Author: rjfmac

Taking a (sort of unplanned) zero in Cajon Pass. The Best Western is okay but there is basically nothing else here. A McDonalds, a couple of gas stations (with associated convienence stores), a Subway and a Taco Bell. The McDonalds is the nicest place to hang out in “town”. Plus it’s fun to watch the hikers straggle in. Most hang around for a few hours, charge their phones, eat a burger, get water and head back out. Us leisure hikers take advantage of all amenities.

So, after 24 days and 340 odd miles here are my thoughts so far…

What I like about the PCT:

• Every day I am somewhere I have never been before. Every morning I am excited about where the trail will take me. It’s fun. I know I will see something new and be somewhere I have never been before. 
• The views are stunning. And there are lots of them. It is unusual to go more than a few hours without a view. Pictures (especially phone picures) do not do them justice.
• The other hikers. They are great. I have learned a lot from them. Tin Man, Kathryn, Tweaky, Nuke Boy, Garfield, 73, Rose and all the rest. 
• Trail angels. Met CopperTone two days ago – with a smile and root beer float!  Ziggy and the Bear – in their 80’s and hosting hikers for 20 years. Scout and Frodo – crazy nice people. (Editorial – how come all the people I meet that are actually living the “Christian” ethic – giving of themselves, helping others, are all Democrats?)
• Simplicity. Everything you own, everything you need, you are carrying. And it all weighs less than 30 lbs. Sometimes less than 25 lbs. Sometimes, rarely, less than 20 lbs. All the clothes I have needed for the past three weeks fit in a bag the size of a soccer ball.
• Hiker towns. Julian, Idllewild, Big Bear Lake. These are great little towns full of friendly people and, usually, pretty good restaurants. And beer.
• Hitching – it confirms my belief that people are basically good.

What I don’t like about the PCT:

• Being away from family for weeks. Months. It’s hard. 
• Being away from friends. 
• Being away from my dog.
• Foot pain. Blisters. BLISTERS!!! FUCKING BLISTERS! 
• The tyranny of the miles. This is tough to explain. But you HAVE to do miles. If you see a pretty camp site 5 miles into your day, you can’t just stop and camp. You have so much food (and usually water) so you have to keep moving. You have to hike.Sometimes it just feels like a job. And I’m retired!
• Water. Worrying about water. For the first 700 miles or so it is relentless. You go through sections (last 70 miles for instance) where it is not a problem. But then you hit a 25 or 30 mile stretch with no water. 6L of water turns your light 24lb pack into a 36 lb monster.  
• The trail….sometimes. You gotta wonder. Coming down from San Jacinto, you could see I-10 about 3 miles away. But the trail wandered, seemingly aimlessly, seemingly just to add miles (the trail goes to Canada boys, I don’t think you need to add miles!), turning a 5 mile hike into an interminable 15 mile descent. I know I’m probably missing something but it makes me much more sympathetic with hikers who bushwhack to avoid extra trail miles. 
• The food. Freeze-dried stuff and junk food. But you have to eat – walking for 8 hours a day burns up serious calories.

Observations

• When hitching, you have a much better chance getting a ride from someone driving a klunker that someone in a Lexus SUV. I think this is because poor people can empathise with hitchhikers. I don’t think the Lexus drivers even see us. Put another way you have MUCH better chance getting picked up by someone with an Obama sticker than a Trump sticker.
• The old adage about it never rainning in southern California is basically true. In 24 days the most I have seen is a light drizzle a few times. Course one of those was accompanied by 50 mph winds so not very nice.
• And speaking of wind, it is WINDY in southern California.  There is a reason there are a ton of wind generators here.
• Riding in a car after walking for a couple of weeks is scary. I had my foot on the imaginary passenger brake the whole 12 miles of my last hitch.

And….More  shots from the trail…



Arrived at one of the most famous PCT landmarks this morning…. the McDonalds at Cajon Pass!

And, there is a Best Western just up the road! So, after 68 miles or so I am taking a zero day to let the sores on the top of my right foot to heal a little.

I am currently hiking in Crocs. This is my fourth footwear option. My last pair of sandals seemed to work okay but I was constantly stopping to get rocks and sand out and I got a blister on my heel from a rock I ignored. So I switched to the Crocs and they seem to be working.

 I want to be in good shape for the hike out of here because it is a killer, 28 miles with no water, so at least 6L of water (13.2 lbs!) and it is all uphill (5500′).

Spent a couple of days in Big Bear Lake hanging out with “73”, a retired continental pilot (age 73). We rented a car together to get from Ziggy and the Bear’s. I ditched the sandals I got in Idyllwild – they were giving me huge heel blisters. Bought a cheap pair of sandals and some Crocs. 

Headed out of BBL on Thursday (May 12). It is now Sunday, May 15. I have covered 60 miles in four days and am currently typing this post in my tent at PCT mile 336. This will be my first post from the trail – the first time I have had decent cell coverage.

This section is a bit unusual in that there is plenty of water. The trail spends a good bit of time near sizeable rivers and passes a couple of good sized lakes.

I hit Cajon Pass in the morning, a big deal because there is a McDonalds 1/2 mile from the trail. Also a Best Western which I intend to take advantage of!

Wandered into Ziggys (PCT mile 211) yesterday  morning (May 9) around 8:30 AM.  Took two days to go over Mount San Jacinto. Left Idyllwild on Satuday morning and elected not to go to the top because the weather was so bad. Left Idyllwild trailhead around 6500′ and climbed  to just over 9,100′. 

Camped at 8500′ and woke up to ice on the tent. Then  descended 7,000′ over 15 miles which was a real killer on the knees and …. YES! The blisters are back! NOOOOOO!
 

Ziggy and The Bear are trail angels that live about 200 yards from the PCT. They are in their 80’s and have been hosting PCT hikers for at least 20 years. 

They provide a solar shower, place to hand wash clothes, coffee (important!) and logistical support for hikers to get around the fire closure north of their place

Ran into another hiker (“73”) and we agreed to go in on a car rental to get to Big Bear Lake (the shuttle spots were all filled for the day). Not sure what I am going to do about he blisters… Sigh…

Nearing the end of my “double zero”  (two no mile-days) in Idyllwild. Plan to head out tomorrow (Saturday) morning.  Hopefully the storms will have passed by then. 

I have new shoes – hiking sandals which I am hoping will stop  blister-pocalyse. I mailed my orthotics and camp shoes home and am dropping my shoes in the hiker box.

The people at Silver Pines Lodge are great. They gave me the hiker rate ($65) for all three nights even though the last night should have been at the weekend rate. They provide washer/dryer access with soap and loaner clothes so you can wash ALL your clothes (I’ve been hanging out in size 16 womens pants – kinda like ’em) and they provide a free lift to the trail!

The PCT climb out of Idyllwild from the Humber Park trailhead (6500′) is the biggest climb so far. There are two options – most people take the route to San Jacinto Peak (10,833′), the highest point on the southern part of the PCT (the blue trail in the picture below).

This is seriously steep – 4500 feet in about 4.5 miles and there will likely be new snow. I will make the decision about the peak based on the trail/weather/snow where the trail splits.
Have enjoyed my stay in Idyllwild but it’s time to be moving on….

Some pics from the trail….First 150 miles…

Hobbled into the Paradise Cafe yesterday (1 mile east of where the PCT, mile 152, crosses Hwy 74), 75 miles and five days since leaving Julian.

Had one of the best burgers of my life with fellow hikers Andrew (New Mexico) and Rose (England), then hitched to Idyllwild with Kobo (Japan). Kobo said this was his first hitch so I gave him pointers (take of your sunglasses, smile, stand where a car can pull over). We were picked up by a very nice lady (Gary) driving a 20 year-old, beat-up, Toyota (after being passed by many, many, mostly empty, huge, newish SUVs and trucks – hmmm).

Currently holed up at the Silver Pine Lodge letting my blisters heal.

So, after 150 trail miles, my health is holding up – no leg problems, just some stomach issues the last few days that seemed to have resolved. My only big issues are the foot blisters. My plan is to switch to hiking sandals for the next section. Checked with the outfitters in Idyllwild and they are having some Chacos send from another store. Also having Bert send my longjohns – snow expected in the next section over the next few days!
And the hiker hunger has kicked in! Ate an entire medium pizza last night.

Okay I’ll start with the blisters. They hurt. They are everywhere on both feet. And they are multilying. I don’t really have feet anymore, I have blister support systems attached to the ends of my legs. Left Jullian early yesterday in the morning with the Tin Man and his oddly Canadian wife, Kathryn (their blog is http://www.walkinginthedeepdarkwoods.com). Actually they are both Canadian and both doctors (which could come in very handy – I intend to stay close). Did 17 miles or so and camped and operated on my blisters. Today I did 7 miles or so to the first water (Barrel Springs) and after could simply not put my shoes back on. Every step was agony. So…. I hiked the 9 miles or so in my sandals. 

So the afternoon hike was actually enjoyable, not agony at every step. My plan is trade off between my shoes and sandals til I get to Idylwood in three days and buy some real hiking sandals. I’d get some here (Warner Springs) but there is nothing here. Not even a restaurant.

So…Warner Springs. The nice people have opened their community center to host hikers. You can get a free shower (bucket, towel and water), some supplies and camp near some real bathrooms. There is also a rumor that they will be cooking burgers this afternoon – which I intend to verify.

Oh… And here is the requisite Eagle Rock pic.. 

Spending my first “zero” day (i.e. no mileage) day in Julian. The wind has died and the sun is out. Julian is a lovely little town about 12 miles from the PCT. And it is VERY hiker friendly! From the free first beer at Carmen’s to  the free slice of pie (with ice cream AND coffee!) at Mom’s, it would be hard to find a more hiker-friendly place. 

Had dinner last night with a swarm of other hikers at Poncho’s (mexican food and pizza) which met all the hiker requirements for a good restaurant: large portions and not too expensive. 

Have done all my shopping, reading email and checking the news (Cruze and Fiorina… WTF???) so I am ready to hit the trail first thing in the morning. Next stop (my planned first stop) is Warner Springs, about 33 miles or two days (hopefully) but it is a dry stretch so will be leaving with 4-5L of water.

Writing this in a small hotel in Julian, California. Didn’t really mean to end up here but circumstances …. … here is a brief summary of the first five days.

Day 1 (PCT 15.4): Scout and Frodo (they deserve a post all to themselves) got me (and 22 other hikers) to the souther terminus of the PCT where, after a bout of picture taking we headed out.

It was very hot  – did not make my planned 20 miles – stopped at mile 15.4 and rehydrated.

Day 2 (PCT 33.0) : Did the climb into Lake Moreno in the cool early morning (stopping at the general store for a lovely breakfast burrito) then back on the trail. Tough day (all the days are tough starting out!) ending at a campground about a mile from the trail (with water and toilets!). Windy but it stopped when the sun went down.  

Day 3 (PCT 42.0): Very easy day – about 10 miles. Want to give my legs and feet a break (yes, the blisters are back!). Stopped in Mount Laguna, had lunch at a hiker friendly restaurant with a bunch of other hikes. I see, on average, 10 hikers are so over the course of the day.

Day 4(PCT 56.0): Another pretty easy day – though extremely windy – 20-30 mph and colder. Not bad hiking most of the way and some great views:

Got to camp and the wind is really blowing. Tried to find a place out of the wind but not a lot of choices. A Korean film crew doing a PCT documentary stopped and asked to interview me. Very surreal.  With a lapel mike and everything. They also asked to film my feet. So my feet may end up in a Korean documentary one day! Two other single hikers camped near me but the wind was still building. 

Day 5 (PCT 59.5): Terrible night! Wind gusts to 60 mph. One of the tents near me blew  out and  a hiker had to ask to join another hiker in a single person tent. No sleep, wind and tent flapping sounds like a jet. And COLD! My tent never blew out but almost everyone I talked to today had collapsed tents. One couple (from Canada) said they spent the whole night holding their poles up. T-Bird (Ohio) said he finally gave up and just rolled himself up in his collapsed tent. 

Up early and on the trail – wearing everything I have but still very cold. 37 degrees and wind is still blowing 40-50 mph. I hike 3.5 miles to Sunrise Trailhead (PCT 59.5) and stumble into the toilet – already occupied by another hiker (T-Bird) drying out his clothes and getting ready to prepare breakfast. He says the weather is for a strong wind advisor all day with intermittent showers. Okay – enough flirting with hypothermia. Call a shuttle service in Julian. He asks how many – T-Bird says wait a minute and runs to some other hikers camped nearby. We finally end up with 6 headed into Julian and some warmth and a hot breakfast and to regroup.

Most people are stayting one night but I need a day to clean and dry all my stuff (a tent acts like a filter in strong winds – you end up with about an inch of blown dirt in your tent/sleeping bag/pack).