“To walk for long periods is to escape the quotidian, to leave jobs, people and life’s minutiae for routines of a different, more nourishing kind. The effects of solitude, like those of landscape, accrue over time. You become attuned to the nuance of weather. Simple pleasures and modest imperatives become the most important things in life – chocolate, dry clothes, blister-free feet”.
– Tim Jepson
The Second Week – Finding Our Trail Legs!
Regular markers denote the ‘Pacific Crest Trail’, which traverses 2,659 miles from Mexico to Canada.
Day 8 – Tuesday 17th April 2018, Dry Creek Bed (near the trail) San Felipe Hills to Wild Camp, Mile 94, 14.5 miles
Week 2 and we had made great progress! We had already pulled in a ‘spare’ day by hiking on a couple of extra miles per day over 4 days after leaving Mount Laguna, bound for Warner Springs. Our camp routine was now pretty much set, and we continued to have our own assigned roles to help things run smoothly. The only thing we still weren’t that great at was getting up early. No matter what time we woke up, even if we set the alarm for a really early start, we always seemed to be the last to leave camp and get back on the trail! Today was no different…
There were several other hikers camped around the dry creek bed where we decided to pitch because it offered some wind protection from a pile of branches blocking the gully. However, when we got out of the tent to pack our bags, most of them had already set off up the trail on a mission to reach the Gate 3 water cache at mile 91 before midday.
We were amused by one of the hikers, a German, who was walking the trail in a kilt! We didn’t like to ask about what may, or may not be underneath!
Early morning, getting up from our sheltered camp spot in the San Felipe Hills.
When we set off, as everyone had already gone, we had the trail all to ourselves for a while. We were still traversing the San Felipe Hills, following the high route trail as it meandered around ridge after ridge affording expansive views across the valley that we had now seen for the past couple of days. As we could also see the highway from our vantage point, we joked that as the crow flies, we had probably only moved on a few miles from where we crossed the highway yesterday after the first water cache. If this was a European trail, it would have taken us straight across the valley floor and up through the coll, with no doubt a bit of a boulder scramble to reach the top of the pass. Instead, the American way is much more gentle on the legs by way of switchbacks following the contours of the mountainside – but in doing so, can practically double the overall distance!
The desert vegetation was much the same as yesterday, but less exciting, as yesterday we saw it for the first time! Today, it was just the ‘norm’, and we have yet 600+ miles of desert to go. That’s a lot of prickly cactus to keep avoiding! Although we’re looking forward to when they all flower as currently, it’s still a bit early in the season.
Hiking across the San Felipe Hills and looking onto the highway, which would have been a short cut!
Ouch! Prickly cactus up close and something to watch out for on the trail!
A little bit of excitement… Making the opportunity of a rock overhang!
We made it to the water cache at Gate 3 around 1:30pm, where it seemed every other hiker on the PCT had now converged. We ‘fist-pumped’ (the hiker thing so as not to spread bacteria by hand shaking) six or so ‘dudes’ who had formed a trail family and chatted with them about ‘trail names’. As everyone is still getting to know one another, most have not yet been given names. They liked our camera clips and were amazed with Wayne’s dedication to carrying his camera gear including a tripod! If they only knew about the laptop in there too! ‘Hike your own hike’ and all that… Part of the trail experience for us is getting good quality pictures and being able to share them on the blog.
Reaching ‘Gate 3’ which signalled the next water cache was near.
The desert chaparral in all its glory. Coming from England, we found the vegetation really interesting as it is in stark contrast to whet we’re used to.
In the desert, this is a sight to behold! Our progress on the trail would be severely hampered if it wasn’t for the wonderful ‘trail angels’ that support the PCTers year on year.
The water cache was just amazing! To say it is a community run operation based on donations, it is a real life saver for every PCT hiker as there is literally no other water source for miles around. Hikers can fill up their bottles from the large water containers that are stacked on pallets in a shady spot, but the limit that each person can take is 3 litres maximum. There was also a box of medical supplies to help with foot problems if needed. After several miles walking through desert, trying to conserve what water you have left, when all you really want to do is chug down at least a litre, this is a real act of kindness.
The water cache that really is a life-saver in this ‘dry’ area.
Thankfully, we’ve not had any foot problems so far, but this is such an amazing resource!
After topping up our water supplies, we ate lunch back up the trail from the cache, then decided to push on another 3 miles. We had changed our itinerary again. By upping the miles and making today around 15 in total, we planned to cover a similar distance tomorrow and get to Warner Springs early evening, giving us plenty of time the following day for chores such as laundry and food resupply. We would also make good use of the WiFi to get both photos and a blog post uploaded.
So we headed into the San Felipe Hills once again, looking for a Wild Camp spot around mile 94. But we weren’t the only ones to have that idea! When we arrived at the designated camp spot there was already a tent village going on, but luckily there was just about room for our larger 3 person tent. We’re definitely all about the ‘comfort’!
The striking desert landscape of Southern California.
Our favourite desert flower – the wonderful agave. It’s such a shame that each rosette flowers just the once, then dies.
Our wild camp spot at Mile 94. We just about squeezed in our 3-person Big Agnes!
After planning out the next 6 days leading up to Idyllwild and checking the current water report, we ate a hearty hiker favourite meal of Idahoan mashed potato with pepperoni and a tomato and basil pour on sauce, made with a thickened cupa soup. It warmed us through quickly and as we had already watched the sun go down, it was time to retreat to our tents for some much-needed ‘r and r’! We were facing another big day tomorrow to reach Warner Springs before dark.
We witnessed a beautiful sunset glow before ‘hiker midnight’.
Day 9 – Wednesday 18th April 2018, Wild Camp, Mile 94 to Warner Springs Community Centre, Mile 109, 15 miles
As predicted, we were the last hikers to decamp and get back on the trail. But we didn’t mind having the area to ourselves as it’s always better when having to find a spot to go to the toilet! Especially in the morning when it’s already light.
We set off around 8:30am bound for Warner Springs, and our first ‘shower’, or rather ‘bucket wash’ since Mount Laguna, 5 days ago! (I’m so glad I put plenty of packs of wet wipes in our resupply box!) As water is so limited in this area, it really is a case of using it sparingly for drinking and cooking only. If we hadn’t embraced the ‘hiker trash’ look and smell previously, we definitely had no choice now. (Although I like to think we still looked a lot cleaner just by having a wet wipe wash than many other hikers we passed on the trail, who, simply by the size of their packs, would not have given over grams to carry such items. Most don’t carry the luxury of deodorant either, but we learnt our lesson with that on the JMT and now carry some as part of our standard hygiene kit.)
It felt great to be hiking on the other side of the mountain today so we had a new ‘desert’ view to look at whilst meandering around the ridges again. Pleasantly, it was all downhill which made for easier walking and a faster pace. We caught up with several hikers who had left camp before us, which we were pleased about, and we knocked off 6 miles by 10:30am, reaching the first water stop at mile 101.
Panorama setting off on the morning of Day 9.
Catching up with hikers who left camp before us. This was the most amount of people we had seen on the trail in one section – we usually had the trail all to ourselves!
It was funny just before getting there as a girl had blocked the trail in an effort to mark the 100th mile by writing the number 100 in stones. Literally 2 strides after that and there was already the number ‘100’ written in stones at the side of the trail. Then about 4 more paces on, and the number was written again, this time with the word ‘REAL’ spelt out in stones next to it! We didn’t know which was the exact 100 mile marker, we were just thrilled to have made it the first one hundred miles of the PCT!
Reaching the ‘real’ 100 mile marker!
Another exciting element to the day was passing ‘Eagle Rock’. After the trail leaves the San Felipe Hills it crosses several open plains that reminded us of the prairie lands of South Dakota with windswept grasses and beautiful wild flowers, the most striking being a bright yellow. The sandy track that winds it’s way through this open expanse leads straight to a natural rock formation that looks just like an eagle. It is a famed spot on the PCT, so of course we had to get an obligatory photo or two!
Heading out of the chaparral into open plains.
The area reminded us of the ‘prairie lands’ in South Dakota that we visited in 2011. We were just missing the presence of the prairie dogs popping up here and there!
From the grasslands back to the brush within a matter of footsteps.
Beautiful yellow Californian desert poppies caught our attention.
In front of ‘Eagle Rock’ – a significant landmark along the PCT after the first 100 miles.
Of course I had to climb it! (I couldn’t beat the ‘plank on top’ from the previous hiker though!)
Here we met Alex, a young guy from Seattle who had postponed finishing college and set out on his own PCT adventure. We hiked with him the rest of the way into Warner Springs, which was another 2 miles or so, and found out that he and Wayne have a common interest in Star Wars amongst other things. This was when we were literally stopped in our tracks by a snake laying right across the trail. It didn’t look like a rattle snake, so I volunteered Wayne to go first and walk a little up the bank going around it to take a photo. It remained still until I went to go past, then it lifted it’s head and had me worried for a second, but then it slithered off quickly into the grass. Thankfully it was no big deal!
Luckily, it wasn’t a rattler! We’re getting more used to looking out for snakes now!
When we reached Warner Springs, there was a giant sign on the fence of the Community Centre welcoming PCT hikers, and indeed there was a lot of them already there making use of the facilities. We seem to have seen almost everyone from Day 1, and also those who we chatted with around camp at Lake Morena on Day 2, so we have not fallen behind in spite of our slower starting pace, and also because we didn’t take a ‘zero’ day in Julian unlike most of the others. (The lure of free pie for them was obviously too irresistible!)
Did we stink? Probably! Did it matter? Hell no, we were welcome in Warner Springs!
It was busy both inside and out with hikers making use of the Wi-fi and the washing facilities – in that order!
The Community Centre was busy but there was a good vibe. Everyone was keen to get their laundry done and indulge in a bucket shower round the back. It felt so good to wash my hair and shave my legs, even without running water, and just the convenience of a bucket and jug. It makes you realise just how much we rely on this essential resource, and how we take it for granted when water is piped straight to our homes. When you’re carrying 4 litres to last you 15 miles before you can get any more, every single drop is precious.
It wasn’t mod-cons, but a hot bucket of water was the next best thing!
Very happy at finally having a hair wash – although ‘Johnson’s Baby Powder’ makes a good substitute on the trail for dry shampoo!
With the main chores done, yes, personal hygiene is a chore on the trail, it was time for dinner. Although the Community Centre offers rides to the local grille, we cooked our own dinner as we still had plenty of food supplies to use up. (Plus we had a box with 5 more day’s worth of food rations waiting to be collected from the Warner Springs Post Office in the morning.)
Wayne prepares up another hearty trail meal with our GSI cook set.
Dinner was our current hiker favourite – rehydrated mixed bean chilli and rice, with Idahoan mashed potato. We even had a few tortilla wraps to use up too.
With so many hikers pitched in the field at the back we expected it to be a noisy night ahead with people making use of the WiFi and drinking alcohol. But we couldn’t have been more wrong! As soon as the sun went down, so did the noise. Everyone seemed to make for their tents en masse, ‘hiker midnight’ a reality after a busy day on the trail.
The ‘tent village’ at Warner Springs Community Centre, a regular stop-off and overnight stay for PCT hikers.
Day 10 – Thursday 19th April 2018, ‘Zero Day’ at Warner Springs Community Centre
Today was not such a busy day in terms of walking. In fact we did ‘zero’ miles as we decided to make use of the facilities at the Community Centre and upload a blog post, as well as recharge our devices. So it was a ‘rest’ day of sorts, or as we like to call it, an ‘admin’ day.
We had intended hiking on at least 3 miles later that afternoon and camp at the next water source, but as it had been raining, we decided to stay put. Instead, our plan was that we’d get up early the following morning and add the 3 miles onto tomorrow’s distance. (Well that would be a real test of whether we could do ‘early’ as it would be our next 15 miler and a lot of it uphill!)
Making the most of our time off-trail, we started the day well with a walk to the local Golf Club Grille where we indulged in hot breakfasts, the first since San Diego. But instead of burritos, Wayne opted for ‘Huevos Rancheros’ (eggs, tortilla, Rancheros sauce, rice and refried beans – the Mexican influence), whilst I couldn’t resist avocado and went for the avocado, bacon and cheese omelette with hash browns and toast. It was all good, especially the free coffee refills that just kept on coming, (Wayne was practically buzzing all the way back to the Community Centre) and it kept us full for the entire day, so worth spending the 30 bucks!
From the Grille it was then onto the Post Office to pick up our resupply parcel. We weren’t overwhelmed at the prospect of carrying another 5 days of food rations, but it was good to have a ‘fresh’ selection once again. As we had a little too much, it also meant we could weed out some of the lesser favourites and stick them in the ‘Hiker Bin’ for someone else. I for one have really eaten my entire life’s worth of peanut butter and have completely gone off the stuff, much to the enjoyment of other hikers who swooped in on our surplus rations as soon as it became fair game. That seems to be a common thing, that certain hikers will hang around the ‘bins’ and take out other hikers’ surplus foods to save them spending any money on food resupply. Fair enough, it’s there for someone else to take if they want it, but it’s not a good strategy for keeping you full or fit and healthy on the trail, nor is it reliable.
Five days’ worth of food resupply that we collected from Warner Springs Post Office.
As the day progressed, the Community Centre was constantly busy with a steady stream of hikers in and out proving what a valuable resource it is for thru-hikers on this section of the PCT. There were a few others who took ‘zeros’ like us, but that was more for foot problems and other walking related ailments where they just needed a day of rest. (For $3, the Community Centre provides foot spas with Epsom salts, which we saw a lot of hikers partaking in!)
The usual crowd who we had seen every day or two since our start date would be at least a day ahead now, but we hoped that we’d catch up with them again somewhere along the trail.
We resisted the urge to go back to the Grille for dinner and used up one of our hiker meals, the bonus being that they’d be less to carry tomorrow, and we’d already paid for it after all. It was my menu choice tonight but Wayne’s least favourite meal so we won’t be buying it again! It was a packet mix of broccoli and cheese macaroni pasta mixed with rice, which we cooked and then poured over one of our food staples, instant mashed potato. I really liked it, unlike a certain husband of mine! I don’t think you can be too fussy on the trail! (Other than not liking peanut butter of course!)
Broccoli does not fulfil a hiker’s food needs according to Wayne! He’s definitely a ‘meat’ eater.
It had been uncharacteristically cold today, especially in comparison with the last week, and it was also very windy, so we couldn’t wait to get hunkered down in our sleeping bags. Because of he weather, the ‘Hiker Hut’ by the Community Centre had turned into what looked like a homeless shelter as several other hikers decided to take their sleeping bags and pads inside and bunk down in there for the night in the warmth. Clearly we’re a bit more hardy being used to the English weather and all!
We enjoyed a lovely sunset out the back of the Warner Springs Community Centre. We wouldn’t have seen it if we’d have bailed inside.
All in all, with photos and a blog post uploaded it was a successful day. However being sat at a laptop all day felt like a proper day at work and my legs were getting twitchy!
We can’t wait to get back on the trail now and begin Sector B, which is around another 100 miles or so. We’ve planned 5 and a half days to get to our next resupply town, where we’ve booked a little cabin for the night as a treat on the trail. It will also be our next place to take a proper shower! It’s the simple things that please us when attuning to trail life. Idyllwild here we come!
Day 11 – Friday 20th April 2018, Warner Springs Community Centre, Mile 109 to Wild Camp at Mile 122, 13 miles
So we didn’t make it our intended 15 miles! But that was for 2 reasons – the first being we woke up to a frozen tent, the temperature having dropped below zero for the first time on trail, which meant we had to wait for the tent fly to dry out before we set off. So because of this, we didn’t end up getting away until 10am, a very late start! And secondly, as a knock on effect from this, we were hiking largely uphill during the hottest part of the day, and today was REALLY hot so we didn’t get as far as expected!
Leaving Warner Springs and re-joining the PCT – a feat in itself as that is the usual spot at least 50% of hikers give up after claiming ‘it’s not what they thought it would be!’
It was hard going as the temperature had increased significantly and we were carrying full packs with fresh food supplies, plus 3 litres of water each after the last top up from Agua Caliente Creek, the only reliable water source on this stretch, that would have to last us until Mile 127. The forecast for the rest of the week was much the same, in the high twenties all the way to Idyllwild. The phrase ‘Mad dogs and Englishman’ comes to mind!
Heading back into the desert fully laden with fresh supplies.
But we weren’t the last ones on the trail today. Apart from the hikers who bailed into the Hiker Hut for the night to avoid the freezing temperatures, everyone else who braved camping outside was in the same position as us, waiting for their tents to dry before they could set off. We were therefore leapfrogging different groups of hikers, but it seemed everyone was finding it tough going and we’re taking regular breaks in the shade.
I was overheating and feeling nauseous at one point, so we definitely need to be breaking camp by 7am to get the majority of our miles done by midday. Then if need be we can take a siesta, then hike on the last few miles late afternoon when it starts to get cooler. All good in theory! We managed it in Corsica, getting away for sunrise, so we need to refine our morning routine and make it work here, especially before we get to the Mojave.
As we hiked back up into the mountains, we crossed from the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park into the Cleveland National Forest, but the flora and fauna remained much the same, maybe a little less cactus and a few more trees. What we did notice more of today was bird song! We had seen several scrub jays and blue jays over the past few days, but I guess as there were more trees, there were more birds, including hummingbirds. We could hear the vibrations of their wings when we sat still and quiet, however they were much too fast, flitting here and there to photograph unfortunately. But it made a nice change at camp laid in the tent listening to the different bird calls and sing-song instead of the tent rustling from the incessant wind.
The mountains were cloaked in more greenery as we passed from one ridge to another.
We wanted to camp between Mile 122 and 124, but as soon as we reached Mile 122 and found a suitable camp spot big enough for our tent, we gave in, having definitely had enough for today. Our shoulders and legs were screaming for rest after yesterday’s zero, and it was certainly a shock to the system having a full load again. The positive out of all this is that we had plenty of food to choose from for dinner and as each day goes by, we literally eat our way lighter!
It wasn’t the best wild camp spot, just in a clearing between some scrub on a flattish part of the mountainside, but it would suffice. The consolation, we still had 150 more nights to go at finding the ultimate wild camp spot along the PCT!
Dinner was tagliatelle pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni and a tomato and basil sauce. We even had little sachets of parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top. (Courtesy of a raid on Pizza Hut condiments when we visited a Target store in San Diego!) I think that’s as civilised as it gets in the middle of the wilderness!
A little sprinkle of Parmesan with that?!
Sunset is getting a little later each day, today being around 7:30pm. But we were well and truly ready for bed by then. Walking every day is definitely a good remedy to help you sleep!
Day 12 – Saturday 21st April 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 122 to Wild Camp at Mile 138, 16 miles
Not wanting to repeat yesterday’s late start resulting in us hiking during the hottest part of the day, we made sure we were up at 6:30am and away from camp by 8am. We’re forfeiting a hot drink in the morning now because of our limited water supplies, but it also means without the need for the cook pot and gas, we can pack away all of our gear a bit faster. (In theory anyway!)
Today’s hike was much the same as the previous few days, our route winding around mountainside after mountainside through the desert chaparral, but it was good to walk in the cooler early morning sun, with the larger scrub offering us pockets of shade here and there. Our first stop after around 5 miles was at ‘Mike’s Place’s to fill up with water from his large tank. We didn’t actually go down to his house, but it is a renowned place on the PCT for hikers to hang out for the night.
Panorama showing the ‘high route’ that the Pacific Crest Trail takes. Our trail weaves around the mountainside on the left which is fairly level and offers expansive views over the valley.
After 100 miles, we were getting used to the landscape!
We didn’t hike down into Mike’s Place, instead we just filled up with water from the tank outside his property. Several hikers had told us that it was a very ‘interesting’ stay, however you want to interpret that!
It was here that we met ‘Bristlecone’, an older guy hiking the PCT for the third time in his life. He said he was ‘the oldest thing on the trail’ and that he’d seen ‘lots of changes in the trail since that book and stupid film’. He was making reference to Cheryl Strayed’s memoirs on hiking the PCT and the Hollywood movie adaptation, ‘Wild’. It’s influence has been far-reaching as it now seems everyone’s mission in life is to go on a great adventure from Mexico to Canada to ‘find themselves’, hence the increasing foot traffic on the PCT due to the ‘Wild effect’. In reality on trail, most hikers we’ve spoken to say they’ve never even seen the film. But with 50 people a day starting the trail from March to May, Bristlecone is correct in that the PCT has certainly grown in popularity. He asked Wayne to guess his age, which Wayne thought was around 72. We were amazed when Bristlecone said he was 80! 80 years old and thru-hiking the PCT for the third time – that’s inspiration right there! We’ll be ecstatic if we make it all the way to Canada just the once! But it proves that if your legs are still in good shape, then just keep on walking!
After 10 miles completed by midday, we sat down to have lunch and rested for an hour in the shade, lounging out on our Z-lite pads which was an excellent decision as we really felt rejuvenated when we got back on the trail just after 1pm ready to bash out the final 6 miles.
Heading along the trail aiming for Tulle Creek where we could tell there was water flowing due to the greenery of the vegetation in that area.
We were aiming to camp at Mile 138, but just before that at Mile 137 we were hoping to get another litre of water by climbing down the bank to Tulle Creek as the Water Report indicated there was a small flow at the bottom. Our next chance of water wouldn’t be until Mile 143 the following day where it noted there should be a cache, courtesy of a trail angel.
As we rounded the bend before the creek, we could see the top of a gazebo a little way off, the bright white material standing out amidst the green scrub. In the middle of nowhere, this was an unusual sight! We didn’t like to get our hopes up, but we were hoping for a little ‘trail magic’, and indeed it was, courtesy of trail angel Nico. Underneath the gazebo he had set up a water stop so PCT hikers could sit in the shade and replenish their supplies without having to scramble down to the creek. Not only that, he had a cool box with juice, beers, wine and I even got my hands on a can of G&T! But best of all were the snacks – fresh oranges, apples, bananas, carrots, hummus and a whole box of other goodies. We joked was this actually real? Were we seeing a mirage after being in the desert for so long, before eagerly tucking in.
Could it be trail magic? It was an unusual place to set up a gazebo in the middle of nowhere, so we were hoping so!
There were several other PCTers already there making use of the seating and supplies, some we had already met previously on the trail, some who we made friends with right then. Everyone was in a great mood and really thankful to Nico as this is such a dry section of trail and him being right at that spot was just perfect.
Waving is our wonderful host Nico, who denied being a ‘trail angel’, saying he just wanted to camp and meet interesting people. He really was a ‘trail angel’ to us. (And the only 80-year-old we have met so far on the trail, Bristlecone is sat to the left of him.)
There was music playing and Wayne even got a quick lesson on how to play the ukulele! After everything we’ve said before about ‘ flamenco factor’ on the trail, he was enjoying having a go and embracing a new aspect of thru-hiking. He commented that the ukulele actually weighs less than his camera, but I don’t think he’ll be adding one to his kit list any time soon!
We stayed for just over an hour, chatting with the other guys and enjoying the merriment. But then it was back to business! A few hikers had pitched their tents around Nico’s set up as he said he’d be camping there for the night, but we wanted to stay on schedule and complete our final mile for the day. We didn’t want to get sucked into a ‘party night’ as we so easily could have done!
So we gave him a donation for his kindness (Trail angels never charge a fee, but goodwill only gets so far. Donations mean they can spread the love even further.) and bid everyone farewell. We’d probably see them up trail tomorrow at the next water stop!
It only took us about 20 minutes or so to hike the final mile, but it was already getting late, so we had to quickly get set up and get our camp chores done before dark. We ate ‘packet chicken’ with Ramen noodles, not the best tasting dish we’ve ever had, but it would suffice. As we climbed into our sleeping bags, we were still buzzing with excitement at having eaten some fresh fruit today! A little bit of trail magic really goes a long way!
Not our favourite camp dinner, but having had an apple and orange on the trail today, we didn’t much care!
Day 13 – Sunday 22nd April 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 138 to Wild Camp at Mile 152, 14 miles
Eat, hike, sleep, repeat! It was beginning to feel like that having already covered over 100 miles of desert where both the scenery and temperature hadn’t changed for quite a few days. However, when we got back on the trail this morning, we were pleased to know that we only had 5 miles to hike before reaching the first water cache, but even better than that, we had two really exciting things happen today!
We might have been hiking in the same landscape, but some cacti were starting to burst into flower!
In desert lands, any significant colour change catches the eye!
‘Between a rock and a hard place!’ Making the most of any available bit of shade!
After 5 miles, happy to have reached the first water cache.
One was that we passed the 150 mile marker during the afternoon, denoted by numerals made from stones at the side of the trail. The second was another act of trail magic! This time it was from ‘Trail Angel Mary’ who at Mile 145 not only provides a water cache, but also a large sunshade, picnic benches, a pit toilet, shower cubicle fed by a water container, library book swap, a place to camp and best of all… ice-cold lemon squash, a perfect pick-me-up when you’ve been overheating for several miles as there is literally not a spot of shade anywhere.
And the desert goes on and on and on…
Yay! We’ve reached Mile 150! Still a long way to go to Canada, but every mile counts.
We didn’t actually meet Mary, but as the PCT crosses close to the boundary of her house, she has taken it upon herself to provide this little piece of heaven in the middle of the desert. And indeed it was!
Trail Angel Mary’s hiker’s oasis – literally a little piece of paradise in the wilderness.
There was a sign explaining that each year she chooses a theme for her ‘Hiker Oasis’ – the focus for this year being John Muir and celebrating 150 years since his arrival in California. As a Scottish-born naturalist, he did much for the preservation of wilderness areas across America in the early 1900s, and being friends with President Roosevelt at the time, was also instrumental in the establishment of several National Parks.
The legacy lives on… From one century to the next, the wilderness is still enjoyed by many, thanks to the foresight of these men.
As an all-time hero of ours and having hiked the John Muir Trail in 2014 we were pleased with Mary’s choice. How fitting then to the quote emblazoned on the inside door of the pit-toilet: “The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark…”- John Muir. (This is Wayne’s exact message on his ‘Out of Office’ email since finishing work and leaving the UK!)
Ecstatic at the wonderful gift of ice water and lemon squash! The kindness of strangers really emphasises the goodness of humanity.
Having arrived at this wonderful spot just after midday, we didn’t leave again for a couple of hours after making the most of the opportunity of some shade, as well as indulging in the ice-cold drinks. Here we bumped into the ‘Three Musketeers’, a young American hiking group consisting of one female and two male hikers who had recently graduated from college. We had seen them several days in a row now as they were hiking a similar pace to us, but what made them stand out (the lads that is) was their Hawaiian shirts and straw boater hats. They did look really cool; how well the straw hats will hold up after a few hundred miles, only time will tell. But it made us think about getting more trendy on the trail, so we’re going to seek out a pair of cowboy hats in Idyllwild and try and up our trail cred. No really, it’s just for fun! But the hats might offer a bit more sun protection for our ears and neck than our caps, so win-win on both counts!
Beyond Mary’s ‘Muir Wood’s, we had another 7 miles to hike until today’s camp. But even though it was later in the afternoon the temperature was still very high and the heat really took it out of us. We were grateful of another trail angel when we finally reached Highway 74, the main road leading to Idyllwild, where some other hikers were going to try hitching a ride into town. At the road crossing was a large tub stocked with several gallon bottles of water, but even better than that were cartons of coconut water! As they were filled with electrolytes, they were perfect, so we soon guzzled one down between us.
Crossing Highway 74, we resisted the lure of the Paradise Valley Cafe, instead choosing to hike a mile further on towards Idyllwild.
We then had just one mile to go beyond the trailhead junction across the road to reach our intended camp spot for the night. We got there just before 6pm and were more than happy to call it a day! As we are not intending on getting to Idyllwild until Wednesday, we now think that we’ll start seeing a new crowd on the trail day by day, as many of the groups we saw initially have pushed on with a much faster pace and are probably enjoying the home comforts Idyllwild has to offer already. But that’s ok. We know from experience how important it is to ‘hike your own hike’ and trail families will come and go all the time.
Our wild camp sot at Mile 152, with virtually 360° views.
Thanks to trail angels like Mary, it makes the tougher days more bearable and gives us that little bit more strength, both in body and mind, to keep going… It’s still a long way to Canada!
Day 14 – Monday 23rd April 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 152 to Wild Camp at Mile 165, 13 miles
It was a big day for the end of Week 2, ‘big’ in terms of the amount of elevation gain we had as we were practically hiking uphill all day with a 2,000 feet climb, which was something quite new to us on this trail! Having gotten used to long, steady switchbacks, it was uncharacteristic of the PCT so far, and a bit of a shock to the system, especially in the heat. We also didn’t have any ‘trail magic’ today to help us along!
Thankfully we left camp just before 7:30am, anticipating what lay ahead, and wanting to get as many miles done as we could before 10am. The first 6 miles in fact was a beautiful walk as the trail left the desert scrub and instead meandered through woodland and between boulders, both offering us good pockets of shade.
We were welcoming the presence of more trees as it afforded us more shade in an otherwise hot, hot, hot area.
Looking onto more greenery, which would give us a bit of respite from the hot sun.
It had been a while since we had seen pine cones (they are literally the size of a human head!) and smelt the wonderful aroma of pine needles as they crunched under our feet. There were still a few low-growing cactus plants but the flora and fauna had changed significantly since leaving Highway 74. We weren’t so worried about rattlesnakes anymore, as we were now in chipmunk country!
Literally, the pine cones are huge!
Enjoying the fruits of his labour – taking a drink after filtering several litres of water for our next stretch of trail.
We stopped at Mile 158 where Wayne hiked off trail to Tunnel Spring to fill up our water pouches for filtering. It was our first opportunity to top up our water supplies since yesterday as the creeks leading up to here were all dry. He brought back 4 litres as we knew it would be another ‘dry’ camp tonight as well. So far, that’s been the hardest aspect of the trail – not having regular access to water. We have to plan our daily miles and camp spots carefully, always having the next water source in mind, which is why both the official ‘Pacific Crest Trail Water Report’ (www.pctwater.com) and the Guthooks App (produced by a former thru-hiker showing all the available water sources on a map that can then be updated by people on trail with latest flow/ cache info) have been invaluable resources.
Just a little reminder of the next water sources along the trail.
Still tramping through the wilderness…
Early morning, Bristlecone and his buddy hiked past us, but apart from a couple of day hikers, they were the only people we saw for the rest of the day until we pitched our tent in a clearing just after Mile 165. We were aiming to reach Mile 166, but having seen the clearing which had a great view looking down onto Lake Hemet, we gave in at 3pm, downed our packs and thought this was as good a spot as any having been climbing uphill for the past two hours or so. When building this section of trail they had clearly followed the European style of going straight up the face of the mountain and down the other side! We were so used to gentle switchbacks that it felt brutal on our legs, especially with carrying full loads of water in our packs.
This section of trail required a lot of ascent, which we had not been used to thus far on the PCT.
A few miles further, beyond Fobes Junction, we knew the PCT had been closed due to forest fire, evident from the current situation at ground level.
Taking in the views – the PCT prides itself on taking the ‘high’ route!
But after such efforts to make it this far, it felt great to be finishing mid-afternoon. We made the most of the extra couple of hours at camp and just relaxed in the sunshine. Wayne also came up with a new hiker meal for this evening’s dinner that would require minimal washing up due to us conserving our water supplies. It was ‘quesadillas’ – flour tortillas with pepperoni, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes folded in half and heated in the frying pan. Perfect trail food, which actually made use of the frying pan and mini cheese grater seeing as we had carried them all this way!
A luxury to some, but making the most of our mini cheese grater on the trail!
What a camp spot! Making the most of the height around Spitler Peak!
When water is limited, a frying pan does the job! Pepperoni and cheese quesadillas, trail style!
We weren’t sure exactly who had hitched a ride into Idyllwild missing out this section of trail, as beyond Mile 168, the PCT is closed due to fire damage. However, there is an alternate route, following the Spitler Trail, which is what we’d be hiking tomorrow as we didn’t want to ‘miss’ out any miles. That’s why it had been quiet on the trail today.
The ‘Three Musketeers’ did hike past our camp about an hour after we’d set up, followed by a single female hiker whom we didn’t know, but that was all. I guess the trail is in a concertina effect, with certain sections being very busy and groups of hikers bunching up, whereas other areas seem foot-traffic free, meaning you get the whole mountain to yourself. It had been a tough day, so we’ll settle for a bit of alone time on the mountain tonight!
Looking onto a beautiful sunset.
It was worth resisting hitching the miles to Idyllwild!
Mile 165: The perfect wild camp spot…
We can’t quite believe that we’ve reached the end of Week 2 already! The time on trail is going so fast, but we’ve got some good desert miles in the bag and with upping the mileage a little bit this week, we really feel like we’ve found our trail legs and will cope with next week’s 17/ 18 mile days, which we’ve been building up to. Wayne keeps reminding me that ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint’, which is very true, and having a plan to build our miles up gradually has really paid off.
So with everything on track, here’s to an exciting Week 3 where we’ve planned a ‘nearo’ in Idyllwild with an overnight cabin stay, before summiting San Jacinto, the 2nd highest peak in Southern California at 10,834 feet! We will then re-join the PCT proper after the fire closure section reopens at Mile 177.3.
16 Comments
Great blog you two, so where does the `hikers spuds of choice` Idahoan mashed potato come from? Those water stations and little trail angel places look amazing though. Love Mitch
Supermarkets! Other than that, all I can say is it’s an American version of ‘Smash’. We binned a load of instant noodles, as we’ve gone off them already! So the next 5 nights, instant mash it is!!! The ‘trail angels’ are truly amazing – it’s much needed and appreciated help in the desert.
Another great write up!
I am sure Wayne is getting smaller with the weight of the backpack.
The last photo ‘Mile 165’ is lovely.
Stay safe. xx
Yes he definitely is! He has been feeding up on a giant burger, fries and beer in Idyllwild, which will no doubt be the norm in every town we hit!
Oh and the ‘toilet talk’ is still to come in the next update… 😉
Wonderful report and photo’s as always. Many thanks for your hard efforts when you could have just taken it easy at Warner Springs. The Trail Angels seem to be prolific in your area. I guess that without them the trail would be impossible to walk.
You’re certainly finding some fantastic looking wild camp spots to collapse in!!
Your meals seem to be keeping you going well but your packs must be weighing a ton – and that’s before the miles, ascents and heat!!
I hope you enjoyed Idyllwild and are now fully re-juvinated to carry on your adventures.
Looking forward to your next installment.
Best Wishes
John
Thanks John! Yes the ‘trail angels’ have certainly kept us going on the long, dry stretches of the desert.
My pack is only just bearable with 4 litres of water, but Wayne’s pack is really heavy with all the camera gear etc as well. The weight is literally dropping off him! We haven’t calculated how many calories we’re consuming per day, but it probably isn’t nearly enough, especially for him when we eat the same. We’ll be reviewing that over the next food resupply stops, but small towns seem to have limited options.
Glad you’re still enjoying following along! Danielle & Wayne 🙂
Am enjoying your posts! The single female hiker that went by may have been my sister. She posts some but not as many nice pictures nor descriptions of the trail as you do. Thank you for sharing your experiences. For me it is helping to visualize what my sister’s days are like.
Thanks for your lovely comments and for following along! Does you sister have a trail name yet? We may have met her! Would be great to know.
Wonderful photography, meals, sunsets and awesome Trail Angels. I was hoping to be one for a hiker on the Bicentennial National Trail, 5330kms, as he passed our area. Alas, the date for our travel to Canada arrived several days before he passed through. Keep up the good work.
Trail angels are awesome! Human kindness at its best.
Thanks Helen 🙂
Nice update again, and glad to hear you are both in good health. Wayne must be a superman , walking with such a haevily backpack. I hope you both also have some energy left to enjoy the walk, and not only are fithing the weight.
For me personally has to minimize the weight of my gear more hiking fun. I’m not going to extreme, take cooking stuff with it. But my acceptable maximum, including water and food is located at 14 kilo. It’s still far, am critical of what you do and don’t take with you. For example, taking raingear in the dessert is a heavy luxery.
You both are doing it fantastic, love to follow your progress.
Thanks Walter. We have been forced to take a ‘zero’ day in Big Bear Lake because of an unexpected ‘snow storm’ coming through, so we’re glad we had our rain gear still in the bag! You just never know how the weather will change hiking through the higher elevations.
I like your superman comment – Wayne said he’s becoming a ‘walking machine’! 🙂
I enjoyed the report of your 3-the week on the PCT. Many unexpected circumstances to be reckoned with, redirects, and snow storms.
Great read how hospitable PCT hikers everywhere are received. Also the help that the Trail angels offer is huge, water on important spots so that you can go on.
It strikes me that Wayne, when preparing meals equally sized portions makes for you both. I would think that he needs more with its extra heavy load, buy him an extra large burger at the next opportunity, he needs it.
After 3 weeks on the road, the trip now really feesl like a grand adventure. Never before so long on the move and yet still as far to the end. The feeling to leave everything for what it is and you totally surrender to the adventure and infinite liberty is to do what with your mind.
Keep going and stay healthy. I look forward to your adventures. I like to read them and my desire to go to path is constantly increasing. 14 may I go one week on the road, in Germany, a route which is called the Eifelsteig. Not comparable to the PCT, but hopefully stilt short my desire to turn out to go until July, the kungsleden on the agenda.
Make your dreams come true!!!
Thanks for your reply! Wayne is going to be upping the calories with extra snacks during the day.
Germany sounds interesting, we have yet to visit there but would like to go sometime in the future.
We look forward to your updates about the Kungsleden.
Happy hiking!
Another great instalment and what a wild camp spot at mile 165. Don’t know how you guys find the time to keep the writing, photography and blogging going in amongst all the hiking – especially at such a high standard – totally take my hat off to you both. 👍 Joy to read as always. All the best for the next stage.
Thanks so much Mark!
I try to write a daily round up on my phone each night whilst Wayne is cooking dinner to keep up with the blog, then photos and videos are edited when we have a town stop. It means we have a busy ‘zero’ day but it’s working so far. It’s quick to forget things week by week as everything changes so quickly, so even if no one reads it, it serves as a good personal diary for us! Wayne is all about the photography so makes it worth carrying the gear to get better pictures. Glad you’re enjoying them 🙂