“Walking gets the feet moving, the blood moving, the mind moving. And movement is life”.
– Terri Guillemets
The Fourth Week – In It For The Long Haul…
This week we reached 300 miles on the PCT! It was a significant milestone for us as the distance surpasses any previous thru-hike we’ve completed!
Day 22 – Tuesday 1st May 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 248 to Lindberg Suites, Big Bear Lake, 4 miles + a hitch into town
Well it wasn’t as bad as we were expecting. When we awoke sometime in the early hours, the tent was covered in a dusting of snow, but the Big Agnes performed well, keeping us snug and most importantly, dry. The pine trees around us were also sprinkled in white, along with several fallen pine cones littering the forest floor around the camp site. Along with the white, crisp air it made for a beautiful wintry scene, except that it was now May, and two days ago we had been hiking through desert under a blazing sun, having to take rest breaks in any pocket of shade we could find because of the intense heat! What a difference a day makes!
Hiking between valleys and gaining a few extra thousand feet in elevation brought us a flurry of snow in the night!
Thankfully, winding its way past where we had camped at Mile 248, the trail was snow-free and completely visible so we would have no problem re-joining the PCT and getting down off the mountain. Even though last night had not been as bad as we were expecting, the heavy snow forecast for Wednesday was still something we wanted to avoid. So having managed to get a phone signal yesterday along one of the ridges, we had already put ‘Plan B’ into action. Extending our stay in Big Bear Lake to two nights instead of just one, we would take a ‘zero’ day in town until the snow had passed. Thursday’s forecast was much better, returning to sunshine and temperatures of 17°c, so we would get back on the trail then and only be one day behind our intended schedule.
Putting on extra layers this morning to combat the chill!
Knowing that we only had to hike 4 miles to reach the trailhead leading to Onyx Summit and the pull-in area off Highway 38, we were eager to get going and get to Big Bear Lake. In theory, we didn’t think it would take us long, but that wasn’t accounting for our first ‘hitch’. As we hadn’t yet attempted to hitch a ride into town, we weren’t sure how long this would take us! Would anyone even bother to stop for two grubby looking hikers sticking their thumb out in the road? A regular feature of the PCT is having to leave the trail and visit towns along the route to resupply with food and other essentials. Some towns can be close to the trail and within walking distance, whereas others can be several miles away. From Mile 252, Big Bear Lake for instance was a 12-mile detour from the PCT, so hikers will try their luck with hitching. Town miles don’t count, so why add on an extra twelve and half a day’s hiking?!
When we reached the pull-in, Scoop and Blue had arrived just before us but were waiting for a ride from Blue’s parents. Being novices at hitching, we were then pleased when another hiker strode down to the roadside also needing a lift to town. We acquainted ourselves with ‘Acid Jesus’ then got to work sticking our thumbs out. A pick-up truck pulled over and we thought we were in luck, but the driver and has pal said they didn’t have any room in the back for all 3 of us and our stuff. So we tried again… Several cars and trucks passed by, but no such luck. So I started dancing in the road and doing jumping jacks in the hope that someone would take pity on us! Scoop then came over with the ground sheet to his tent folded into a nice poster size, with the writing ‘Hiker To Town’ in big, black letters. No sooner had he passed it to me and said “You might want to try this!”, a minivan pulled straight over as I walked with the poster to the side of the road.
Trying our luck with hitch-hiking! Our first time hitching and the poster we borrowed from Scoop bagged us a ride straight away!
Three guys inside who were taking part in a cycling event in Big Bear City, offered us a ride part of the way. We gratefully received their offer, loaded our packs in the back of the van and jumped in. They dropped us off in Big Bear City, which was still a few miles down the road from our final destination Big Bear Lake. (We chose this area as it has more lodging options and amenities for hikers.) We didn’t want to walk the last few miles, so instead, having been introduced to the concept of ‘Lyft’ (a dial a ride app, much the same as Uber), I downloaded the app and requested a driver. Within minutes, Janos had arrived and was driving us straight to our accommodation in Big Bear Lake for $10. Money didn’t even have to exchange hands as my ‘Lyft’ account is linked to my PayPal, so everything was taken care of online. Ingenious and very convenient when you’re hiking with minimal cash!
We bid farewell to Acid Jesus, but as we couldn’t check in at the Lindberg Suites until 3:30pm, we headed straight to the laundry. With staying two nights in Big Bear, we agreed to do the food resupply shopping the following day, so one less ‘job’ to do today. Once we had got clean clothes again, we still had an hour to kill, so we decided to sample a real ale at the Big Bear Lake Brewing Company.
With time to kill, we headed to the Big Bear Lake Brewing Company to sample a local real ale.
Once we finally got the keys to our room, we were smiling from ear to ear. We had hit the jackpot with this one! After a rushed reservation on Booking.com we were not expecting a fabulous apartment style room with giant flat screen TV, computer desk (perfect for blogging), fireplace, kitchenette, and best of all, a jacuzzi bath in the corner of the room! It was worth walking 252 miles just for the bath alone! Needless to say, we were now very thankful of the impending snow storm and that we’d be staying for two nights! After unpacking, Wayne got to work on his video update, whilst I indulged in a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine. Being back in civilisation for a while has its perks!
The Lindberg Suites was an unexpected little gem! We stayed in Room 4 on the upper level.
Making the most of the jacuzzi bath in the room. It was worth walking 252 miles for!
We then went ‘out’ for dinner, still dressed in hiking attire, for that’s all the clothes we have – but at least they were clean! After being highly recommended to us by a local guy out in his snow plough, we ate at ‘The Himalayan’ and it was the best tandoori chicken and chilli lamb curry we’d had in a long while! It was a bit of a splurge in town, but then that’s what time off trail is for. We then went back to the room to enjoy a night of Netflix whilst we had the opportunity, warm and cosy indoors, well away from freezing temperatures and the threat of snow!
Day 23 – Wednesday 2nd May 2018, Lindberg Suites, Big Bear Lake, zero miles
It was to be our second ‘zero’ day, the first being back in Warner Springs at the beginning of Week 2. More of a forced zero than a planned one, we were so pleased we made the decision to come down from the mountains and stay two nights in Big Bear Lake after waking up to around 5 inches of snow!
After waking up to what we consider is a lot of snow, we were pleased with our decision to stay for two nights in Big Bear Lake.
The snow was still falling when we went for breakfast at the Teddy Bear Restaurant. Through the window, we saw several hikers whom we’d met at various points on the trail milling around in the central village area, much like us, taking a zero having bailed out the previous day. But by mid-afternoon, most of the snow had melted and the thick, heavy cloud that had hung in the air was clearing fast, revealing the bright blue sky we had gotten used to. (No third night in town needed then!)
A very filling breakfast at Teddy’s! Corned beef hash, eggs ‘over easy’ and O’Briens chipped potatoes with onion and green peppers. It kept us going until later that evening!
So we made the most of the day. The zero was great as it gave our bodies longer to rest after upping the mileage over the last week, plus instead of rushing around all over the place, it meant we had more time to get things done. Next stop was the supermarket. Now we know what foods are generally available and what we like and what we definitely don’t like, it was much easier to go around and fill the trolley up with 10 days worth of food. We were going to carry 6 days of rations to Wrightwood (our next town stop) then post ourselves 4 days of food to collect from there (as we had read that shops and supplies in town are limited), to then see us through to Agua Dulce.
Organising our 10-day resupply of food. We are now trying to add in healthier items including spinach, cherry tomatoes and pesto.
After sorting all the food out into daily portions back in the room, it was then time for some computer work. We managed to get both a blog post and two video updates completed and uploaded during our Big Bear stay as the internet was so fast at the Lindberg Suites. Having purchased some black tape, I also spent some time turning our own ground sheet for the tent into ‘Hiker to Town’ / ‘Hiker to Trail’ posters, magpie-ing Scoop’s effective idea for getting a successful hitch. (Hikers are typically full of ingenious ideas as part of trail life!)
Wayne was busy working on our second video update. The room and internet speed were perfect for getting up to date!
Making our ‘hiker plea’ poster in preparation for our next hitch into town!
There was no dining out tonight, instead we ordered a pizza from Dominoes and made the most of having the TV for one last night as we would be back on the trail tomorrow…
Day 24 – Thursday 3 rd May 2018, Hitch to Onyx Summit, re-joined the PCT at Mile 252 to Wild Camp at Mile 267.5, 15.5 miles
After having left-over pizza for breakfast and bidding farewell to one of the best rooms we’ve stayed in, we headed to the Post Office to send our food resupply parcel on to Wrightwood before leaving town. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the temperature felt warm – a perfect day for hiking. (We could hardly believe we were in the same place compared with yesterday morning!)
Heading to the Post Office in Big Bear Lake to send on our next resupply of food.
With our backpacks on, we were considering our options for getting back on the trail at Onyx Peak, PCT Mile 252, (exactly where we left the trail on Tuesday), when a car pulled over and the lovely female driver inside asked us if we wanted a ride to the trailhead to get back on the PCT? Wow, we couldn’t believe our luck! We didn’t think we’d manage to get a hitch back out of town, so we were actually thinking about using the taxi app to request another ‘Lyft’. But thankfully Addison, as we then found out her name, was going to be our very own trail angel for today! We explained where we left the trail at Mile 252, as most hikers tend to get off the PCT at Mile 266 as it leaves them less distance to get into town. But Addison was quite happy to drive us the twelve miles to Highway 38, and around twenty minutes later we were back at the road-side pull in, just where we had left the trail on Tuesday.
We got a ride back to the trailhead at Mile 252 without even having to try! Such is the amazing kindness of American folk! Thank you Addison! 🙂
By now it was almost 11:30am, and rather late in the day for re-joining the trail, especially as we had originally planned on hiking 21 miles to get past another section of the PCT that remains closed due to a burn through the area. So we decided that with enough water to see us through, we’d just hike on and see how far we could get, with the intention of pitching somewhere and having dinner before dark. As the trail was so good underfoot and on a fairly level gradient for the majority of the time, we had covered 6 miles or so within a couple of hours. We then stopped for lunch at the creek where we caught up with Rob, Ellen and Dan, all hikers we had seen previously.
Continuing on, the trail followed a ridge line that took us out of the trees into a huge open expanse that afforded us views of both mountains and a vast desert beyond. Wayne was hoping to get some shots of the snow, but it had melted up here already. As there was the rare occurrence of some clouds however, he took the opportunity to set the tripod up and get a time-lapse of their movement across the mountains and the valley below. (So far on the PCT he’s not had much luck with any time-lapse sequences as for the most part, the sky has been cloudless.)
In the midst of mountains and chaparral.
Enjoying the expansive view across the San Bernardino National Forest.
If the tripod is out, let’s have a shot together!
Continuing on through the ‘desert’ section.
We then pushed on once again, giving way to a couple of horse riders, and crossing paths with Rob, Ellen and Dan once more, who was not having a particularly good time as he said his ankle was causing him a lot of pain. Good news though – a Southbound hiker whom we passed said there was some trail magic at Mile 266 where the trail crossed the highway. There was a small water cache, but even better was a box of various cans of pop, or sodas, as the Americans would say. Even though we had only just left town that morning, the thought of a cold, fizzy drink put a spring in our step and we were determined to get there before they had all gone!
Back on the trail and taking the time to take it all in…
Seeing a new desert plant we assumed was ‘Cactus Palm’!
We arrived just after 5pm and there were plenty of cold cans left in a variety of flavours. What a wonderful little treat to keep us going at least another mile. We didn’t want to camp near the road, but we did want to pitch before sunset, so we crossed the road and carried on another mile before we started looking for somewhere suitable to pitch the tent. The ground was really scrubby but we managed to find somewhere half decent as the ridge followed round to an area that opened out with some flatter sections.
A welcome bit of trail magic! Cans of fizzy pop in a variety of flavours – or sodas as the Americans say at Mile 266.
Indulging in a much appreciated sugar boost!
Happy we found somewhere to pitch before sunset!
It wasn’t too bad a spot!
With the temperature dropping rapidly we knew it was going to be a cold night. (It was forecast to be -2°C after midnight.) So Wayne got dinner out of the way and made us hot chocolates, then as soon as the sun dipped behind the mountain opposite us, we got straight into our sleeping bags trying to maintain the warmth we had already generated.
We had only covered 15 miles, but that was quite respectable seeing as we didn’t start hiking until nearly midday. With 5 and a half more hiking days until we get to Wrightwood, we’ll pull some miles back and still be on track to get there for May 9th . Hopefully that’s also the last snow we’ll see now until we reach the Sierra Nevada in early June!
Day 25 – Friday 4th May 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 267.5 to Wild Camp at Mile 285.5, 18 miles
Exactly as was forecast, the temperature had dropped in the night and we awoke to a frozen tent. (Well more the fact we were getting dripped on as the sun, having already crested over the mountains before our alarm went off, was rapidly melting the frost! That’s a sure-fire way to get us up!) So we quickly took the fly off and hung it over some bushes to hopefully dry out before we were ready to leave camp.
We finally set off around 8:30am, but shortly afterwards we had to take a minor detour from the PCT up a forest road for about a mile or so due to fire damage along the Holcomb section of trail. Although there are signs stating this section of trail is closed and there is no public access, we still saw plenty of foot prints at either end of the closed section and wondered whether PCTers are still hiking through. Going from dense pine forest to bare hillsides with blackened tree stumps, the burned areas look quite stark and sad in contrast to the surrounding wooded hills, so as the trail meandered through some of these areas it was good to see the presence of plants and trees that have survived. The burn has also stimulated a lot of regrowth at lower levels, but undoubtedly it will still take a long time for the whole area to recover.
Our 2nd detour from the PCT due to a burn through the area.
Walking through the bare hillsides made us wonder at the resilience of nature.
Standing strong in the midst of adversity. Nature is amazing!
The burn area is vast. It makes you appreciate the importance of trees when there is a lack of them.
The highlight of the day was stopping for lunch with a tremendous view looking on to Big Bear Lake. We hadn’t seen the lake properly from where we were located in town, so it was good to see the entire area from up high offering a different perspective. Having tried to incorporate some fresher ingredients into our diet, our lunch today consisted of two wholemeal tortilla wraps, each with a dollop of pesto, spinach, cherry tomatoes and a portion of cheese. Already we are finding the wholemeal tortillas to be much more filling, and the fresher ingredients are much more flavoursome, so worth the carry!
The trail is well-trodden and there are regular signs between significant way points.
Panorama to show how the area is re-growing.
Looking onto Big Bear Lake, with the San Gorgonio massif in the distance.
We had planned on another 18-miler to keep us on track for Wrightwood, but we were both feeling it today. Whether we were tired from covering a lot of miles yesterday afternoon, or simply struggling a bit because we had full food rations and were each carrying 3 litres of water, we found it tough going, especially during the last couple of miles, where we did a lot of clock watching and just wanted to get to camp. With achy feet and achy necks, the packs had been quite burdensome today. We just had to console ourselves with the fact that every time we eat something, we are eating our packs lighter! As soon as we made camp though, our aches and pains were quickly forgotten with a nice cup of tea! (If you’re not a Brit, never underestimate the consoling power of tea!)
If the route is not 100% clear, hikers will always signal which way to walk!
Looking on to where the trail meanders across the mountainside. The PCT typically stays high above the valley bottoms affording great views of the surrounding areas.
Regular waymarks make sure hikers stay on the right track…
The composting toilet at Little Bear Spring Camp, Mile 285.
We hiked on past the ‘pit-toilet’ and found a wonderful camp spot under the shade of some trees.
As dinner was again a new menu idea, I filmed Wayne explaining tonight’s menu for our next PCT video update, and then we got on with the best part, eating it! Having had spaghetti last night, we rotated back to our current favourite staple, Idahoan mashed potato. The sauce tonight though was a new flavour soup mix, based on tortilla and a mixture of beans. It was hot and tasty and filled us up, so we can’t complain.
More tasty trail food ideas from Wayne’s ‘Camp Kitchen’!
We had not seen anyone we knew the entire day, although in total we had only seen around 10 hikers all told. With everyone generally going at different paces and us having re-joined the PCT at Mile 252 instead of Mile 266, we are at least 14 miles or approximately a day behind hikers who got back on the trail at the latter distance such as the now ‘Two Musketeers’, whom we saw yesterday at the supermarket. Hopefully our paths will cross again!
What made Wayne’s day was when a male hiker who had passed us stopped in his tracks, then turned around and asked us if we were filming our experiences on the trail. He said he’d watched Wayne’s first video update on YouTube last night and recognised him, especially with hearing his English accent. Spotted on the trail! How great is that! The guy said he’d enjoyed the composition, especially the filming around camp and Wayne’s cooking ideas. What a great piece of positive feedback coming from someone going through the same experiences. For Wayne, in spite of the achy shoulders, it makes it worth carrying the laptop!
Day 26 – Saturday 5th May 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 285.5 to Wild Camp at Mile 304, 18.5 miles
The sun was warming up the tent nicely when we got up this morning; any threat of snow now a distant memory! With it being a Saturday, we expected to see a lot of day walkers out on the trail making the most of their weekend, as this part of the San Bernardino National Forest has several dirt roads and ‘day use’ areas to utilise. Indeed we did. We saw more weekenders than actual PCT hikers today, which was quite unusual. We keep wondering where everyone else has got to!
Sunrise from our camp spot at Mile 285.5.
Early morning, we stopped a couple of times for water breaks as our route was following Holcomb Creek, which was still flowing well. There were even ducks swimming in large pools of water flowing through the valley bottom, which having walked through vast areas of dry desert with not a drop of water in sight for days on end, we were amazed to see! Unlike previous days where water was scarce, today we had it in abundance, which meant we could lighten the load somewhat by carrying less.
The first ‘water’ we had seen on the trail for a while. We even saw ducks!
Starting our long hike through Deep Canyon.
Even better, was when we arrived at Mile 298.5, Deep Canyon and Splinters Cabin Day Use Area, where Deep Creek flows right through the canyon bottom. Right next to the creek are sandy banks that act as mini beaches, which were perfect for lounging out in the sun, paddling in the shallow water and bathing our tired feet. As there was plenty of flowing water and to make the most of such a great area, we decided to have a good rest there, and avoid walking during the hottest part of the day. We also used the opportunity to cook our hot food for lunch time as we had running water to wash up with, switching around our dry meal for later on that evening when we got to camp. There were several other groups of visitors also enjoying the beach areas and we even got offered a beer! (But we refrained.)
Taking the opportunity to bathe our feet in Deep Creek.
Avoiding walking during the hottest part of the day and cooking our hot meal at lunchtime whilst we had access to water.
A new trial dish for the trail – ‘Clam Chowder’ with spaghetti’ minus the ‘clams’. It was very creamy (like carbonara) and amazing to have something different to eat!
Having had at least a two-hour rest break, we set off again around 4:30pm and continued on another 6 miles through Deep Canyon. Thankfully this side of the canyon was now in shade so it was much cooler and much more pleasant for walking, but we continued to have the annoyance of flies! (All morning we had been battling with flies in our faces, the only downside of hiking close to water.)
The PCT took us through Deep Creek Canyon, following the ‘high route’.
Deep Canyon certainly lived up to its name. In fact, the canyon was so long, every time the trail came to a corner and turned along another ridge it felt like ‘Groundhog Day’! It really was a case of ‘haven’t we been here before?’ Both the scenery and the trail did not seem to change, no matter how many miles the Garmin InReach had told us we’d hiked. But we must have been getting somewhere as we finally reached the 300 mile marker! We were excited to see the stones denoting the official distance as this is also ‘officially’ longer than any previous thru-hike we’ve completed. A serious life-milestone we’d say!
Not all of the people we have met know about the Pacific Crest Trail, even though it may run right past their doorstep!
Woo-hoo! Reaching Mile 300!
More of Deep Creek. We just wished we could get down to the water!
After what seemed like an age of endless canyon walking, we at last camped at Mile 304 in Lion Canyon. We were lucky to find somewhere big enough to pitch our tent as there was only really enough room for four camp spots and two other thru-hikers were already pitched there. Along the canyon, campsites are quite limited with the sides being so steep. Every now and then there was maybe room for a single tent on the wash where the canyon turns, or if you’re prepared to ‘cowboy’ camp (no tent, just ground sheet and sleeping bag), but other than that any real flat spots are few and far between.
Our wild camp spot in Lion Canyon.
Our ‘dry’ food dinner was tuna wraps, with the accompaniment of spinach, cherry tomatoes and cheese. That was all we had time for as we were literally falling asleep as soon as the sun went down. We needed a good rest ready to face another big day tomorrow.
Day 27 – Sunday 6th May 2018, Wild Camp at Mile 304 to Wild Camp at Silverwood Lake, Mile 325, 21 miles
Yep, you’ve guessed it! After wild camping in Lion Canyon last night along with two other PCTers, we were still the last to get up and break camp. We left at 8am with a plan today to hike 20 miles or so to reach Silverwood Lake. The extra couple of miles would be worth it as camping around the lake we would have guaranteed access to water. Not only that, we also hoped to find a nice, little secluded beach spot on which to pitch the tent. Fingers crossed!
With the sun already fierce, we knew it was going to be a hot one today, so as soon as we got going we stopped at the first flowing creek to filter water. This was to be a regular occurrence throughout the day as water was generally available every few miles, so we decided to carry less, but stop more often to filter and drink a litre each time. Collecting water and filtering it can be a time-consuming job, but getting it fresh meant it was nice and cool. (The best kind of water on a hot day for camelling up!)
Stopping for regular ‘water’ breaks meant we could carry less in our packs.
Next we powered on through Luna Canyon, the scenery much like yesterday, the trail continually winding around the sides of the canyon wall, offering a great view from on high. The canyon floor was lush and green where the river flowed and from our vantage point along the ridges we could see several inviting looking beach camp spots, if only we could get down to them!
Wayne in the midst of Luna Canyon. The sides were steep, so there was no chance of getting down to the water.
So near, but so far… Deep Creek flowing through the valley bottom.
Before long we reached the Deep Creek Hot Springs. It is a renowned place on the PCT for hikers to go and relax in the natural hot pools and there was a sign at the trail junction encouraging hikers to go down to them. We refrained from indulging in the hot springs however for two reasons. The first was that there were several tents up in the area and it already looked busy, especially with it being a Sunday so day hikers would be spending the weekend there too. Secondly and most importantly, the Water Report stated that: “The Hot Springs pools of Deep Creek contain a rare and sometimes fatal disease called ‘primary amoebic meningoencephalitis’. The disease is apparently contained in contaminated soil and transmitted to the Hot Springs pools as the warm water flows through and over the soil. It is advisable not to submerge your head. Due to the large number of visitors to the Hot Springs, human and organic pollution are increasing in the Deep Creek drainage. The highest Fecal Coliform counts are found in the Hot Springs area”. How to totally be put off a place! Enough said.
On first glance we were tempted by the Hot Springs, but not after reading the information posted in the PCT 2018 Water Report.
So we continued on to Mile 310 where we were treated to two rare sights on the PCT thus far. First was the presence of a large wooden bridge that took us from one side of the canyon to the other over Deep Creek, saving us quite a few steps. (Just one of the facilities you get in ‘day hiker’ territory!) The second was that when we crossed over the bridge and looked down to the water, we saw a black turtle on top of a rock basking in the sun. Our first turtle spotting!
A rare sight… To save us a few miles, there is a bridge over Deep Creek.
Wayne crosses the bridge.
We had already knocked off 6 miles, so we then took some time to rest and refuel on the other side of the bridge, alongside a group of ‘boy scouts’ who were out for a weekend hike. Claiming we looked “Too clean to be hiker trash!” we got chatting to one of the scout leaders, named Splash. (Trail name.) He was full of admiration for us thru-hiking the PCT and was rather taken with our British accents. He seemed a lot of fun and those boys were having the time of their lives in the great outdoors. With a “Cheerio”, Splash took our photo and said he’d follow our progress on the blog. (If you’re reading this now, you made it into our final edit for Week 4!)
After a long, meandering further 4 miles we then arrived at the Deep Creek Ford, where we took the opportunity to take off our shoes and have a paddle in the cool, flowing water. It was wonderful and after about 30 minutes our feet felt fully revived and ready for the next 10 miles! Having seen them on and off during the last couple of days on the trail, it was here that Mark and Tammy introduced themselves to us. From the state of Arizona, the couple had decided to thru-hike the PCT after recently retiring. (We have been really impressed by the vast mix of ages of people thru-hiking whom we’ve met on the PCT so far!) We had a good chat with them about England as, like us, they have previously hiked the ‘Coast to Coast’ path, so it was good reminiscing about favourite aspects of a completely different long distance trail.
Continuing on to the end of the canyon…
A wonderful section of trail that let us stride out and stretch our legs.
After a busy morning the trail then seemed never-ending as it wound around more canyon walls towards the Mojave River Forks Dam. Again we had good views of the surrounding area from up high, but the most beautiful part was when the trail crossed through some meadows and we spotted two humming birds taking nectar from the brightly coloured wild flowers. Again we have seen a huge variety of flowers alongside the trail providing an injection of colour and an interesting focal point as we walk.
We started to see an injection of colour as we headed towards the Mojave River Forks Dam.
Wild yellow flowers dotted the hillsides.
Looking into the distance, the PCT continues to wind around the mountainsides.
We were pleased to see new growth taking place in the burn areas. Mother Nature takes care of itself.
Again, in a place where water becomes limited, we were wowed by the presence of flowers growing alongside the trail.
Still no sign of any lake yet…
Sunset follows a road walk after the Mojave River Forks Dam.
We finally reached Silverwood Lake just after 7pm. As the PCT follows the contours of the lake at a higher level, it is easy to look along the shoreline to identify any beach areas suitable for camping. Indeed there are several areas suitable around Mile 325. We saw Mark and Tammy pitched in one little bay, plus two other groups of hikers had found their own secluded spots, so we were lucky to spy another alcove that was still empty.
Happy to finally reach Silverwood Lake.
A glorious evening on the PCT!
21 miles, job done! We’d managed to bag our own private beach spot! We quickly set up the tent as we didn’t have long before dark and got dinner out of the way. We had proved that we could push on when needed and cover the miles without suffering too much. Of course we had achy feet and legs by the end of the day, but nothing that a bit of stretching, massaging and ‘Deep Heat’ rub couldn’t resolve. (Wayne is also currently suffering with a bit of chafing around his upper inner thighs near his man parts, which he says is painful, so he’s trying to combat it with sprinklings of ‘Baby Powder’ and going commando! Apparently, it’s a typical trail problem for men. Even though he bought special non-chafing pants at £25 a pair! Hopefully it will clear up soon.) #traillifetraumas
Our wonderful beach wild camp around Silverwood Lake.
Sunset skies from our wild camp spot.
Day 28 – Monday 7th May 2018, Wild Camp at Silverwood Lake at Mile 325 to Dry Creek Bed Wild Camp at Mile 343.5, 18.5 miles
Hearing a motor boat on the lake just after 6am we awoke with a start! Having seen the boat go over to some other PCT hikers camped on a lakeside beachy area the previous night before we camped, we weren’t sure if the boatman was policing the area and telling them to move on. With us unsure about the camping rules in the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, we stealthily pitched our tent a little out of sight in a beach cove area just off the trail, making it more difficult for anyone to see we were there. So, we were now hoping to get packed away and gone without getting told off, or even worse being given a fine. (It turns out the boatman had just checked on the campers and pitching on the beaches is permissible for PCTers, so we needn’t have worried.) Anyhow, it got us up and packed away quicker, and after a quick video update whilst the sun was rising at the lakeside, we were back on the trail for 7:30am – great timing for once!
Enjoying sunrise after our early morning wake-up call.
We weren’t the only ones enjoying the lake that morning!
After 3 miles our first stop was the Cleghorn Picnic Area. As it is a fully facilitated ‘Day Use Area’ we could make us of the flushing toilets, fill our water bottles up from the tap (although we still filtered just to be on the safe side, which is a good habit we’ve gotten into), and dispose of our rubbish in the trash cannisters, making our load just that little bit lighter.
Back on the PCT, our route taking us around the lake. We didn’t realise how vast it was!
Using the toilet, disposing of trash and filling up with water at the Cleghorn Picnic Area.
Back on trail…
By 9:30am it was already baking hot, but we were pushing the miles again as there was a treat waiting for us at Mile 342, just 17 miles ahead of where we had camped last night. This time it wasn’t a water cache or cans of soda, it was the perfect positioning of a McDonald’s, just off the PCT! Never have we been so eager to dine on fast food as today! When our feet got tired, enticing us on was the thought of milkshakes, burgers and fries – that soon got us motivated again!
Whilst busy discussing what we were going to order when we eventually got there, we nearly missed some ‘trail magic’ that was happening at Mile 329.5 (another picnic area next to the trail), courtesy of trail angels ‘Runs Hills A Lot’ and ‘Rainbow’ (also known as Cocoa). These ladies had thought of everything that a thru-hiker could possibly need for a pit-stop, but best of all they offered us fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as ice lollies – a wonderful boost on or of the hottest days so far.
Our route had a lot of elevation gain today.
Stopped literally in our tracks… Trail Angels invited us to indulge in what treats they had kindly brought along.
Two wonderful trail angels we met at Mile 329.5 – ‘Runs Hills A Lot’ and ‘Rainbow’.
When we set off again there was a little elevation gain, but generally the trail was good and offered easy walking around Little Horsethief Canyon. We caught up with Mark and Tammy again and discussed more of England’s ‘must see places’ and cultural experiences. (Cream tea in the Cotswolds, fish and chips in Padstow, and cheese tasting in Wensleydale to name a few!)
Our last glimpse of the lake before we pushed on to Cajon Pass.
Filling up with water from the last running spring for at least 30 miles. Thank goodness for the McDonald’s on the I-15!
Blooming brightly. We are amazed at how the flowers survive in such a dry place!
The final push of around 4 miles then seemed to go on forever as we wound around one ridge after another finally reaching the end of Crowder Canyon and getting down to Interstate 15 at Cajon Pass, where just 0.4 miles off the PCT was the perfectly placed McDonald’s that we’d been dreaming about all day! We saw the big ‘M’ sign, but what really signalled us going in the right direction was the steady stream of happy hikers returning to the trail with their bellies full, now that their hiker hunger had been satisfied.
So where is the road and the much anticipated McDonald’s?
We could see the trail weaving across the ridges, but what we wanted to see more than anything was the big ‘M’ sign!
At last, heading downhill in the direction of the interstate.
The sign we had been looking forward to!
When we arrived at the entrance, there was a large trail family outside getting ready to set off again, the most hikers we had seen in several days. Inside we saw Tiana and Nicholas again, (whom we had named the ‘Rads’ previously), plus new trail friends Germinator and Chaos. (Chaos aptly named as he has successfully managed to lose his walking poles, sun glasses, flip-flops and sun hat, all since leaving Campo! What a guy!)
Yes, we’re lovin’ it! Enjoying a McDonald’s fast food feast!
It was great to catch up with people we hadn’t seen in a while and it was funny as Germinator had already heard of us from Scoop. As soon as Wayne said his trail name was ‘Condo’, we were getting questions fired at us about what we carry. So of course I had to show off our frying pan and mini cheese grater and explain that we are ‘comfort hikers’! I think some of them thought we were crazy, but what sticks in my head are the words from a Southbounder we passed the other day. She said quite intuitively, “Why not carry what makes you feel good. You’ve got to enjoy it… You’re not on a death march to Canada!” Too true. And so we do. There’s no point worrying about an extra few grams!
Having spent around 2 hours in Maccies, we finally dragged ourselves away from the free soda refills and the WiFi and got back on the trail. We weren’t hiking on too far, just a mile or so, in anticipation of a big climb tomorrow as we begin heading for Wrightwood. From where we camped at Mile 343, the little town is 26 PCT miles away (about 12 by road), so we decided to split the distance into a 16 mile day, with the remaining 10 miles to complete the following morning so that we will arrive in town for lunch time. As there is no water for this whole section, some hikers said they were going to night-hike the 26 miles as the days are so hot.
We don’t want to miss out on the scenery in the dark, so we’re going to leave camp at 6am and aim to hike ten miles before 10am (‘ten before 10’), take a siesta during the hottest part of the day, then get the last 6 miles done after 5pm when it’s generally a lot cooler. Having camelled up with liquids whilst we had the chance, and filled up with 4 litres of water each from the McDonald’s, we just hope this will see us through. (Just maybe, the water cache at Mile 347 may have been restocked to help us along the way too.)
Re-joining the PCT we hiked through a tunnel underneath the Interstate 15, then crossed over a railroad, before deciding to camp in a sandy wash running between two hills. It was a flat, sheltered spot that would be fine for one night. Having already eaten, there was no cooking or drinking, we had to be sparing with the water. So another wet wipe wash had to suffice. Just two days to go until we get a shower! #traillifetreats
Crossing the rail road that runs parallel to the I-15.
As luck would have it, we didn’t have to hike on too far beyond the McDonald’s before we found a suitable place to camp.
Wow, we’ve reached the end of week 4 already and spent almost a month on the trail! It really doesn’t feel like it, and it’s a cliché, but time really does fly when you’re having fun! With over 350 miles of the ‘700 miles of desert’ completed (yay, over half way), McDonald’s marks the end of California Section C and the beginning of Section D, where we get the chance to summit Mount Baden-Powell and we’ll be crossing the Mojave Desert proper.
We’ve got to prepare for some really hot days, which will mean us changing some of our hiking habits and routines, including our meal plans, but especially our start and finish times (avoiding hiking during the hottest part of the day), so let’s see how we get on.
Here’s to the start of a new section of the PCT!
22 Comments
Great stuff!
The extra zero day at Bear Lake got me thinking. How often have you planned to take zeros? And how much leeway do you have in terms of time to get the whole trail done? Will you have to make up the miles by walking longer days?
We haven’t planned many zeros at all. Mostly ‘nearos’ to keep accommodation costs down. Technically, we have 180 days to get the trail done and have to be out of the US by Oct 3rd, however we have already booked flights to Hong Kong on September 20th from Vancouver, so we would like to finish by Sept 16th at the latest! (Flight dates can always be changed should we need longer, but finishing earlier is better because of the weather.) We are only one day behind our original plan because of the snow storm at Big Bear and we intend to hike longer days in the Oregon section where the trail is easier. Wayne assures me we will be ‘walking machines’ by then! 😉
Hello Wayne and Danielle.
Again a wonderful report of week 4 on the PCT. Good to read that the distance walked begins to increase.
That will be in the heat of the desert, in combination with the to be overcome height differences, certainly not easy. Just as David in the message before, I have also looked at the distance that has to be bridged.
A total of 2659 miles. In 4 weeks, you achieved 344 miles, on average, almost 86 miles per week with 1 rest day per 2 weeks.
Still 18 weeks to go for 2315 miles, which is an average of 128,6 miles per week. With 1 day of rest per 2 weeks is that 19,786 miles per day. On day 26, 27 and 28, you have this average taken, so it is sure to pick up, but it is not easy.
I hope that there are pieces where you can make extra miles in easier terrain.
Walter
Hi Walter,
We’re on track with our original plan, minus one day, that is all. We always planned on starting slow to avoid injuries and get really trail fit before tackling big miles day after day, which we’re about ready to do. We don’t want to get to the Sierra before June as that would be too early in terms of the snow, so all is good. We intend on hiking longer days in Oregon to make up the miles.
All the best, Danielle & Wayne
Hi Danielle.
I have no doubts about your hiking plans. You have very good thought about the trip and a great planning. For the average Walker are days walking from 18 to 20 miles with complete equipment quite a challenge and that for several months. Walking the PCT is one of the biggest challenges out there for the experienced Walker. You are now all real walking machines. The videos are great and bring the story to life.
I like to see you pleasure that is infectious and motivating for everyone.
Walter
Thanks Walter!
Wayne is really enjoying trying his hand with video and putting the clips together. We’re slowly but surely getting there with the mileage!
Even on the hard days it’s all good fun meeting new people and seeing such amazing things in nature. We just need to keep on walking!
Love your posts. I think you are doing great. You don’t want to arrive at Kennedy Meadows before the end of May anyway; you need to have as much snow melt in the Sierra as possible. Now I need to find your videos on Youtube, so I can get some trail cooking tips.
Hi Mike, thanks for such great feedback and taking the time to comment. You’re exactly right, we are intending to get to Kennedy Meadows the first week of June. We have just put a link to the YouTube channel on our menu bar at the top of the blog. We are getting better with trail food ideas, so Wayne will be including more ‘camp kitchen’ segments in the video updates!
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
Thanks for sharing. Yeah, carry enough stuff to enjoy yourself. Good attitude. I’m off to Scotland on Sunday where the weather is cool and showery. Bit of a contrast with the desert! Have a great week 5
Thanks Robin!👍 The temperatures have actually cooled somewhat this week from 27°C down to 13°C, which has been a bit of a shock to the system!
We hope your Scotland trip goes well. All the best!
Hello D and W: Thanks for the great PCT trail updates. It doesn’t change my mind that I only want to personally hike what I think are the best bits like where we met some years ago in Kings Canyon National Park. Still I am vicariously enjoying your pics and the trail commentary. Better you guys doing this than me! Wishing you both good health and happy feet as your long journey continues.
Thanks Garry! Hope all is well with you. Glad to hear you’re still enjoying the blog. The PCT is definitely a mammoth undertaking but we’re enjoying the challenge and all is going well so far. We’re so excited to be heading back to the Sierra in a few weeks. We’ve already earmarked some of our best wild camp spots from the JMT for a revisit!
We’ve taken your advice and lessened the use of the GoPro, utilising the tripod once again. We’re looking forward to the opportunity of more star photography and Wayne is really enjoying trying his hand at some video too. Maybe take a look if you get the chance!
All the best, Danielle & Wayne
Splash here I have read your blog and can’t wait for the next update. I think you guys are a lovely couple and are on a trip of a lifetime. I find it so cool to meet people like you for ten minutes and you feel like you’ve known them for a long time. That is the magic of the trail. I imagined walking on at 314 to extend my journey to Canada, my heart was ready but my body said pizza and the site of my wife and son picking us up and leading us to pizza land with root beer float and free refills won out
My day is coming to hike the pct
Do u have an email so I can send you your picture I took of you two
Hi Splash, we are so glad you took the time to look at our blog!
Ahhhhh pizza sounds so good right now!
Thank you for your wonderful comments. It was great to meet you and the boy scouts. What a fantastic job educating them in the great outdoors.
I’ll send you an email with our personal email address.
All the best with your own hiking adventures! Let us know if you embark on the PCT!
Danielle & Wayne
Bristlecone broke his leg at mile 299.5 falling down a hole he had to get helicoptered out if you want to read the entire story look under press enterprise hiker Lake arrowhead
I went down the next day and fix that area so nobody else slips
Hi Scott, (Splash!)
Oh no! We are shocked and saddened to hear the news about Bristlecone’s accident and forced departure from the trail. Thanks for letting us know. We thought we hadn’t seen him in a while. We hope he makes a speedy recovery.
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Hi Condo’s
What a wonderful read and look as always. You really are getting into this life by the looks of things and both of still looking as fresh as the proverbial daisy which is great to see!!
I am amazed at the Trail Angels who appear to pop up in the perfect places just when you needed one. Are you really sure they are real – or is it really just a desert mirage brought about by wishful thinking and the ‘Trail Gods” being with you??
Re. Wayne’s little problem. I have the same and use a natural cream called Balsamicum Ointment. It’s original use is for Nappy Rash but it certainly works – almost instantly with a tiny amount massaged in the appropriate area. I always have a small tube in the rucksack just in case. The Balsamicum Ointment is by a company called Weleda. You may find it in a health-food/products type of store if you’re passing anywhere like that. Otherwise, I’m sure your UK support team could fly you some out (a small tube is only 25 grams). If you need any help, please drop me a line as I think you have my contact details.
Onwards and upwards – the next bit M sign becons I’m sure!!
Best Wishes
John
Hi John,
Thanks for taking the time to comment and for your great advice. We will have to try and find something equivalent from a pharmacy here to put in the First Aid Kit.(Although Wayne’s chafing seems to have cleared up for now!)
The trail angels are absolutely amazing, and we do seem to be lucky in finding them just when we need one!
The McDonald’s was a wonderful little diversion to keep us going on one of the hottest days. But at the moment, any food is good! 😉
Thanks for your offer of assistance if we need it. It’s very kind of you.
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Hi you two again!
I almost forgot. I found your videos!!! Awesome!!
“Hmmmm, people in pictures move and talking they do”!!!!!
Wayne’s Equipment Guide was really useful and looking forward to further installments.
John
Brilliant! We’ve just added a tab with a link to Wayne’s YouTube Channel in the top menu bar of the blog to make it easier for people to find.
We’re still trying to get used to speaking in front of the camera and not 100% comfortable with it, but with more practise, hopefully confidence will come! 🙂
Great blog! Sorry I’m late to it. I have a couple of questions, maybe you’re still reading comments? One, it looks like the PCTers tent very close to the trail, but aren’t they supposed to be further away? I guess no one really enforces the rules and the hikers are too tired to go exploring at the end of the day! Two, it looks like you use rocks frequently to secure your tent. Is that because the ground is too hard for stakes (pegs)? Or just extra insurance? I always wonder how trekking pole tenters do it, if they can’t get pegs in. Thanks for your great info and wonderful pictures!
Hi Karen,
Hikers are meant to camp away from the trail, but there are always lots of used spots close to the trail that people pitch on depending on how tired they are to search further afield for a spot/ and what time of day it is. When we were night hiking once in Oregon, someone was actually cow-boy camping right in the middle of the trail and we almost trod on them using only our headlights to see the way in the dark! Needless to say, they were very startled and so were we. People really do hike at any hour!
In the National Parks, the rules are enforced by Rangers, but out of the main areas hikers are pretty much free spirits and some days you might not see another soul despite the high numbers on trail. Thru-hikers seem to hit towns in waves but then it varies on trail as people have their own itineraries to follow.
Out tents use pegs to secure them, but on hard ground or if it’s windy, Wayne will use rocks as extra protection. It just depends if we can find any. Not sure about trekking pole tenters! A lot of hikers did just have a tarp or bivvy or cow-boy camped in their sleeping bag without a tent – in California anyway. I wouldn’t recommend for Washington later in the season!
Are you prepping for your own thru-hike?
Best regards,
Danielle