Week 3: On to Idyllwild !
Day 11 ( April 14 ) - Head for the Hills
The Trail Angel "Fossil Lady" picked up Shalena, Karina, Jeanette and myself at 9:30. She dropped us off a Scissors Crossing ( mile 77.3 )at 9:45.
Technically, we just "skipped" 1 mile of the PCT, because we were all picked up 1 trail mile before Scissors Crossing. Oh well, I'm sure we will make up that mile somehow...
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| Fossil Lady maintaining the water cache at Scissors Crossing |
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| Some ugly dude, Karina, Jeanette and Shalena |
We took a few group photos and started hiking at 9:50. Jeanette quickly outpaced all of us. I hiked faster than Shalena and Karina ( they call themselves "Turtle Team". Before you laugh, remember they have the courage to try. ).
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| Karina, Shalena and Jeanette cross the highway before starting up the trail. |
The PCT should really be called the USB ( Unlimited Switch Back ) trail.
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| Notice the rockwork built to hold the trail in place. Thanks Trail Crews ! |
At one point, I was looking downslope at Turtle Team, who were maybe a couple hundred yards away from me. With the way the trail twists and turns, they probably had to hike about half a mile to get to where I was standing.
My big concern was the weather.
There was a high wind advisory in effect for that night, and I wanted to find a place that had some shelter from the wind. I hiked pretty much alone all day. I did get passed once or twice by a fellow hiker, but that was it. It was fairly windy most of the day. I was almost tempted to push to the Water Cache at mile 91, but the weather started to look ugly, so I stopped at mile 89.7 around 4:30. I do hope Turtle Team found a good spot out of the wind. The spot I stopped at was decent. Not perfect, but it did offer some protection from the wind. As I finished setting up camp Gyse and Leisa ( the Dutch couple from Laguna Campground on Day 6 ) stopped to chat. They are going on to the Water Cache. While we were chatting, Leisa spotted a red insect on her sunglasses.
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| Is that a Tick on Liesa's sunglasses ? |
Day 12 ( April 15 ) - Fly Like An Eagle
I woke up at 5:30. The wind had been blowing hard all night, but I slept OK and my tent was still intact. High winds are no joke when you are sleeping in a tent. In '22, there were hikers whose tents got ripped to shreds by high winds, and I'm talking about high quality, durable tents. The only problem I had was some condensation on the inside of my tent.
It was cold, so I quickly packed, and was on the trail by 7.
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| An old mine adit. FarOut calls it a cave. |
I passed and was passed by Gyse and Leisa a couple of times during the morning.
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| An important milestone |
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| Something good up ahead... |
I made it to the Montezuma Borrego Hwy about 1:30. There was trail magic !!
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| Our Trail Angels, Ron and Celeste. Thanks Folks ! |
Ron and Celeste had driven 90 minutes to provide tired, hungry, thirsty hikers with food, drink and chairs to sit in !
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| OH YEAH !! |
Their son hiked the PCT, and they are inspired by the stories he told about the trail angels he met. I had a pear ( Note: If you ever think of doing Trail Magic, fresh fruit is the one thing hikers like the most ), a roll, a piece of cake, a piece of bacon and 2 cans of pop. After chatting with Ron, Celeste, Jeanette, and other hikers for a bit, Jeanette, another hiker and I started to move on. We were lucky to get a ride from a postal worker to Ranchita Bodega (formerly Montezuma Valley Market) where we resupplied. We then got a ride back to the trail, and started hiking.
It was really weird, after 100 miles of hiking through chaparral "desert" to come out into the Warner Spring Meadows.
A broad grassy area that resembled a freshly mown stretch of short grass prairie. I even saw a Western Meadowlark and a few Horned Larks.
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| This hole is where Indians ground acorns into flour. |
At 6 PM, I reached Eagle Rock, a sacred site of the Kuupangaxwichem (People Who Slept Here) people. I hope they aren't offended by my camping by the rock. Had I been thinking, I would have camped a couple hundred feet away from the rock. My goal was to photograph Eagle Rock with the stars above it.
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| Eagle Rock at last light |
I was soon joined by Sean and Ross, two section hikers from Texas. They camped at Eagle Rock because they were to exhausted to go any further.
We weren't the first people to camp at Eagle Rock. Sean was scouting around the rock, when he found a tent someone had left behind.
As I waited for the sun to set, I got some photos of a rabbit that froze in place by the rock until finally got the courage to move. The sunset was unremarkable, so I waited for the stars to come out. I got some shots around 10:30 and then the stars started to fade out, so I went to bed.
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| Why I carry a "real" camera. This was the best my phone could do. |
I decided to "Cowboy Camp" and didn't set up my tent. Bad move.
Day 13 ( April 16 ) - Taking out the Trash
I woke up at 3:30 because I had to go #1. When I looked up, I saw the Milky Way had risen, so I quickly set up tge camera, took several photos and went back to bed.
Sometime around 4:30 a group of Coyotes passed closeby (within 100 yards). Last night, I thought I had put all my food in my bear can. I was wrong. I forgot to take the food out of my hipsack and a mouse ate some of my trail mix and part of a protein bar. Grrr !!!!
I woke up before 6, and got some sunrise shots. It was when I was packing up, that I discovered the mouse attack. Sean and Ross had no problems because they slept in tents.
I decided to lug the old tent into Warner Springs, 3 trail miles and 1.2 off trail miles from Eagle Rock. The tent was bulky and fairly heavy (3 or 4 pounds) so it was awkward hiking with it. Needless to say, I was thinking some very unkind thoughts about the #@&!! who left the tent at Eagle Rock. Remember how I said we would make up the mile that we "skipped" ? Well I think this does it.
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| Goodbye and Good Riddance |
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| Trail Angel Gabriella |
Gabriella dropped me off near the trail, and I started hiking around 10.
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| Gyse and Leisa hiking through |
This was the hardest, most discouraging day I've had on trail. I was hot, thirsty, and my shoulders ached.
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| A sign of things to come. Blowdowns are commonplace on the PCT. |
I finally finished the long, hot slog up to Lost Valley Spring (or at least the side trail that leads to it) at 6 PM. I was DONE .. I managed to set up the tent, but my stove wouldn't stay lit, so I had a cold supper.
Day 14 ( April 17 ) - Almost There !
Because I set up my tent last night, it took me a little longer to get packed. I was still on the trail by 7, but if I Cowboy Camped I would have been hiking sooner. I was hoping to make it to the road to Tule Spring. Unfortunately, after 0.3 miles, I got turned around, and hiked back to where I camped last night.
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| I made a wrong turn. Oops. |
Grrrr !!! Once I got back on the right trail, I made fairly good time. At 9, I stopped for a "sit in the shade" break and had a good chat with Nuuz, a fellow hiker from Arizona. This is his 3rd attempt at the PCT. We have one thing in common: we both hate gear snobs. Use what works for you, but don't try to tell me why your gear is better than mine. I don't want to hear it. As we rested an 80 year old man blazed past us. Talk about feeling inadequate !
Next stop was Mike's Place. It might not look like much, but Mike's Place is a very important landmark for NoBo hikers on the PCT.
It is the only reliable water source for 20 miles. 20 miles might not seem like much, but to a NoBo hiker still trying to build their "Trail Legs", hiking 20 plus miles ( and the water sources before Mike's Place aren't that reliable later in the hiking season ), while climbing 2,000' feet and carrying 4 or 5 Liters of water might be too much. I made it to Mike' Place around 12:30, rested a bit, had some lunch, collected some water used the "Bathroom" (let's just say it's "interesting" and let it go at that) and chatted with fellow hikers. I hiked out with 3L of water, which should be enough to get me to Tule Spring. I left Mike's Place at 1:30, hoping to cover the 10 miles to the road to Tule Spring by dark. About 5 miles after leaving Mike's Place I stopped to take a "Sit in the shade break". That's when I noticed thst one of my water bladders had fallen out somewhere back on the trail. Crud !! The bladder itself wasn't a big deal, I could buy another one in Idyllwild, but the water that was in it was very important. Lucky for me, Conner found it and returned it to me when he caught up to me. Thanks Conner !
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| A stretch of trail in need of work. |
I stopped a mile short of the road, totally exhausted. In addition to the exhaustion, I am having problems with my feet. I have a blister on the outside edge of each heel and the balls of my feet were numb and tingling.
Silly me ! I made a reservation for a room in Idyllwild for tomorrow, which means I have another long (16+ miles) day ahead of me. I hope my feet are up for it. I passed Gyse and Leisa about a mile back. I might meet Aunt Linda and Uncle Eldon for a meal in Idyllwild before they drive back to Canada. I was so tired that I Cowboy Camped without thinking about it. Oh well.
Day 15 ( April 18 ) - Made It !
Between my tingling feet and a backache, I barely slept last night. After spending the night tossing and turning, I finally got up at 5 and started packing. Amazingly, the Cowboy Camping was OK ( other than my lack of sleep ). Going forward, I think I will Cowboy Camp every time the situation ( no mice, no rattlesnakes, no flying insects, good weather ) will allow. Cowboy Camping is quicker, easier, and takes less space than setting up the tent.
I was on the trail a bit after 6, and reached the steep, winding 1/4 mile "road" down to Tule Spring.
From Tule Spring to the Pines to Palms Highway leading to Paradise Valley Cafe is 16 miles. I figured ( using the 1 Liter for every 5 miles rule of thumb ) 3.5 liters should be sufficient. The problem with water is you need enough of it, but it's heavy and bulky. Hopefully, 3.5L is enough.
The morning was cool and cloudy. I haven't seen a day this cloudy since Day 2 ( April 5 ), when it rained all day. The cool, cloudy weather is perfect for hiking.
About Noon, I reached a spot where I had a cell signal. I decided to rest my feet and take a Zero in Idyllwild, so I contacted the Idyllwild Inn to extend my stay. I ended up with a 2 room cabin. Expensive ! I also found out that Uncle Eldon has feeling a little unwell due to the high ( 90+ degrees ) heat, and so they decided to leave early for Canada. I don't blame them. The heat just sucks the energy out of you. For good news Littlefoot, my trail partner from '22 has offered to pick me up at the Canadian border when I get there. Talk about Motivation ! Thanks Littlefoot !
The sun came out in the early afternoon and it quickly warmed up. You wouldn't think 70 to 75 degrees was hot, but when you are fighting uphill with a heavy pack and there is no shade to be found, you pray for every wisp of a breeze you can get.
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| The photo was staged a little. The exhaustion was real. |
I discovered two things about myself. One, my water useage should be 1L for every 4 miles, instead of 1L for 5 miles, and two, when I get hot and thirsty, I get cranky. Every time I came around a bend in the trail and saw I still had more climbing to do, the plants and animals nearby heard an interesting collection of "colorful metaphors".
At 4:30 I ( FINALLY ! ) reached the Pines to Palms Hwy to Paradise Valley Cafe.
When I got there, I had 3 or 4 sips of water left. Some kind Trail Angels had left some water by the trail, so I quickly drank about 12 ounces before trudging one mile down the highway to Paradise Valley Cafe.
I reached the cafe a bit after 5 and grabbed a seat. The waiter gave me the menu and a 20 ounce glass of water.
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| My first glass of water. |
The glass was empty before he returned to take my order. I ordered a sandwich ( with fries ) and a salad.
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| Hikers planning the next leg of the trail. |
The second glass of water was empty before he brought out my meal. When I saw the size of the salad and the sandwich, I thought my "eyes were bigger than my stomach" as Mum used to say.
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| Dinner is served. |
The "Side" salad was almost as big as a regular salad back home. I managed to eat almost everything except a few fries and down a third glass of water.
I probably could have downed the fries, except "Paddles" and Jess showed up to give hikers ( ME !! ) a ride into town. Paddles and Jess are from Australia. Paddles hiked a chunk of the PCT in 2019, and this time Jess decided to join him. Unfortunately, Jess has a foot injury that may, or may not be a stress fracture. While they are waiting to see what sort of injury Jess has, they are giving hikers rides to and from Idyllwild. Thanks folks ! I hope Jess's foot heals quickly and completely.
Day 16 ( April 19 ) - Running 'Wild. Not!
Took a much needed Zero. I slept in until 8. I had a Junkyard Omelet at the Red Kettle Restuarant.
I then went shopping. First up, resupply. Can't hike far without food. Ugh !! My back is going to hate me for all the food ( 4 days worth ) in the bear can. I then went to Nomad Ventures to buy some gear. Namely a new stove, new liner gloves ( I lost one ) and a new water filter ( I have two, but one is partially clogged ).
I then went back to my cabin and napped. In the afternoon, I went and had a Root Beer Float, got a haircut, and went back to Nomad Ventures. Remember my tingling feet ?
I figured that I needed new insoles (my shoes are practically new). Danny at Nomad was a great help in testing different insoles until we found the ones that fit my feet the best. Thanks Danny !
For dinner, I had the Broccoli Chicken Penne at Gastrognome. It was good ! I think Fazolis just lost a customer.
One last night in a comfy bed before I hit the trail tomorrow. It's going to be different this time. In '22, I didn't need my Microspikes when I hiked through the San Jacintos. This time, I'm carrying 'spikes and an Ice Axe. There is an alternate route recommended for people who are unprepared for the snow. Should be interesting.
I enjoyed seeing what you were doing. Also, the low key pictures.
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