Today’s westward trek was pleasant though uneventful. Despite leaving at the late hour of 7:30am, we were able to hike 24 miles easily. While we are still technically in the Angeles National Forest, the underwent a dramatic transformation. The lush greenery of the forest gave way to the stark, arid terrain of the true desert.… Read More »Day 27: Mile 406.6 (Sulphur Springs Trail Camp) to 430.4 (Messenger Flat Camp)
I’m officially Little Jimmy’s biggest fan. I’m not sure who he is, but I certainly appreciate his hospitality after a rough day yesterday. Fortunately, today was a much easier day. The stretch north of Little Jimmy Campground was a bit odd: the trail went up and down for seemingly no reason at all, while crossing… Read More »Day 26: Mile 383.9 (Little Jimmy Campground) to 406.6 (Sulphur Springs Trail Camp)
After a restful night in Wrightwood, CA, we enjoyed a substantial breakfast, then ran a few more quick errands in anticipation of our late-morning return to the trail. In particular, I bought cheese as I’m craving it. While refrigeration would be ideal, hard cheeses tend to be relatively shelf stable, and I’m already used to… Read More »Day 25: Mile 369.6 (Wrightwood/Angeles Crest Highway) to 383.9 (Little Jimmy Campground)
Today is town day! We left before 7 in order to reach Wrightwood, CA by lunch time. I caught the tail end of the glorious sunrise. The cowboy campers (who also happen to be early risers) exalted the virtues of their sleeping arrangement at this exceptional location, but I remain loyal to my tent. In… Read More »Day 24: Mile 351.8 to 363.4 (Acorn Trail/Wrightwood, CA)
The day started with a moderate and gradual ascent, along with unremarkable views—not that there was anything wrong or disappointing with the scenery; it just lacked novelty or any notable features or landmarks. After peaking at a bit over 4,000 feet, we started the exhilarating descent into Cajon Pass. Hiking is often a mental game,… Read More »Day 23: Mile 328.8 (Silverwood Lake Campsite) to 351.8
The night at Deep Creek Hot Springs turned out to be uneventful. Most of the locals ended up packing up and leaving by the time we went to sleep, while those who did stay overnight weren’t too rowdy after all. A few early risers among thru-hikers enjoyed a morning soak, while I chose to sleep… Read More »Day 22: Mile 307.9 (Deep Creek Hot Springs) to 328.8 (Silverwood Lake Campsite)
Who said the desert is dry? Today’s stretch revealed a different facet of an area that is traditionally known as “the desert.” It was an easy, comfortable walk with plentiful water and little elevation gain overall—in fact, we went mostly downhill. In the morning, we followed Holcomb creek. It wasn’t another Valley of Pain and… Read More »Day 21: Mile 285.6 (Little Bear Spring Camp) to 307.9 (Deep Creek Hot Springs)
Our longer-than-expected stay in Big Bear was enjoyable and restful. Thanks to our delayed departure, Christie, Joe, Michael and I were able to reconnect briefly this morning with our extended trail family who’s a couple days behind us. While leaving the comfort of civilization is always difficult, I truly enjoy the simplicity of life on… Read More »Day 20: Mile 266.1 (Highway 18/Big Bear) to 285.6 (Little Bear Spring Camp)
The weather forecast was accurate. A significant snow storm moved in overnight, and we woke up to a completely different landscape. After weighing our options and reading tales from other hikers on FarOut (our hiking app), we decided that it would be prudent to wait out the storm and stay in Big Bear an extra… Read More »Day 19: Unplanned zero in Big Bear, CA
This morning, we glided effortlessly down the easy 10-mile path to Highway 18, the gateway to Big Bear, CA. We were blessed with mild temperatures, which was fortunate as there was very little tree cover on this section. The trail often meandered aimlessly, gaining and losing elevation for seemingly no reason, but it was smooth… Read More »Day 18: Mile 256.2 (Arrastre Trail Camp) to 266.1 (Highway 18/Big Bear)
We woke up this morning feeling somewhat lethargic. The prospect of navigating a valley of cairns for another seven miles wasn’t particularly exciting. Nevertheless, we promptly broke camp and started hiking around 6:30am. The morning light was a feast for the senses once again. The trek along North Fork Mission Creek on its westward journey… Read More »Day 17: Mile 232.1 (Mission Creek) to 256.2 (Arrastre Trail Camp)
Our gracious hosts at the Mesa Wind Farm had invited us to visit again in the morning, which was a wonderful excuse to get up later than usual. We anxiously waited for the staff to come in and, once again, invaded their break room. One of the staff members brought cupcakes—I’m not particularly fond of… Read More »Day 16: Mile 213.4 (Mesa Wind Farm) to 232.1 (Mission Creek)
After showing its gentler side for 14 days, the desert finally revealed its true colors and unleashed its might upon me. Though the day was challenging, I learned a lot, which is one of the many virtues of backpacking that I appreciate. We woke up at 5 am to beat the heat before tackling a… Read More »Day 15: Mile 190.5 (Fuller Ridge Trailhead) to 213.4 (Mesa Wind Farm)
I am back in the wilderness! A kind soul drove Christie, Joe, Michael, and I from Idyllwild back to the Fuller Ridge Trailhead, sparing us a two-mile uphill road walk. From the trailhead, we hiked the three-mile Devil’s Slide Trail up to the PCT at Saddle Junction. As much as I wish we could have… Read More »Day 14: Mile 179.4 (Saddle Junction/Idyllwild) to 190.5 (Fuller Ridge Trailhead)
Today was my first zero, in lovely Idyllwild, CA. Zeros are an opportunity to rest, but also to take care of “town chores”, namely laundry, gear repairs if needed, planning, and resupply. Resupplying turned out to be both simple and challenging. Unlike typical sprawling car-centric American towns, Idyllwild is a pedestrian’s paradise. The major stores… Read More »Day 13: Zero in Idyllwild, CA
The wind was relentless last night, and I did not get much sleep. Fortunately, today is town day! We made it to Idyllwild, CA and will be staying until Monday morning. In anticipation for a relatively short day, we “slept in” and left camp at 7 am, on a lovely crisp morning. We hiked a… Read More »Day 12: Mile 176.4 (Mt. San Jacinto) to 179.4 (Saddle Junction/Idyllwild)
Today’s stretch through the San Jacinto mountain range was extremely challenging—both physically and mentally—but also extraordinarily rewarding. We woke up at sunrise and left camp around 6:30am, in line with our goal to pick up our pace and fully utilize daylight. I wasn’t especially looking forward to the one-mile bonus climb back from Live Oak… Read More »Day 11: Mile 158.4 (Live Oak Spring) to 176.4 (Mt. San Jacinto)
We almost bagged our first 10-before-10 today! That’s thru-hiker speak for 10 miles before 10am, or roughly the equivalent of a day hike for breakfast. The key is to start early—we hit the trail at 6:30am this morning, and we plan on sticking with this schedule going forward. The day started with a fair bit… Read More »Day 10: Mile 140.2 (Nance Canyon Tentsite) to 158.4 (Live Oak Spring)
The wind howled all night. We woke up to dreary and menacing weather, which put a damper on everyone’s motivation. Even Michael, who’s always the first to be up and ready to go, and typically stares at his slower brethren in deafening silence, suggested that we stay sheltered for a bit. I was more than… Read More »Day 9: Mile 119.6 to 140.2 (Nance Canyon Tentsite)
The day started with a bang. I spilled my entire coffee while making breakfast in a daze. At least, my tent is unscathed; the dramatic incident took place in the vestibule. And dramatic it is indeed—I have exactly one coffee packet per day, so I had to forego my daily caffeine infusion. With great distress… Read More »Day 8: Mile 101.1 (Barrel Spring) to 119.6
Today’s 18-mile northwestern jaunt took us through the San Felipe area to Barrel Spring, near Ranchita, CA. Bonus miles aside, this was my second longest day so far. While I hiked 20 miles from the Southern terminus to Lake Morena in order to avoid dry camping on the first night, my daily average has otherwise… Read More »Day 7: Mile 83.1 to 101.1 (Barrel Spring)
Today was my first partial rest day or “nero”—also known as “near zero”, or in plain English a day during which few miles were hiked. Joe and I woke up after sunrise at the Apple Tree Inn (what a luxury), and I made instant coffee, for medicinal purposes. We packed up our gear, triple checked… Read More »Day 6: Mile 77.3 (Scissors Crossing/Julian, CA) to 83.1
We woke up before sunrise in an effort to hit the trail while the air was still relatively cool. I’m not exactly a morning person, so getting up early requires a lot of focus and willpower. Incidentally, that’s not due to lack of sleep—there’s nothing to do after dark, so we tend to go to… Read More »Day 5: Mile 63.7 (Dirt Road) to 77.3 (Scissors Crossing/Julian, CA)
The wind at Storm Canyon was brutal all night—it was as if the world’s longest freight train kept rolling through camp. I didn’t sleep particularly well, but there’s nothing that coffee can’t fix! The first 700 miles of the PCT are colloquially known as “the desert”, though there’s a lot of nuance. The trail actually… Read More »Day 4: Mile 47.8 (Storm Canyon) to 63.7 (Dirt Road)
So far everyday has been a bigger high. My new-found tramily and I set on a modest goal for the day: the plan was to hike just 10 miles to Mt. Laguna, then resupply and stay overnight at the Mt. Laguna Burnt Rancheria developed campground, which is equipped with showers. You might be wondering why… Read More »Day 3: Mile 32.6 (Cibbets Flat Campground) to 47.8 (Storm Canyon, north of Mt. Laguna)
Day 2 was a blast. While I hiked only 12.6 trail miles as I’m committed to starting slow and ramping up mileage over time, I still managed to rack up an extra three bonus (off-trail) miles! I woke up in the morning to a drenched tent—inside and out. Conditions at the Lake Morena campground are… Read More »Day 2: Mile 20.0 (Lake Morena) to 32.6 (Cibbets Flat Campground)
And just like that, I’m a thru hiker. While I’ve been anticipating this day for many months, it still seems a bit unreal. I am off to an auspicious start. I bumped into Scout and Frodo at the terminus, which was a nice surprise. Barney “Scout” Mann is a triple-crowner and former PCTA board member,… Read More »Day 1: Mile 0.0 (Southern Border) to 20.0 (Lake Morena)