postpile and JMT detours instead of the official PCT. When we hiked the JMT in 2011, there had been too many blown down trees along a particular stretch and we’d taken a detour along the PCT instead. Now I’m hiking that stretch of the JMT I missed in 2011, just to see something new. I’m glad I did; it’s been so scenic with all the lakes. This stretch of the JMT has more mosquitos and elevation changes, but has more lakes and is considered to be more scenic. It did not disappoint! Indeed, the mosquitos were awful and the ups and downs were very up and very down, but the lakes were beautiful.
Shadow Lake on the John Muir Trail
Camping north of Shadow Lake
June 12- 25 miles, camping at Tuolomne Meadows Campground
Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park has a small store, post office, and grill. I was determined to make it to the grill today and put in 25 miles to make it happen. Unfortunately, the grill doesn’t stay open until 7:00pm until later in the summer, and they closed at 5:00. I missed the burgers! I hobbled into the Backpacker/Walk-in Campground and began pulling everything out of my pack and spreading it out across a picnic table. I spied another PCT backpacker, Steve, that I’ve met several times on the trail and even shared a cabin with in Reds Meadows. He was sharing a table with two other PCT hikers, Liverpool, from Scotland, and Wilhelm, from Amsterdam. They shared their beer, veggies and dip, and cheese with me- it was regular party!
Tuolumne Campground with Steve, Liverpool, and Willem
The 25 mile hike today has really beaten up my feet. It’s not that it was so many miles, but more because so much of the trail in this area is rocky. Dirt has a soft give when your feet hit it and you don’t have to pick your way around uneven rocks. I ♡ dirt.
Donahue Pass had very little snow in comparison to the other high passes. It looked so different from the the last time I passed through, with its colorful July wildflowers. I saw no other PCT hikers the entire day, which was pretty nice. I think I must be between hiker packs right now. So many hikers got off at Mammoth for resupplies and rest.
Lyell Canyon
I was really dragging by the time I reached Lyell Canyon and it’s nine mile long meadow. It was beautiful, but also numbing in a way because my feet were so tired. I pepped up, though, when I saw a golden yellow fuzz ball bounce through the creek, across the meadow and pass before me on the trail. I could swear it was Pooh Bear himself, he was so yellow and cute!
June 13- 15 miles, camping near mile 958
Tuolumne Meadows with Liverpool, Steve, & Mulberry
All the hikers were up early and waiting in line at the grill to order the 1060-calorie buckwheat pancakes. I enjoyed mine with Mulberry, an older hiker from LA that I’d leapfrogged with several times through Section H. Most hikers were also waiting for the post office to open so they could collect their resupply boxes. The post master was thirty minutes late and then gave all the hikers a bad time for spreading our stuff out on the picnic tables. He told us those tables were for the grill (even though we’d just purchased food from the grill) and that we needed to move all our stuff to the picnic tables on the other side of the parking lot. We grumbled and moved; he even helped move some of the gear, but he got extra touchy when I told him he should just put up a sign about where to spread out gear. “We had 50 signs-up last year and no one read them, so we took them all down. Get over it already!” Eeeesh… He became a running joke for the next three days among the hikers.
I hiked most of the day with Liverpool, Steve, and Mulberry along the Tuolumne River and deeper into the changing land of Seciton I. I was amazed at how different the rocks and shapes of the mountains were in such a short distance.
Tuolumne Falls, near Glen Aulin Camp
My feet were still so bruised from the 25 miles over the rocky trail I hiked yesterday, I didn’t hike as far as I’d planned. I stopped at a lovely campsite next to a creek after only 15 miles. It was nice setting up with plenty of sunshine still in the sky and I mucked about in the creek washing my legs and feet.
Just as I was about to dig into my beef stroganoff dinner, Wilhelm, whom we were all sure had been in front of us, came hurrying around the trail. Turns out he had accidentally taken a wrong trail for 2.5 miles and then had to backtrack to the PCT. He was in pretty good spirits considering. He built a small fire to cook his food because he didn’t have a stove, and we talked into the evening about everything from not getting enough food on the trail to politics in Europe and existential books. It ended up being a freezing cold night and we were both cursing out loud every time we woke up from the cold!
June 14- 20 miles, camping near mile 978
I woke up this morning to find my sneakers, socks, and gaiters frozen solid. There was no way I was even going to try putting them on, so I hiked for half the day in my Tevas and night socks. Every time I had a stream crossing, rather than slosh right through, I had to stop, take off my socks, cross, and then put my socks back on.
The trial took us up and down thousands of feet over and over today. It was also exceptionally rocky… my favorite. Every time we went through a canyon, mosquitos would swarm, so there was no stopping! Despite the bugs and difficult trail, the new colors and shapes of the rocks and mountains excited my imagination. The dome-like mountains, rock pathways, and perfectly square canyon walls made me think of a crumbling, lost city overtaken by nature. I could easily see palaces and temples in the mountains, balconies and sidewalks, manicured gardens and ponds, even canals and streets. It was great entertainment and took my mind off my feet.
After talking with Liverpool, I’m pretty sure the animal that startled me was a bear. Deer just silently bounce away and don’t actually hide in the bushes. You’ll always see them dashing away, not crouching behind bushes. Bear encounter number two, YAY!
Liverpool built a fire for us that night and we chatted about life back home. He’s such good company. I think we’re both disappointed by not putting more miles in today, even if the trail was hard!
June 15- 22 miles, camping near the 1000 Mile Mark
With the trail having a much gentler grade and soft pack of dirt today, I was able to put in a good amount of miles. I pushed all the way to the 1000 Mile Mark (on Halfmile’s PCT map), just because it feels good to reach some kind of landmark. There’s an excellent campground here, with a fire pit and log benches. I sat around, after setting up my tent, hoping someone else might show up. I was determined to have some kind of celebration tonight because not only was it an important milestone, but because the fire pit is giant! Since no one came for over an hour, I decided to make a fire just for myself. It was my first fire ever, and I was very proud of myself! After staring a the fire for about twenty minutes, I heard a “Halloooo!” from across the stream. Two minutes later, Liverpool came staggering in, his blisters aching, I’m sure. He said he’d been determined to reach the 1000 Mile Mark as well, and I think he was as equally excited as I was to have a celebration fire.
1000 miles!
The hike earlier today took me up and over a small pass and then though a very long and gradual uphill climb. Wilma Lake was enchanting and I passed Liverpool taping his blisters and enjoying the mosquito free air. He said that every time he had to cross water, he had to re-tape his blisters. For the rest of that day, every time I forded a stream, I thought of him!
Antique license plate trail markers
After practically running through mosquito infested miles of meadows, the trail brought me to Dorothy Lake and it’s pass. There was a wooden sign at the pass marking the boundary between Yosemite Wilderness and the Hoover Wilderness in Toiyabi National Forest. It couldn’t have been better place. Looking behind, I could see the snow-covered, grey rocky mountains of Yosemite and in front, were ruddy brown and barren volcanic mountains. It felt like the perfect place to say, “Goodbye” to Yosemite.
June 16- 19.5 miles, staying at Northern Kennedy Meadows
Today was the best day ever. I woke up in a good mood and stayed there all day long. Maybe it was the change in scenery, maybe it was more nice, soft dirt trail rather than rocks, maybe it was the awesome wind that tried to blow me off the mountain, or maybe it was because I was getting into civilization this evening. Even after sleeping in a bit, I was still packed up and heading out before Liverpool.
All I had to do today was hike up and over a mountain pass, then hitch into Norther Kennedy Meadows. Even though I’ve loved the quintessential Sierra scenery, I’ve been itching to see something new. The ruddy brown mountains I’d seen in the distance yesterday became my wilderness overnight. As the land became drier and browner, the trail began winding higher and higher into the mountains north of Kennedy Canyon. Immediately, I could feel the force of the wind along these mountains; it rivaled the wind of Section F near Tehachapi. I was glad the trail was nearly as wide as a dirt road because I was knocked to my feet twice by the wind! A couple of times, as the wind kicked up fiercely, I would just drop myself to the ground to prevent from being knocked over. I felt like Lieutenant Dan atop the fishing boat in Forest Gump, screaming at the storm to “Bring your worst! I can take it!” All the way over the mountain ridge, with the wind screaming and the dark clouds catching on the top of the mountain, I had the time of my life. I think I may actually prefer the “bad” weather on top of these high mountain passes, as long as I have my warm gear! The view from this temperamental mountain ridge was absolutely spectacular. I could see the snowy High Sierras far to the south and the barren, brown mountains to the west. Liverpool took a shortcut on the side of the mountain, avoiding the switchbacks that I’d taken, and caught up with me about half way across the ridge.
View from near Leavitt Peak
Liverpool near Leavitt Peak
Every time we thought we were done with the snow, there’d be another snow field just around the corner. Even though we were crossing the pass in the afternoon, the cold wind kept the snow pretty cold and firm. Since Liverpool’s always got a great sense of humor, we had a good laugh all the way down to Highway 108. Almost the moment we landed on the road, a sedan swilled around the corner and I threw out my thumb.
Approaching Sonora Pass & Hwy 108
The two girls in the car had been rock climbing in Bishop and were on their way back to San Francisco; they’d also never picked up a hitchhiker before! They drove me ten miles down the highway to the Kennedy Meadows Resort driveway asking questions all the way about my hike. Thank you Jack & Xen! (or is it Zen?)
Northern Kennedy Meadows Resort
Checking into Kennedy Meadows, I decided to get a tiny cabin for myself, since all the lodge rooms were full of Horse Camp kids. As I waited in the general store to pick up my resupply package, I heard the cashier telling someone on the phone, “Well, it says she doesn’t arrive until the 18th. Can you identify her full name?” I could see her pointing at my name on her resupply box list. “That’s me!” I whispered. “Are you talking to my mother?” (because calling my resupply locations sounds just like something my mother would do.) She just smiled and handed the phone over. It was Art trying to arrange a surprise visit on the trail and he had been gauging my arrival time at the resort by watching my GPS dot on SPOT. He drove all night and arrived at 5am with our dog Pepper. It was the best surprise!
I’m camping with twelve other hikers tonight (a German couple called Princess and Mr. Sandals, Moxi, Glitter, Fence, Acron and Estero, and Lingo and Sugar Pine). It’s kind of overwhelming. There was so much discussion about how to fit everyone on the few campsites here. They’re all really nice and seem to have been hiking together since the early days. I’ve squeezed into a cozy spot between trees, but there isn’t enough space for my tent, so I am cow boy camping. I hope I’ll be warm enough with my REI bag and extra long johns. I’m wearing three pairs of socks and a neck gaiter, plus I’ve got my hot water bottle under my feet.
Cowboy camping below Glen Pass
Earlier today, I was still in town working on my blog and getting organized. At the hostel, I met the missing hiker from a few days ago, Paul Turner. We talked for about an hour because he was such an interesting man! He was out hiking because he’s doing a documentary on John Muir and is trying to follow his footsteps. Unfortunately, he had a really bad map and got lost. He ran out of food and water; it’s amazing he made it to safety!
Paul Turner, 78
While working at the cafe in Lone Pine, the creepy hiker that I had met before Horseshoe Meadow, the one that talked too much, came up to me. I hadn’t wanted to mention I had thought he was creepy because I didn’t want to be rude to him on my blog. However, I don’t care now. This man, an older hiker named Periwinkle, is a disabled veteran. He came up and sat down next to me as if he had a secret. He said to me, “You’re a dirty girl, howd you like to make some cash for a private massage?” I was horrified and enraged. In fact, the F-bomb went off like an explosive all over the walls of the cafe. Everyone turned and stared to see what was happening. The cafe owner’s wife asked what was going on and I told her what he said. She immediately told him to leave and not come back.
I was so shook up I had to go wash my face in the restroom. He did leave and I refocused on my work, but I couldn’t get over what just happened. I’ve never had anyone speak to me like that before in my life. It made me so glad I took self defense.
I made sure to tell people about his behavior so that other hikers could be aware of him. I even put a message in to the PCTA so they can also be aware of any kind of harassment on the trail. Talking with other trail folk, I learned that this year there seems to be more problems of harassment than in the past. It’s so heartbreaking to see a trail like this and the type of journey it should be spoiled by a few rotten eggs.
I quickly got a ride from a new friend in Lone Pine to the trailhead at Onion Valley. I was so excited to see Lorax and T-Fox just coming off the trail! We chatted for a while because I just didn’t feel like jumping on the trail yet. Their blog is called DanTerraPCT. I also met a hiker named Homework who’s got a blog, too: SoleToSoil
Onion Valley with T-Fox and Lorax
The hike out of Onion Valley was beautiful. It seemed so much easier than the last time I had come down it. I made sure to leave a note in the snow for my favorite bear family at the top of the pass.
A message to my favorite bear family, Trekkin’ 3D
View from Kersarge Pass
June 4th- 14.5 miles, camping below Pinchot Pass
All day today I was completely captivated by my surroundings. The icy blue lakes and snow covered mountains, roaring rivers and babbling brooks, rich forests and views that only seemed to get better and better we’re all around me.
I awoke pleasantly surprised to not be freezing! I guess my REI bag and extra long johns are working! Cowboy camping is great when the conditions are right- it’s spectacularly beautiful and so easy.
Approaching Glen Pass
Glen Pass was only a mile away, but I was slow to reach it. At first I ran into French Toast and Alpine Start, who were just sticking their heads out of their tent. After catching up with them, I was mesmerized by the beautiful snow and frozen lakes along the ascent to Glen Pass.
Dirt-sicles
The view from the top was incredible. It seemed to reach miles and miles in all directions. The descent was by far the most challenging I’ve ever done. The amount of snow on the north slope and steepness of the mountain make Glen Pass one of the most dangerous. Luckily, I had the microspikes loaned to me from my new friend at the hostel in Lone Pine.
Joker and Cracker Keeper, Glen Pass
Glen Pass
Glen Pass
The switchbacks were completely buried in snow and we had to follow cuts made by previous, braver hikers Slipping on this slope could mean death, broken bones, or just a really fun glissade, but that’s not a chance most of us wanted to take. As we crept lower down the slope, glissading was safer and a few of us did it. I forgot to tie up my skirt into pants and got hard, icy snow burns all up to my cheeks. OUCH! I’m still feeling that one! It was good we did the past in the morning because the snow with harder and easier to walk on.
Woods Creek
For the entire rest of the day, I dilly dallied, oogling the sites and smells of the land. I hiked alone for most of the day, but picked up speed toward the end so I could camp below Pinchot Pass with the hikers I’d met last night. It was a long uphill, though. I think I need to do a better job eating in the second half of the day. My energy wanes, but as soon as I eat a bar or fruit I can fly up these mountains.
Our campsite is near a small, nameless lake. After setting up my gear, I went down to collect water and wash up. Washing my ice burns hurt so much- I hope they go away soon!
Camping below Pinchot Pass
June 5th- ~20 miles, camping near Palisades Creek
Approaching Pinchot Pass
Pinchot Pass and an adolescent grouse
We’re calling this Double Pass Thursday. We conquered Pinchot first and then Mather. Pinchot Pass was beautiful, but uneventful- a relatively easy climb up and over with little snow trouble. We met a ranger on the north side who took our names for permit checking. It was then on to Mather Pass.
(L->R) Glitter, Moxi, Princess, and Mr. Sandals on Pinchot Pass
I almost fell into the river during one of the crossings. It’s good I didn’t because I hadn’t put my electronics into a ziplock first. Bad, lazy hiker…
Creek crossing
I finally met Mr. Cup, the Japanese hiker with a giant pack and a flag coming out the top. He doesn’t speak any English, but he’s quickly becoming one of my favorite hikers.
Mr. Cup, the Japanese hiker
I wonder if he’s ever lonely here in an English-dominated wilderness adventure. Even hikers who come out seeking solitude converse other hikers to get information on trail conditions. Also, town stops and hitchhiking would be harder for him. He has a great of humor, though. In his limited English and with some sign language, he’s already cracked a lot of jokes.
Climbing Mather was breath taking. All these high passes are just so other- worldly with their barren landscapes, snow fields, icy blue lakes, towering peaks and the vast sky above.
Mather Pass
The north side of Mather was extremely dodgy. There was so much snow and it was all soft by the time we reached it in the afternoon. We postholed all the way down and it was pretty scary in some places. Besides the possibility of glissading hundreds of feet into rocks, a posthole can twist your ankle or knee. I almost lost my shoe three times and Fence postholed up to his chest in one place. Since the trail was completely covered in snow, we all just followed various footprints left by previous hikers. Unfortunately, the previous hikers hadn’t gone the right way to follow the trail. We lead ourselves to a steep rocky cliff, which towered above the trail. Everyone took different paths scrambling down the cliff towards the trail below. It took us about three hours to go only a couple miles over Mather Pass.
I descended into Palisades Lakes. Waterfalls came out of the cliffs from every direction and it’s impossible to recapture the beauty. Several of our group, including Princess, Sandals, Glitter and Moxi are staying at the Palisades for the night. I headed down towards Palisade Creek with Fence, Lingo, Sugar Pine, Estero and Acorn to camp with a campfire below the 10,000 foot line. You can check out Sugar Pine and Lingo’s blog at SimplyWanderful.com. It was a long day, but I’m glad we made it lower for a fire!
Hiker with Sugar Pine and Lingo
June 6th- ~12 miles, camping below Muir Pass
Wildflowers
I’m calling this day “Happy Little Trees… and Waterfalls and Flowers.” With only twelve miles to hike to the base camp below Muir Pass, I took my time all day checking out the wildflowers and waterfalls. I’ve never seen so many waterfalls in my life! For most of the day, the trail took me through the forest and alongside both Palisade Creek and Kings River. I stopped by Grouse Meadow overcome by its beauty and decided to take an extra long break there.
Grouse meadow
I stripped down and jump in the river- so cold but so refreshing! No one saw me prancing around naked in the meadow because the trail was behind too many trees. I took the time to dig up some wild onions snacked on them. Yum!
Wild onion
Wildflowers and the JMT
It’s the Emerald King! #ReturnToOz
The end of the hike was all uphill switchbacks, but the campsite is beautiful. A lot of people have trickled into camp here because it’s the last spot before the pass. A couple of hikers went up the pass to camp in the hut at 12,000 feet. I hope it’s comfortable! French Toast and Alpine Start have caught up. Yay! Everyone wanted to try my foam roller after they saw me using it. I have convinced a few people to get one for themselves. Later in the evening, as everyone was counting out their food until their next to resupply. Joker started a food swap. I traded three bars for two Mrs. Fields cookies. I already ate one. 270 calories in one cookie!
Wildflowers
(L->R) Lingo, Alpine Start, French Toast, Estero, and Fence
June 7th- 20 miles, camping near Piute Creek
Approaching Muir Pass
Muir Pass had two miles of snow before the pass and three miles after. With my burned legs, I absolutely wanted to avoid more postholing today. Unfortunately, the snow must’ve known I was coming and softened up early just for me. I was punching through snow and it was only 7am. For the most part, the snow was hard on the south side of the pass. I followed the tracks of a couple hikers who were 30 minutes ahead of me. That was a mistake. Their tracks lead me straight up the side of the mountian and as I looked back, I could see the trail on the other side of the canyon, clear of snow and easy. My stupid path was ten times more difficult than that trail.
Muir Pass
Eventually, at the top of the canyon, I was able to boulder across to the trail and continue up the pass. A lot of other hikers were there, including a couple of my favorites, like French Toast and Alpine. I didn’t stay too long at Muir Hut because I was worried about the snow warming up on the north side.
Lake Wanda
I think it must’ve been a really warm day because that snow softened up quickly. Everyone postholed and slushed down the pass, sometimes we punched through straight into a stream. I hiked most of the way down with Mr. Cup. We had a good time teasing each other every time we postholed. He would yell at me, “Hai! Cohn-sen-TRATE!” He makes me laugh so much.
A hummus wrap lunch below Muir Pass
I pushed hard for the rest of the day so I could put in 20 miles. Everything was downhill, but my body hurt SO much. My hips hurt on one side from my pack. My shoulders hurt because my pack straps were sitting on them too much, as I was trying to lighten the pressure on my hips. My ankle hurts from so much uneven trail.
So tired…
Alas, I made it to Piute Creek. Setting up camp and washing up was so nice tonight. This is the first night in a while when I wasn’t camping with other people. I found a perfect bathing spot on the side of the roaring creek where the water pooled gently between rocks. It also had a perfectly positioned tree root jutting out over the water which I could put my feet up on. I used my spare toothbrush to scrub my body and nails clean. It was COLD, but so refreshing. I had to climb out when my toes and fingers started turning blue.
Bathtime at Piute Creek
Things went downhill after bathtime: ants crawling all over my stuff, my MSR dromlite bag got a tiny tear and leaked inside my tent, my repair goo was dried and clogged, and I tripped over my tent and knocked the whole thing down. I tried to make hot coco with my chocolate whey protein powder, but it was so gross I had to dump it out. It’s just been such a long and tiresome day. I’m excited to reach Vermillion Valley Ranch soon!
Camp at Piute Creek
June 8th- 26.8 miles, camping at Vermillion Valley Ranch
I started hiking at 5:30 am, determined to reach Vermillion Valley Ranch (VVR) that evening. As I past Muir Ranch and began the climb up to Seldon Pass, my knees started to hurt more than ever before on this trip. They must’ve know where they were and remembered how they felt the last time they were here. (When I came down Seldon in 2011 during my JMT hike, I had torn cartilage in both knees.) I gave my knees a pep talk and we made it through the switchbacks. It’s amazing how the mind can trigger pain and remove it, aside from whatever is actually going on with the body.
I didn’t see another hiker until several hours later when I came upon Mr. Cup sitting peacefully next to a creek crossing. I love seeing him. He has such a great energy. I learned that he’s 62 years old, has two daughters and three granddaughters.
I arrived at Seldon Pass completely alone. It was a great feeling. I’d grown accustomed to hiking around other people and forgotten how much I actually like hiking alone. Arriving at the Pass gave me that feeling of solitude and peace that I had so often during my off-season hikes.
Seldon Pass with Mr. Cup
Mr. Cup arrived at the pass about fifteen minutes later. I congratulated him in our silly way and tried to chat with him, but he sh-ed me and said only, “Zen” as he gestured to the view before us. I understood perfectly what he meant and sat in silence enjoying the space around us. Before I left him, he joked about me bringing him a coke when he arrived at VVR the next day.
The hike to VVR was equally quiet, but the switchbacks all day up and down and up and down again wore me out. I was in a lot of pain as I hit the 18-mile mark- my ankle and shoulders hurt, my hips and knees ached- but the call of a hot shower was motivation enough. I put in my earbuds and pushed the pain to the back of my mind. Hiking like this, with your eyes glued to the dirt path before you, puts you into a kind of trance.
Bear Creek
Since the water level in Edison Lake is so low, the evening ferry wasn’t running. I had to hike 8.2 miles around the lake to reach the Ranch. The alternate trail was steeper and buggy-er, even swampy in some places, than I expected. I switched out of my sneakers and into my sandals for the last 2 miles.
A very wet Bear Ridge Trail
Vermillion offers hikers showers, laundry, free camping, a computer, a store, and a diner. While sitting in the diner that evening, a familiar face came up to surprise me. It was Beav, who I met on my Campo to Paradise Cafe hike in December. It was a great surprise! We got caught up and he told me that he had to get off the trail because he hurt his knee going over Muir Pass. We decided to hike together until he got off the trail for Mammoth.
I soaked my laundry in a bucket all night so it’d actually come out on the washer clean this time. After sitting around the fire with a few other hikers, I cowboy camped under the trees for the night.
Vermillion Valley Resort
June 9th- 13 miles, camping near Fish Creek
VVR gave me one of the best nights sleep I’ve had yet on this trip. I woke up at 5:45 to get my laundry done before everyone else got up, but the power isn’t turned on until 7am. I killed time by sorting out the contents of my resupply box. A few things got tossed into the hiker box. (A hiker box is a large box or can for hikers to toss unwanted, but still usable items, such as gear and food, for other hikers to use.) I threw in my extra Nido milk powder, some nuts and fruit. Pulling out all my goodies, I found a few with doodles from Art. That made my morning!
Doodles on my oatmeal resupply
There was a big sign outside the store saying, “Dishwasher wanted in exchange for a meal!” Sold! I enjoyed a double breakfast of pancakes and a breakfast burrito before stepping back into the kitchen to wash all the dishes from the morning. It was fun and totally worth it!
Doing dishes at VVR
While I was still washing dishes, Beav came in to let me know that Mr. Cup had arrived. I quickly grabbed a cold Coke and ran out to meet him, bowing as I presented it. He loved it. I don’t think I’ve seen him smile that big before!
By that time my laundry was in the dryer. When I went to pull it out, I found that instead of just tossing my clean laundry on the table, the next hiker, an older man named Grey Wolf, had neatly folded all of my clothes. I was delighted! I love how so many hikers out here really look out for each and do the sweetest things for one another. You can read Grey Wolf’s blog at MyHikingLife.
After taking care of emails and buying a few items (like tortillas for my new favorite PB & jelly snack), Beav and i took a noon ferry across Lake Edison to rejoin the PCT.
Minaret Falls
We hiked for what seemed like forever up and over Silver Pass that afternoon. Either VVR had made us soft or that mountain was really kicking our butts. We hiked until after dark, but the moon was brilliant and bright, perfect for night hiking.
Silver Pass
Silver Pass
We found an awesome campsite right next to the creek and Beav made a fire to keep away the mosquitoes. I’m getting kind of used to this fire-at-camp thing. Beav made ramen with spam for dinner, which sounded totally gross to me. Of course, I had to taste it and it was DELICIOUS! It was so good, I finished his dinner and then didn’t want any more of my own. I’m definitely going to be making some of that for myself in the future. Spam and ramen, who knew?!
June 10th- 18 miles, staying at Reds Meadows
I awoke to a fire in the firepit this morning. It made me want to stay in bed and just be cozy! Beav was packed up and ready really fast because he’s excited to get into Mammoth. I felt silly trying to pack up so he wasn’t waiting too long. I have a habit of completely unpacking EVERYTHING at night and that means it takes me a while to pack up in the morning. I think it must be a girl thing because I’ve heard other guy hikers complaining about their lady companions doing just that!
We had a two-mile climb to warm us up this morning. For most of the day after that we had alternating small ups and long downs. Every time we had the ups, however, we didn’t hesitate to complain very loudly!
Lake Virginia
900 miles!
Deer Creek
I said goodbye to Beav at the Mammoth turn off and I headed on to Reds Meadows. There are some very dark clouds and thunder, so I think I’ll stay here for the night! I was so excited to see the store and diner were still open. I helped myself to a salad, burger, and milkshake. I’m able to use the Wi Fi here and some JMT hikers have invited me and another PCT hiker, Steve, to share their cabin for the night. Yay!
Reds Meadows Resort
Mooching off JMT hikers with fellow PCT hiker Steve
May 24th, 2014- 7.5 miles, camping at Landers Tank Campground
Back in March, I was kicked off the mountain near Jawbone Canyon Road by a snowstorm. Today, my good friend Carlos drove me all the way out to that same dirt road so I could jump back on the trail. For such a big hike ahead of me, I felt strangely relaxed for the drive. The car couldn’t make it all the way up Jawbone Canyon because the road was too sandy, so I had to walk about a mile to link up with the trail.
Once I was walking, I began to feel so lonely. The silence always takes a while for me to adjust to on the trail. I tried hard not to think about Art or Pepper back home. I miss them and worry about how they’ll do without me, but I have to trust they’ll be okay.
Since I haven’t really been excercising as much as I should’ve been for the last two months off trail, the hiking was a struggle. I was also carrying eight days worth of food for the 100 mile stretch up to Kennedy Meadows. I managed to hike at around 2.5 mph, which felt really good for Day 1! The trail took me through beautiful pine-covered, rocky mountains. I felt so tired by the end of the day, I was overjoyed to reach Landers Tank Campground. Numerous other hikers are camped here in this beautiful meadow. In fact, 15 other hikers signed the trail book. Fifteen! And that probably wasn’t all of the hikers that came through! After section hiking so many miles of Southern California and seeing almost NO ONE on the trail, it feels strange to be out here with so many other people.
The water source is a spring next to a large storage tank. I spent the evening rolling out my muscles with my little travel-sized foam roller. I felt like I had too much weight in my backpack and thought I could just eat as much peanut butter as possible to bring it down a bit. I tried eating the peanut butter by the spoonful, but I almost gagged. I only managed to get two spoonfuls down. Bleh!! I cleared my pallet with a Pad Thai dinner and a cup of tea before going to sleep.
Landers Camp
May 25th, 2014- 22 miles, camping at Bird Spring Pass
Ugh, what a hard day! It was easy flying down the mountain this morning. I met a solo hiker named Crusher (as in Wesley) while filling up water bottles, but he must’ve hiked fast because I didn’t see him again all day. I met a few hikers all traveling together: Duchess, Owen, and Booey. I almost stepped on a little rattlesnake; it’s the first one I’ve seen on the PCT!
A little rattlesnake
Lupin wildflowers
Arriving at Kelso Valley Road, I found an awesome note from Carlos attached to one of my cached water bottles. *Thanks, ‘Los!* There was also some great trail magic offered by the husband of another PCT hiker. He gave me a blue Gatorade and a twinkie. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had Gatorade before in my life and I definitely haven’t had a twinkie since I was 11 years old. They were both delicious! He gave Booey a Subway sandwich!!!
Love note from Carlos 🙂
Kelso Valley Road Trail Magic
After refilling my water bottles, I was moving slow through the heat and the uphill, sandy trail. I loved being in the desert again; the wide open spaces, Joshua Trees, and barren mountains are beautiful. Unfortunately, I wasn’t doing well with the exertion and elevation. I was nauseous and crampy for the rest of the day until I stopped to set up camp.
Find the horny toad!
I leapfrogged with Booey and Duchess throughout the day and camped at the Bird Spring Pass Cache with them and maybe 5 other PCT hikers, including a couple young solo hikers called Clint Westwood and Red Light. They’re all a lot of fun to be around and hope to maybe stick near them, but I’m not sure I can jump back on the trail after two months and keep up with them. Bird Spring Pass doesn’t usually have water, but some generous PCT family member donated 85 gallons of water and cached it here. Another lesson in gratitude presented by the PCT! ♡
85 gallons at Bird Spring Pass
(L -> R) Clint Westwood, Owen, Duchess, Miss America, and Booey
Cowboy camping at Bird Spring Pass
May 26th, 2014- 20 miles, camping at Walker Pass Campground
Climbing out of Bird Spring Pass
I got up early this morning after a windy night, determined to keep up with the herd. One by one, all the hikers climbed slowly out of Bird Spring Pass, and I fell further and further behind. The higher I climbed, the sicker I felt. I knew it was the altitude making me sick, so I just kept taking breaks and drinking water. Eventually, I stopped sitting on rocks and would just lay down completely in the dirt. I felt pretty miserable. The first 10.5 miles of the day were really lovely, winding up through a desert pine forest with views of distant snowy mountains.
The second half of the day was hot, exposed and sandy. Ugh, sand! I’m over you!
Wildflowers
Approaching Walker Pass
I reached the Walker Pass Campground late in the day, but still in time to receive some amazing trail magic. As I walked up to a decorative tent, a little wild child with red curls charged up to me with a Pepsi, a sparkly necklace of plastic beads, and a button saying “Bearbait gave me a drink at Walker Pass.” (The kid was Bearbait, of course.) This magic is hosted by PCT veterans Jackolope, Copper Tone, and Yogi (who wrote my guidebook). They must know how beat down hikers feel after this last stretch and how much they need a little pick – me – up to stay motivated! Copper Tone made me a root beer float and Yogi cooked everyone spaghetti.
Copper Tone and a root beer float, Walker Pass Campground
When I settled in to a beach chair with my soda, I asked the hiker next to me if he’d seen Duchess or Booey pass through. He gave me the rudest response, saying I should just check the trail log, then got up and walked away. I was shocked! I guess not everyone out here is friendly and high on endorphins. Of course, I’d already checked the log and seen they’re names before I entered the campground. I later found out from Clint Westwood that they’d hitched a ride into the nearby town, Lake Isabella. I think most of these thru-hikers have bonded tightly during all the trials and tribulations of Southern California, (which I did solo and during the winter months) and here I am, just jumping in, a stranger to the herd.
Trail magic at Walker Pass Campground
I walked down the road from the trail magic to a spring and washed up my dusty feet, hands, and face. Down there, I met Lucky Strike, a smoker from Tennessee, and Sarge, a young, solo lady hiker- both were super friendly. We all did laundry there together. I hiked up my skirt like a sarong and washed my shirt and undergarments with dignity. They were kinda jealous of the skirt set-up. The skirt is a new item for me. It’s a Macabi skirt, made from the same material as hiking pants, with deep pockets, and snaps to turn it from long to mid-length. I even figured out a way to tie it up and wear it as a miniskirt.
Walker Pass Campground
Actually, the skirt seems to have given me my trail name already. Several people think I look like Lawrence of Arabia with my long skirt and bandana hat. So, they’re calling me Arabia now. I like the name. A single coyote is yipping right now in the distance and I’m sleeping under the stars. I love it.
May 27th, 2014- 22 miles, camping on top of a ridge above Spanish Needle Creek
Take THAT Section F!! On to Section G!
The spaghetti dinner last night gave me so much energy this morning. I met a lot of hikers today, including Sarge and Lucky Strike from last night, Wolf from Denmark, a fun couple called Smiles and Uke-less, and an older fellow named Raven. I saw Crusher, too, who I met back at Landers Tank.
Uni-Twix
The hike started with a great big climb out of Walker Pass. Once on a ridge above the small city of Indian Wells, I was able to check emails and voice mail. Turns out Art won’t be able to meet me in Lone Pine like we’d planned because of work. I texted my resupply angel back home, Jonathan who had driven me to the trail on my very first PCT section hike six months ago. He’s going to send my warmer REI sleeping bag to Lone Pine, so I’ll have it for the higher elevations.
For my students:
Homemade veggie burritos
Soon I descended again into the desert and the heat. Crusher said it was 103°. Ugh… No wonder I felt like melting! Most hikers waited out the heat of the day for 4-5 hours at the little oasis of Joshua Tree Spring. It’s famous for being tainted with uranium, but all the springs in the Sierras have uranium, too. Everyone drinks the water anyways, I just hope my children don’t come out with three eyes!
Big, dead scorpion
Despite the heat, I chose to continue forward. I didn’t drink as much as I should have because the water tasted weird and it made me nervous. I also lost my Zpacks beanie. I had stuck it between my hip and my backpack belt because my hips were hurting and it must’ve fallen out somewhere when I stopped to take off my pack.
A 1/4 of the way to Canada, near Joshua Tree Spring
I planned on camping at the base of a long climb near Spanish Needle Creek, but the campsite look dark and gave me the creeps. (Later, I talked to another hiker, Happy Feet, about it and he’d had the same feeling! He camped there anyways, but had dreamed that night of a mountain lion dropping a carcass outside his tent. He woke up to find his dirty socks in his face. Hahahahah!) Anyhow, I kept hiking on up the mountain hoping to find some descent camping.
Near Spanish Needle Spring
Raven passed me going the opposite direction with nothing but his headlamp and a water bottle. He said he’d lost his smartphone cable to charge his phone somewhere at the bottom of the canyon. He was determined to find it, even if he had to hike 4 miles down! I feel so bad for him. It reminds me of when my phone died at the end of Section E. Most hikers keep everything on their phones: pictures and videos, contact info, maps and data. Loosing that tool feels really crappy.
I found great camping at the top of the ridge along with Sarge, Lucky Strike, and an older lady named Far Walker. It’s dark now and Crusher just showed up with Smiles and Uke-less, and another couple, Josh and Carla. Josh found my hat and carried it hoping to find it’s owner! I’m stoked!
On ridge above Spanish Needle Creek (Sarge in the background)
I’m enjoying ramen noodles with home-dehydrated veggies for dinner. The stars are spectacular tonight and the air is warm, so I’m cowboy camping again.
May 28th, 2014- 20.5 miles, camping at Manter Creek
Last night my body hurt SO MUCH. My muscles keep cramping and ceasing up and it’s SO PAINFUL! My glutes and hips are working so hard during the day and then they just freak out when I’m lying around at night, stationary. Plus, I was sleeping on a slight slope and kept sliding downward. I need be picker about where I sleep.
Sunrise
I awoke to a spectacular sunrise. Several additional hikers had shown up after I’d fallen asleep and had squeezed in to the few flat spots remaining. They must’ve done mist of their hiking in the dark last night to avoid the heat. Sarge Smiles, Uke-less, and Crusher had already left camp. I hiked less than a mile when I got 4G signal, so I uploaded three videos to Vimeo, but it took two hours! I killed time by eating, stretching and singing. Wolf passed by me, and Happy Feet set up nearby to do his morning yoga routine. I ended up playing leapfrog all day with Wolf and Happy Feet, both were great to talk to on breaks. Wolf is soft spoken and quite the thinker, while Happy Feet is vibrant and has a hysterical sense of humor.
(L->R) Happy Feet from Oregon & Wolf from Denmark, Fox Mill Spring
Since the water is so low in most of the creeks, I’ve had to use the Sawyer syringe to such up the water and then squirting it into my bottles. Now my bottles have green and brown muck floating in them. Yuck. Yay, for filters!
Happy Feet and I hiked most of the 6.5 miles downhill to Manter Creek together, joking and laughing and complaining about how long the downhill was to camp. Since a past fire had burned all the trees and brush in the area, we could see the trail winding all the way down. We both agreed we’d rather not see how long the trail was ahead of us, it was almost torture. Happy Feet actually throws away all of his elevation charts that come with the maps because he just doesn’t want to know how much up and downhill he has to do!
Wildflowers
The last turn in the trail presented an expansive view of the Rockhouse Basin which made it all worth it. The large flat basin with both Manter Creek and Southfork Kern River winding through it was surrounded by tall, rocky mountains.
Manter Creek and the Rockhouse Basin
Happy Feet and I joked loudly while we set up our cups and Carla joined us to borrow some fuel. We were so loud we actually got “shh-ed” by Raven. I guess 8:30 is like hiker midnight!
Camping near Manter Creek
We saw a huge jackrabbit go through our camp. He was the size of my dog! At first, I thought he was a deer or sheep!
Kennedy Meadows is only 9.5 miles away and I can’t wait for a shower, laundry, and some Ben and Jerry’s. I hope to use the internet while I’m there and check the weather and current snow conditions. Kennedy Meadows is usually where hikers wait out the snow and weather before heading into the Sierras.
I’m a bit ahead of schedule and since Art won’t be meeting me now, I may push on to Horseshoe Meadow so I can easily get a ride with the weekend campers on Sunday. We’ll see!
May 29th, 2014- 9.7 miles, camping at Kennedy Meadows General Store
I tried out peanut butter and jelly tortillas for breakfast this morning. Delicious! It’s my new favorite!
The hike from Manter Creek to Kennedy Meadows was gentle and scenic. I was so lost in the scenery I didn’t notice Raven say “Hi” as he rested by the trail until I was right next to him. Scarred the beegeebees out of me! I jumped and screamed. He felt bad, but was pretty funny.
Kennedy Meadows General Store, Cheshire Cat on the deck
I was super excited to reach the store, but I felt shy, especially after my experience with the grumpy guy at Walker Pass who gave me the cold shoulder. I was happy to see some familiar faces and I gravitated toward them. I collected my resupply box, took a shower, and then tried to get organized for the next stretch. My brain was so fried, all I ended up doing was shifting things from one pile into another and then back again. Eventually, I got myself together and gave away food I didn’t need to Red Light and Happy Feet.
Resupply box!
Next, I ate a huge guacamole burger and that pint of Ben and Jerry’s I’d been dreaming of for ten miles. I had intended to hike out this afternoon, but Raven convinced me to stay and rest for the night.
Not long after, several of us piled into a car from Grumpy Bear Restaurant down the road and headed off for dinner. I met a few new hikers and got to know Red Light and Wolf a bit better over chicken and baked potatoes. It was nice to get out of the scene at Kennedy Meadows.
Heading to Grumpy Bear Restaurant
I’m now curled up in my sleeping bag under the stars. A few young hikers are nearby playing guitar, singing, and smoking weed. They brought twinkle lights to decorate their camp. I’m enjoying listening to them as I roll out my muscles. I just discovered my little roller fits inside my sleeping bag.
Camping at the Kennedy Meadows General Store
May 30th, 2014- 19.5 miles, camping near Cow Creek at mile 721.5
Leaving Kennedy Meadows
I left Kennedy Meadows early, before they began serving breakfast. I didn’t want to get sucked into staying longer, delicious and delightfully social as it would be. Having only been on the trail a few days, I didn’t feel like my body or nor spirit need that kind if indulgence yet.
The morning hike was cold with the trial winding along the valley floor. Not long into my hike, I came to a lovely footbridge straddling the Southfork Kern River. It was a beautiful site and I found excuses to hang out there for awhile. I charged my phone, ate a PB and jelly tortilla, and took pictures. A Canadian couple named Lorax and T – Fox chatted with me as they pasted. They’re the sweetest.
South Fork Kern River footbridge
The trail climbed and climbed out if the dry Southern Sierras. The scenery and vegetation changed suddenly as I slipped over the top of a pass and down into a huge grassy meadow with a stunning view of snow-dusted mountains. It was Beck Meadow and the trail wound around the hilly side of it, arriving several miles later at another crossing of the Southfork Kern River.
Beck Meadow
View towards Olancha Peak
South Fork Kern River
Lorax and T – Fox were already there stripping down to wash and do laundry. We lounged for over an hour on the soft grass, enjoying the birds and views, but the wind kicked up and made it really chilly. That was the que to pack up and move on!
Residents of the Southfork Kern River bridge
Cold!
Stonehenge of the Kern River… it’s builders remain a mystery today. 😉
Climbing out of the meadow took us 2,000 feet higher into the mountains. I was eyeballing how dry Cow Creek was all the way, hoping there would be water higher up. At one crossing with small, mucky puddles there were some huge animal bones. They must’ve belonged to some really big like a bear, a donkey, or a buck. I didn’t see any teeth marks on them- that would’ve been creepy!
Animal bones near Cow Creek
In the way up the mountain, I passed an older hiker named Pathfinder. He’s famous for updating the PCT Water Report all the time. *Thanks Pathfinder! * He assured me there was water up ahead.
I met up with Lorax and T – Fox again and we camped together for the night. I scrambled over boulders up and down the creek looking for a descent puddle to collect water from, alas, they were all small and yucky. I had to use my syringe again and it took me thirty minutes to collect enough water for dinner, breakfast and the next ten-mile waterless stretch. There’s algae floating in my bottles again.
Camping near Cow Creek
May 31st, 2014- 26 miles, camping at Horseshoe Meadow Campground
T – Fox and Lorax headed out early, but I slept in because I didn’t sleep much last night. My muscles kept cramping again and at one point, my lantern fell on me from the top of my tent. It woke me up and I thought I’d fallen asleep right on the trail. I panicked, thinking, “Where am I? I have to put up my tent! Oh, I’m IN my tent! What’s going on?!” It was pretty funny.
View towards Beck Meadow
Anyway, it was a slow morning and I wasn’t on the trail until 7:30. The view of Beck Meadow was incredible that morning. It’s difficult to comprehend how massive these mountains are, even after I’ve climbed them. All day, I looked behind me to see how far I’ve come. I’m always amazed how far people can walk in just one day.
Leaving the view of Beck Meadow behind brought on a view of the Sierras ahead of me even more beautiful than the previous ones. I kept looking at them as I hiked, which meant I also kept tripping and stubbing my toes.
For the first time ever, I enjoyed my tuna with a couple of tortillas. I LOVE TORTILLAS. They’re delicious, hold your food together, and go with pretty much everything: tuna, PB & J, burritos, hummus. I don’t think I’ll ever hike without them again.
Tuna wrap lunch on the trail
Around mid-day, I came across a hiker I hadn’t met before. He was a voracious talker and weirded me out by talking too much about poop. I moved on as quickly as I could. When I met up with T – Fox and Lorax later that day, they had a good laugh because they’d experienced this same hiker a couple of times before and wondered how I’d handle the situation.
Snow Plant
Since I’d already covered so many miles by speed hiking, I figured a few more to Horseshoe Meadow wouldn’t hurt. I might even be able to get a ride down to Lone Pine that very night!
SNOW!!*!!!*
For the rest of the day,I whipped along the trail aiming for Trail Pass Junction. It was at that trail junction six months ago where I stepped onto the PCT for my first section hike after knee surgery. I didn’t expect to get so emotional when I got there, but I was teary – eyed thinking about my reasons for setting PCT hiking as a goal for and how far I’ve come since that first hike. I was unsure of myself, my skills and my body, I was frightened to be alone in the wilderness, and was so naive compared to what I know now.
With excellent physical therapy and training, my ol’ knees have carried me nearly 700 miles on the PCT alone and are about to carry me another 1,400 to Cascade Locks, Oregon. Taking life’s adversities and sufferings and finding a way to turn them into a great success or joy is what makes life so fulfilling. I haven’t faced every adversity in life the way I have this one, but I hope I do from now on.
Trail Pass Junction
I hiked 2.5 miles down to Horseshoe Meadow, not feeling any of the discomfort that comes with backpacking 26 miles in a day. As I approached the trail head, a couple asked me if I’d seen a missing hiker, 78 year old Paul Turner who was overdue to arrive. I racked my brain, but I’d only seen a few hikers between here and Kennedy Meadows and none met his description. I hope he’s okay.
Horseshoe Meadow, view toward Cottonwood Pass
Stumbling into the campground, I met Wisconsin hikers French Toast and Alpine Start getting ready to head back to the trail the next morning. They’re gentle souls and I hope to see them again. I also met the Dunlap family, who’s dad and two grown sons are hiking the PCT to Crater Lake, Oregon. Their names are Papa Bear, Polar Bear, and Grizzly Bear. They decided to hike together after each of them had brushes with death over the recent past. They’re goal on the trail is to celebrate life and being together. I think that’s awesome. You can check out their Facebook page called Trekkin-3D. Their Mama Bear, Melanie angels them along the way and offered me a ride to Lone Pine in the morning. Yay! The Bear family shared their campfire with French Toast, Alpine Start, and me tonight. It was hard to go back to my cold tent!
June 1st – 3rd, 2014- Whitney Portal Hostel
Mama Bear Melanie brought us hikers fresh apples and grapes for breakfast. Yum! She drove me down to town, chatting with me the whole way about her family and asking me about how I hike as a woman. I felt honored that she’d ask me for so much advice.
I checked into the Whitney Portal Hostel and picked up my resupply boxes which Jonathan had mailed to me. This hostel has great service and rooms. I enjoyed a shower and, after lounging for several hours while videos uploaded to Vimeo, I washed my clothes at the laundromat. I had to wear my rain gear since everything else was in the washer.
Whitney Portal Hostel, Lone Pine
I’ll stay here a couple nights to catch up on sleep and then jump back on the PCT via Onion Valley.
Breakfast with the owner of the Alabama Hills Cafe, Lone Pine
Best late night tacos in Lone Pine, on Willow Street
Having been thwarted in my efforts to reach Kennedy Meadows Campground in InyoKern National Forest, I decided to head south to the lower elevations of Angels National Forest.
Day 1: 25.5 miles to the Acton Kamp of America (KOA)
Starting out at Angeles Forest Hwy
Climbing north from Angeles Forest Hwy
I had been to this area before when I hiked from Mill Creek Station southbound to Cloudburst Summit (PCT Installment No. 3). Seeing this land again felt so familiar and comforting. I must say, that’s the nice thing about section hiking. When I section hike one area, I usually get to visit it again when I hike the neighboring sections.
Looking towards Mt. Gleason
Fun Fact: This area, like so many other parts of the California mountains, was a staging ground for a gold rush in the 1880’s.The miners were supposedly looking for the legendary Los Padres Mine or “Fathers’ Mine.” The legend goes that a group of Spanish Franciscans mined and stored silver and gold near Pine Mountain sometime between 1748 and 1848. The mine and all its storage was forced to be abandoned during the political upheavals of the Mexican independence in 1821, the secularization of the Ventura Mission in 1836, and the Mexican-American War in the late 1840’s. The mine has never been found.
Poodle Dog City
Treating a hotspot
As I hiked, I could see Highway 14 stretching far into the east and, to the north, the recently snow-capped Tehachapi Mountains. I was glad to hiking in warmer and drier weather. Many parts of this section were overgrown with grass and bushes, including the nasty, but sweet-smelling Poodle Dog bush.
Climbing over downed trees
Approaching the top of Mt. Gleason
There is a mountain near Mt. Gleason named for my mother’s great-grandfather, Mendenhall Peak. The Summitpost.org site mistakenly states the peak was named for mom’s grandfather, William Mendenhall, who was a superintendent to the Forest. William actually named the peak and the nearby fire road after HIS father, who was killed by a rock slide in the area when William was a young man. The pass over Mt. Gleason offered sweeping views of the area, but I couldn’t figure out which distance peak was Mendenhall.
I had considered camping at Messenger Flats just below Mt. Gleason, or perhaps farther at the North Fork Ranger Station for the night. Messenger Flats did look like a really nice place, with healthy pines, tables, and bathrooms. The lure of showers, however, pushed me towards Acton’s Kamp of America (KOA), and so I flew right on past the Flats.
The vistas spread before me on the north side of Mt. Gleason were incredible. The desert land looked so barren, but the mountains, hills, and valleys created a dynamic texture against the blue sky. Around 17 miles into the day, I reached the North Fork Ranger Station. It provided tables, bathrooms and a map of the entire Angeles National Forest. It was fun and so rewarding to look at the map and see how much of that land I’d already walked through.
Water cache provided by the ranger at the North Fork Station
Map at the North Fork Ranger Station
It was a long downhill hike towards Soledad Canyon. My feet, hips, and shoulders were aching from the mileage I was pushing for, but the views and wildflowers made up for the aches and pains. Since I had cell phone reception, I got to talk to my brother for about 30 minutes during the remaining downhill miles. Talking to him while in the middle of nowhere lifted my spirits!
Section D wildflowers
Reaching the Kamp of America felt like a milestone. I was excited to set up camp on luxuriously flat grass and bathe in the hot KOA showers. The office was already closed when I arrived, but I found a couple of PCT section hikers who’d already set-up their tent and I just camped near them. Just by coincidence, they were hiking the exact same section as me, from Mill Creek Station to Hiker Town.
Soledad Canyon, home of the Santa Clara River and the Acton KOA
23 million year-old rock formations of Soledad Canyon
Their names were Lynn and Patty, or 3-Guy and Glow in the Dark, respectively. It turns out I had actually read about Patty in Muk Muk’s post about crossing the Mojave Desert. In 2013, another hiker named UB- oddly enough, the same UB who had been three days north of me from Hiker Town to Tehachapi- had arranged for a Glow in the Dark night hike to honor Patty’s fight against cancer. She earned her trail name just after she began radiation treatment and joked about being so radiated that she could probably glow in the dark!
At the Acton Kamp of America (KOA)
Patty and Lynn regularly blog about their fun and informative PCT section hiking and on hiking with cancer. You can check it out at the McShapPCTJournal website.
(R-L) 3-Guy, Glow in the Dark, and me
After I hastily threw up my tent and showered (using hand soap from the sink and paper towels to dry off), I joined Lynn and Patty for dinner. I cooked a home-assembled miso noodle soup for dinner and Patty made smores for dessert. We chatted for most of the night about everything from trail life to real life. It was delightful meeting such fun, intelligent, and like-minded people!
I fell asleep that night to the sound of a nearby boy scout troop, KOA golf carts, and the roars of African lions from the local wildlife preserve.
Day 2: 18.3 miles
Since I’d hiked so many miles the day before, I allowed myself to take time in the morning. Patty and Lynn packed up early, hoping to put in a fair amount of miles. The very last bit of Section D takes the trail through the Santa Clara Riverbed and past some interesting rock formations. Somewhere in this area, the Golden Spike ceremony took place in 1993 to commemorate the completion of building the entire Pacific Crest Trail.
The Santa Clara Riverbed
I see faces. #CarrieWatson
The trail was dry and winding all the way to Highway 14. After about seven miles, I finally caught up to Glow in the Dark and 3-Guy. I’ve got to say, it’s been really fun having other hikers on the trail with me. As a section hiker, I don’t often run into many PCT hikers, let alone repeatedly!
View of Hwy 14 near Agua Dulce
Glow in the Dark and 3-Guy along the PCT
Vasquez Rocks County Park was really stunning. Day hikers abounded, but it didn’t take away from the striking beauty of the massive 25 million year-old rock formations the trail winds through. The park is named for Tiburcio Vasquez, a bandit who hid out in the rocks from 1873-74.
3-Guy and Glow in the Dark at Vasquez Rocks
I refilled my water bottles at the drinking fountain- which, by the way, is shared with the horses. They have a separate little spigot with a nose pedal. When the horses press the pedal with their noses, the water pours out for them. Indeed, they appeared to be enjoying playing with the pedals!
Water fountain at Vasquez Rocks
Just past Vasquez Rocks County Park, Agua Dulce provided the comforts of Sweetwater Cafe. I ordered a giant salad, sandwich, and iced tea, which were all delicious. The waitress was surprised to see any PCT hikers coming through in March because the thru-hiker herd usually passes through Agua Dulce in late April. I hung around for about an hour hoping Lynn and Patty might catch-up, but they seemed to have taken their time back at the Park.
Agua Dulce, Ca
Officially entering Section E of the PCT brought me to Mint Canyon and a very long climb out of it. I was aiming for a campsite just at the top of the ridge, which would put me near Bear Spring. The hillsides in this stretch were as green as Ireland and covered with wildflowers.
Trail Registry in Mint Canyon near mile 458.5
Section E Wildflowers
The wind began to kick up just as I pulled out my tent. Looking up questioningly at the sky, I wondered if the storm I had escaped near Tehachapi would be back with a vengence tonight. I secured my tent in what seemed to be the most protected spot on the ridge and placed big rocks on the tent stakes.
Campsite just above Bear Spring
It rained on and off throughout the night, but it was merely a spattering in comparison to what I will now refer to as the Piute Mountains Incident. I curled up with my hot water bottle and enjoyed a dinner of Mountain House’s Beef Chilli Mac before falling asleep.
Day 3: 22 miles to Lake Hughes
I awoke to one of the most beautiful mornings. The rain clouds from the night before, now empty of their moisture, hung lightly in the canyons of Soledad and Agua Dulce.
Looking toward Bouquet Canyon Reservoir and the burned/closed area
Bear Spring
Just after refilling my bottles at Bear Spring, I began to encounter more and more people. Some were camping, most others were trail running in preparation for the Leona Divide 50/50 Race. There is a bench along the PCT dedicated to the man who mapped out the Leona Divide Race, which made an excellent rest spot.
The trail was relatively flat, but didn’t inspire me much. Maybe I’m just not that into chaparral, or maybe it was because the trail didn’t offer many views in this section, but I felt bored. I hurried past the Oasis Water Cache, which is usually stocked with fun things like juice, soda, chips, etc. Once I noticed it was empty, I moved on. I guess I’m just too early in the season for those kinds of treats.
The famous Oasis Cache of Section E
The Powerhouse fire of 2013 burned 30,000 acres and has closed the PCT from San Francisquito Road at mile 478.5 to Pine Canyon Road at mile 511. As a detour, I had to depart the trail an San Francisquito Road and road walk seven miles to Lake Hughes. I planned on staying at The Rock Inn for the night and then would road walk the remaining fourteen miles to Hiker Town on Hwy 138.
The road walk was actually really lovely. There were great views, interesting homes, and curious livestock to great along the way. I got numerous odd looks entering the Inn with my backpack, everyone in the restaurant seemed to be either a local or a biker. The Inn staff were incredibly hospitable and immediately made sure I was comfortably set up with a room. Since my Kindle broke at some point during the Piute Mountains Incident, I grabbed a random book from the Inn’s library and made my way downstairs for dinner.
The Rock Inn of Lake Hughes, Ca
Waiting for my burger and beer, I heard a familiar laugh coming form the bar and couldn’t quite believe that the man I was looking at was actually a friend and colleague from back home. I texted Tony, “Are you at a bar in Lake Hughes?” Two minutes later, I see Tony’s head pop and swivel around like a meerkat’s. We had a good laugh at the unbelievable coincidence of running into each other in a place so far removed from home, we might as well be in China! Turns out, Tony was rehearsing with a friend, Chalo, who lives in Lake Hughes. Rounds of tequilla, story telling, and music making followed through the night.
Chalo, Tony, and me at The Rock Inn
Day 4: 14.2 miles to Hiker Town
The last morning of this trip brought me a massive breakfast at the Inn and the joy of meeting two more PCT hikers and the famous Trail Angel Terry Anderson. Terry and her husband host hikers a couple of miles down San Francisquito Road in the opposite direction from Lake Hughes at their home, Casa de Luna. Two section hikers from North Carolina, Susan and her dad, had decided to stay with the Anderson’s for the night and then got a ride into Lake Hughes for breakfast. I had actually meet Susan and her dad the previous day near the Oasis Cache. They were adorable and fun, and Terry’s knowledge and enthusiasm was wonderful.
Breakfast at The Rock Inn
Trail Angel Terry Anderson, “Dad,” me, and Susan
The road walk to Hiker Town was nice, but I did miss the trail. Looking at the burnt hillsides, I could tell that absolutely nothing had survived the fire, and that meant there were no roots holding the soil together. If the trail had been open to PCT hikers, there would be tremendous erosion by the foot traffic and absolutely no shade.
Lake Hughes road walking
Approaching Hwy 138 and the Mojave Desert
I had originally started this hiking trip with plans of heading from Hiker Town north to Kennedy Meadows. A small, but powerful storm dissuaded me from that goal and it gave me the opportunity to be creative and flexible in my approach to the trail. Instead of the 184 miles I had intended, I hiked 160 miles, saw some lands I had never seen, revisited some familiar turf, meet new friends, and was the recipient of great, great generosity. I hope I can continue to carry the gratefulness, awe, and spontaneity this trip has brought me for years to come.
I’ve been told that my hike will rarely go to plan, and to always expect the unexpected. That’s what makes it an adventure! I began this trip expecting to hike from Hiker Town to Kennedy Meadows, but that’s not what happened at all.
Sabrina fixing my backpack
Yet again, my dearest friend Sabrina rose to the title of Trail Angel. After cooking dinner and helping me pack the night before, she followed me hundreds of miles all the way to Kennedy Meadows. We left my car there by the trail and then she dropped me off at Hiker Town on the western side of the Mojave Desert.
Day 1: 14.5 miles
Hiker Town isn’t actually a town, it’s just the quirky home of a couple of Trail Angels who’ve built a fabricated western town for hikers passing through. Debbie, a Hiker Town caretaker, told us a previous hiker, trailname UB, had reported there being no water at all between Hiker Town and Tehachapi. It seemed odd for there to be no water in the two natural sources just after the recent rains. Rather than take the chance of dehydrating, I decided to carry 12 liters of water- that’s 26-1/2 pounds!
Sidenote: I first heard of UB while reading Muk Muk’s blog on hiking the PCT in 2013. It was totally cool, then, to be hiking three days behind him!
Walking along the open LA Aqueduct
Since I was starting late and carrying so much more weight that I had ever before in my life, I didn’t expect to put in as many miles as I had planned for the day. After making a few calls to parents and Art, I hiked along the open Los Angeles aqueduct for a couple of miles. It was so pretty having the open water right next to the trail, it’s a shame that couldn’t last.
Walking along the spillway pipe
The trail next followed a spillway pipe that was fun to walk along and gave me great views of the surrounding desert. This section of trail cuts along the most western reaches of the Mojave Desert before it climbs up into the Tehachapi mountains. When I came upon what looked like an old outhouse, I checked it out as a shady place to rest. Low and behold, there were three liters of water cached inside! Since the building seemed clean and didn’t smell at all, I got comfortable on the floor and relaxed in the cool of the stone building. I drank one liter of the cached water, quietly thanking whoever had put it there.
A random place for a rest
My pack was so heavy with water that I was moving at maybe a mile and half per hour, which is slow for me! I had to stop and rest every thirty minutes. When I’m struggling that much, I start having second thoughts about whether I’m doing things right or not. Will I have enough water to carry me through at the rate I’m going? Do I have TOO MUCH water and it’s slowing me down more than necessary? Most hikers choose to night-hike this section to avoid the heat and water issues. Even though I was hiking during the day, it still wasn’t as hot as it would be when the thru-hikers come in May.
There were a few buildings in this lonesome corner of the desert. I couldn’t help but wonder what people did out here, other than own cheap land. One of the buildings turned out to be a gun club and, as I passed and waved, two men invited me in for lunch!
Steve and Vic were an earthy couple of gun-lovin’ dudes who were delighted to brighten my day with a hot dog, soda, and clementines. We talked for an hour about the aqueduct’s history and how I shouldn’t be out alone because the lions or snakes would get me. They joked about giving me a loaner gun for the trip. When Steve asked how my father felt about me hiking alone, I told him my dad doesn’t really give me his opinion, and just seems to let me do what I want. He replied saying, “He’s probably too proud to let you know how frightened he really is about you doing this.”
Walking along Aqueduct Road, and atop the concrete sealed LA Aqueduct.
Vic and Steve at the Gun Club
I felt so refreshed after the Gun Club lunch, and so full that I didn’t think I’d eat dinner later. As the day went on, I saw only a couple of cyclists and dirt bikers. The cyclists and I talked briefly about the trail and they told me about meeting Heather “Anish” Anderson, a lady hiker who attempted to set a PCT speed record last year.
Joshua Tree
My body was aching so much by that evening and I decided to just set up camp on the side of the dirt road. I made sure to find a spot with a view of the twinkling windmill lights and hopefully a bit protected from any nighttime wind. Indeed, I didn’t eat anything else that night because I was too full from the hot dog. I was stoked to see I had excellent cell phone reception, so I called my parents and Art.
Just before falling asleep, I heard voices in the distance. Immediately, all exhausted evaporated. Images of drunk bikers going for a nighttime joy ride in the desert flashed through my head. I turned out my little lantern and hoped maybe they wouldn’t see my tent in the dark. The next morning, I realized it must’ve been the cycling couple speeding by on their way home.
Camping near mile 532
Day 2: 16.5 miles
Sunrise in the desert
I awoke to a beautiful sunrise and made myself breakfast. I’m not a big fan of oatmeal, but Trader Joe’s makes a really yummy multigrain hot cereal that I haven’t gotten sick of yet! I was determined to climb out of the desert that day and so aimed for the top of the mountain ridge near mile 548 for my camp that evening.
Trader Joe’s Multigrain Hot Cereal
The walk through the windmills and Joshua Trees was really incredible. Some people may poo-poo having to walk through flat, dry desert and pass giant man-made structures, but I found it fascinating. The windmills had an elegance to them that reminded be of massive wildflowers spattered across the valley floor and hillsides.
Cottonwood Creek Bridge
A water cache usually maintained by the Hiker Town Angels
Trail yogurt
Since food is one of my favorite elements parts of backpacking, I just had to try my hand at making some trail yogurt. It was so easy and exceptionally tasty! I’ll soon post on How to Make Yogurt on the Trail for those who are interested.
A “cup of gold”
Hipbone and spine of … an antelope?
It was a long climb out of the valley and up into the foothills, especially because I’d lost the lid to my stove and had to backtrack to find it. It felt great to finally reach the creek in Tylerhorse Canyon. I wasn’t sure if I’d find water there because the previous hiker, UB, had told the Hiker Town peeps there wasn’t any. Well, either he missed it completely (which I doubt) or there was some kind of miscommunication between him and Debbie, but Tylerhorse Canyon had a sweet little stream of water cutting through it. Anyhow, the canyon’s Coulter pines and junipers offered a lovely spot to relax and wash my dusty feet.
Climbing out of the valley
A trail registry in the middle of nowhere
I had a hard time taking my mind off how heavy my pack was and how much further I needed to hike for the day. So, I decided to check out for an hour or so with my iPod. I’m totally hooked on the Stuff You Should Know (SYSK) podcasts, but I only listen to them or music when I’m really struggling mentally. I usually enjoy the quiet of a solo hike, plus my mind is chatty enough to fill that silence. I also think it’s important to listen for animal sounds.
Lupin wildflowers
My solar charger, velcroed to the top of my pack
I climbed up and over one set of hills and then up, up, up another 1,600 feet to the ridge at the top. It gave an incredible view of the valley below and I set up my tent for another great view of the windmills and city lights. When I get lonely or scared, it’s comforting to look out on some little bit of human civilization.
View towards the Mojave Desert
The Tehachapi Mtns. are famous for fierce wind
I settled in for the night with a Mountain House Beef Stroganoff- one of the few prepackaged camp meals I’ll eat- and a cup of tea. I felt dehydrated and after counting my remaining liters of water, I determined I hadn’t drunk nearly enough for the day.
Since I still had reception and a fully charged battery, I decided to try to make a phone call or two. While waiting for responses to my text messages, my phone completely died. I tried everything I could think of to bring it back to life: restarting it, popping out the battery and warming it up, charging it with my external battery. Nothing worked on it, and I immediately burst into tears. I suppose the day of carrying too much water and not drinking enough of it had worn me down, and I had just found my breaking point! I thought about how I wouldn’t be able contact my trail angel, Christy, in Tehachapi, or take any more pictures and videos. It was so depressing! I told myself to stop crying or I’d run out of tissue, and then I’d really have a problem!
I gave up on the phone, tossed back my tea, and put myself to bed as quickly as possible. I knew that somehow everything would work out the next day and I stared out at the twinkling lights of civilization as I fell asleep.
The view from my tent
Camping near mile 548.5
Day 3: 10 miles to Cameron Canyon Road
Since my phone was as dead as a dodo, I have no pictures or videos of hiking from mile 548 to Cameron Canyon Road, but it was an incredible day all the same. My mood was greatly elevated when I woke the next morning. My hike was almost entirely flat or downhill, wound in and out of junipers and pine trees, and offered views of both Oak Creek Canyon and the Mojave Desert.
After about six miles, I sat myself down near a dried up water source called Tiger Tank. As I snacked on fruit leather and gazed out over the green Oak Creek Canyon, I heard a sudden thundering behind. I turned, thinking for sure there was a rock slide. To my amazement, I saw two wild stallions charging downhill straight towards me. They stopped just eight or ten feet from me behind the Tiger Tank barbed wire fence and immediately began bucking, biting, and whinnying. Their fight was so ferocious I stood up and wondered if I should yell or throw water at them, as if they were fighting cats. One horse was knocked to the ground and the other bolted over the hill. The first horse stumbled up to standing, turned, and stared at me, as if to say, “What are YOU looking at?!” He then breezily trotted over the opposing hill out of sight. It turns out one of the last remaining herds of wild horses, descended from the original Spanish horses, live in Oak Creek Canyon. I counted over thirty as I hiked the rest of the morning.
Before I left for this trip, I had pre-arranged to send a resupply box to Christy Rosander (trailname Rockin’) in Tehachapi. We had also agreed that I would text her when I was close to Hwy 58 and she’d come pick me up. Since my phone was completely dead and wouldn’t charge at all, I jumped at the opportunity to beg for help from a technician working on a windmill. We managed to get a message out to Christy, but after I was 20 minutes down the trail, I realized I had completely mixed up the distances and time-frame for her to pick me up. Argh!
As I approached Cameron Canyon Road, I could see a single car parked near the trailhead, and I thought maybe I could catch that person and use his or her cell phone. Tumbling down the hill to the trailhead, I almost ran striaght into Sam. Trail Angel Sam (trailname Tortoise) stocks the water cache at Cameron Canyon Road and was overjoyed to help me. In fact, before I could even ask for help, he greeted me with an enthusiastic, “Are YOU a PCT hiker?!?” He insisted on taking me into town, and even though I had eight more miles to go before reaching Highway 58 I agreed. I was eager to make things as simple as possible for Christy, so if Sam wanted to help out, too, that was great! I’ve since decided I’d come back and day hike the section between Hwy 58 and Cameron Canyon.
Trail Angel Sam “Tortoise” and me at Kohnen’s Bakery
Sam drove me into town and treated me to a Saladwich at the incredible Kohnen’s County Bakery. We talked about the trail and I learned his interest in the PCT was a new romance, and like all new romances, he just couldn’t ge enough. He’s planning on section hiking the entire trail, starting with Kern County. You can read about Sam’s PCT adventures on the Tehachapi Loop, where he’s writing a series of articles for the newspaper. Little did Sam know at the time, howl much PCT he was going to get himself into when he met me!
The amazing Chef Dan
Christy arrived shortly after and, even though it was our first time meeting, I immediately felt she was a kindred spirit. I’d already read so much about her from her blog, Lady on a Rock, that I really did feel like I knew her already. She wasted no time and whisked me away on the errands I needed to do. First, I need more fuel from Big 5, as I’d decided my new quilt wasn’t warm enough and that I’d be needing to boil more water to use my hot water bottle for warmth. Next, we needed to figure out why my phone wasn’t working. We tried the little Verizon store in Tehachapi, but it turned out the phone (brand new, mind you) had some programming error from the factory and needed to be completely replaced. Christy drove me 45 miles to Bakersfield so I could replace the phone. <3 THANK YOU, CHRISTY!!
That evening Christy’s husband, Dan, made an incredible shrimp pasta and salad dinner, complete with a decadent chocolate and fruit dessert. We talked about adventures, family, and life. Christy also helped me figure out water sources for the next section between Hwy 58 and Kennedy Meadows. We said “Goodnight” and I went to sort out gear and food for the next eight days.
Organizing my food for the next 8 days
Day 4: 16.8 miles to Golden Oak Spring
The next morning, we realized my new phone hadn’t charged because the connecting cable was broken. ARGH, AGAIN!! Christy took me to Walgreens at 7am to buy a new cable, then we sat in Starbucks waiting for the phone to charge. She is truly the most patient Angel.
Christy “Rockin” Rosander and me
She dropped me off at Hwy 58 and we talked briefly about the light rain showers Tehachapi was expecting for the next afternoon. After a big “Goodbye and thank you” hug, I teetered down the trail feeling really good about the next section.
The trail was long and exposed all the way to the top of the ridge, but the views were wonderful. I was lucky not to have the infamous wind that usually catches hikers on this stretch. The incessant and fierce wind is caused by the temperature difference between the hot Mojave Desert and the cooler coastal air.
Looking south towards Hwy 58 and Mojave
Sprouting plants that looked way too much like snakes
The trail heading up north from Highway 58 marks the beginning of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range for the PCT. To me, it’s exceptionally exciting because I love those high and dramatic mountain climbs and views. Straight from the guidebook:
“The charm of this section lies not only in its diversity of flora, but also in the unobstructed views of rows of sharp ridges and deep valleys, of sprawling desert lands and distant peak silhouettes, of faraway pockets of populated, sometimes historic enclaves, of evidence of the human quest for riches and energy to power our lifestyles.” -Schifrin, et al. Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California.
Entering the forest high above the desert
Windmills
A lush, green trail
Reaching the top of the ridge delivered me to an entirely different world. I was surrounded by a forest of pines. Before the spread of European civilization, the Native people of Kawaiisu lived off these mountains, hunting and gathering all the way to the South Fork Kern River Valley. As the trail wound around the Sweet Ridge and Cache Peak, I could see peaks in the distance, but I had no idea I was viewing Olancha Peak, Pointy Owens Peak, Mt. Jenkins, and even Mount Whitney, far, far in the distance.
This area used to support native bighorn sheep, but they were wiped out by domestic sheep infected with scabies in the early 20th century. Mountain lions, bobcats, mule deer, and black bear still roam those mountains, and I could see their signs now and again on the trail.
Golden Oak Spring
Refilling my water bottles took 3 min per liter
As the wind was starting to pick up, and my feet were aching, I was glad to finally reach Golden Oak Spring. It was a mucky mess, but the spring water flowing from the pipe was clear and clean. I walked up hill from the spring to find better camping and happened upon what looked like a campsite next to a dirt road for 4WD vehicles. I scouted for the most protected spot I could find and battened down the hatches! I placed large rocks on top of each of my stakes, knowing the winds frequently reach 60 or more mph in this area (that’s why they put in the windmills). I fell asleep after a dinner of Pea Soup and listening to the happy little frogs down the hill at the spring.
Camp near Golden Oak Spring
Day 5: 12.7 miles
The wind blew all night and the rain began around 2 or 3am, but my little Zpacks tent held up. The rain didn’t surprise me, since I had been expecting a few hours of showers. I was a little surprised to see it was still raining when I prepared to pack-up at 7:30am. Packing up in the rain is tricky, especially when your only rain protection, in this case, a Zpacks poncho, doubles as your ground cover.
By the time I had packed up my dripping tent, my legs and feet were already wet through. (My poncho covered only my upper body.) I struggled to get the poncho wrapped around both my body AND my pack, which it was designed to do, but it’s tricky without a friend to pull it over your pack for you.
Hail starting to come down
Indian Paintbrush wildflowers
All morning, I hiked in and out of the storm. Strong winds, rain and hail alternated with peaceful sprinkles and patches of lifted clouds, sometimes even a bit of blue sky showed through. Around 10am, I thought for sure the storm was passing, so I wasn’t terribly concerned about how wet and cold I felt or about how much battery I was using on my phone. As long as I kept moving, I felt warm enough and I assumed the sun would come out soon enough to charge my phone.
Beautiful stormy clouds
I crossed paths with some cows who were taking protection amongst some low scrub oaks, and still felt really good about hiking up into the higher elevations.
Only an hour or so later, the winds picked up and the sky darkened again. I yelled out loud to the sky, “I get the point! You’re the king of this mountain! So, pass on through already!” The stormy sky could care less, of course. The winds were so strong, I had to take refuge behind a rock, pulling as much of myself into my poncho as I could to take a snack break.
A very chilly break
Climbing higher brought on a deeper cold and the rain turned again to hail. My fingers and toes were getting dangerously numb, so I hoofed it to a campsite at mile 593. The hail started to pound down upon me like marbles dumped from a bucket, so I threw up my tent under a tree as quickly as I could.
Once inside the tent, I changed into my wool base layers, unpacked my down quilt, and boiled water for my MSR hot water bottle. I warmed up as I peered outside and watched the earth turn white. I was tempted to take a video, but my phone battery was down to 50% and I had no way to recharge it without the sun. (I couldn’t use my external battery to charge it either, because it mysteriously decided to stop working! ARGH! ARGH! ARGHH!!!!)
Covered in hail
After sitting for an hour inside my tent, the hail stopped and the clouds seemed to lift a bit. I packed up and aimed for Hamp’s Pass or, better yet, Robin Bird Spring nine miles away. Not fifteen to twenty minutes after I left camp, the wind picked up again. It seemed to be playing with me all day. Snow began to fall quickly and surprisingly soon it was three and four inches deep. I only managed to hike for another couple of miles, having to intermittently stop to warm up my fingers and toes.
The trail shortly past camp at mile 593 around 2pm
Around 4:30 or 5pm, the wind became so fierce that I would lose my balance with each gust and my visibility was down to ten or twelve feet. The snow was now above my ankles and my fingers and toes were so numb, I became worried about frostbite. I decided to set up camp at the very next place I could find, and settled on a spot just about a mile or so from Hamp’s Pass. I cleared the snow from a spot beneath some smaller pine trees, hoping they’d offer some protection. Thunder clapped all around as if it were taunting me about an approaching finish line. I struggled to get my tent up in the wind with my fingers frozen inside my wet gloves.
The moment the tent seemed stable enough, I threw my pack and body inside and stripped down to get out of my wet pants, shoes, and socks. Once unpacked, I boiled more water for the hot water bottle, all the while dancing and wiggling as much as I could inside my down quilt. I shifted gear around here and there in the tent to protect certain things from getting wetter and using other things as barriers to the wind and wet coming in through the bug netting bottom of my tent.
I didn’t sleep more than 45 minutes total that night. With each massive gust of air, it sounded like the chariots of the gods themselves were flying over me. I had to hold onto my trekking pole (which held up my tent), bracing it against the wind so my tent wouldn’t collapse. Every hour I boiled more water and placed the water bottle in my quilt to stay warm. [This would’ve been an excellent opportunity for some drama in my video blogging, but my phone battery was too low.]
Later, I checked the weather for Tehachapi and did a bit of math, taking into account the trail’s additional 2,000 feet of elevation. I believe the temperature up on the mountain was 30°F that night, with wind gusts at 40 mph, and a wind chill of 17-13°F.
Day 6: 9 miles to Jawbone Canyon
The next morning the wind was still howling, but the temperature seemed warmer. I packed up and aimed for Jawbone Canyon Road. I had examined my maps the night before and decided that Jawbone, being a different color then the other dirt roads, would be my best chance for an exit route, should I need one. My plan was to hike for the morning and see how the weather developed.
Putting on my wet hiking clothes was the worst. I felt so cold with the wind pelting me and had a hard time warming up even as I hiked. Very quickly my toes and fingers were numb again, and I shook them madly as I hiked to try to get some warmth into them. There came a point when the winds almost knocked me off the side of the mountain again, and I couldn’t bend my wrists because they were so cold. I was scared and knew I had two options: either set up camp to warm-up and wait for the storm to pass or exit as quickly as possible.
Since there was no way to know how large this storm actually was, or how much snow may have been dumped on the mountains ahead of me, I decided I needed to exit at Jawbone Canyon Road. I also made the decision to push the “Non-emergency HELP” button on my SPOT device, hoping that either Sabrina or Art would see me on the road and drive out for me. [Later, I learned my “HELP” request never even reached them. I’ll be contacting SPOT about that one.]
Descending out of the clouds along Jawbone Cyn Rd.
Reaching Jawbone, I guessed that turning left would take me deeper into the mountains and turning right would take me lower toward the desert. Right, it was! As soon as I stepped onto the other side of the mountain and into slightly lower elevations, the snow and wind evaporated. It was a whole other world outside of the cloud!
I walked about three miles down the dirt road and hobbled up to the only cabin with a vehicle in front, calling out greetings as I approached. An intimidating gentleman in his sixties came out and approached me with suspicion. I had been tough as nails the night before, but as I started explaining to him my situation and that I needed some help getting out to a town, I burst into tears and could barely speak. His wife came out, invited me inside, and made me coffee.
🙁
Looking back on the storm cloud the morning after
Their names were Richard and Dee and they manage the cabins on the Piute Nature Preserve. They live off the grid and are quite happy to be far away from everyone else in the world. They were tough, as people would be living out there, but they were so kind to me. They Skyped their daughter, who called Trail Angel Sam in Tehachapi. Sam drove all the way out to rescue me from the canyon and brought me back to Tehachapi to regroup and replan my hike. He assured me it was to his benefit to come out and explore the area so that he knew where all the PCT access points were.
Sam’s spirit carvings
“Harvey, the camper”
Sam and I decided that if I were to continue hiking while the next couple of storms went through, I needed to go to lower elevations. I stayed that night in a camper named “Harvey” in Sam and Claudia’s backyard, and early the next morning I was off to Mill Creek Station on the Angeles Forest Highway to hike Sections D and E.
Without the help of Sam, Richard, Dee and Christy I would’ve been in some serious dilemmas. I cannot thank all of them enough for their generosity and compassion. Over and over again, the trail teaches me how wonderful the world is and how incredible people can be! And, in addition to being better prepared for nasty weather, this hike has become a grand lesson in gratefulness.
[Disclaimer: This is not one of my happier journal entries. In fact, it’s a bit of downer!]
Saying goodbye to Pepper
With a four-day weekend in February and the weather looking good, I wasn’t about to waste any days I could spend hiking. So, the night before Valentines day, Art followed me all the way to Silverwood Lake where we left my car. We then drove over to Big Bear Lake and stayed the night in the charming Vintage Resort. Our room had a fire in the fireplace going as we walked in the door, after midnight, and included a waffle breakfast the next morning. I highly recommend them!
No. 6- Big Bear to Silverwood Lake, 2014
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Highway 18 near Big Bear: 34.290552, -116.802349
Silverwood Lake: 34.289045, -117.365870
Day 1: 18 miles
Art dropped me off at the Highway 18 PCT crossing near Baldwin Lake. Despite the beautiful weather, the grand vistas, and the knowledge that this shouldn’t be a terribly difficult hike, I didn’t feel great hitting the trail. It’s rare that Art and I both have time off because of our weird work schedules and I chose to spend the weekend hiking instead of hanging out with him. He would’ve hiked with me if he didn’t have to return to work on Sunday.
View towards the southern reaches of the Mojave Desert
The trail began at 7,000 feet with views of the southern end of the Mojave Desert. It was a toasty warm day, and since the PCT Water Report hadn’t been updated on several of the water sources for this section, my backpack was heavy with water. The birds were wonderful all along this section, called Nelson Ridge. I have no idea what kind of birds they were, if they were having a normal day or a really great day, but they were all twittering, trilling, and cooing to each other. I kept stopping just to listen to them!
Sign for Doble Camp
Just before the climb over Gold Mountain began, I passed the trial for Doble Camp, named for the old mine just uphill from it. Gold Mountain was the only bit of uphill I had to do on this trip- which, honestly, felt kinda weird.
Rocky trail, climbing Gold Mountain
View towards the dry lakebed of Baldwin Lake
Baldwin Lake is named after the owner of Doble Mine, Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin. The Wilderness Press PCT Guidebook offers an excellent history of the Goldrush fever that spread over the San Bernardinos in the 1860’s and ’70’s. The short of it is, after the discovery of placer gold (small bits of gold found in creek and hillside deposits) in Holcomb Valley, the San Bernardinos were overrun with panners for about a decade. Miners soon moved in, too, searching for the “Mother Load,” or the source of all the placer gold, deep in the mountains. Doble mine was one of the many mines which never did find the “Mother Load” and recoup their investors’ millions.
Since the west coast has received so little rain this season, I was pleased to find at least a few patches of snow here and there. The lack of snow has definitely made hiking more accessible for me during the winter months, but I’m worried the water resources will be all dried up by the time the thru-hiker herd moves through later this Spring.
Caribou Creek
A tiny bit of snow
Caribou Creek was delightfully sweet and a surprise! I hadn’t expected it to have any water at all, so I’d carried plenty of water to get me all the way to Holcomb Creek. It was just a little run of water under a tiny little bridge, but it was enough to lift up my mood. I could’ve sunbathed and napped there on the bridge all day, it was so lovely!
The more I hiked this day, the more depressed I got. The scenery was really lovely and the hiking was pretty easy, but I really missed Art. It was the first time I’ve ever really felt lonely on the trail.
An unexpected little picnic table
View north towards Arrastre Falt
The ghost town of Belleville lies sleeping somewhere near Arrastre Flat. It was errected as a prospectors camp during the Goldrush and was apparently one tough place, with a recorded 40 men dying by either hanging or gun fight. Political affiliations in the Civil War were a touchy subject for the prospectors and numerous fights to the death ensued. The town’s notable spots (building foundations, graves, the hanging tree, etc.) are spread out between Van Duessen Road, named for the town’s blacksmith, and Holcomb Road, named for William Holcomb who first discovered the placer gold. The town itself was named after the first baby born there, the blacksmith’s daughter, Belle.
At the crossroads for Bertha Peak
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake
Reaching the view of Big Bear Lake had me almost on the point of tears. By this time I was really lonely, and I had only been dropped off a couple of hours prior! I know that if I called, Art could easily come pick me up. I could’ve hiked down Cougar Crest Trail to wait for him in Big Bear, saying “To Hell with these shenanigans!” I could even just have called to say “hi,” but I didn’t. I knew that even dailing his number would probably turn on the water works, so I left my phone in the hip belt pocket and carried on.
Junction for Cougar Crest Trail
Cougar Crest
Trail marker
Sometimes I think hiking is all I can do to feel better when I’m miserable on the trail. Since I’m usually alone, there’s no one to talk to or complain to or joke with, no one to play cards with- maybe I should learn solitaire- no one to play silly, little games with me. There’s no escaping my emotions- wherever I go, there I am- and I have to talk myself out of those spirals of darkness before I make myself too miserable. After all, I’m the only company I’ve got!
Some good advice…
Arriving at Polique Canyon Road, I was greeted by two very small hikers. The older one was incredibly social, the other incredibly shy. To my delight, the social one offered me a bagel and warned me to look out for Sasquatches- yes, plural. He was pretty charming.
A quary
I continued along the trail, climbing lower and lower through a previously burned area. I was determined not to feel lonely, and all that determination channeled into hiking towards Little Bear Spring Camp.
I decided that camping at Little Bear Spring would be colder than up on the hillside, so I started keeping an eye out for a flat spot to camp somewhere on the hill before Little Bear. I passed an AMAZING campsite, but decided to pass it up in the effort to put in a few more miles. I do this quite often when I’m hiking alone. There’s something about hiking with a partner that makes me go easy on the mileage. I always want them to really enjoy their campsite, plus if you set-up camp with daylight to burn, it’s always more fun with a buddy.
I settled myself on a nice lookout around mile 283.75. It had been cleared already by the last fire to pass through the forest, so I just had to level out the dirt a bit. This took forever because there seemed to be little gopher holes caving in whenever I moved the dirt. I set up my Zpacks Hexamid tent and settled in for the evening with a chicken and asparagus dinner from Paleo Meals To Go. (Their meals are pretty big, so at home I added dried brown rice and split it into two servings.) It would’ve been a delicious meal if I hadn’t forgotten I was supposed to add my own salt. I spent the rest of the evening staring at my maps and snacking on an apple, gummy bears, and gram cracker cookies.
Sunset from camp
An evening’s entertainment
Day 2: 19.75 miles to Deep Creek
Zpacks Hexamid Tent
I <3 my tent
The morning started off with a cup of tea and a Twix bar for breakfast (not the healthiest, but one of my favorites). I slept really well despite the super bright moon shining through my tent all night. I was glad I’d decided to camp up on the hill because at around 9:00 the night before several jeeps roared right past Little Bear Spring Camp on a dirt road and made their way up the other side of the canyon. I think if I’d been closer to the passing jeeps, it would’ve scared the beejeebers out of me.
I was feeling much better than the day before, not as sad and lonely. It’s probably just me, but there’s something about getting past that first day and night on the trail. After that, I wake up feeling strong, capable, and adjusted.
Little red berries
The only snow I saw all day.
Little Bear Spring Camp had a picnic table, an outhouse, and a horse corral. There were some really nice tent sites across the creek from the main camp.
Little Bear Spring Outhouse
Little Bear Spring Camp
From here on, almost the entire way to Mojave Forks, I would follow a creek: first Holcomb and later Deep Creek. Holcomb Creek was really beautiful. It had pines and willows along its banks, interesting rock formations, ducks and squirrels. There are apparently also beavers along Holcomb Creek who dam up the flow and flood Forest Route 3N93, but I didn’t see any.
Holcomb Creek
Road walking FR 3N93
Holcomb Creek
The trail diverged from the creek for a few miles and I could feel the heat start to get to me. Looking out over the chaparral to the north, I could see the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. It felt great to think about closing the gap between this trip and my previous PCT hikes in the San Gabriels, but I would have to do that another time.
LOVE fresh apples! (Compliments of The Vintage Resort.)
Looking toward Mt. Baldy
Holcomb Creek
Holcomb Creek
Naked break time
Near Crab Flats Road
It was so warm that I couldn’t wait to climb back down into the cool canyon of Holcomb Creek. In fact, when I finally reached it, I stripped down to go for a swim. The water was so icy cold I ended up only dipping my legs in and splashing it over the rest of myself. Feeling refreshed after my birdie bath, I sailed along the trail towards Bench Camp and Deep Creek.
Water plants
Holcomb Creek
Holcomb Crossing Group Campsite
The next several miles were really beautiful. There were tall pine trees and the creek was flowing well. I seemed to have gotten past my loneliness of the previous day and had found my stride.
Bench camp was a fairly large camp with spots for numerous tents. It also had a huge “You Are Here” map posted, which I thought was really random. It took me forever to figure out that “Here” was just a screw drilled into the map. It would’ve been a nice place to stay if it wasn’t the middle of the day and I wasn’t hoping to cover another ten or more miles for the day.
This made me laugh
An unnamed(?) Spring near Bench Camp
I came upon an older couple day hiking down from Lake Arrowhead Hospital. They had all sorts of questions about the trail and it was nice to have the company for a bit. They walked along with me for a while, but eventually they moved ahead because I was loaded down with my pack.
Deep Creek Footbridge
Deep Creek
As I approached the Deep Creek footbridge and Splinters Cabin, I could hear and see all sorts of off-roading activity. I had thought that maybe I’d stay at Splinter’s Cabin for the night, but seeing how many people were there, I decided to keep moving.
I could easily see where Deep Creek got it’s name: it had some of the deepest pools of water I’ve ever seen in a creek. No wonder people flock here to swim and fish for trout. It made me think of Art because his favorite thing about hiking is finding the best swimming holes. I had conflicted feelings about the trail being so far up the canyon walls from the creek. I wished I was closer so I could get a better look at the pools and maybe even go for a swim, but at the same time I knew that it was the inaccessilbity of Deep Creek that keeps it pristine.
Deep Creek
Since the trail along Deep Creek basically follows a narrow path just along the steep canyon walls of the creek, there really were no places to camp. I kept thinking that if I’d had my bivy sack, I’d have more possibilities; or I could just cowboy camp, if needed! I did manage to find one spot, and actually sat myself down on it for a while contemplating mileage. At that point, I knew if I squeezed in a bit more mileage, I could reach my car by the next day. I missed my honey and my dog- so that was motivation! I picked myself up and pushed on another couple of miles until I eventually found a spot wide enough for my tent. As the sun was just going down, I kicked the dirt around unti it was nice and flat, and threw up my shelter.
Inside the tent
An other worldly moonrise silhouetting a lone tree.
That evening I enjoyed some home dehydrated Trader Joe’s lentil soup- delicious! It’s one of my favorite trail dinners. To fill out the soup even more, I’ve started adding dehydrated veggies and potatoes. I layed around staring at maps, counting my food, and reading my Kindle until my lantern battery died. That was a bummer and put a stop on the evening’s entertainment until the moon started to rise. At first I thought there were car headlights on the canyon ridge, but soon that pearly orb crept up higher to perfectly silhouette a tree. I do believe it was the most beautiful moonrise I’ve ever seen in my life. I only wish my smartphone camera had been able to take a better picture.
Day 3: 25.75 miles to Silverwood Lake
Dawn at Deep Creek
With over 25 miles to cover before reaching my car, I packed up early, before the sun even rose. The glorious moon of the night before was still hanging in the sky with candy pink clouds as I set out along Deep Creek again.
Walking with the moon
Cotton Candy Pink Clouds
My next destination was the well attended Deep Creek Hot Springs. I was really looking forward to a soak in the hot springs, but I was pretty turned off by the amount of trash and human waste I came across as I approached the area. There might have been more than 30 people camped there for the holiday weekend, and you could tell they’d partied hard. Beer cans, food wrapers, and filthy towels were strewn about, and three dogs scavenged through it all for good pickings.
Deep Creek Hot Springs
I hung out long enough to filter water and chat with an old hippie about nothing being sacred or secret any more. It made me think hard about posting my trail journals online. It’s because of the internet that so many people now know about these special places and trails. It’s how I and so many others found out about the PCT in the first place- and now they estimate 1,000 people will attempt to hike the PCT this year! I only hope that my post, along with all the others out there, will inspire people not only to get out and experience these special places, but to treasure them enough to care for and respect them.
Another footbridge
Leaving the party and all the trash behind I pushed onward, only to be disappointed further in humanity. I past numerous graffiti on the canyon’s rocky walls and swimming holes. At this point, I’m trying hard to view it as historically cultural because if I view it the other way, I just get super pissed off. I also packed out a ridiculous amount of trash and plastic water bottles I picked up along the trail. Parts of the trail were incredibly eroded from the high numbers of people coming out for the swimming holes.
I thought about the San Bernardino Mountains and particularly the Deep Creek area being an oasis of nature amongst the urban sprawl of Southern California. With the population as high as it is in Southern California, the innate need humans have to be close to nature, and the accessiblity of wilderness being so limited, it’s no wonder these areas see the amount of use that they do. What I can’t get past is how people can value it enough to travel to and hike into it, but not enough to pack out their trash or save the spray cans for urban artwork.
Trail erosion on a side path leading to a swimming hole
Deep Creek
Leaving Deep Creek
I was relieved to finally leave Deep Creek. I have a hard time facing such overwhelmingly large problems (in my mind). I am often left feeling like any contribution I make would be so small in comparison to the overall issue.
Every now and again the Wilderness Press Guidbook can be pretty funny. While reading the section on the Mojave Forks spillway dam, I came across this: “This mammoth flood-control dam, over a mile long, is an example of overkill, since West Fork Mojave River and Deep Creek don’t have that much flow.” Later it mentions that the engineers must’ve been expecting a “flood of biblical proportions” to come down upon the valley.
Mojave Forks Dam
Mojave Forks Spillway
My faith in humanity had yet to be restored as I hiked along the creek bed. After having passed several signs about endangered toads living in the area, I couldn’t believe it when a 4WD truck roared its engines back and forth through the creek bed, the small children laughing with delight in the backseat. I briefly pictured myself the savior of dozens of arroyo southwestern toads by placing myself in the middle of the creek between the truck and it’s path. (Google them- they’re pretty cute!) Alas,I restrained myself from potentially being run over by a trashy family of ignorant specimens of modern humanity, and hiked onward to Highway 173.
15.4 miles to Silverwood Lake
Near Mojave Forks
It turns out there used to be a village called Atongai in just this area once belonging to the native Mojave people. It was first visited in 1776 by a padre of the de Anza expedition, which carved out a path from Arizona to present-day San Fransisco. Only a couple years after missionaries moved in and built a mission, these fierce people rose up and killed all of the missionaries. And now, years later, a huge pointless dam sits atop the village site.
Mojave Forks, looking toward Mt. Baldy
This last section turned out to be harder than the first day. Not only was I emotionally burnt at this point in the day, my feet were starting to hurt- which I wasn’t used to dealing with- and it was HOT! I’ve been lucky with my feet since I started section hiking the PCT. I’ve had only one blister in 337 miles and my feet almost never hurt. I think I just upped my mileage too fast on this short trip. I had orginally planned on doing the 63.5 miles over four days, but instead was doing it in three.
Hwy 173
Mojave Forks
Highway 173 had a modest beauty to it as it stretched across Summit Valley, the San Gabriels mounting on the horizon. The trail soon climbed enough to give a good view across the valley and remained almost entirely flat all the way to the Cedar Springs Dam. This led to a rather monotonous hike skirting the valley side. The monotony was broken only by a few encounters with little springs or tree shaded gullies.
A trailside spring- with a floating orange
A moment of shade
Grass Valley
As I was trying to put in the miles, I wasn’t stopping to rest much along this section. One of the few times I did, however, landed me right on top of a bee which stung me in the back of my thigh. Ugh.
Desert trail
Mojave Forks Reservoir (valley)
Cedar Springs Dam outlet
Just past Cedar Springs Dam, the trail climbs steeply up to Silverwood Lake. I felt really exhausted climbing over the hill and just as I stopped to rest for a bit, I found a tick on my chest. I yelled “To hell with this, I’m getting the f— out!” and I promptly hauled by butt over the hill.
Silverwood Lake
> : (
The view of Silverwood Lake was exceptionally rewarding, particularly because I knew my car was only a few miles away at this point. There were a few boats out on the lake and fishermen on the lake shore. Silverwood Lake is creased all around with little trails and dirt roads. As much as I tried, I couldn’t seem to stay on the PCT’s path. I somehow managed to find myself half way up a hill heading towards Highway 138. By then, however, I really didn’t care. I didn’t feel like turning around and continuing to fish for the trail, potentially adding more footsteps and hours to this trip. I ended up road walking back to the Silverwood Lake exit.
Silverwood Lake
Almost there!
Since my car was parked half a mile down the road to the campgrounds, I found the PCT again and hustled up over the last gentle hill I had for the day. I reached my car just as the sun went down and sped off toward Cajon Pass, where I knew a Subway sandwich shop awaited me. [Update: The allergies I thought I was suffering over this trip turned out to be a nasty cold. No wonder I was so cranky!]
Willet Hot Spring and camp: 34.575822, -119.050937
In 2011, Anna, Kevin and I spent three days exploring Sespe Gorge in the Los Padres’ Sespe Wilderness. It was an incredible 30-something mile hike and one of my earliest backpacking trips. We saw so many wonderful swimming holes and waterfalls, and visited both Willet and Sespe Hot Springs.
I broke my finger on the first day of this hike slipping on moss. It still turned out to be an amazing trip, particularly due to Kevin’s incredible knowledge of the Los Padres and his sense of adventure.
Heading into the Topa Topas
Overgrown trail
Anna
Tar Creek
Navigating through the boulders
Getting comfortable at our first night’s camp along the creek.
For the first time, I had a Carnations Instant Breakfast drink. Oh, delicious! Now I know what all the other hikers are going on about. I know it’s just that tasty because sugar is the number one ingredient. Oh, Sugar, why must you be such a great fuel for hikers and also be so bad for me? I’m starting to get sick of some of the food I’m eating. Some of it’s too healthy tasting, some of it’s too junky. I can’t even stand the amount of sugar on my dried pineapple anymore. I think I need more fats and protein, rather than carbs.
I had to ask myself today what it is I look forward to each day out here. I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated today and am not really inspired by my surroundings. The forest is lovely, but there isn’t was much diversity in shapes, colors, or textures out here. So, what is it I look forward to? I love the adventure and being outside. I really love coming across things of beauty like little wildflowers, bodies of water, or grand vistas. I like the exertion, until it hurts too much. I don’t mind being alone, until I get lonely or scared. Something is missing from today. I know learning how to deal with boredom and discomfort are part of the journey, but one never thinks it’ll be as mentally difficult as it really is.
It was exceptionally hot today. At every water source I came across, I stopped to soak my shirt before continuing on the hike. I carried extra water just so I could pour it over myself when the heat became unbearable.
There seems to be two groups of hikers: those that are putting in 20 to 27 miles each day and those that put in 27 to 32. I must be in the first group and not because I’m lazy. My feet just don’t want to walk more than 23 miles a day. Usually, the first few steps of the day are excruciating and, after about a tenth of a mile, they warmup and give in to the monotony of walking again. They often do great until after I hit mile twelve for the day, then they start asking me, “Are we there yet?” Then they just ache all afternoon until I get into camp. This is our normal routine. Whenever I put in more than 23 miles, however, my feet will hurt ALL THE NEXT DAY, from the very first step to the very last, and that makes it hard to put in the miles.
