In the morning, Merkel, Horizon and I had just 8 miles to our destination, our shortest day yet. But we had a lot of switchbacks to do to get down the hillside. As we descended, the temperature started to soar and when we got to Snow Creek by midmorning it was already in the 80s.

One of my former colleagues has a sister who lives right on the trail and she invited us to stay with her for the night. While Tracker (her trail name) and Lance were at work, we relaxed in their beautiful home and had a lovely afternoon. We were so glad to be inside as we watched the thermometer pass 115 degrees. Just walking outside to dry our laundry was painful. But the heat of the day slowly passed and we stayed cool inside.
We became friends with their dog, Penny, pictured below with Merkel. Penny is a very sweet dog. Click on the pictures to see a larger view.

When Lance and Tracker got home, we sat out in the almost cool evening air and chatted for awhile, then took a tour of Snow Creek. We were treated to the most wonderful dinner: homemade lasagna, fresh bread, salad, and brownies for dessert. It was amazing for both the fresh delicious flavors and the hospitality and conversation.

I slept in an actual bed that night, which was a rare treat. Outside I could hear the wind howling, but inside we slept soundly, like we were at home. Thank you for your amazing kindness, Tracker and Lance!! We enjoyed every minute and hope our paths cross again!

We left Idyllwild (and Infrared) in the mid-afternoon, after having ice cream for lunch. The four of us, Horizon, Merkel, Captain Dead weight, and myself, walked through town and eventually reached a trail that would connect us back to the PCT.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and there were a lot of people out hiking. The Ernie Maxwell trail took us up in elevation and in a few miles ended at the Devil’s slide trail. The views looking out were amazing and the trail was well covered by trees so it was very pleasant walking. The loamy earth beneath my feet compressed with every step, giving me an extra spring and renewed energy.

The going got tougher though, as we continued to climb and it got cooler and darker. Just before sunset we reached Saddle junction and the PCT again.

We were at 8,100′ in elevation and had climbed 2,600′ since leaving Idyllwild. It was getting dark so we quickly found a campsite and got into our sleeping bags to stay warm. It was the highest elevation I had slept at yet on the trail and I put all of my layers on, preparing for it to be the coldest night so far.

The temperature did not drop below freezing so I enjoyed a comfortable night snuggled beneath the pines.

As always, we were up with the sun and hiking by 6:30 am. We had all decided to take an alternate route of the PCT and summit Mt. San Jacinto and we had a lot of walking to do.

Several miles into the climb we encountered the first snow of the trip. It was only patchy sections in the shade for the most part, but a few areas were quite covered.

From where we slept, it was still 2,700 vertical feet to the summit and some sections of the trail were pretty steep. That combined with my pack weight made the going slow, although the fresh mountain air, bird songs, and soft footing made the weight seem lighter.

By mid morning, Horizon and I had reached the summit where we found one of the best mountain huts ever.

We signed the trail register with the following couplet:
“Mt. San Jac–snowy and granite peak
We’ll be back, but first Canada we seek”

From the summit we could see Palm Springs and several other large cities in the distance. I didn’t even know there were mountains that high in southern California and San Jacinto is not even the highest peak.

Horizon was feeling the altitude with our quick ascent so we didn’t hang out at the top for too long.
As we descended, we passed through a pine forest with huge boulders. Everything smelled fresh and clean.

Eventually we left the trees behind and came out into a scrubby landscape that has hot and exposed. We slowly made our way down the trail which was a series of long switchbacks. As the sun set we found a small flattish area only partially covered in bushes where we set up camp for the warmest night’s sleep yet. The next day we were headed to Snow Creek.

After leaving our lovely campsite by the creek, we quickly started gaining elevation and soon entered a region of true desert. The lush trees gave way to scrub oaks and then just cactus and dried grasses. Hiking early in the morning is the best. Not only is the sun light soft and golden, there are birds singing and you can feel nature waking up for the day. A few days I have started hiking around 6-6:15 am. I have also been awake in my sleeping bag at 5 am and have watched hikers head down the trail, hiking by headlamp.

This was the first day that I really felt like we were gaining elevation. Although the uphill sections were not long nor very steep, I definitely felt like we were on a crest trail for the first time. Unfortunately, this was also the day when my shoes started to give out. I had hiked about 150 miles in them before starting the trail and had hoped that they would survive for about 250-300 trail miles, but it became evident very quickly that was not going to be the case. When I was in Warner Springs I had ordered a new pair of shoes to be delivered to my next resupply station but I was starting to wonder if my shoes would even make it that far.

Throughout the morning I hiked alone, thinking that Eric (new trailname: Horizon) and Captain Deadweight were ahead of me and knowing that the others were behind me. I hiked a ten mile section (mostly uphill) until I got to a turn off for a water stop. A short way down a dirt road lead me to a rusting tractor, atop which sat a larger, jolly man with a long flowing salt-and-pepper beard. Next to him was a water cistern, and there, laying in the sun, was Horizon. I had made it to Mike’s place, but the guy on the tractor was not Mike. He was Tom and he just hangs out there for a few months, providing water, food, beer and sodas to PCT hikers. We call this “trail magic”. I filled up on water and signed the trail register he had, but declined the beer and soda since it wasn’t even 11 am. As I took a load off and had a second breakfast, Captain Deadweight and Merkel came up. Somehow I had passed Deadweight without even seeing him.

Captain Deadweight relaxing

The afternoon took us on a long downhill section, which was much harder on the knees than the uphill. By the time I made it to the next water source (a pipe coming from a stream), I was feeling it. Luckily, the four of us took a long rest there, which helped. Then I looked at my feet. They had been hurting for a few hours and I had several hotspots on both heels from my shoes breaking down but I also had a large blister on the smallest toe of my right foot. Lancing it helped to relieve the pressure, but made it more tender to walk on.

A message from Horizon helps

Our rest stop wasn’t the best place to camp, so after an hour’s rest I had to keep going, and of course it was more uphill. I was so glad when we found a campsite and I immediately set up my sleeping pad and bag. I was done!

Most nights I have been sleeping out under the stars, with no tent or tarp above me. This is what’s called “cowboy camping” and is what most PCT hikers do during nice weather. It’s a bit colder than sleeping in a tent, but the it hasn’t been that cold at night.

In the morning it was a 13 mile, mostly downhill, hike to the Paradise Cafe, which is a hiker and biker friendly restaurant just a mile off trail and a stopping point for most people. We refueled with burgers and milkshakes then had a decision to make.

In  2013 there was a large forest fire near the Paradise Cafe which has closed a section of the PCT. The trail hasn’t reopened yet, so hikers do one of three things: 1) hitch a ride from the Cafe into Idyllwild where they can rejoin the trail; 2) hike up the PCT until the trail closure, then hike along a busy road into Idyllwild; or 3) hike along the road for 8.5 miles then get onto unpaved forest service roads and take those into Idyllwild. None of the options were ideal, but since Horizon and I didn’t want to skip any sections we opted for #3. Merkel and Deadweight decided to join us.

The 8.5 miles along CA78 was not physically hard hiking since it was more or less flat, but it was mentally the hardest section yet. Every few minutes a car or truck would zoom past us at 70+ miles per hour and in some places the shoulder we were walking on was pretty narrow and I could feel the whoosh of the wind as the vehicles passed. After two and a half hours of that (which were some of the longest so far), we found a game trail on forest service land that we deiced to follow.

That put us farther from the road, which was a definite plus, but the ground was soft and it was hard walking. Eventually we got to a campground where the four of us rested for a bit and all enjoyed two Popsicles. The campground was a bit expensive and made for RVs so we hiked another half mile up the road to a county park and spent the night there. When we told the ranger that we were PCT hikers, he gave us a deluxe site near a bathroom that had electricity (so we could charge our phones) for no extra charge. He, like so many people I have met along the way, was incredibly nice.

Even though it’s only been 8 days since I left San Diego, I have become accustomed to near silence and complete darkness at night, and sleeping in the campground was actually the least restful night I’ve had. Sure, it was nice to have an actual bathroom close by, but there were campfires going, kids screaming and lights seemingly everywhere. Don’t they know that 9 pm is when PCT hikers go to sleep? I was really beat: I had a new blister on my left foot and both feet hurt. I had also hiked 47 miles in the past two days and my body was feeling it.

It was also the coldest night I’ve had to far: in the morning I awoke to tiny ice crystals on my sleeping bag and dampness everywhere.

Horizon staying warm

But at least we had left the road walking behind us: from the campground we were able to follow a mountain bike trail uphill until it connected with a forest service road that took us right in to Idyllwild. It was a gorgeous morning and we could see a thin layer of mist down in the valley that we looked out on. The walking was easy and fast in the fresh morning air. We passed through the burn zone from 2013, where nearly all of the trees on one hillside were still standing but clearly dead. Grasses have filled in everywhere and there are a few small bushes starting to emerge, but the burned trees make the area look post-apocalyptic.

Dead trees everywhere

Passing through the outskirts of town, we came to Astrocamp, where we saw some kids setting off bottle rockets. Then we encountered a few local residents who asked us some questions about the PCT and asked to take our picture. We said it was alright, as long as their dog was in it with us. It’s a little strange to be asked to be in a photo like that; I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’ll have to remember this the next time I’m in another country and want a picture of a local person.

Idyllwild is a cute, touristy town. We ran into Infrared on the way to the Red Kettle Cafe and he joined us for a great breakfast outside on the patio. While eating, a woman came up and asked if we were PCT hikers. When we said yes, she asked if we had gotten our free cookies and set out five ziploc bags of cookies for us then walked away without saying another word. It was a bit bizarre, but also amazing. These small towns really know how to treat a hiker well.

Immediately after eating, I set out to find a new pair of shoes and set a new record in shoe purchase time when I went into an outdoor store, tried on two pair of the same shoe (different sizes) and bought one of them. Hopefully my foot problems will quickly go away.

The public library was a great place to hang out for a few hours, catching up on the news and typing this entry. Having a full keyboard is so much nicer than your thumbs!

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of rain hitting my tarp. We had seen on the weather report that there was a 90% chance of rain, we everyone set up their tents/tarps before going to bed and we were all glad we did. It rained quite hard for a while but luckily there was no wind so nothing underneath my tarp got wet. Once I was convinced that everything was dry, I let the rain lull me back to sleep.

In the morning I awoke before everyone else and set off on my own. It was only four miles to Warner Springs, my first resupply town and I wanted to get there before the showers got crowded.

When I arrived I met a bunch of hikers who had stayed there the night before and I chatted with them a bit as I tucked into some eggs and pancakes. Pretty soon most of them set off for the day so I went to take a shower. The shower water was hot but the stall was outside and the cool morning air gave me the goosebumps, but washing my hair and seeing the black dirt slough off my legs and feet. While there, I scrubbed a few of my clothes then hung them up to dry. I felt like a million bucks for the next few hours. It was $8 well spent.

By the time I was done, Eric and the rest of the crew had rolled in and a few of us got a ride to the post office to pick up our resupply boxes.

The next few hours were busy but relaxing as I hung up my wet tarp to dry, repacked my bag, and checked the hiker box for any goodies. A lot of people buy or pack too much food and end up leaving it and other gear for future hikers. There was a full jar of Trader Joe’s organic peanut butter that I almost took, but that by itself weighed one pound. I did, however, take some bars and candy to supplement my lunches which have been a bit scant.

After talking to Jacob for a bit and checking email, I was feeling well rested and relaxed. Merkel, Meta, and Dead weight were also ready to go so we set off together and meandered down the trail, taking our time. Meta stopped after about a mile, but the three of us carried on for another four. We found a beautiful campsite next to a babbling brook where we laid our sleeping bags out and whiled away the afternoon and evening.

A bit later on, a guy called Infrared came along and joined us. We ate dinner and then played a dice game that I taught everyone. That game made carrying the ounce of dice worth it.

Once it gets dark, everyone tends to wander off to sleep since it gets cold enough to want to be in your sleeping bag. I tend to stay up pretty late, which means I go to sleep between 8:30 and 9 pm!

Here are a few pics from today.

Eagle rock

Tire swing fun

After getting a ride from Julian back to the trail, Eric and I hung out in the shade for a while, waiting for Dead weight, Merkel, and Pre-meta to catch up (they were in town, eating pie). A guy we had seen the previous night came up, looking beat. He said his buddy had to go home because of blisters and a bad ankle, but he was going to carry on. I think quite a few people have already dropped out, or at least they have not caught up to us.

Once the crew was together, we hiked up a huge hill until we found a campsite that was protected from the wind. The five of us had dinner together then slept out under the stars. I saw two shooting stars before drifting off to sleep.

The next day the trail slowly increased in elevation by following the contours of the hills. At times you could look out and see the trail winding out into the distance miles away. Then you would head into a gully and slowly make your way out again. It was cool and windy and the trail was rock free and gentle uphill. I was flying.

In the early afternoon we took a short detour to a water cache to fill up. You should never rely on the caches because they could be out, but this one was well stocked so I didn’t feel too bad taking one liter.

In the afternoon I hiked with Pensioner and Sage and our conversation quickly carried us 10 miles. During that time we passed mile 100!

This picture is sideways

It felt really good to hike that far in five days. The terrain had also changed a lot during that time. We had passed out of the undulating hills of cactus and into hills covered with bushes and small trees. At one point Sage pointed out an edible plant called Miner’s lettuce and we all had a small snack. It was a bit tart because it was already flowering, but it was quite tasty.

I took a long break at another water stop, after hiking 22 miles and watched as nearly everyone I passed that day came in. At first I was surprised that some of them made it that far, but it was the only water for 10 miles so it was a logical stop.

At 6:30 pm, Eric and I decided to hike a bit more, hoping for a site that was more protected from wind and possible rain. We hiked another four miles through private land that was a series of meadows separated by small hills. With the setting sun and clouds on the horizon, it was really special.

We found Pensioner and Sage at a camp site next to the best flowing stream we’ve seen yet and set up there for the night.

I also got a trail name today: Epic.

I awoke in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and noticed that the moon, which was near full when we set up camp, was obscured in a strange way. In the morning I thought I was imagining it until we saw a hiker who asked if we saw the lunar eclipse that peaked at 4:30 am. I wasn’t crazy! I regretted not watching it longer, but it was the middle of the night.
I won’t try to give a day by day description of the trail, because frankly, typing with my thumbs is a pain and takes too long.

I’m now at approximately mile 77 and so far things have been great. Eric and I have averaged more than 20 miles per day, which is just what I was hoping to do. At the end of the day I’ve been tired but not exhausted and I’ve woken up each morning feeling refreshed and ready to hike. So far no sore muscles and only the smallest blister.

Southern California has also been very different than what I imagined. It is not all desert and we have hiked through a lot of different ecosystems. There was scrubby brush for a while, then nearly desert, before going through chaparral. Next we entered a sparse forest of Jeffrey pines, then came out into high desert with some scrub and grass. Now I think we are getting into true desert, but its hard to say.

We have also met some interesting people and have hiked with them for a time. Some of them have hiked the PCT or other long trail before and already have trail names, like Green Flash who has done the AT and CDT. Then there’s Pre-meta physician, who is a philosophy major going to medical in the fall, and Merkel, a 19 year old girl whose trail name is after the German chancellor. Captain Dead weight did the PCT last year but had a different name. We’ve also met Farrel, Kale, and Some Cherokee and have heard of Infrared (who has a 5 lb pack!) And Pensioner, who retired two days before starting the trail. Eric and I are awaiting our trail names but I’m sure we’ll get some.

There are quite a few towns along the way in this section so yesterday a group of us made a detour into Mt. Laguna and got breakfast to celebrate Easter. I had veggie puff pastries and potatoes which were delicious.

We’ve also been hiking on the edge of An a Barrego state park, which is amazingly beautiful.

Eric and I successfully hitched a ride into the town of Julian, where we got lunch and free pie.

The part of the desert we have been in is also amazing. The flowers are blooming and everything looks like it could be in a Dr. suess book.

With the anticipation of starting the PCT, I didn’t get much sleep on April 2 so it was good that we decided not to get up too early. By the time Jacob and I picked up Eric and drove the hour to the start of the trail, it was 9 am. There was a group of three hikers just starting and another guy came up just after us.
The start is kind of a strange place because it is right next to the Mexican border and there is a huge fence as far as the eye can see.
We took a few photos and I said goodbye to Jacob and then we were off!

Then we walked down the hill and ran into Jacob as he was driving out. With our second farewell, we were actually on our way.
The day was sunny but windy and we were both pumped so we set a good pace. The trail was narrow but well maintained and there were only a few rocks to watch out for. We quickly overtook the three hikers who started just before us, and headed into the desert.
Our goal was to hike 20 miles on the first day, which is kind of ambitious, but that’s how far we had to go to a reliable water source. Luckily the elevation change was not too great in the first 15 miles and the time passed quickly with good conversation.
Shortly into the hike, we came across a Book of Mormon, sitting on top of a backpack on the side of the trail. We couldn’t tell if it was a sign or not, but foraged ahead, nonetheless.
We didn’t see too many people early on, probably because we got a later start, but over time we passed a few hikers. We chatted with a few, but others did not seem too friendly. We played leap frog with a guy who was carrying a large knife on his leg and another, larger one below his pack. He seemed super nice, but we wondered what he was going to do with those knives. Once we passed him at a shady spot and haven’t seen him since.
Along the way we also saw a full set of clothes, cowboy boots and all, next to the trail. I have no idea what to think of that except that someone is in the desert with no clothes!
Around 3 pm, we came to a large hill to climb, so we took a short break, then opened up our umbrellas to protect us from the sun and started off.
The climb wasn’t too hard and we made good time getting to Lake Morena campground.
We took a short stroll down the road to a small grocery store and got ice cream and a milkshake to celebrate our first day. We mat two other guys there and chatted with them on the way back to the camp.
Eric and I decided to continue down the trail a bit because we heard the campground got cold at night since its in a valley. Another two miles brought us to a great site on a ridge, just as the sun was setting. We had just enough time to set up camp before it was really dark.
In total we passes 13 hikers (4 women) on our first day. And we didn’t get passed at all.
One of the great things about backpacking is going to bed whenever you want so by 9 pm I was out, feeling good about our 22 mile day to start the PCT.

With just hours to go before starting, emotions are running high here. I’m excited, nervous, a bit anxious, and ready for it to be here. With my bag completely packed, including five days of food and four liters of water, my backpack weighs 28.5 pounds. That is just under my personal limit of 30 pounds which is great. And it will get lighter as I hike tomorrow. Now I’m really glad that I did a lot of training with my pack weighing about that much!

Now we’ll see what all of that preparation and training has done for me. Send good luck my way.