Exploration

Stats

Start: Swarthout Canyon – Mile 347.2
End: Wrightwood – Mile 369.3
Elevation Max: 8,356
Elevation Min: 3,499
Elevation Change: 5,607 up & 2,043 down?
Average Heart Rate: 126
Walking Time: 6 hrs 43 minutes

The Walk

Cowboy camping was a bad choice. I woke up at 10:30 pm to a sleeping bag covered in water droplets. It must have already misted. The zipper side of my sleeping bag was damp so I squeezed against the other side and went back to sleep.

Fortunately it didn’t get to cold. Probably in the 40s with low wind. And while mist continued off and on throughout the night, my sleeping bag wasn’t soaked. I was damp, but warm.

I was excited to see 6:30 so I could get out of this mess and start moving. I packed up and then walked over to Zeddie and Dory. They were packing up. We chatted and planned to hike together for a few miles this morning.

Around 8 we got started. We were climbing to Wrightwood. Or at least part of the way. It was 17 miles of uphill then 5 miles of rolling hills. I wasn’t sure if I’d go all the way or camp just before.

After 3 miles of walking I decided to try and push for wrightwood. My gear was wet and sleeping in it didn’t sound fun. I could also dry everything out during a break with the sun and breeze in about 15 minutes.

All morning The trail followed along ridges with beautiful views. The sky was clear today. Back to the normal Southern California weather. It was cool and cooled down as we got higher. A perfect day to hike.

As the day went on the mountains got closer and closer. It’s crazy how much the scenery can change in one day of hiking. The desert is officially blooming and I saw colorful flowers along the way.

Around noon I decided to eat some lunch and plan out my day. I was only 11 miles from Wrightwood. So I decided to take a quick lunch and keep moving. I didn’t even take time to dry out my gear.

A few miles later soft pine needles covered the trail and I was surrounded by their crisp smell. The mountaintops were at eye level and I had almost climbed 6,000 feet! My legs were tired. But I was so close.

Near the peak, my old friend snow started to show up. For a few miles the snow was hard/icy and wasn’t too annoying. But on the north side of the mountain it turned into piles of slush. I gave up on dry feet and walked / skidded right through them.

Snowy peaks loomed just above me for that last few miles. It was a beautiful, cool section of trail, but I was happy to get to the highway. Time for a hitch into Wrightwood! I put out my thumb and waited. The first car, a sports car, revved it’s engine as it drove by and honked. Not the best start.

I saw a colorful van come around the corner and slow down as it approached. No freaking way! It was Cheshire Cat. The guy who gave me a pear a few weeks ago! Bandit, a Southbound hiker, was already in and I hopped in the back with Stella the lab. Nothing quite like an excited dog after 22 miles of uphill hiking!

At town we went to the hardware store and asked about places to stay. It was $150 for a hotel room or I could hitch back to sleep in the trail. They also mentioned a list of 10 trail angels to call. Bandit and I started calling.

Our very last option was Chris. I thought I’d either be back on trail to camp or get a $150 hotel room, but he picked up! $20 bucks a night to have a bedroom, bathroom, and laundry. That’s perfect.

Bandit and I walked to his house and were blown away by how nice it was and his hospitality. Once we got cleaned up Chris drove us to a restaurant, then picked us up later on.

I didn’t have any expectations for Wrightwood to start the day. But it ended up perfectly. Feeling thankful for all the trail angels. Tomorrow will be an easy nero day. I’ll hang out in town, resupply, and watch the bulls game before heading out for a few miles in the afternoon.

Stats

Start: Tent site past Cleghorn Picnic – Mile 333
End: Swarthout Canyon – Mile 347.2
Elevation Max: 2,897
Elevation Min: 4,106
Elevation Change: 2,586 up & 2,617 down
Average Heart Rate: 119
Walking Time: 5 hrs 12 minutes

The Walk

People often say it only rains 4-5 days on 6 months on the PCT. Last night was my first. The rain lasted until 2am.

My tent was soaking wet but all of my gear was dry inside. Just as it should be. Speaker had a puddle in his tent and his gear was soaked. The trials of the trail come at anytime and can happen to anyone. No matter how prepared or knowledgeable you are.

Luckily I had service in my tent and could pull up the radar. It showed the rain had passed and I could start hiking. I packed up my gear along with chef and highlife. We headed out for a morning walk. Only 11 miles to the McDonalds by Cajon Pass. It’s the closest McDonald’s to trail and a famous PCT stop! Who doesn’t want a mid- day McFlurry??

The morning was brisk and I had no idea what to expect from the hike. The clouds were a nice change from clear sky’s. They set the backdrop for my morning of ridge walking. Mountain after mountain lined the horizon. I spent most of the morning chatting with Speaker about personal growth.

10 other hikers were posted up at McDonald’s. It was a hiker haven and many hung out here for hours. Often getting multiple meals or coffee and shakes. They didn’t have benches, but the floor was plenty good for hikers. Ha

I charged my electronics and got a coffee and McFlurry to start. A few hours later I got a Big Mac meal and chicken nuggets.

I felt spoiled because I had pizza the night before and left over pizza this morning. I am feeling full and still have a heavy food bag. I hung out at McDonald’s until 4.

My 5 mile hike late afternoon hike was beautiful. Every step was picture worthy, it there’s no way to capture the smell, feeling and 360 degree vastness of the hike. The clouds were huge and set the tone for the hike. I walked along in awe of the beauty.

The rest of my group had stopped in Cajon Pass to stay at a motel. So I was walking solo. It was a nice feeling. I kept cruising along with nothing but the miles to Canada in front of me.

At the water cache I met a few old friends and we helped a trail angel fill up the cache. Then settled in for dinner

I decided to cowboy camp eventhough there was a 10% chance of rain. It didn’t feel like rain, so I went for it! Worst case I’ll use my tent as a tart while the light rain passes.

Tomorrow will be a big climb into wrightwood or close to Wrightwood. I need to climb from 3,500 to 8,200 feet over 16 miles. Then 22 total miles to Wrightwood.

Stats

Start: Deep Creek Hot Springs – Mile 307.9
End: Tent site past Cleghorn Picnic – Mile 333
Elevation Max: 3,800
Elevation Min: 3,067
Elevation Change: 3,310 up & 3,275 down
Average Heart Rate: 108
Walking Time: 6 hrs 35 minutes

The Walk

At 7am a few people were already in the hot springs. I was tempted to soak my feet, but decided to start hiking.

The crisp sound of flowing river through the gorge continued all morning. And the sun peaked over the mountain tops to warm my skin.

After a few cool bridge crossings, I met some hikers at a dam for a break. Apparently this place was known for its echos! So we spent 10 minutes yelling into the void.

The trail opened up to desert with a distant view of Mount Baldy and the next range to climb. We were back to low elevation. The trail was teaming with lizards and snakes! I saw two snakes and countless lizards dart across the trail ahead of me.

I took an hour for lunch of tuna and cheesits and almost took a nap on some comfy river gravel. It was a nice relaxing break and more hikers kept showing up.

The afternoon was highlighted by a Silver lake. It was biggest body of water I’ve seen all hike.

The trail meandered along a ridge around the lake for miles. A cool breeze filled the air. I enjoyed views for the last 4 miles to the campground. The campground had running water, bathrooms and picnic tables to relax. But clouds started to pile up on the horizon, a sign of a storm to come.

We called all the local pizza places. All 3 declined to deliver. Everyone was bummed. Especially Detour. It was her birthday😞

Highlife finally found one and 6 pizzas were on the way.

We killed time and did some backpack push ups. Then feasted on pizza. The sky was becoming more and more ominous. I could tell it was only a matter of time until the storms hit. The radar said 11 pm, but the clouds were pretty dark.

After pizza we all booked it another 3 miles to camp. Although the clouds got darker, the rain held off. Halfway we saw gatorades. Trail magic! We finished the day on a high note and pitched tents.

The rain came around 9. And lasted until 1 am. I slept on and off until then. I was glad my tent held up. My lesson to pile big rocks on tent stakes paid off!

Not sure how long the rain will last in the morning, but I was happy to be warm and dry. All that really matters!

Stats

Start: Tent site – Mile 289.9
End: Deep Creek Hot Springs – Mile 307.9
Elevation Max: 6,046
Elevation Min: 3,513
Elevation Change: 1,354 up & 3,833 down
Average Heart Rate: 112
Walking Time: 5 hrs 38 minutes

The Walk

The wind died down at dusk and the sunset was well worth the risk. I slept really well and woke up refreshed.

But my sleeping bag was covered in water droplets. The clouds must have rolled in last night. I didn’t want to wait for the sun to dry it, so I threw it in my backpack and set off for the day. I’d lay it out to dry later.

My next stop was Deep Creek hot spring, 18 miles away. 2 miles in I met area 52 and crunch. We chatted for a few minutes and their good vibes rubbed off on me. Cool people are all over the trail.

The trail followed the creek on a brisk morning. Around noon I found a picnic table and took a break. I laid out my sleeping bag and relaxed for an hour.

A few minutes later I stopped for another 10 minutes and relaxed with some friends. Then headed off to the hot springs. I felt pretty good all day long. The hike was flat with a little down hill, a nice change of pace.

The creek turned into a river and the trail followed halfway up the gorge. It was a beautiful section of hiking.

15 hikers were sitting around the hot spring along with a handful of locals. I relaxed and soaked my feet in the hot and cool pools. The crew rolled up and we relaxed the rest of the day.

It felt good to have a short, fun day. I also saw Detour and Mounty who I met 4 days ago. We even had cupcakes for Detour’s birthday!

Then it was back to the cowboy spot by the river under a full sky of stars. Tomorrow I’m planning 20 miles to a campsite with pizza delivery.

Stats

Start: Big Bear Lake – Mile 266.1
End: Tent site – Mile 289.9
Elevation Max: 7,830
Elevation Min: 6,085
Elevation Change: 3,259 up & 3,873 down
Average Heart Rate: 125
Walking Time: 7 hrs 4 minutes

The Walk

I woke up on a kitchen floor. There’s a first time for everything. I had an hour before my ride to the trail. So I laid in bed and relaxed for a few more minutes.

I ate as much life cereal as possible, then announced fair game to the crew. It was gone within 10 minutes. Hiker hunger is real. My pack without water weighed 26.5 pounds. It felt heavy, but not too bad for a 5 day food carry.

Shawna was an awesome host. She helped us with gear fixes, and went out of her way to make us comfortable. She hiked most of the trail on the past.

I hopped in the first shuttle to the trail at 7:30. I felt content looking out of the open truck window into the cloudy sunrise.

I grabbed my pack out of the truck bed and slug it over my shoulders. It felt heavy. And was digging into my left shoulder. I think my food bag was off balance. But I started moving anyways.

The morning started with a tranquil forest walk with mild ups and downs. After 5-6 miles the trail opened up to views into Big Bear and the snow capped mountains behind. It was beautiful. The lake was way bigger than I expected.

I kept moving. My pack felt lighter as I loosened up. The Nero and zero and Big Bear must have paid off. I cruised until I found a shady log to sit on for lunch. Sometimes the best part about eating is a lighter pack.

I had cheese and pepperoni on a tortilla. It was a nice change from tuna. I also figured the faster I ate the cheese the better.

I kept on moving. At 3 I arrived at the spot I planned to camp, 19 miles in for the day. I didn’t want to sit around for 5 hours so I decided to walk another 4 miles.

The wind picked up during the second half of the day and I noticed I was in a wind advisory with possible 50-60 mph gusts at night.

Unfortunately the next spot to camp was on top of a ridge with minimal wind cover. But the sunset would be amazing. I decided to risk it. I could easily hike another 45 minutes to the next spot, but I had alrwady gone far enough. Why wear myself out already?

I set up a cowboy spot. The wind threatened to blow away my sleeping bag. Either I had to lay on it or out my pack on it.

The sunset was unreal. Better than I expected. Clouds moving in, a distant mountain range painted orange, the sun disappearing behind a near mountain range, showering the peaks in color.

After sunset the wind died down. And one other hiker joined me in this spot. I haven’t spent a single night without a person close by! The trail is pretty busy with limited camping spots.

Tomorrow I’ll stop by a hot spring and soak my feet. Not sure how long I’ll stay, but I’m looking forward to it.

Stats

Start: Big Bear Lake – Mile 266.1
End: Big Bear Lake- Mile 266.1
Elevation Max: 6760
Elevation Min: 6760
Elevation Change: 0 up & 0 down
Average Heart Rate: n/a
Walking Time: 0 hrs 0 minutes

The Not a Walk

Big Bear Haiku.

A sprint to breakfast
Ice cream cake and a large lake
Kitchen floor goodnight

ZERO day. I had a slow morning at the hostel. We didn’t need to leave until 11. Grahm hooked us up with a free night on a trail angels floor tonight. The only thing on my agenda was to resupply and find a way to the trail angel’s house.

The hostel had DIY breakfast so I made waffles and an egg sandwich. I also had a leftover piece of ice cream cake, becuase when you burn 4K calories a day you can’t eat enough food.

I walked to the trail angels house and met up with the crew. Tomorrow we’d start a 4-6 day trip to Wrightwood. I don’t know if we will stick together, but I expect to continue seeing these guys along the trail!

I piled couch cushions on the kitchen floor. A sheet on top tied it together. It was lot comfier than my air mattress! I’m well rested and ready to get back to the trail. Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.

Stats

Start: Arrastre Trail Camp – Mile 256.2
End: Big Bear Lake – Mile 266.1
Elevation Max: 7,751
Elevation Min: 6,900
Elevation Change: 699 up & 1,486 down
Average Heart Rate: 127
Walking Time: 2 hrs 32 minutes

The Walk

I woke up cold. But a hot breakfast was only 10 miles away! I started moving around 6 and the rest of the crew woke up shortly after. I had a bit of water left and filtered chef’s extra. The bottom of the plastic bag was frozen. I got an extra half liter, enough to get me the 10 miles to big bear.

As soon as I got out of my sleeping bag I slipped on my puffy and gloves and took off. I hiked ridiculously fast the first 1.5 miles. 3.8 mph! Partly because the trail was an easy downhill. Partly because it was flipping cold and I wanted to warm up.

I was enjoying the hike and the weather so much that I accidentally skipped a water source. Luckily it was cool and I had barely touched my water. I didn’t have a hard time rationing the last half liter over the next 7 miles. It would have been a different story on a hot desert afternoon.

It felt freeing to be out early on the trail on a short day. The mountains opened up around and me excitement for the trail washed over me. I was happy to be out this morning. Yesterday was filled with highs and lows. Today was all highs. I was excited to find out what was ahead.

4 miles away from Big Bear I passed a cooler with a sign welcoming pct hikers! Perfect!! I didn’t need the water, but I took an apple. It was a great snack and quite the surprise.

I popped in music for the last 4 miles and cruised. The trail wound through beautiful forest. I looked up at trees as tall as buildings. It was a different city than I was used to. A city where I was a visitor but welcomed and connected.

At the trailhead two hikers and I got a hitch into town. We wanted to eat at Manor, famous for huge pancakes. When we arrived there weren’t any cars in the parking lot. That’s odd said the driver. This place is usually packed.

Turns out it and two other breakfast diners were closed for Easter. The third option was open. I met the crew and we ate a scrumptious breakfast.

Then we walked to our hostel and enjoyed the rest of the day. It was High Life’s birthday so I got a cake from Ben and Jerry’s.

Jack rabbit gathered 10 random people from our hoste, who sang happy birthday. And we all enjoyed the cake. A 5 year old kid was in the group. He was hiking the PCT and was bouncing off the walls from the ice cream. It’s crazy the people you meet out here. I can’t believe I crossed paths with a 5 year old kid and a guy who lost 250 pounds in two days.

We relaxed and enjoyed our Nero day. Tomorrow will be a zero and I look forward to posting up at a coffee shop to unwind.

Stats

Start: Dispersed tent site – Mile 231
End: Arrastre Trail Camp – Mile 256.2
Elevation Max: 8,711
Elevation Min: 4,346
Elevation Change: 6,845 up & 3,697 down
Average Heart Rate: 115
Walking Time: 7 hrs 44 minutes

The Walk

The sun woke me up early. The crew was cowboy camping in a sandy spot surrounded by rocks. I ate a granola bar and took off at 6:30.

I was nervous how my body would respond. Last night I was totally wiped out. The double dinner gave me a boost, but I hadn’t been that tired all trail.

The first few miles of trail was tough. It bounced along the river bed and was hard to follow. The creek was fun to cross. Either you had to find a few stones peaking above the water or a log to walk across. I enjoyed the change in scenery, but the tricky trail made for a slow start.

I was still tired. After the creek section I stopped to grab water, ate a few snacks, and downed some electrolytes. 10 minutes of sitting worked wonders. I was ready to go again.

The trail got steeper. I stopped at 7.5 miles for a break. I rarely ever stop two breaks before 10 miles. But I had to listen to my body today. Everyone in the group was wiped. I ate a peanut butter tortilla and kept pushing on.

A few miles later we made it to the top of the major climb. I was relieved. We had climbed from 1k elevation to over 8k. At the top the cool mountain breeze was blowing and the change in trail felt amazing.

We still had 3 smaller climbs left in the day. But motivation was high. The mountain was done! The next miles were great. Pine forest. Birds chirping. And vast mountain views. We stopped at mile 15 to take a break and eat lunch.

The last 10 miles to camp flew by. A few climbs but mostly downhill. Take forest was thick with tall trees and pine needles covered the trail. I was floating along the trail. This has been my favorite type of forest. The wind was howling through the mountains. But I could only a feel a light breeze.

At camp I immediately made dinner. I need to work on my food planning. I was hungry enough that I didn’t even claim a spot to camp. Luckily Jack rabbit came by and claimed a big spot for our crew to cowboy camp. I chatted with a few different hikers and met a hiker who had lost over 200 pounds to start the trail. That is inspiring! The wished him happy trails and look forward to following his journey.

It was a chilly night, which makes for a good nights sleep! Only 10 miles to big bear tomorrow. I’m excited for a short day then a zero afterward. Also High Life’s 30th birthday is tomorrow so we’ll do something fun.

Here’s to waking up with the sun. Then pushing on to breakfast!

Stats

Start: Backyard in Whitewater – Mile 210
End: Dispersed site – Mile 232
Elevation Max: 5,635
Elevation Min: 1,381
Elevation Change: 5,635 up & 3,138 down
Average Heart Rate: 138
Walking Time: 6 hrs 37 minutes

The Walk

The wind was ripping through the valley last night. One of the windiest places in the United States. The car port was sheltered from direct wind. But could feel it and hear it blowing by. I fell asleep around midnight.

At 7:30 I was back on trail. Miguel’s house was only .1 miles off trail. The morning was cool and the first few miles were windy.

But once I climbed up into the hills the wind died down. About 4 miles in I stopped at the wind farm office. It’s run by two hiker friendly employees. They gave free coffee to hikers. I chatted with the windmill project manager about the wind farm history.

During the past two years, they tore down 600 windmills from the 80s and planned to replace them with 16 new ones. The new windmills would generate the same amount of power. It’s wild how quickly technology moves on.

After the coffee I got back on trail and headed to the nature sanctuary. The trail slowly climbed out of the valley. The nature sanctuary was an oasis in the desert. A low spot filled with white sand, pebbles, and running water. The crew from the Airbnb was eating lunch at the nature preserve. I busted out the classic peanut butter and tortillas.

I relaxed for an hour then went back to trail. I wanted to get 20+ miles. This would set up an easy day into big bear two days from now.

I kept hiking to the next water source about 7 miles ahead. The trail continued climbing through the valleys and behind I could still see San Jacinto. I could also see the range we were about to climb to get into Big Bear. I relaxed by the water for 2 hours, waiting for the heat to pass. Hiker hunger was starting to hit. This was the hungriest I’ve been all hike. I had a few big elevation days and I think the calorie deficit is starting to catch up.

The last 6 miles of the day were through a river bed. The sound of water was nice, but the trail wasn’t well marked. It must have crossed the same river 10 times. A handful of times I had to check my map find the trail. The walk was slow going and rocky.

Jack rabbit and I were tired. We decided to call it a mile before our planned camp site. I cooked dinner straight away. And ate my bonus meal from the hiker box. After two pasta dinners I felt better and finished chores. The rest of the group walked up to the camp site and joined.

Only 35 more miles to big bear, but I am wiped out. Hopefully I can do 25 tomorrow. Even though it will be a tough, uphill day. A 10 mile day into Big Bear for breakfast and coffee sounds nice. Hoping for a good nights sleep and one more big push tomorrow!

Stats

Start: Fuller Ridge Campground- Mile 190.5
End: Backyard in Whitewater- Mile 210
Elevation Max: 7,919
Elevation Min: 1,566
Elevation Change: 815 up & 6,639 down
Average Heart Rate: 128
Walking Time: 5 hrs 31 minutes

The Walk

I woke up at 7:15 today. Last night was the perfect amount of chilly for another great night sleep. Around 40 degrees. 20 hikers were spread out at campground. No roads or water, but they had picnic tables!

I got moving at 7:30 and was on trail by 8. The relaxed morning felt nice. The rest of my group was already started. I think they left at 7. I walk quickly so I figure I’d catch them later in the day.

The entire hike was a low grade downhill section. 19 miles. I was thankful after the full day climb yesterday. I was also pleasantly surprised that the snow was gone. It was a peaceful morning hike. I relaxed, enjoyed the views, and smiled as the miles went by.

Early in the day I saw big bear come into view. Or at least the mountain range we were going to climb. Also the views back at mount San Jacinto were beautiful. The hike started in pine forest and meandered down switchbacks to the low desert.

There wasn’t any water along the way, but with the cool temps and easy trail it didn’t matter. 3 liters was plenty. High life and Jack rabbit were relaxing at the 200 PCT mile marker. Then 13 miles into the day at the water we all had lunch.

There was rumor of trail magic 3 miles up trail under interstate 10, so I left pretty quickly to find out. If there wasn’t trail magic, a hitch 8 miles to in and out was possible.

We hiked down a paved road into the flat, barren desert for 1.5 miles. It was a drastic change from the snowy mountain tops. I thought the rest of the day would be a breeze. But the road turned to sand and the wind picked up. As I hiked the last two miles I realized we were in the middle of a wind farm. The gap between the two mountain ranges created a wind tunnel and it wasn’t holding back.

The wind kept getting stronger and the sand felt deeper. Sand was blowing in our faces. We spent the last 1.5 miles with our heads down, leaning against the wind as we hiked. I stole a few glances back at the San Jacinto, which I peaked yesterday. The distance gave me a momentary surreal feeling, but the wind quickly brought me back to the task ahead.

Even the hawks struggled to fly into the wind. Three were literally floating next to us, trying their best to make ground. After a few minutes they gave up and stayed on the ground.

We finally made it to the interstate and saw a huge PCT 2022 welcome sign and a hiker box (a place hikers dump extra food or gear). There was no trail magic, but the box had some food! My appetite picked up and my food bag was light. I grabbed noodles and backpacker meal, which was absolutely perfect!! Now I would be able to make it to Big Bear without a resupply.

It was only 2 so we decided to try the 8 mile hitch to in and out. My first idea was to call a trail angel for a ride. I was surprised he picked up and said sure… 5 minutes and he’d be here! We waited the by then road and took the ride into Cabazon.

I got a burger and fries. The first town food while on trail for a few days is always amazing. It was a also a great supplement to my light food bag. This was the closest in and out to the PCT, a California staple!

We got an Uber back to trail and brought a few milkshakes for friends. They had an odd smile when we got back. A guy pulled up on an ATV and was blown away by the idea of hiking from Mexico to Canada. He offered up his backyard for us all to camp. This was perfect news because the wind was still ripping and there weren’t any sheltered sites for another 12 miles. We weren’t about to hike 12 miles tonight. We were beat.

The house was right next to trail. 8 smelly hikers walked up to this oasis. I wasn’t expecting much. But this place had a pool and sick view of Mount San Jacinto! The trail provides 🙂

We jumped in the freezing cold pool for a second. Then I pulled up a chair and soaked my feet for an hour under the late afternoon sun. It was an amazing spot. Miguel hooked us up!

I set up a sheltered cowboy spot under the car port. Today was a wild day. We have more 2.5 days to get to big bear. The next town stop to resupply.

Tomorrow we begin climbing another mountain range. So onward and upward! Feeling good and ready to see what comes. There is a wind farm and nature preserve coming soon.