Stats

Start: Concrete Cistern – Mile 139.5
End: Tent site past Paradise Valley Cafe – Mile 155.9
Elevation Max: 5.274
Elevation Min: 3,480
Elevation Change: 3.295 up & 1,712 down
Average Heart Rate: 129
Walking Time: 5 hrs 30 minutes

The Walk

I woke up at 6:00 on the concrete slab. Breakfast was on my mind. I wanted to get to Paradise valley cafe before the menu changed to lunch.

A few others at camp were stirring around and the sun was peaking up. I packed up my gear and stood with my pack on for a few minutes. Taking in the sunrise. tssSSS kr-POP. I was brought back a reality by a can of soda. Someone hiked 3 days with a Pepsi for an early morning treat.

That was my sign. I walked to the trail and started the last leg of my hike to paradise valley cafe. It was only 12 miles away. The next water source was 6 miles away. The concrete cistern water had a really odd after taste. It was fine to drink. But I didn’t want to drink more than I needed.

I heard a hiker say 5 miles without water wasn’t a big deal yesterday. So I decided this morning would be a good time to test the theory. For science!

I didn’t drink any water in the morning. The first few miles wasn’t bad. At mile two I noticed my throat was a bit dry. At mile 4 water was the only thing I could think about. Physically I felt fine.

My mental was struggling. All I thought about was water and my dead battery. It’s interesting how basic needs overtake my thoughts when they aren’t met. Out here it’s food, water, battery life, camp site. If those are okay then life is good. You can sleep anywhere. Your bed literally moves. But if one is questionable my mind won’t be still. Maybe a survival tactic.

I spent all 6 miles thinking about how thirsty I was. Or what else I could have done to have better water. I should have carried another liter from Mike’s place. Why would I expect a stagnant pool to taste good? Why did I use 1/3 a liter of good water to make my mac and cheese. I should have used the shitty water.

But I pressed on. Around mile 5 I was getting close. I focused more on the the final mile than the thirst. I eventually got to Mary’s and saw a 500 gallon take. It was a relief. I bet it would have been worse if I didn’t have water readily available.

I filled up then met a few hikers from Chicago while I took a break. I was back on trail pretty quickly. 6 more miles until a breakfast. My 2.5 day 77 mile goal was in reach. The scenery was beautiful and I kept hiking. I passed quite a few hikers and everyone was talking about getting food at the cafe.

I got to the road and saw the cafe was one mile away. I was excited to see a busy highway. I started walking toward the cafe with my thumb out, but nobody slowed down. I guess hitching in a busy town is different than the tiny towns. On this road everyone had somewhere to be. With a third of a mile left I gave up and stopped asking for a hitch.

There were at least 30 hikers at the cafe. The outdoor patio was packed. I sat with a group of hikers and ordered biscuits and gravy, orange juice, a Dr Pepper, and a coffee. It was perfect. I also washed my hands. A nice luxury.

I relaxed at the table for the rest of the day and got a milk shake and burger later on. I also picked up my microspikes in case of snow on Mount San Jacinto. At 3 the store closed but we didn’t want to start yet. So we loitered outside waiting for the heat to pass. We had already hiked 12 miles with 2 bonus miles to the cafe. We only wanted to do another 3. And didn’t need to rush and hike in the heat.

We filled up water and hiked back to the trail. Didn’t even try to hitch. At the trail we had a bit of trail magic! I was stuffed but grabbed some starbursts, cheetos, and pop tarts.

We casually walked back to camp and I booked an Airbnb for an upcoming rest day in Idyllwild. Real bed 🙂 The walk was leisurely and it felt nice not to be pushing miles. I set up camp and had mashed potatoes for dinner. Then settled in.

Tomorrow would be a big day. Either 13.6 or 20 miles with a lot of elevation, downed trees, and possibly snow. Either way, I expect to spend one more night on the mountain before taking a day or two rest in Idyllwild.