Stats

Start: Cooper Canyon Camp – Mile 395.2
End: Flat spot by dirt road – Mile 424.9
Elevation Max: 6,999
Elevation Min: 4,970
Elevation Change: 4,170 up & 4,951 down
Average Heart Rate: 127
Walking Time: 9 hrs 7 minutes
Date: 4/26/2022

The Walk

My watch said 5:50. Perfect. I needed to wake up at 6, to have a shot at cell service by noon. I meant to set an alarm last night, but must have been too tired. At 6 I started packing up. The trail from Wrightwood to Acton had almost zero cell service.

Normally that wouldn’t be a problem. But today was a big day! 14 years ago I got on the waiting list for Chicago bears season tickets. And today at noon I had a limited opportunity to pick my seats. Like everything ticket related, you need to jump ASAP.

Other people will be at their desks at exactly noon to get seats. On FarOut the closest confirmed cell service was 16.5 miles. Holy shit. That’s a big morning. It’s possible, but I would have to start early and only take a break to filter water. No wiggle room.

If I average 3 mph (including breaks), and I leave at 6:30, I would get there right before noon. After a quick breakfast I was on the trail at 6:40. A little slow but not too bad.

The slow sunrise above the mountaintops and tall trees along the trail set the tone for hour one. The weather was cool and perfect for hiking. I was off to a good start. At 7:40, 3 miles down and 13.5 to go.

I listened to music during hour two and passed by mile marker 400! I felt loose and was walking a bit quicker. At 8:40, 6.2 miles down and 10.3 to go.

The next hour of hiking went by without a problem. I stopped to filter water in this section and I fell a little behind schedule. At 9:40, 9.4 miles down and 7.1 to go.

I had been hiking at a normal pace and taking pictures, etc as I went. But now I needed to pick up the pace. I used my trekking poles and got moving. I wasn’t stopping for anything, except trail magic.

This hour had trail magic! I opened up a cooler to find tootsie rolls. The trail was lined with beautiful blooming flowers for the rest of the hour. At 10:40, 12.3 miles down and 4.2 to go. Crap. I’m still behind.

The next section was uphill and I needed to go faster. A bad combo. I half jogged flat and downhill sections to save time. At 11:00 I was only 2.9 miles away! Back on track.

As I was climbing I checked for service, but never had any. I really hope this FarOut comment is for real. I’d be bummed there was no service after this hiking so hard this morning.

In the final hour I still paused to take a few pictures. I was tracking to get to the tent side with cell service 6-7 minutes before noon.

The trail opened up into a pine forest, and a chill fresh air cooled my face. The vibes were perfect! I made it to the top of a ridge with 8 minutes to spare. And I had 2 bars of service! I got the website up at 11:57!

The selection went without a problem and now I’m a bears season ticket holder. This would have been much more fun the past 5 years when I lived in Chicago. But I’ll at least do it for a year, go to a few games and sell the rest to friends in Chicago.

I was tired and relieved. I took an hour and a half break for lunch. Then I got back to hiking. I didn’t have any plans for the rest of the day. I’d just walk until I got tired.

The trail was filled with beautiful views and I let my mind wander. Not many people were on trail today. I had only seen one.

I met a section hiker late in the afternoon just before getting water at a ranger station. We chatted for a few minutes. I was about 22 miles in for the day and looking for a close spot to camp.

I saw two options. A site 2 miles away and 7 miles away. I wanted the 2 mile, but it was a small site. Hopefully nobody would be there.

The views changed to a new mountain range, which gave me a burst of energy. So I wasn’t too sad when my first camping option was taken. I kept cruising. About 6 I rolled into the second camp spot and laid out my sleeping gear. It was small, but level and good enough for me. I ate dinner and felt pretty good after today. I didn’t like having to focus that much on getting from point a to b, but it was kind of fun.

Tomorrow I have a 20 mile hike to Acton. There is an RV park friendly to hikers where I can camp, do laundry, and shower for 20-30 bucks.