PCT Day 14

 

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PCT Day 14, 26 May 2022 (Thursday)

"Zero"

Start Location:	Big Bear Lake	Destination:	Big Bear Lake
PCT Miles Day 14:	0	Cum PCT Miles:	266.1
Non-PCT Miles Day 14:	0	Cum All Miles:	283.2
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,386.5
Elevation Gain Day 14:	0	Cum Elevation Gain:	48,042

 

Today Is what is called in long-distance hiking a zero day, a day were no miles are hiked on the official trail.  It is a day to get things done, and to let the body rest.  The good news is I actually got things done.  My cell service is working again, after only nine short days—maybe there’s a lawsuit against Verizon in the future.

I also got new pockets for my convertible Columbia pants (not sure why they used such cheap mesh fabric for their pockets).  Again, the trail provides here.  Nearing the end of the trail yesterday there was a board with various local business cards up there, and one happened to be for a seamstress who will do fast work for hikers.  She drove to the coin wash where I was doing laundry, picked up my pants, and then returned them about 1.5 hours later to my hotel.  She was only going to charge me $10, but I gave her more.

 

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PCT Day 13

 

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PCT Day 13, 25 May 2022 (Wednesday)

"Marathon"

Start Location:	Mission Creek Trail Camp	Destination:	Big Bear Lake
PCT Miles Day 13:	26.2	Cum PCT Miles:	266.1
Non-PCT Miles Day 13:	0.7	Cum All Miles:	283.2
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,386.5
Elevation Gain Day 13:	3,365	Cum Elevation Gain:	48,042

 

Today’s PCT miles were exactly 26.2, just a coincidence that it happened to be exactly marathon distance.  I have also now completed 10% of the trail.  There were ups and downs, like every day, but, overall, today had the easiest hiking, excluding the fact that it was 26.2 miles.  I am really looking forward to getting in to Big Bear today so I can, hopefully, get my cellular service issues squared away.  Also, I am looking forward to a shower, a regular bed, and a roof over my head.

The end of the day challenge was trying to get a ride from where the trail meets Highway 18 into the town of Big Bear Lake, about 8 miles away from my hotel.  Just like in Idyllwild, the trail provided.  Another hiker who was already waiting had called a local for a ride, and there was room for me.  I was the last stop for the driver, and the other hikers had already paid the driver enough money that he told me I didn’t need to pay anything.

Not many pics today, was just cranking the miles to get to town.

Coon Creek Cabin, an old building along the trail to Big Bear.

Big Bear Lake, in the distance, is the destination for today.

 
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PCT Day 12

 

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PCT Day 12, 24 May 2022 (Tuesday)

"Mission Impossible"

Start Location:	Whitewater Preserve	Destination:	Mission Creek Trail Camp
PCT Miles Day 12:	21.4	Cum PCT Miles:	239.9
Non-PCT Miles Day 12:	1.1	Cum All Miles:	256.3
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,412.7
Elevation Gain Day 12:	7,163	Cum Elevation Gain:	44,677

 

Today was a very interesting day that was both “fun“ and very difficult.  The majority of the day involved following and criss-crossing Mission Creek dozens of times while going steeply uphill.  Total mileage was over 22.5 miles (with side trails), and total elevation was almost 7,200 feet; this is pretty equivalent to the Cactus-to-Clouds hike from Palm Springs to the top of San Jacinto.  But, in several ways, today’s hike was harder.

First, the trail along Mission Creek has been wiped out multiple times by flash floods and it’s very difficult to follow in many parts.  Second, there is a lot of jungle-like growth along Mission Creek and getting through it involves a fair amount of bushwhacking.  Third, there may not be water available on the trail tomorrow so I had to fill up 7 liters of water at the last reliable source today, and carry it the last 1.5 miles to camp.  This last 1.5 miles is very steep and, sadly, involves several more challenging crossings of downed trees.  Not fun when you feel you are near the limits of your endurance and with a pack loaded down with a lot of water.

Today was another burner, everyone I saw on trail looked completely exhausted.  On the good side, it was nice to have water available almost all day long.  This meant only having to carry about 1 L of water instead of the normal 4-5 L that we had to carry during the hot, dry sections.  Also, we could soak ourselves in water all day long.  However, after completely soaking ourselves, it only took about 10 minutes for everything to get completely dry again.  Still, this temporary cooling really made the hike more manageable.

Lastly, at the end of the day, I ended up having a very nice and convenient camping spot; at least one bonus at the end of a long, hard day.  After making it through the last two days, I feel like (I hope?) there is nothing I won't physically be able to handle the rest of this hike.

Landscape leaving Whitewater River area

San Gorgonio Mt.

Mission Creek, more life sustaining water in the desert

Is this the desert, or a jungle, or a rainforest?  We had to hike and route find today through a lot this stuff around Mission Creek
 

 

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PCT Day 11

 

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PCT Day 11, 23 May 2022 (Monday)

"Just Deserts"

Start Location:	West Fork Snow Creek	Destination:	Whitewater Preserve
PCT Miles Day 11:	24.6	Cum PCT Miles:	218.5
Non-PCT Miles Day 11:	1.0	Cum All Miles:	233.8
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,434.1
Elevation Gain Day 11:	2,547	Cum Elevation Gain:	37,514

It was another scorcher today.  There's hot, and then there's HOT!  And today was the kind of HOT authorities warn people not to hike in, and will even close popular day hike trails when it's this hot.  Even though the trail wasn’t the hardest, it’s hard for me to believe I did another 25.5 miles (including side trails) in these conditions after 11 straight days of hiking.  Being very fit at the beginning of the hike was definitely a huge benefit.

The terrain today was really unique from any other day.  Going down from the desert part of North San Jacinto, then walking through desert areas that are like what people envision when they think of the desert.  Then hiking under Highway 10 near Cabazon (near Haugen-Lehmann Way, ~6mi. east of the Dinosaurs), and up into the desert hills north of there.  Finally finishing at the Whitewater Preserve, a really unique area, and one that most people probably don’t know about (you can actually drive here--wish I’d known that before walking over 25 miles in this heat).

Anyway, I’m exactly where I want to be at the end of Day 11.  Tomorrow is going to be another very interesting and challenging day.  And then the next day, if all goes well, I’ll be in Big Bear, where, hopefully, I’ll get my cellular service issues resolved.

BTW, I heard, and then saw, my fourth rattlesnake of this hike.  I couldn’t get a pic because it moved deeper into the bushes too fast.  Too bad, because it looked different than others I’ve seen.  But, it sure startled me.  I was walking along a section of trail that had a steep drop off to the left, and the snake rattled at me from the right.  I jumped onto a small rock just to my left and then jumped forward back onto the trail.  Rattlesnakes are much scarier when you hear them right next to you before seeing them.

 

200 Mile marker

First time I've seen this flower, Sacred Datura

Important water faucet

 

One of the few parts of the PCT that is paved.  This is the road that goes down from the important water fauct.

 

The PCT going under Hwy 10, a few miles from Cabazon (bet you didn't know that every time you've driven over it going out towards Palm Springs).  An interesting place to find shade.

From the mountains to the desert...just another day on the PCT

Starting Section C, near Mesa Wind Farm

Whitewater River basin (if you look to the back of the basin, you may be able to discern the narrow band that is the river)

Whitewater River

Of course I'm soaking my feet in that river
 

 

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Day 10

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PCT Day 10, 22 May 2022 (Sunday)

"San Jacinto"

Start Location:	Idyllwild	Destination:	West Fork Snow Creek
PCT Miles Day 10:	14.5	Cum PCT Miles:	193.9
Non-PCT Miles Day 10:	2.6	Cum All Miles:	208.2
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,458.7
Elevation Gain Day 10:	4,233	Cum Elevation Gain:	34,967

 

Today was pretty uneventful. I got a bit of a planned late start after spending the night in Idyllwild. The miles today were a bit shorter than average, but it wasn’t necessarily easy. However, it probably was the easiest hiking of the first 10 days. The next three days are going to be long and hard.

For all the Southern California locals, if you enjoy hiking, you should make an effort to hike the PCT in the San Jacinto area, especially the northern part of the PCT in that area. If you like more extreme challenges, then hike the southern part of the PCT in the area. It’s real mountain hiking, and very scenic.

Tahquitz Rock and Peak, and a lot of the first 180 miles of the PCT

I forgot what these are called, but I think it's Flamin' Hot Jalapeno Cheeto Cone

Another reassuring sign that one is headed in the right direction

First snow on trail

N. Fork San Jacinto River...largest flow of water yet on PCT

Mt. San Jacinto

Great tent site near West Fork Snow Creek

 

 

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PCT Day 9

 

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PCT Day 9, 21 May 2022 (Saturday)

“If A Tree Falls In The Forest…And The Trail Does Provide”

Start Location:	Wilderness campsite near Apache Spring	Destination:	Idyllwild
PCT Miles Day 9:	7.2	Cum PCT Miles:	179.4
Non-PCT Miles Day 9:	4.1	Cum All Miles:	191.1
PCT Miles Remaining:	2,473.2
Elevation Gain Day 9:	2,344	Cum Elevation Gain:	30,734

 

Sorry for time traveling, but I am posting this on Thursday, May 26th.  I finally got my cell service working again ( I have not been able to send/receive texts or make/receive calls for nine days!!!), and am now at a hotel with WiFi, and a desktop computer.  So, I am able to edit this blog somewhat properly.  There will still be many multi-day stretches when I won't be able to get online, but it should be a bit better now.  

Today was supposed to be a pretty easy day.  The mileage is fairly short, mountain temps are comfortable, and the destination is Idyllwild.  But, it was not to be.  The San Jacinto Wilderness does not disappoint hikers that are gluttons for punishment.  Today’s adventure included lots of steepness, but especially lots of downed trees.  There were, literally, hundreds of downed trees across the trail.  Most could easily be stepped over or walked around.  However, there were several dozen that required more effort, and at least a dozen that required quite a bit more effort.

My agenda in Idyllwild was to get food re-supplies, and figure out where to spend the night.  This task was very much complicated by the cellular service issues I am having.  So, my plan was to walk down from the parking lot at the trailhead to downtown Idyllwild.  And on the way, I would stop at every inn or hotel and see if they had any vacancies.  The first place I stopped at, Fern Valley Inn, did not have any vacancies, but the couple who owned the place seemed pretty nice, so I asked if I could use their Wi-Fi.  They gladly let me use their Wi-Fi, and the wife then told me that their next-door neighbor, Jeannine, sometimes hosts PCT hikers, and would I be interested.  So, of course I was.  She got Jeannine on the phone and Jeannine asked if I would be OK sleeping in a camper van in their yard.  I said yes and asked the price, and she said that it was free, that she just does it because she likes to do it.

So, Jeannine not only let me stay in the camper van, but let me use the entire house, including the washer and dryer.  And she also drove me to downtown Idyllwild and showed me where everything was.  Later she even fed me dinner.  And then the next day she drove me back to the trailhead.  Pretty amazing.  This is a great example of what is called a trail angel.  Her husband, General (real name), is also very involved in this.  They host dozens of hikers every year, and go way out of their way to do whatever they can to help those hikers.  They wouldn’t even take a donation.  This is also an example of what long-distance hikers like to say “the trail provides.“  Meaning that often when you need something, it just seems to happen, one way or another.

May gray for LA, but not here

Another downed tree to get by

Bad dog!  This is Poodle Dog Bush, a plant you definitely want to avoid.  It has a toxic chemical that causes a reaction similar to poison oak and poison ivy.

Idyllwild

My free room in Idyllwild

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