Last year when I set out on my Pacific Crest Trail adventure I did so in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association’s Longest Day event. My mom’s partner Lori was living with Alzheimer’s and she was his full-time caregiver, I figured that I could support those that I love by doing what I love. By partnering with the Alzheimer’s I was able to raise awareness about the disease and raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association, which provides care, support and research.
Just a short time ago Lori passed away due to the progression of his Alzheimer’s. Luckily he passed peacefully with my mom by his side. When I found out I felt a mix of sadness and relief. Sad because Lori is no longer with us but relief that he is no longer suffering and that my mom could finally rest. She gave everything to give him the best quality of life she could. It was difficult to Lori change from a very happy, talkative, curious, funny guy to someone who was confused, need to be fed and hardly talk in just a few years. And that’s just what I saw, I can’t wrap my head around how difficult it was for my mom.
So this year I am once again participating in The Longest Day to honor my mom and Lori, along with everyone who has been impacted by Alzheimer’s. This year I’m going to be true to the term “The Longest Day”, which occurs on the longest day of the year, and hike for 24 hours straight (minus some breaks to do things like eat).
So on June 21st, after saying goodbye to my wife Cristina and my daughter Pepper, I will walk out my front door and hike for 24 hours towards the Pacific Crest Trail at Snoqualmie Pass. The hike to the pass is roughly 40 miles, so I will probably end up doing a bit hiking along the PCT as well. At the very least I will make it to the pass, even if it takes more than 24 hours.
Since I will have cell coverage a majority of the time I will be live blogging my hike, posting video updates at least every hour. I have a lot of ideas I’m still working through, such as taking questions as I hike, sharing what music I’m listening to and more. Check back often, or better yet subscribe to my blog, to follow along as all the details come together and watch as I hike for 24 hours straight!
In the meantime, please make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association by clicking here. If you want to learn about Alzheimer’s and the Alzheimer’s Association please click here.
This idea came together quickly and June 21st is just around the corner,so please share this with as many people as possible to help get the word out!!!
Picking up where I left off on my last post, What Happened – Part 1, I had decided to take a break from my PCT hike and flew back from Reno with Cristina. I didn’t tell anyone that I was coming home and got some interesting reactions when I surprised people. My Mom was a mix of confusion and concern that something had gone wrong, my Dad was relived, my brother was amused that I went to visit my parents unannounced. Overall everyone was generally understanding and happy that I was back. They were also happy to hear that I wasn’t done with the PCT yet. Shortly after getting home I brought Cristina with me for a a day hike on the PCT near Snoqualmie Pass.
A few days later Cristina left on a work trip to Hawaii and I was set to get back on the trail while she was away. My Mom and her partner Lori gave me a ride down to Ashland, Oregon so that I could hike north through Oregon and Washington. During the few days I was home and on the ride down it was really eye opening to see how how much Lori’s Alzheimer’s had progressed and what my mom had to manage everyday. After a long day of driving we arrived in Ashland and checked into a random hotel. We ended up sharing a room where I saw even more of what my mom had to manage. Lori kept unpacking and re-packing clothes, asking where things went, tried to take the paintings off the wall and kept telling my mom that they needed to leave when she was trying to sleep. At one point he even left the room and when my mom went to look for him found him on the other side of the building trying to get into a completely different room.
In the morning at breakfast I started to have second thoughts about getting back on trail. There was a sizable fire just south of Ashland that was making things pretty smoky and while I was excited to get back to hiking it kind of felt like a chore, I was still a bit physically and mentally exhausted from my previous stint on the trail and getting back on trail by myself felt odd. Not to mention my new level of concern for my mom and Lori. When I weighed everything in my mind I came to the decision to go back home. I had already broken my continuous steps and I felt it would be better to get back on trail when it felt right and would be more enjoyable, not just because I felt I had to. On our way back we stopped at Crater lake that was really beautiful despite the haze from all the smoke.
Once I got home I helped my mom with a few things such as yard work, staying with Lori to give her a “break” and helping her clear some things out of Lori’s house, as she was getting ready to sell it. After Cristina got back from Hawaii we got the keys to our new place and got moved in and settled. It was really nice catching up with friends and family that I hadn’t seen in months, it seemed like much longer. However, with a nice place to live and the comforts of home I found myself spending more and more time at home.
The more time I spent at home the more I became a lump. I pretty much adopted the life I would live when I would spend a day or two in town along the PCT. I ate a bunch of garbage food, drank lots of beer and watch random trashy reality shows like Catfish or Naked and Afraid. Now this is fine when its just for a day or two before returning to where a typical day would consist of hiking 15 – 20 miles. However, I found that I didn’t have much interest in hiking, let alone that many miles. It didn’t take too long before I sunk into a depression. Every now and then I would force myself to get out for a hike but it wasn’t enjoyable. I felt sad and guilty for not finishing in one continuous push and worse when I started to realize I wouldn’t finish in that year.
Then the smoke came. Due to a large number of wild fires in Canada and across the Pacific Northwest the whole area was blanketed in a heavy haze of smoke. The ash would collect on cars and people were encouraged to avoid outdoor activities, such as hiking. This lead to even more couch time and a deeper depression.
Luckily, I realized that I had gotten depressed, which can be hard to do. I started meditating again, eating better and living life beyond my couch. The winds changed and the smokey haze was blown away and I was able to start going on some hikes! The exercise and time outside really helped get me out of my funk. I found myself enjoying hiking again.
Eventually, I felt ready to get back on trail and Cristina agreed to drive me back down to Ashland so I could hike north. I was excited. I even gave my backpack a through cleaning.
Then, the Friday before we were set to make the drive down south I got excited in an entirely different way for for entirely different reason, Cristina found out that she was pregnant!!
While this was something we wanted and had planned on getting to after my hike, we were both blissfully in shock. I guess all my time hiking helped things along. As we had planned, a baby on the way meant we were also going to get married! We made the drive down to Ashland, which was a nice way to processes the news and discuss everything that was ahead of us. However, I once again started to think that it might not be the best idea for me to get back on trail. I had this fear in the back of my head that something could go wrong with the pregnancy and I’d be somewhere in the middle of Oregon without a way to get home. There were a few factors, such as our age, that made the pregnancy high risk. Then I saw that it was going to be around 112° F / 44.4° C in Ashland for several days and once again decided to return back home.
As the summer continued I kept hiking and we even took a trip to Canada to visit our good friends Liz, Gord & Sadie.
Once we got past the period of highest risk in pregnancy, I decided once again that I was ready to get back on trail. However, this time I would stay a bit closer to home and hop back on at the bridge of the gods at the Oregon / Washington border. If something did go wrong it would be much easier to get back home. Cristina made it clear that if she gave me a ride down there she wouldn’t give me a ride back if I changed my mind at the last minute. The thought didn’t even cross my mind, I was excited and everything felt right.
After saying goodbye to Cristina I walked across the bridge of the gods, which felt a little awkward as there wasn’t a designated area for pedestrians. A few cars had to swerve around me which was a little unsettling on such a narrow bridge. As I started to hike things felt really good, the further I went the happier I felt. At one point I passed a group of hikers, one of which looked familiar but not familiar enough to stop and say hi, I was on a mission. I’d later figure out that the hiker that looked familiar was someone that started the PCT the same day as I did, his new facial hair must have thrown me off. Since I started a bit later in the day I didn’t make it too far before it started to get dark. I found a place to set up camp, ate dinner and fell asleep.
After falling asleep I was awoken 2 hours later by a deflated sleeping pad. I re-inflated it, fell back asleep and then repeated that every two hours for the rest of the night. I figured that I could patch it the following day when it was light out. When I finally had enough of the leaking sleeping pad I continued on my way, still feeling great despite the not so great sleep. The trail wound through some hills along with some heavily logged areas. Later on I would pass by a tree that was inhabited by fairies and a very happy snail.
Next, there was a pretty significant climb and descent. At lunch I took some time to try to find the leak in my sleeping pad but didn’t have any luck. I was focused and kept pushing on despite being a bit tired and hiked until it started to get a bit dusky. I found a nice spot next to a river to set up for the night. A woman who lived nearby came over to hand out some chocolate chip cookies to those of us camping by the river and say hello. The ground at this spot must have been a bit softer, or I was just that tired, as I didn’t wake up as often to re-inflate my sleeping pad.
The next day the trail dropped down a bit further and eventually came to a road next to a river with a bridge! After the bridge-less river crossings in the Sierra, which left my feet wet no matter how hard I tried, I was very excited to see a bridge. So excited that I took a picture of it.
A little while later I reached another bridge that crossed a larger river which seemed somewhat familiar. After checking my map I realized I was right next to a campground I had stayed at before climbing Mt. St. Helens a few years ago! Eventhough I had just been back on trail for less than two days, a pit toilet was a very welcome surprise. I was also able to fill up my water bottles before hiking up a very steep section of trail. While I still had my hiker legs they weren’t what they were before. After some pushing I reached the top and followed the trail along the ridge.
The trail dipped back down… and then back up.. all with beautiful views along the way. There was a nice mix of hikers going both north and south. I found a nice spot to eat lunch with a view of a partially cloud covered Mt. Adams. It may sound odd but I really enjoyed once again eating tuna wrapped in a tortilla.
After lunch I looked ahead to figure out just how far I was going and where I could camp for the night. I found a nice spot that wasn’t too incredibly far ahead but was right next to a water source, which was the deciding factor. I could have continued on but the next water source was a little too far ahead and I always like being able to fill up my water before heading out in the mornings.
I set up camp, ate some just add water backpacking meal of some sort, filled my water and went to bed. However, I couldn’t fall asleep at all. I continued with the routine from the night before of re-inflating my sleeping pad every two hours but no matter what I tried I could not fall asleep. I tried listening to podcasts, reading, breathing exercises, meditation, nothing worked. I ended up not sleeping at all that night. As I was trying to sleep I weighed my options. I could somehow make my way back to a town big enough that would have a store where I could buy a new sleeping pad. I could continue on to Trout lake and stay in a motel for a night and try to find the leak in my sleeping pad or… I could go home, which is what I decided to do. I was ready to focus on what was back home. As much as I enjoyed being back on trail I felt like my leaking sleeping pad and now not being able to sleep was a sign.
The next day I tiredly followed the trail to a forest road and after a bit of road walking was able to catch a ride from a nice older couple and their grandson. It was kind of weird sitting in the back seat, fresh off the trail, next to a seven year old who just stared at me. However, he made things a bit awkward himself by asking me “Do you ever pee your pants?”. I asked him if he thought that because I smelled but he clarified that I didn’t stink and he was just curious because sometimes he peed his pants.
On the way back to civilization they stopped to get some donuts and very kindly offered to buy me some as well. They dropped me off back at bridge of the gods where I hopped on a bus which took me into Portland. I hopped on the light rail to the train station and caught the train back home.
This time when I headed home I knew I was done for the year as it was pretty late in the season. My time on the PCT in 2018 was amazing time and I was grateful for every minute of it, even the hard parts, but spending a significant amount of time on the trail made me feel unbalanced when there was so much important and exciting stuff to focus back home. Which is exactly what I did.
I officially proposed to Cristina. Yes, I surprised her with a ring on a dinosaur.
I hiked up to Kendall Katwalk, the hike where I first fell in love with the PCT. Along with some other hiking.
There was a lot of wedding planning and eventually an amazing wedding.
Cristina grew our tiny baby.
Then the (not so) tiny baby entered the world. Her name is Pepper.
And on her 2 month birthday Cristina and I took Pepper on her first hike. We went to Mt. Si, which was where we went on our second date and first hike together. Mt. Si was also one of my first “big hikes” when I really got into hiking years ago.
So while I didn’t get to all of the PCT in one continuous push I will continue to hike it in sections until I have hiked every inch of it. I often find myself daydreaming of finishing the last section with Pepper. I want to thank everyone that supported me along the way, especially those who donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. I assure you that I’m not done, I’m already making plans for this summer.
I’ll continue to update this blog as I knock out sections of the the PCT and go on other adventures, with the next big adventure being announced tomorrow!
It’s been quite a while since I posted an update and I’m sure some of you were left wondering why. With today being the 1 year anniversary of the beginning of my Pacific Crest Trail hike I wanted to take the time to explain what exactly happened. This will span across a few posts over the next couple weeks as there is a lot to cover.
In my last post I had made it to Bishop and took the bus to Reno where I said goodbye to my hiking partner Sisse and spent the weekend with the love of my life, Cristina, who I hadn’t seen in months. During our time together I got caught up on all the things happening back home. She found us an awesome place to live and was set to start moving in, couch surviving and a long commute to work had taken it’s toll on her. My mom had her hands full taking care of her partner Lori as his Alzheimer’s continued to progress. Friends and family would get worried when my GPS map wouldn’t update (usually because I decided to take an extra zero day in town). All of this, along with the idea of going back on trail without Sisse really made me think about if I was doing the right thing, not only for me but for my friends and family.
In the week or so before getting to Reno I hit this point where I felt like I had gotten past the physically “hard parts” of the trail. I made it through the desert, done plenty of 20+ mile days, summited Mt. Whitney, crossed snow covered passes in the Sierra. My thinking had shifted from what was ahead of me on the trail to what was ahead of me in life after the trail, what I wanted to do next. In thinking about those things I kind of felt like continuing to hike the trail was just delaying it all. I missed my friends and family, I wanted to move into my new place with Cristina and enjoy part of the summer in Seattle, which are amazing.
So, as I was getting ready to say goodbye to Cristina and head back to Bishop to pick up where I left off, it became clear that it wasn’t the right thing for me to do in that moment. I needed a break and decided to take one. She was a bit shocked when I told her what I was thinking and took the time to help me make sure I wasn’t making a knee jerk decision but I knew that the trail wasn’t going anywhere and that seeing my friends and family was more important. I bought a ticket on Cristina’s flight and we flew home unannounced. It felt a bit strange but I knew I made the right choice and that I wasn’t done with the trial.
While in Independence, which was not much of a town at all, I the bus back to Lone Pine to resupply and revisit some of my “old stomping grounds” since I spent so much time there. Since the bus only ran three times a day and resupplying doesn’t take that long, I stopped by the Frosty Chalet for a milkshake before trying to hitch hike back to Independence. On my way I noticed a large group of hikers trying to hitch hike and figured that it would probably take me a while to get a ride as they would intercept any rides. However, it turns out that people who give rides also like milkshakes. Right as I started to hitch a couple that I saw inside the Frosty Chalet pulled out and offered a ride. Turns out that they were a couple from Tennessee that were road tripping across the united states, hiking and climbing along the way.
Before heading back to the trial I had some amazing french toast for breakfast in a make shift restaurant inside a co-op which was only open a few days a week . I then hitchhiked back to the trail that would take me back to the PCT, I ended up getting a ride from a really friendly guy that shared a lot of history about the area.
The climb back up Kearsarge Pass was easier than expected, it seemed like it was gong to be hard going as I was coming down a few days earlier. Once I got to the top it got a bit windy, so windy that it my hat got blown off my head and carried over the peak. I spent a good 10 minutes looking for it trying not to side down towards the lake below. I eventually found it around the other side. I hiked a bit further to the junction with the PCT and set up camp for the night ready to go over Glen Pass in the morning.
The hike up Glen pass was fairly easy, just the random bits of snow to deal with along the way as the trail passed a few small lakes.
However, coming down the other side was a bit challenging. While I could tell where the trail was the switchbacks were buried in snow. Instead, the easiest path down followed a ridge of exposed rock, which wasn’t too difficult to move through except the parts that really icy with frozen melt water. I slipped and fell on my ass twice, luckily my backpack helped break my fall.
As I continued down a found a great stretch of snow to glissade down. I was exited to slide down the snow like a penguin, except on my butt instead of my belly. I was so exited in fact I forgot that I needed to use my ice axe to control my speed. I ended up going too fast and having to bail out with only my hands to stop me. which ended up getting scrapped up.
Once I cleared the snow I made it to Rae Lakes, which were really beautiful. At one point I was greeted by a surprise water crossing where one lake drained into another.
As I continued on I had a couple more water crossings. Luckily one river had a suspension bridge over it. The bridge itself was limited to one person crossing at the time and swayed about when crossed. After crossing the bridge I started to climb back up and continued up a couple miles, past the 800 mile marker, to get a jump on Pinchot Pass.
In hindsight I wish I would have gotten a bit closer to Pinchot Pass the day before. While the climb up to the pass started as expected it became hard to follow as I hit the snow fields . The path in the snow field would go in what seemed like the right direction but you would then spot an exposed portion of the trail further up or down from where you were, which made for some annoying transitions between the two.
Once at the top descent was easy with micro-spikes. There were random patches of snow as the trail passed a handful of lakes.
As the trail continued down it crossed a couple large creeks and a full on river at the bottom. The river was the trickiest water crossing yet but I obviously made it across.
I climbed up a few more miles and crossed a few more streams before setting up camp a couple miles from Mather Pass (are you seeing a pattern here?), which has a reputation of being somewhat terrifying because of its large head wall. As I was in my tent trying to fall asleep I saw a helicopter come in from the west. It flew up into the mountains and then back down, circling before dropping down out of sight. It seemed to be back by there river I crossed earlier in the day. Suddenly the possibility of serious injury came to the front of my mind and the thought of Mather Pass made my anxiety kick in.
Luckily Mather Pass was nothing to be afraid off, it was mostly snow free and while the switchbacks were tight I at no point felt a fear of heights. The way down was a bit tricky as it was still pretty snow covered, following one set of boot prints in the snow would lead to a melted out section where I had to scramble down.
As the trail cleared it winded down next down to some lakes and a creek that would eventually join to become the middle fork of the king river. All was well until I hit a series of switchbacks which seemed like they would never end. After getting to the bottom of the switch backs there were a number of interesting water crossings due to snow melt. I hit the low point before starting the climb back up towards the next pass. However, instead of continuing on I would be taking Bishop pass out to the city of Bishop where I would take a bus to Reno to meet up with Cristina. I continued on to the ranger station (which wasn’t manned) at the junction with Bishop Pass. I thought about calling it a day but decided to push up the pass a couple miles to get a jump on the following day as Bishop Pass was a little more substantial than the previous bail out points.
In the morning I was greeted by an immediate water crossing, nothing like wet feet as you get ready to hike in the snow. The steep switchbacks gave way to an amazing alpine area with small ponds before hitting more snow on the way to the top of the pass.
The drop down from the top was manageable with a few scrambles due to snow cover and the hike out had some breathtaking views and stunning lakes. The closer I got to the trailhead the more day hikers I saw. Shortly after arriving at the parking lot I was able to catch a ride down into Bishop which was extremely hot, at least to me.
A few days later, after sampling the restaurants in Bishop, I hopped on the bus to Reno where I’d meet up with Cristina. However, I also had to say to my hiking partner Sisse, her visa was up and she had to return to Denmark. The following day Cristina arrived and we enjoyed a couple days at the Peppermill Casino which included a much needed spa day and a massage.
It’s easy to end up spending a few days in Lone Pine, which is exactly what I did. Plenty of places to eat including a couple amazing taco trucks., When I tried to hitch back to the trailhead I didn’t have much luck so I took a break and had a beer. After a beer or two I decided that it would probably be easier to hitch out in the morning so I stayed another night and ate more tacos.
The next morning I was able to catch a ride back to the trailhead by a couple from LA doing an overnight trip. In the Sierra. Once I got back to the PCT I hiked up to Chicken Lake where I stopped for lunch before continuing a few more miles before camping for the night.
In the morning I hiked up to the Crabtree ranger station and set up camp in the early afternoon. I had heard of hikers camping a little closer to Mt. Whitney at Guitar Lake but my understanding is that the ranger station was as close as I could get with just my PCT permit. I’m sure I could have camped at Guitar lake and been OK but the ranger station also had a pit toilet, which is a rare find on the trail. The idea was to take it easy and rest before hiking up Mt. Whitney the following morning. However, my tent turns into an oven in direct sunlight so I wasn’t able to get much rest before the sun calmed down. I did get to hang out on porch of the ranger station, which was nice.
When my alarm went off at 2am I only grabbed the things I would need to get up Mt. Whitney, ate a quick breakfast and headed out. It was nice being able to leave my tent set up and carry a lighter pack since I would be returning to the ranger station. Hiking in the dark was a little annoying but it was fun to see other hikers headlamps on the side of the mountain as they headed up the trail.
I crossed a few small snow fields on my way to the switch backs up the mountain. Once on the switch backs there were random patches of snow and ice but nothing too tricky. After reaching the junction summit the snow became a little more prevalent but still nothing too challenging. The sun started to rise and lit up the mountains as I made my way up to the summit around 6am. I was a bit intimidated by Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous united states, but it ended up being easier than I had feared. There were a handful of other hikers at the summit enjoying the view, I stayed for a little while and had a snack before starting to head back down. I’m always cautious of snow getting too soft and making the descent tricky.
On my way down there were a good amount of people heading up, which was a little surprising. As I headed back to the ranger station I was able to see all the scenery I passed in the dark which made it feel completely new.
I got back to camp around 11am and tried to spend as much time as I could in my tent before it turned into a sauna again. Once it cooled down I quickly fell asleep and even slept in a bit in the morning.
In the morning I packed up and hiked a mere 9 miles to the base of Forrester Pass, the highest point on the actual PCT. On the way I went over Bighorn Plateau and crossed a couple large streams which required getting my feet wet. Once across the last water crossing I set up camp, making sure that my tent had plenty of shade.
I once again woke up early, luckily not at 2am, and headed up to the pass. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I was prepared for a hard climb. The first few miles were nothing crazy, just a few snowy bits. However, once I got to the bottom of the final push up to the pass there was a good amount of snow making it tricky to find the trail. Luckily it was still frozen making it easy to hike on. Since it was difficult to spot the trail I scrambled between patches of snow and rocks until I made my way to the switchbacks which were snow free, with the exception of the chute right before the top of the pass.
Once at the top I was able to see down into Kings Canyon National Park, which was stunning, even with all the snow I’d have to deal with. Surprisingly getting down wasn’t too bad, there were plenty of footprints that made great steps and we’re easy to follow.
When I got further down into the canyon I was awestruck. It felt like I finally entered the Sierra, even though I already technically had days ago. I hiked along a large “creek” and the trail was pretty tame.
Knowing that I’d be heading out to Independence the following day I decided to push a little more and get into town a day early. There were a few water crossings and another climb up to Kearsarge Pass, which was luckily snow free.
The trail to the pass was beautiful, passing by a few lakes. The climb over the pass wasn’t technically that difficult but after going over Forrester in the morning it felt like it. Once at the top of the pass I was able to get a sliver of service and called a motel that was able to pick me up from the trailhead. Somehow the guy pulled up just as I was getting to the trailhead and I rode back down into the hot desert. I checked into the motel, took a shower and got some sleep.
In my continued effort to kill time and let snow melt I took two days off in Kennedy Meadows, bouncing between the general store and Grumpy Bear’s. I camped at the general store because it was closer to the trail and had a bunch of snacks and drinks for purchase. They also had a little concession stand with hot dogs and burgers. However the WiFi was slow and there wasn’t much indoor seating.
Grumpy’s had great food, fast (pay) WiFi and a beer bar, there was also a pool table. So I found myself hitchhiking a lot and bouncing between the two.
Since I had time to kill I decided to add astop in Lone Pine on my way to Independence. I mailed a good portion my food ahead to Lone Pine, which lightened my backpack.
As I departed Kennedy Meadows, now carrying a bear can, ice axe and micro-spikes, I entered the South Sierra national Forest. The trail followed and a river as it continued uphill before dropping down into giant meadow. The Skirted along the edge of the meadow in the trees before dropping down further crossing the meadow and a creek. I followed the trail uphill into a forest and camped just above a creek.
The next day I continued the climb up hill, realizing how heavy my additional gear for the Sierra was. At one point I was startled by a fast, low flying plane that flew over head. This happened a few times before I realized I was I was hiking through an Air Force practice area. I think I figured it out when I saw a fighter jet go sideways around some mountians.
After some more climbing I made it to the top of a mountain, around 10,000 ft. There were a few sizable clouds forming overhead so I quickly set up my tent in case it started to rain.
Then I heard a clap of thunder, one of the last things you want to hear when you’re camping on top of a mountain. The cell was to the north and moving north east, the thunder started to die down and I climbed into my tent as it started to lightly rain. I then saw a bright flash and a thunderous clap of.. thunder directly overhead. I quickly made my way back down the trail and took shelter under a large rock with some other hikers as the storm passed.
Overnight the wind had blown my tent dry which was a nice surprise to wake up to. I dropped down to the Trail Pass junction which was the exit point for Lone Pine.
On my the way down I ran into some rangers that were checking permits. They mentioned that they had recently done a fly over and there was still a good amount of snow on the ground ahead. They also mentioned the best spot to hitchike down to Lone Pine, which can be difficult.
However, on the way down a car full of hikers headed back to the trail drove by, the driver said he would stop on his way back down. When he came back I recognized him from earlier on the trail. He was easy to recognize because he was wearing leggings with hot dogs on them. His trail name? Hot Dog. The ride down to Lone Pine, back in the desert, was a long winding one. Once I got into town I checked into a motel, took a shower and got something to eat.
In my last post I forgot to mention that I was given a trail name, two actually. The first one was “Bloodhound” because I can always find great spots for a break or to set up camp. I tried it out for a couple days but it didn’t feel right. I was then given “Strider” because apparently I can just stride up climbs with my long legs
I spent my time in Tehachapi the same way I do whenever I stay in a town, eating and being lazy. I’ll usually get sucked in to binge watching some reality TV show like Catfish or Naked and Afraid. However the hotel I stayed at had a hot tub and a pool, so that got added into the mix. My favorite place I ate in Tehachapi was Red House BBQ, some of the best BBQ I’ve had in a long time. The town itself was pretty spread out so I got a few rides from the one Uber driver and when she wasn’t around called the taxi company which only seemed to have one car. I was able to tell because one of the mirrors was broken off.
Before heading back to the trail I grabbed some of the breakfast at the hotel, stealing a bunch of hot sauce packets and jelly. The same Uber driver showed up to give me a ride back to the trail where I ran into someone I hadn’t seen in weeks, the creepy guy from the start of my hike. He didn’t exactly remember me and was heading into town which was a relief.
I started down the trail which ran along the highway. A guy that was pulled over on the side of the highway asked me if I needed anything, stated that he had everything I could want, I settled on a Dr Pepper. He told me that he just quit his job and was going on a road trip before finding somewhere to start new.
Loaded up on sugar I followed the trail back into the hills. After reaching the top things became a little more wooded. It didn’t get as warm as I had hoped so when I found a place to camp I crawled right into my sleeping bag and ate dinner.
The following morning I actually slept in! All the way to 7:30am, which is an hour and a half later than usual. After eating breakfast I made the short hike to a spring to fill up a gallon of water. Generally I shoot for a liter for every 5 miles and I was going 20 with no other water sources on the way.
I started out hiking through pretty exposed areas and after a couple good climbs, passing the 600 mile marker, ended up in a forest. I found a spot to camp at another spring.
From the spring the trail winded through a nice wooded area before dropping down to a campground full of people riding dirt bikes and shooting guns. I used the bathroom (always a welcome amenity) and filled up my water. The climb out of the campground went through a burnt but rocky section. At the top there was a great view of the mountains ahead before beginning the desent back down to the desert.
At the bottom I came across a giant water cache, easily over 100 gallons, which was a welcome sight as the next water source was still a few miles ahead with a 2 mile detour. The climb after the water cache wasn’t too drastic on paper but the heat and sandy trail made it less than fun. When I hit 20 miles for the day I was ready to set up camp but as much as I wanted to I was unable to find a good enough spot. I pushed on for a couple more miles and found a nice spot under a joshua tree.
In the morning it was just a handful of miles to the next giant water cache. However, I once again found myself climbing up a sandy trail. Once I arrived at the junction with the water cache I was very excited to see a group of people hanging out under a tent. It was some trail magic! A couple of trail angels were set up with all kinds of stuff they were very eager to have consumed, so I helped. I had a Coke, a Gatorade, a Dr. Pepper, carrots and celery, Pringles and a couple of granola bars. I was now more than ready to power up the next hill, which I did easily.
At the top I stopped for a nice long lunch before heading down the back of the hill. On my way I ran into the trail angles from earlier hiking up! They said there was a surprise at the bottom. I headed down the switchbacks and at the bottom I spotted one of their coolers filled with soda! I drank another Coke and a root beer.
The next bit of the trail was wooded and a bit grassy before joining with a very worn dirt road, which was not very fun to walk on. I followed the crappy dirt road to a campsite with a somewhat creepy cabin. For the first time in a while I decided to set up my tent instead of cowboy camping and settled in for the night.
After a few miles of morning hiking, with a few great views, I arrived at Walker Pass ready to hitch into Lake Isabella for the day. However, this proved to be more difficult than I expected. After about 30 minutes of unsuccessful hitchhiking some more hikers showed up trying to get a ride as well. One guy took a ride to a town in the opposite direction. There were no Uber or Lyft drivers to be found, I imagine one could make a killing from hikers alone. I started to consider trying to get a ride to the town in the opposite direction a van showed up to drop off a couple hikers.
The van was covered with all sorts of paint and the hashtag #greatfuldad. The driver was a deadhead that was giving rides while he waited to meet up with his daughter who was hiking the trail. He busted out some paint and markers and told everyone to sign his van, which we did. Afterwards we all pilled in and made the 30 minute drive to Lake Isabella.
I checked into a very basic and outdated motel which I wouldn’t stay in if I wasn’t spending most of my nights outside. The owner was friendly and even kept a hiker box full of random things. Lake Isabella itself, while it had a few good spots, seemed like a notable portion of the population were on meth. Despite this, I decided to spend a second night there as based on what I heard from others the conditions in the Sierras was still causing hikers to bail out and planning on taking a week off before planning on attempting to go back in. I figured another day of rest, and another day for conditions to improve, would be a good idea.
When I finally left Lake Isabella it was early. After waking up at 4:15am I walked a mile to catch the 5:20am bus back to the trail. The bus only ran 3 days a week, three times a day. Not surprisingly the only riders were sleepy hikers. Once back at the trail I climbed back up, this time into mountians. At one point I could look back down into the desert hoping it would be the last time I would see it.
The trail continued it’s trend of climbing up and then dropping back down a couple times before I reached a campsite at the top of one of the climbs. Being in an area with more peaks than hills made me happy and excited to get into the Sierras.
The next day followed the same pattern of ascending and descending before a long winding drop into a valley. I spent the night next to a trickling stream where a bear had been a problem last year. I guess the bear decided to move on because there was no sign of one.
The next morning I hiked the last 10 breathtaking miles into Kennedy Meadows. I’ll be taking a day off here, I can only make it so far north because of snow so I’ll be taking it slow until I meet up with Cristina in Reno. Since I won’t be able to hike that far north I’ll have to bail out of the Sierra and take a bus into Reno.
Hiker Heaven is just that. The Saufleys have turned their home into a hikers paradise, set up for whatever a through hiker might need. You can shower, receive a resupply box, mail things out, charge all your devices, use their sewing machines to patch things up, and they will even do your laundry for you.
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bout every hour and a half they shuttle hikers to and from downtown Auga Dulce, most of which end up riding in the back of a pickup truck.
They have a few rooms set up for couples but otherwise you can set up in their backyard which is also home to some chickens and their dogs. They also have at least 10 porta-pottys set up as well. There is plenty of places to sit and relax, a “lounge” which is a trailer that includes a living room with a tv and a kitchen plus a grill outside.
I had originally only planned to stay one night but decided to stay another since my ankle was still tender. I was able to soak my feet and take it easy.
I was also able to take a Lyft into Northridge to go to REI for a new pair of shoes and in-n-out for lunch. It’s still weird going into populated areas.
On my second day there I had Strawberry cut my hair (shave my head) at the DIY hair cutting station. She and Dale also gave Tim a very technical hair cut which included shaving his name in his name in the back and some lines that ended up looking like mountians and eventually earned him the trail name “Mountain Do”.
After packing up and stopping at a Mexican restaurant for a late lunch I headed out of town around 5pm, it was 93°. The first 2 miles was a road walk and I was able to use my sun umbrella to help stay somewhat cool. After that the trail climbed into the hills as the sun set and the temperature dropped to a more comfortable level.
Hiking in the dark can be a bit tricky, especially when the batteries in your headlamp start to die. About 10 miles in I decided to stop and cowboy camp. The next day I continued on hiking through the hills and made it to Green Valley where as I was deciding if I should take a break before hitchhiking into town a woman stopped and offered a ride. Once I got into the very small town I grabbed lunch before heading to Casa De Luna, another trail angel’s home.
Casa De Luna was much more relaxed than Hiker Heaven. Altgough the rules stated that you have to wear a Hawaiian shirt while you’re there. The back yard was wooded and offered plenty of space to camp. The forest also contained a bunch of rocks hikers had painted.
In the evening they served taco salad for dinner and if you danced you got a free PCT class of 2018 bandana. After I did a little dance and got my bandana I snagged a ride back to the trail as I wanted to get going again. I ended up cowboy camping at the ranger station by the trail. When I woke up I discovered that the clouds had rolled in as a fog and gotten things a little wet.
I spent the day hiking in the clouds hoping that they would eventually clear but they never did, it just got a bit more windy as I walked along the top of the hills. After hiking 20 miles I arrived at the sawmill campground which was very much in the clouds with a bit of wind, it was a bit challenging to set up my tent.
In the morning I packed up my wet tent and continued on. Eventually I was able to escape the clouds and find a bit of sun, passing the 500 mile mark.
As I continued I was able to see down into the flat bare valley below, my destination for the day. I dropped down from the hills and snaked through some smaller ones before arriving at Hiker Town, which looked like the set of an old western movie. I arrived just in time to snag a room for the night and get a ride to the market / cafe for something to eat. The room wasn’t that great but for $20 I didn’t really care.
The next morning I caught a ride to the Wee Ville market, which is apparently frowned upon by the owners of hiker town as the hiker town people own the market / cafe I had first gone to (which seemed understocked and had weird hours for their cafe). Apparently there is a lot of drama between the two and in my opinion the hiker town people are kind of jerks. If you want people to go to your place rather than the one down the road make sure yours is better, don’t pull hikers into your drama. Anyways….
After breakfast I hit the trail again and did a bit of road walking followed by some walking on the Los Angeles aquaduct, it was all very flat, luckily it wasn’t hot. I then entered some minor hills before making my way through a wind farm. Once I hit 20 miles for the day I }started to look for a place to camp. Luckily I was able to find a group of bushes to break the wind and called it a night.
The next day I climbed back into the hills, carrying plenty of water due to a dry stretch which had some good climbs at points. I stumbled upon a little trail magic area, a spot with some chairs, an umbrella and water. I guess I didn’t need to carry that extra water after all.
The trail then dropped back down, as it does, along another wind farm. After another 20 mile day I cowboy camped under a nice big tree. Little did I know that just a little bit further down the trail was a water cache and a picnic table which would have been a good place to camp.
When I woke up and started on my way I came across some hikers that were set up in a van next to a road. I chatted with them for a while and drank a soda before knocking out the last 8 miles before Tehachapi. In fact, just as I was getting ready to hitchike a truck pulled up offered a ride. He dropped me off at the holiday inn where I’d appreciate the next two nights. I decided to take a zero to celebrate finishing “Southern California”.
The morning of the 29th I said goodbye to my friend Strawberry (Sisse), who I had been hiking with since the beginning. She decided to stay in Wrightwood a couple of days and I wanted to move on and get ahead of the strom that was going through the following day.
I hiked back up to the trail the same way I came in, the noticably steep Acorn trail, it was quite the way to start the day.
Once I hit the top I saw a couple day hikers but no other through hikers. As I hiked by a couple ski areas the clouds began rolled in like a fog.
I continued on, still not seeing any other hikers. Everytime I would pass under a group of trees I would get rained on by the water that had collected on them. I stopped at a visitors center which was closed but seemed abandoned, the fog made everything seem a little creepy.
I made my way to Vincent Gap, the base of Mt. Baden Powell. The wind was picking up, the fog was thick and I was alone. I thought about the fact I could be back in Wrightwood splitting a room with Sisse to wait out the storm. I knew I could push on and would be ok but I wouldn’t enjoy it. While I know I’ll will have to endure days of bad weather I won’t always have the option to go stay in a warm motel room. I stood there and debated what to do. I told myself that I’d hitchhike for 15 minutes and if I couldn’t get a ride I’d push on. After 5 minutes of standing in the cold, being passed by cars that may not have even seen me in the fog, I decided I wanted to go back into town.
Luckily there were a few cars parked at the trail and two women and their dogs were just finishing up their day hike. Feeling slightly defeated I asked them if they were heading back to Wrightwood and luckily they were. As soon as we drove over the mountian I just hiked the sky became clear and sunny, I didn’t know if anyone would believe me about the weather on the other side.
I spent the next two days eating and being lazy as I waited out the weather. I ended up spending a lot of time at the Racoon Saloon talking with other hikers, which was a nice break for hiking. I also had an amazing cinnamon roll at Cinnamon’s Bakery. While taking a few days off put me behind schedule it was worth it, I’m sure I can make up the miles further along on the trail, plus there’s no reason to rush into the Sierras since there is still plenty of snow that needs to melt.
After my break I caught a ride back to where I left off and made it over Mt. Baden Powell and was slightly frustrated to see that the forecasted 6″ of snow that made me take the extra days off didn’t come to fruition. The top of the mountain was amazing. Next was Mt. Williamson which wasn’t as tall as Baden Powell but still a good amount of elevation. On my way down my left foot felt loose in my shoe so I stopped and tightened it up, apparently a little too tight. After a bit my ankle started to ache, it felt like the shoelaces was cutting into one of the tendons on my foot. I loosened my laces and continued on with my ankle still hurting. I reached a portion of the trail that was closed to protect the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog and proceeded to take the detour along highway 2 to the buckhorn campground.
The next morning my ankle was still sore when I headed out, so much so that I missed a junction and actually headed south on the PCT towards the portion that was closed. The trail was fairly eroded which wasn’t fun with my sore ankle. When I figured out I was going southbound I turned around headed back to another junction and proceeded to head up a trail that wasn’t the PCT at all. After I while, and 5 miles of being lost, I made my way back to the PCT.
Even with my bum ankle and my goal was to hike past mile 400, which would have been just 12 miles if I hadn’t gotten lost.
Took a lunch break at the 400 mark and then pushed on. I passed a parking lot where two ultrarunners and their huskies we’re handing out oranges and homemade brownies, I had two of each and they were amazing, especially the oranges. They helped me and my angry ankle make it to the sulphur springs campground and set up for the night even though it was early in the day, I wanted to take it easy on my ankle. A good amount of other hikers showed up which was nice since most of the time I don’t give myself enough time to hang out before going to bed. There was even a campfire.
The following day I made my way over the hill and down to a fire station, which was the last water source for over hot 20 miles. When I arrived there was a guy that stopped by with a convertible BMW stuffed with trail magic. He was on his way to set up a ways back on the trail but he gave me some grapes, strawberries, a Coke and a beer. After a little while I found my way to a shady spot under a tree next to a parking lot next to the trail and stretched out on my ground sheet. A little while later two very exited guys showed up after finishing up a 100 mile stretch. They gave a bunch of random advice for the upcoming stretch, most of which wasn’t that helpful. They did give me my 2nd beer of the day though.
I left the shade of the tree and proceeded to climb up a hill in the heat. The goal was to go about 18-20 miles from where I had camped the night before but there wasn’t much in the way of established tent sites until 24 miles, and I wasn’t interested in going that far. As I hiked I kept my eye out for a spot to camp but didn’t have any luck. Just as I thought I would have to make it the full 24 miles I saw a spot up on a ridge 21 miles in. I decided to cowboy camp first time which was a fun change. A bunch of hikers from the night before also set up camp there as well.
It was a short 17 mile hike the following day with a stop at a ranger station that had water and ice cold soda for $1 which was nice. It gave me a boost to make the push to my destination, a KOA campground near Acton, CA. I was exited about a shower, pool, hot tub and ice cream. However, when I arrived it wasn’t that appealing. There were a bunch of non-hikers and the pool and hot tub looked heavily used so I skipped using them. Apparently that was a good call because I heard that the health department shut down the hot tub the day after I left. I didn’t like the vibe of the place so I just hung out until it was time to sleep.
The final day before Auga Dulce was just a 10 mile hike with a slight climb and decent before hitting Vasquez Rocks which was a very welcome change in scenery. A good amount of movies and TV shows were filmed in this area including the original Star Trek, blazing saddles, The Flintstones Movie and even a scene from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
After Vasquez Rocks it was a short road walk into Agua Dulce and then a short hitch to the amazing Hiker Heaven, the perfect place to stay, but more akbout that in my next post.
Woke up in the morning and Mountain Mama was making breakfast, even though she said she wasn’t a breakfast person herself. After eating breakfast I gathered everything up and she gave me a ride back to the trailhead, even turning around and going back after I realized I had forgotten my phone. I ended up getting back on trail around 9am which is 3 or 4 hours later than usual, so it would be a shorter day.
The hike north of I-18 started with a fire detour a little ways in. I noticed that some hikers ignored the large sign that read “Closed to the public” and kept on hiking. I like to call these people jerks. The detour was short and provided a good view of the fire damage the jerks were hiking through.
The trail was mostly flat and wooded after the detour. I stopped and had lunch near a barely moving stream where I refilled my water. The rest of the day was hiking with minimal elevation and amazing views of Big Bear Lake and the valley on the other side of the mountain. For once the temperature was perfect and with all pine trees I felt like I was hiking on a summer afternoon back home. It was my favorite day of hiking on the PCT so far.
In the morning I slept in a little and got up with the sunrise. The trail bounced between wooded and rocky with little shade until it dropped into a valley with a healthy stream where I stopped for lunch, it was nice to soak my feet in the cool water.
Some miles later made it to a a creek with some nice banks to relax on. I was so busy relaxing I forgot to take a picture.
From there the trail raised up and hugged against the side of the hill, nicely shaded. I passed the 300 mile mark, which was my goal of the day. I crossed a wooden bridge and continued along the hillside fallowing the creek below. I started looking for any breaks where I could set up my tent. Finally after 23 miles of hiking, my daily distance so far, I found a place to camp for the night.
It was easy to get up in the morning because 4 miles ahead were hot springs! I quickly made my way further into the canyon and was soaking my bones before I knew it. After a few cycles between the hot spring and cold creek I forced myself to move on, even though I could have stayed all day.
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followed the trail through the canyon at one point crossing a cool bridge where I saw 3 young boys and a tiny dog out for a day hike, I assumed they were going to see if they could spot any topples girls at the hot springs. At one point I came across a big rattlesnake sprawled across the trail like he owned the place. After waiting f for him to move it was clear he didn’t have anywhere better to be, so I threw a rock at him. He didn’t like this. He made a lot of noise as he retreated into the bushes. I passed quickly once he had moved far enough away.
I then came out of the canyon and made my way to a dam that was completely dry, it seemed strange as the creek before it was pretty unsubstantial.
As I reached the bottom I saw a woman sat in a chair covered up and hunched with some stuff around her, I assumed she was homeless. However, to my surprise as I walked by she announced that she had some trail magic and she did. She gave me a cold apple, tangerine and a sandwich! After talking to her a bit she mentioned that the three boys we passed on the trail were her son’s and the oldest wants to hike the PCT when he graduates next year and she agreed to spread some trail magic while they went to hike.
I continued on and maybe just a mile or so came another mom handing out trail magic, this time it was soft drinks and chips. She was waiting for her son, who was hiking the PCT to come by. I don’t know how but I managed to drink a can of cherry coke in under 5 seconds, at least it felt that way.
I continued on climbing back into the hills. At times the trail joined dirt roads and at one point a highway. The trail climbed over a hill exposing a lovely lake which the trail winded around. After 24 miles of hiking I hit a substantial picnic area where I promptly ordered a pizza and after eating set up my tent and passed out.
The next day I made my way back into the hills before starting the long decent to Cajon Pass. The trail followed the ridge line which exposed some smoggy mountains in the distance. I could see highways and busy railroads as I got closer. Once I reached Cajon Pass I made my way to a gas station to buy some yogurt and kombucha for a dose of probiotics, as I finished my antibiotics, before I grabbed lunch… at McDonald’s. While it’s not somewhere I’d normally eat McDonald’s was the only “restaurant” and I was hungry. Not surprisingly the McDonald’s was full of smelly hikers. I actually saw a woman hold her nose and gag as she walked by.
After lunch, with 3 Mc Doubles for the road, I continued on back into the hills before stopping to camp 6 miles later next to a very empty water cache. As I was setting up a trail angel showed up to refill the water cache. I gave him a hand and talked to him a bit. He mentioned that a storm would be pushing through in a few days and was forecasted to dump up to6 inches of snow in the mountains, something I wasn’t expecting to have to deal with until the Sierras. Trying to figure out if I could make it over the mountains that would get the snow before the storm I decided to not worry about it until I arrive in Wrightwood the next day and could better understand what the storm was going to bring and when.
I woke up in a literal fog but all the cloud cover kept it from getting too cold overnight. It was kind of eerie hiking up into the mountainsin the fog and not being able to see the top let alone too far in front of you. Then to add to the creepiness I heard some random screaming. I was prepared to find an injured hiker but never came across one.
Eventually I pushed up above the clouds which provided an amazing view. I continued up, up and up. Luckily the grade was pretty tame for the most part but it still gave my legs a workout.
I eventually came to the junction with a trail that lead down to Wrightwood, which is where I was staying for the night. I got checked in at the Pine Cabins, got something to eat and drink, got some more food for the next stretch and then ate some more. It will be interesting to see what this storm will bring, hopefully I can make it through the tricky parts before it hits.
