Life on the trail so far has been pretty predictable. I get up, hike, eat, find a nice place to sleep, and then go to bed. My days begin at sunrise, so about 5am (all my time swimming and running before work has gotten me use ready for this). I get up, pack my bag, and start hiking within 30 minutes. Because I don't use my tent unless it is raining, it makes it real easy to pack up and get on the trail.
The hiking in the early morning is my favorite because it is quiet and the light is fantastic. After about four miles or an hour and a half of hiking, I stop to eat my breakfast which is cereal or cold rehydrated oatmeal with peanut butter and honey. This is my first stop of the day and I check my feet for blisters and figure out where I want to stop for my breaks. The rest of the morning is essentially hiking for about two hours, taking a break to eat something, and repeating until about 1pm. Around this time I eat my "lunch," something a little more substantial like salami or hummus, and take a my long break for the day, at least a hour but potentially longer if it is a hot day. By now, I have gotten the bulk of my miles in for the day, around 13, so all I need is 7 more to get the 20 miles I need to hike each day.
The afternoon is filled with more of the same, hiking, and I try to find myself a place to camp by 5 or 530. Once I'm at my campsite, I eat and do my camp chores, the worst part of the day. My camp chores consist of cleaning up after dinner, prepping my stuff and food for the next day, filtering water if I am camping by water, setting up camp for the night, getting myself a little bit clean via wet wipes or a sponge bath, and stretching. These are all really important things to do, but nothing I want to do after walking all day. After I do all of this, it is time to journal, read, and relax until it gets dark at about 8 or 830. I have found that I like to be in camp early in the evening because then I don't have to rush getting my stuff done before dark and I get enough sleep to be awake when the sun comes up.
Overall, all of the days are the same just with different scenery and hiking partners. For me, this schedule works and gets me enough sleep to get my next 20 miles done.
SHR Emblem
Friday, May 31, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Hot Springs, Memorial Day Weekend, and McDonalds
I made it to Wrightwood (Mile 375) yesterday and was picked up by my uncle, brother, and sister-in-law. As my grand tour of the Southern California mountains and deserts continue, it brings me to my uncle's house in Wrightwood for two days, partially as a break and partially because I have some blisters starting on the balls of my feet again that I need to stop.
In Big Bear, I stayed with some friends, the Suttons, there and had a great time. The Sutton's were the best hosts because they fed me (I ate the biggest breakfast before leaving that was called the "Sissy Boy"), helped me do my errands, took me to the best sandwich shop ever, and helped re-motivate me to return to the trail. Because of the lackluster scenery of SoCal, I wasn't so exited to return to the trail but after some YouTube videos of the trail and after seeing the Sierra Nevada, I was so ready to get back and hike.
After leaving Big Bear, the trail goes west for 200 miles or so until it hits a town called Agua Dulce and for the first time I could see where I was heading in the distance. Normally you can't see more than a half day in front of you, but once on the trail, I could see all the way to Wrightwood, my next stop. Over the course of the five days, I got into civilization again and saw some friends.
As the trail goes west, the big highlights are the Deep Creek Hot Springs, Silverwood Lake, and McDonalds. About two and a half days past Big Bear is the Deep Creek Hot Springs. It's a hippie type place where people go to soak in the springs and it was there that some friends meet me. Unbeknownst to me, it was also the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so it the springs were packed. We hung out there for a few hours and then hiked for 7 more miles to get away from all the people in the area. It was nice to have some company, even if it was for less than a day.
On Sunday, I went by Silverwood Lake and that is were I realized it was Memorial Day weekend because at least about 2000 people were there. I went down to one of the day use areas to get some water and take a break, and I saw more people there in my first 5 minutes than I have seen on my 23 days on the trail. It was to crowded and noisy so I left pretty quickly because it is the exact opposite of the trail. The highlight of Sunday was the great stares the people gave me and the rattlesnake I almost trampled later that afternoon.
My final highlight for this section was McDonalds. The trail crosses under the 15 freeway near the Cajon Pass, so visiting the McDonalds near there is a must, mainly to get water but also for something different to eat. I got some little burritos and a McFlurry (FYI to anyone who eat there a lot, you cannot get french fries at 8am in the morning). It was another place where you got great looks from non-PCTers.
Overall, the hike from Big Bear to Wrightwood was nice because of the places that are on the trail. I can't post any pictures because of the old computer that I am using takes forever to load them, so hopefully next week I will be able to load some.
In Big Bear, I stayed with some friends, the Suttons, there and had a great time. The Sutton's were the best hosts because they fed me (I ate the biggest breakfast before leaving that was called the "Sissy Boy"), helped me do my errands, took me to the best sandwich shop ever, and helped re-motivate me to return to the trail. Because of the lackluster scenery of SoCal, I wasn't so exited to return to the trail but after some YouTube videos of the trail and after seeing the Sierra Nevada, I was so ready to get back and hike.
After leaving Big Bear, the trail goes west for 200 miles or so until it hits a town called Agua Dulce and for the first time I could see where I was heading in the distance. Normally you can't see more than a half day in front of you, but once on the trail, I could see all the way to Wrightwood, my next stop. Over the course of the five days, I got into civilization again and saw some friends.
As the trail goes west, the big highlights are the Deep Creek Hot Springs, Silverwood Lake, and McDonalds. About two and a half days past Big Bear is the Deep Creek Hot Springs. It's a hippie type place where people go to soak in the springs and it was there that some friends meet me. Unbeknownst to me, it was also the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so it the springs were packed. We hung out there for a few hours and then hiked for 7 more miles to get away from all the people in the area. It was nice to have some company, even if it was for less than a day.
On Sunday, I went by Silverwood Lake and that is were I realized it was Memorial Day weekend because at least about 2000 people were there. I went down to one of the day use areas to get some water and take a break, and I saw more people there in my first 5 minutes than I have seen on my 23 days on the trail. It was to crowded and noisy so I left pretty quickly because it is the exact opposite of the trail. The highlight of Sunday was the great stares the people gave me and the rattlesnake I almost trampled later that afternoon.
My final highlight for this section was McDonalds. The trail crosses under the 15 freeway near the Cajon Pass, so visiting the McDonalds near there is a must, mainly to get water but also for something different to eat. I got some little burritos and a McFlurry (FYI to anyone who eat there a lot, you cannot get french fries at 8am in the morning). It was another place where you got great looks from non-PCTers.
Overall, the hike from Big Bear to Wrightwood was nice because of the places that are on the trail. I can't post any pictures because of the old computer that I am using takes forever to load them, so hopefully next week I will be able to load some.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Trail Magic and Trail Angels
I made it to Big Bear (aka mile 275)! At last a trail free day. Since leaving Idyllwild, the days have been so different with the weather, my emotions about the trail, and where the trail has taken me. To start, I left Idyllwild Friday evening and camped about 5 miles from where I got back on trail. My hope was to make it 27 miles on Saturday to the home of Ziggy and the Bear, trail angels that live near Cabazon. A trail angel is someone who helps you out on the trail. They can let you stay in their home, like Ziggy and the Bear, but they also might give you a ride or help you with something that you need. I thought this was doable because about 16 miles were going down a 6000 foot decent from the backside of San Jacinto to the desert floor. Also, I heard that Ziggy and the Bear were giving foot baths to the hikers, so that was my motivation, and the thought that I might get some ice cream.
About 6 hours in, I noticed that I was getting 3 new blisters, so I had to slow down. My speedy decent and the poorly maintained trail were the likely reasons why but just as I was getting tired and thinking I would never get there, I caught up with a fellow hiker Cream Tea (I will have to explain trail names in a later post). We hiked the rest of the descent together and when I was at the bottom I was tired. 22 miles in 10 hours with not to many breaks was just past my comfort level. That meant no foot bath tonight and I went to bed frustrated, tired, and no really wanting to be on the PCT. Essentially, I pushed myself too hard and had trouble dealing with the disappointing results. The next day was one that picked me up though and it started with some trail magic under the 10 freeway. Trail magic is when you get something unexpected that you need, really want, or just wish you could have and it makes your day. Under the 10 freeway was a few ice chests filled with cold water, soda, and fruit. This was the best pick-me-up ever, especially since I had been trudging through a head wind and sand for the last 3 miles or so. It was only 7am but I downed a cream soda, ate two oranges, and took an orange for the road. This little bit of trail magic made my bad yesterday melt away and helped me get on my way (just a side note on how hungry you get, I ate another orange, two candy bars, three small bags of peanuts, and two bowls of cereal with real 2% milk when I got to Ziggy and the Bear's).
It was nice to stop a few miles later at Ziggy and the Bear's but the earlier trail magic put me in a better mood and ready to attack the 95 degree or hotter day that was in store.
Overall, my last 5ish days have been a roller coaster. I think much of that is because I have been hiking on my own for the last 2 days. I have seen a few fellow hikers but not any that I want to hike with; however, the trail magic and random tigers, lions, and bears (I'm serious. There were cages with exotic animals in them right outside of Big Bear) I saw helped pick me up and help me realize to slow down, enjoy the trail, and be open to the weird and interesting things that happen.
One more weird thing I saw. For some reason about 3 hotels and 3 trail angles have been falling over themselves to get us hikers to stay with them. There have been multiple soda and water caches on our way into Big Bear and one of them had a mirror and a couch. It was really unexpected but so nice to put my feet up for 5 minutes. That is until I realized how dirty that couch probably was.
Pictures to come after I figure out how to load them on an iPad. Otherwise, I'm going to enjoy my time in Big Bear and be back on the trail on Friday.
About 6 hours in, I noticed that I was getting 3 new blisters, so I had to slow down. My speedy decent and the poorly maintained trail were the likely reasons why but just as I was getting tired and thinking I would never get there, I caught up with a fellow hiker Cream Tea (I will have to explain trail names in a later post). We hiked the rest of the descent together and when I was at the bottom I was tired. 22 miles in 10 hours with not to many breaks was just past my comfort level. That meant no foot bath tonight and I went to bed frustrated, tired, and no really wanting to be on the PCT. Essentially, I pushed myself too hard and had trouble dealing with the disappointing results. The next day was one that picked me up though and it started with some trail magic under the 10 freeway. Trail magic is when you get something unexpected that you need, really want, or just wish you could have and it makes your day. Under the 10 freeway was a few ice chests filled with cold water, soda, and fruit. This was the best pick-me-up ever, especially since I had been trudging through a head wind and sand for the last 3 miles or so. It was only 7am but I downed a cream soda, ate two oranges, and took an orange for the road. This little bit of trail magic made my bad yesterday melt away and helped me get on my way (just a side note on how hungry you get, I ate another orange, two candy bars, three small bags of peanuts, and two bowls of cereal with real 2% milk when I got to Ziggy and the Bear's).
It was nice to stop a few miles later at Ziggy and the Bear's but the earlier trail magic put me in a better mood and ready to attack the 95 degree or hotter day that was in store.
Overall, my last 5ish days have been a roller coaster. I think much of that is because I have been hiking on my own for the last 2 days. I have seen a few fellow hikers but not any that I want to hike with; however, the trail magic and random tigers, lions, and bears (I'm serious. There were cages with exotic animals in them right outside of Big Bear) I saw helped pick me up and help me realize to slow down, enjoy the trail, and be open to the weird and interesting things that happen.
One more weird thing I saw. For some reason about 3 hotels and 3 trail angles have been falling over themselves to get us hikers to stay with them. There have been multiple soda and water caches on our way into Big Bear and one of them had a mirror and a couch. It was really unexpected but so nice to put my feet up for 5 minutes. That is until I realized how dirty that couch probably was.
Pictures to come after I figure out how to load them on an iPad. Otherwise, I'm going to enjoy my time in Big Bear and be back on the trail on Friday.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Idyllwild (aka Mile 179)
First things first...my feet feel great. I haven't had any blisters since I got back on the trail and my new shoes and socks seem to be working. It is a big relief because I thought that there would be a good chance that I would have to get off the trail again at Idyllwild, but I'm ready to be on my way.
Since Warner Springs, it has been super hot as the trail goes into and out of desert valleys between Warner Springs and Idyllwild. My plan was to start off slow and ease back into the trail, but I have yet to do that. Partially because my feet feel so good and partially because I have been hiking with some fun people. A mother/daughter duo from Canada, a guy from St. Louis, another Canadian who is a builder, and someone we named Coyote Jodie.
My first week on the trail was a little hard because much of the time was spent hiking alone, but the last few days, I have been seeing the same six or so people everyday. It has been great to hike with others because the monotony of being by myself gets a little old.
Since Warner Springs, I have gone through some really beautiful valleys, spent an afternoon trying to stay in the shade at a spring (the temperature was 95 in the shade! It was a hot day), ate pancakes and a chocolate shake for breakfast at the Paradise Cafe, and hiked the steepest part of the trail so far.
The 30 miles before coming into Idyllwild was really pretty, but the trail was either going up, up, up or down, down, down. It made for a really tough day yesterday, especially because I ran out of water 7 miles from my next source, but making the last minute decision to come into Idyllwild last night made the tought day better. A shower, some pizza, ice cream, a new waist belt for my backpack (the one that came with it is already to small), and having some lunch with the hikers I have been hiking with the last few days made a great break from the trail.
After this, I head back to the trail and will do my best to get to Cabazon before the heat of the day on Sunday.
Here are some random pics for the last few days...
Since Warner Springs, it has been super hot as the trail goes into and out of desert valleys between Warner Springs and Idyllwild. My plan was to start off slow and ease back into the trail, but I have yet to do that. Partially because my feet feel so good and partially because I have been hiking with some fun people. A mother/daughter duo from Canada, a guy from St. Louis, another Canadian who is a builder, and someone we named Coyote Jodie.
My first week on the trail was a little hard because much of the time was spent hiking alone, but the last few days, I have been seeing the same six or so people everyday. It has been great to hike with others because the monotony of being by myself gets a little old.
Since Warner Springs, I have gone through some really beautiful valleys, spent an afternoon trying to stay in the shade at a spring (the temperature was 95 in the shade! It was a hot day), ate pancakes and a chocolate shake for breakfast at the Paradise Cafe, and hiked the steepest part of the trail so far.
The 30 miles before coming into Idyllwild was really pretty, but the trail was either going up, up, up or down, down, down. It made for a really tough day yesterday, especially because I ran out of water 7 miles from my next source, but making the last minute decision to come into Idyllwild last night made the tought day better. A shower, some pizza, ice cream, a new waist belt for my backpack (the one that came with it is already to small), and having some lunch with the hikers I have been hiking with the last few days made a great break from the trail.
After this, I head back to the trail and will do my best to get to Cabazon before the heat of the day on Sunday.
Here are some random pics for the last few days...
 |
| What happened when your out of water. |
 |
| Post pancake and chocolate shake at the Paradise Cafe |
 |
| PCT Monument on the trail |
 |
| One of the random things you see |
 |
| Oh Idyllwild |
 |
| Looking down at the desert. It doesn't look fun....or cool |
 |
| Ready to hit the trail again |
Monday, May 13, 2013
Back on the Trail!
My blistered feet sidelined me from my hiking for the last 5 days or so, but it is back to the trail today. After some new shoes, socks, and callousing over of my feet, I feel ready to hit the trail again. I will start where I left, in Warner Springs, and will ease into the trail this time more so than I did when I started a week and half ago. Hopefully, my feet will toughen up and get past the "starting the trail" transition period. This way I will be able to get through Southern California and into the Sierra Nevada.
In case anyone was wondering what I have been doing for the last 5 days, I stayed off my feet for the first two days home and that helped them feel so much better and heal. Besides reading, watching TV, and playing with my nephew and niece, I didn't do too much. It was nice to be home for the first day or two but after that I was ready to be back on the trail.
In case anyone was wondering what I have been doing for the last 5 days, I stayed off my feet for the first two days home and that helped them feel so much better and heal. Besides reading, watching TV, and playing with my nephew and niece, I didn't do too much. It was nice to be home for the first day or two but after that I was ready to be back on the trail.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Made it to Warner Springs (Mile 109)
Yesterday, I finished the first 109 miles and made it to Warner Springs! It has been quite the adventure so far because my trip started with close to 20 mile days in hot weather, in the mid-80's, and ended with three days of colder, rainy days and a pair of badly blistered feet. Because of my feet were so bad, I am back home for a few days while they callous over and so I can get some different shoes and socks. Other than that unexpected issue, everything else have been fine and fun.
The first 400 or so miles of the trail go in and out of the desert, so knowing where the next water source is located is a must. My initial stress about this subsided when the weather got cooler and rainy on Monday, making me use my tent. My hope was to sleep under the starts every night, or at least until I get into the Pacific Northwest, but the three days of rain changed that. The one nice thing about the cooler weather though is that it made it much easier to hike the normally hot section of the trail north of Julian. The rain made it possible to carry less water, less weight, and hike a little faster.
As I neared Warner Springs, the blisters that I had since the beginning were not getting better, so I had to leave the trail to heal my feet. I am expecting to be back early next week, but until then, I will have to content myself with some rest and relaxation.
Here are some random pictures from my first week.
The first 400 or so miles of the trail go in and out of the desert, so knowing where the next water source is located is a must. My initial stress about this subsided when the weather got cooler and rainy on Monday, making me use my tent. My hope was to sleep under the starts every night, or at least until I get into the Pacific Northwest, but the three days of rain changed that. The one nice thing about the cooler weather though is that it made it much easier to hike the normally hot section of the trail north of Julian. The rain made it possible to carry less water, less weight, and hike a little faster.
As I neared Warner Springs, the blisters that I had since the beginning were not getting better, so I had to leave the trail to heal my feet. I am expecting to be back early next week, but until then, I will have to content myself with some rest and relaxation.
Here are some random pictures from my first week.
 |
| Random sign I found about 15 miles in. It really makes you want to get out and hike. |
 |
| And all I thought I had to deal with was the heat and some animals. |
 |
| View from the Laguna Mountains down on Anza-Borrego |
 |
| Where I spend the night on Sunday |
 |
| Looking out of my tent from my campsite on Monday |
 |
| On the trail |
 |
| Almost to Warner Springs and the end of the rain... |
 |
| Eagle Rock. Just outside of Warner Springs. |
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Day One
So, it's May 1st and Dan has started on his journey up the PCT! Since he's out in the dark (as in the sun has gone to visit the other side of the world, not as in creepy & evil) wilderness somewhere, he has enlisted me (Bridget, a friendly friend from church) to hack into his blog and post some photos of his budding adventure! I was not with him today, so I have captioned them to the best of my ability. Danny, forgive me for any inaccuracies. I intend no deception. Although I did intend the occasional snark. ;)
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a glimpse into Dan's first day as a mountain man!
 |
| Leaving civilization to embark on the adventure of a lifetime! |
 |
| Journaling? Checking coordinates? Who knows... |
 |
| Embracing the "Southern Terminus" post |
 |
| With trusty friend Karen at said post. |
 |
| Fellow PCT hikers |
 |
| Oh look! Mexico! |
 |
| Reaching under the fence to touch Mexico! The audacity! |
 |
| Super excited about the Mexico wall |
 |
| Behold! A sign! |
 |
| Oh, look! Another sign! This one is taller. |
 |
| Ready to ski down some train tracks |
 |
| I'm searching for appropriate song lyrics to accompany these next photos... |
 |
| But, alas, inspiration escapes me! |
 |
| Day 1: Lost already |
 | |
| Yes. A rock. With strange indentations. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)