Day 5: mile 109.5 - 131.4

Don't drop it like it's hot
Sewing skillz
Sportin' a new look
New Faces: Mighty, Metronome, Rabbit, Paisley

The Warner Springs post office doesn't open until 8am on weekdays, so I had to wait at least that long to pick up my resupply package and finish stuffing my pack. Yesterday by this time I had almost 15 miles under my belt! I feel a little crazy sitting in camp during those early morning hours, wasting the best hiking time!

So even without an alarm I was up at 5am. I stayed in my sleeping bag until 6, at which point I made my last bag of mashed potatoes. I was literally out of food after that, so it's a good thing the resupply package was waiting!

Then I tried to figure out how to burn an hour before breaking camp. Very few people were awake, and no one was very social yet, so I decided to do some stretching/mobility work. I threw on my hiking clothes and wandered over to patch of concrete - perfect for stretching out the quads, hammies, calves, and glutes.

After getting tired of the static stuff I decided to do a few air squats. The first one was stiff. So was the second. By the fifth I was breaking parallel. Ten in and I was feeling pretty good. I figured I would do five fast ones to give my fast-twitch fibers some attention. Unfortunately my pants did not get the memo. I shot down into that first squat, got almost to the bottom, and riiiiiiiiiipppppp. There went my pants. I surveyed the damage, and it was pretty bad - about an eight-inch tear right down my crack. At least no one was watching. And now I knew what I was going to do with that spare hour I had. I seem to do a good job of keeping myself occupied...

Fortunately my mom gave my a quick sewing primer before I left. And I had a small sewing kit in my first aid supplies. Just in case I needed to sew a finger or something back on. But sewing pants back together is a little less stress. It probably isn't the prettiest job, but it keeps my ass from hanging out of my pants, and will keep me from getting a trail name that I might not be too thrilled about. I threw the fixed pair back on and tested them out with a conservative squat. My patchwork held. I seem to be doing a good job of breaking shit so far, so we'll see how long this fix lasts...

I made the mile walk to the post office, grabbed my package (after standing in line with about 20 other hikers) and took a different one-mile route back. That resupply package was like Christmas in May. And I get like twenty more of them. Hell yeah!!

Once everything was packed up and camp was broken I reached up to grab my sunglasses off my hat... and they weren't there. Shit. They fell off at some point throughout the morning. A morning that had consisted of a mile walk to the post office, a different mile walk back, and me wandering all over the resource center charging my phone, filling water bottles, etc. I looked around for about fifteen minutes, but would have been surprised if I found them. They must not have been happy with the hack job I did with the superglue...

More than just a fashion accessory, I actually needed shades today. More desert hiking, and very few clouds. Resupply points often have "hiker boxes" which are similar to the boxes a family might fill up and donate to Goodwill or The Salvation Army. They have everything from food to gear that hikers have decided they don't need, or that may be in less-than-ideal condition. I initially checked this out, hoping that someone found my glasses and put them here. No luck there, but there was one pair of stunner shades that someone else decided they no longer needed. The frames didn't quite fit my noggin, and the lenses are a bit round for my also round head, but they do an excellent job of blocking radiation. So here we are.

That seemed like a lot before even stepping on the trail. But once I got on it, around 10am, the miles flew. I was 19 miles in before I knew it, and pulling in to the trail angel's yard (where I was planning on staying for the night). I'm not sure what John does for a living, but he lives out in the middle of nowhere, and for two months out of the year grills burgers and makes pizzas for hikers passing through. In exchange they typically offer a donation, and drink with him. I grabbed a burger and passed on the drinks. Ain't nobody got time for that when you are walking to Canada!

Four other hikers, whose names I knew and had seen on and off for the last hundred miles, were among the twenty or so already there enjoying the food and booze. It quickly became apparent that the five of us had a bit more in the tank, and weren't quite digging the drunken debauchery that was going to ensue past our preferred bedtimes. So we filled up on our water (24 miles to the next source, ugh) and headed out as a group.

We ended up covering another four and a half miles before calling it a day and cramming all of us in to a three-person campsite. It was good to finally spend some time on the trail with a group. Especially this one. Metronome and Mighty are a couple in their late thirties/early forties from Seattle, Paisley is an undergraduate student taking a few quarters off from Stanford, and Rabbit is now from the Pacific Northwest, though she had lived all over the place. It's a quirky, funny group of people. We all started the trail solo, and while we enjoy the company, it's pretty clear that everyone is very independent. So we might hike together for hundreds of miles, or might be split up by tomorrow. Hike your own hike.

I think we are going to the top of that...

The trail to "Mike's" place (actually John's place)

Day 6: mile 131.4 - 157.4

Early birds get the cache
The bar for best trail burger has been set
Trail named
New Faces: Cashmere, Squirrel, Fish Nugget

Setting my alarm for 4:30 was wishful thinking, especially after rolling in to camp later than usual and going to bed near 10pm. A cloudless sky and no rain fly meant a clear shot at the sky. Stars have a tendency to take my imagination and keep me awake. Finally I took my glasses off and pulled my beanie over my eyes.

Metronome and Mighty started rustling around at 5, and I soon followed suit. I was out of camp by 5:45, about five minutes after those two, and ten minutes ahead of Rabbit. Paisley, Fish Nugget, and Squirrel weren't moving yet.

The first six miles flew. The cool morning air, the sounds of birds chirping, and the soft pinks and oranges as the sun comes up all make for great hiking. Metronome, Mighty and I ran into each other after six miles, where we found a stocked water cache waiting for us at a dry spring. We had heard the spring was dry, and were packing enough to eke by the 24 miles it would have been, but the undisturbed water cache was a welcome pick-me-up. With so many hikers on the trail, water caches have become hit-or-miss, as you never know whether a group of fifteen hikers passed through just before you. But this cache had just been stocked last night, and we were the first ones over this section of the trail, so we topped off our water bottles and cameled up (hiker lingo for drinking as much water as you can at a water source so you have to pack less).

Rabbit caught us at the cache, and we spent the next two hours leapfrogging one another before settling into the same group. We made it the 20 miles to Paradise Valley Cafe (hyped up to us as having the best burger on the PCT) by 1:30, rolled in, and ordered up. The burger did not disappoint. I'll consider myself lucky if I get any more burgers like that. When it is an epic, messy struggle to take a single bite, you know they are doing it right.

You have probably noticed by know that the names of the people I am hiking with, and meeting, are a bit different. These are trail names. Thru hikers have a tradition of acquiring alternate names on the trail, which they then go by for the remainder of their trail-inhabiting days. Mighty got her name because she is a bad-ass trail runner and an incredibly strong hiker. Rabbit got hers because of how freakin fast she hikes. Cashmere got hers when she told a friend that she came from a family of sweaters (meaning that she swears profusely during physical activity), and her friend made a play on the two homonyms to come up with Cashmere, as in the type of sweater you would wear. A lot of times this name comes from something stupid, or funny, you do one time on the trail. Or it could come from a quirk or idiosyncrasy that you have.

I tried on Iceman, because apparently with my sunglasses (the ones left in Warner Springs) I looked somewhat like someone from Top Gun. Having never seen the movie, I wasn't about to let that stick. So I'm walking around Paradise Valley Cafe today, and as I'm passing by Rabbit I hear a comment "Hey Gare Bear". Uh oh. That one could stick. I have been called that by a few different people, at totally different points in my life (once in high school, once while CrossFitting in LA). Although not super close friends, I have a ton of respect for the two guys who consistently called me that. So I have a certain affinity for the name, even if it does sound a little too-much like care bear (which, given my pink phone case...). So I will forever be known, among this group of friends and possibly all thru-hikers I meet, as Gare Bear.

Trail names assigned, plates cleaned, and water bottles filled, we hitched a ride back to the trailhead and got in another few miles. While the first twenty miles of the day was desert, we were finally gaining enough elevation to get into more interesting terrain. Pine trees, manzanita, and big boulders made it feel a bit like the areas around Tahoe. We split up over the last few miles, with Rabbit and I making camp at mile 157.4, making for a 26-mile day, and what is sure to be a good nights sleep.

More views with the crew (and umbrellas)

Day 7: mile 157.4 - 179.5 (plus ~5 additional detour miles)

Detour
Just monster it
New Faces: Lynn, Jesse, Bryce

Didn't hit the snooze this morning! Up at 4:30 and on the trail by 5:20 - no headlamp required! In addition to enjoying another beautiful morning, I also realized part of what makes these early mornings so special to me. They remind me of hunting. Up before the crack of dawn, rubbing your eyes awake as you slam breakfast and either drive or walk to wherever you want to be when the sun comes up. That early morning, when it is just light enough to see, can be the most eventful, exciting time of a day. And that is the same excitement I felt this morning.

The first five miles were gorgeous. Walking high along a ridge, climbing to six and then seven thousand feet, and watching the sun rise to the east. Love it. But this good thing came to an abrupt end. In 2013 the Mountain Fire burned a large swath of the San Jacinto wilderness, including 14.6 miles of the PCT. Since 2013 the PCT has been closed from mile 162.6 to 177.2. Fortunately for me, plenty of smart hikers have already been able to figure out alternative routes, and I was planning to walk the most common path - a 20.4 mile alternate with a lot of down, some road walking, and then a whole lot of up.

Once I dropped off the ridge things got less exciting, but the miles continued to pile up. I saw my first mule deer of the trip (from one of the paved roads, ironically), met a few new trail friends, and finally rolled in to Lake Hemet around noon. They had a little market, and while none of the candy or sodas sounded good, an apple and orange sounded absolutely amazing. So I grabbed one of each, enjoyed them in the shade outside (looking just a bit like a bum...), and hit the road/trail again.

A little reminiscent of the Ruby Mountains in Nevada

The book I'm reading right now (The Farm On The Roof) introduced me to a phrase that I like: "just monster it". Their business uses it when there is an intimidating task that needs doing, and where the only/best way to complete it is to put your head down and grind through. After Lake Hemet, I got to "just monster it".

You know those views I was loving earlier? They were at ~7,000' elevation. The detour dropped us down closer to 4,000'. And where the detour joined the PCT again, the elevation was over 9,000'. So that's a good bit of up, most of which happens in the last four miles. Add the afternoon sun, no water for 18 miles, and a poorly maintained, rocky/steep trail, and it made for quite the challenge.

But in all honesty, those last 10 miles of the detour were some of the most fun on the trail so far. I have been amazed at how easy of a trail the PCT has been. The inclines are gradual, and the trail is wide and well kept (I have had to step over like one downed tree) There hasn't been a moment where I felt like I needed to stop to catch my breath, or where I couldn't go on because my legs were on fire.

That changed this afternoon. With the exception of one break to refuel with some instant mashed potatoes, those last 10 miles were nonstop. And they hurt sooooo good! My dehydrated meal after hitting the top was probably the best one I've tasted so far on this trip. Once my heart rate returned to normal and my clothes kinda dried out, and once I snapped a few pictures from the lookout tower on top of the peak, I walked two more slow miles on the PCT and set camp.

I'm expecting to sleep like a rock tonight. We'll see how this 27.1 mile day feels tomorrow at 4:30...

Day 8: mile 179.5 - 210.8

Snow!
Snakes On A Trail
Ziggy and The Bear

It only took eight days, but last night was the first time I was "alone". Up until then I had always shared a campsite/campground with at least one other hiker. But last night, after getting separated from Rabbit, Metronome, and Mighty while walking the alternate route, I was flying solo. This trail so far has turned out to be much more crowded than I initially expected. Which is good for worried friends and family, though maybe not so great for a solitude-seeking hiker.

Spending the night above 9,000' made for a chilly morning. I was on the trail by 5:45, and within the first few hours saw two more deer (no bucks yet...) and a beautiful sunrise. Skirting around the north side of the mountain brought a welcome sight - snow! And water, which was nice since it was 20+ miles until the next water source. I filtered five liters, drank a sixth, and hit the trail.

Cold morning, pretty views when the trees clear up

I had heard horror stories about the day's descent - you travel maybe 5 miles as the crow flies, but walk over 16 miles of trail and descend over 6,000 vertical feet from the pine-covered ridges to the creosote-covered desert floor. It wouldn't have been bad, if it weren't for my new trail buddies I met along the way.

Just after lunch I was cruising along in the sun, minding my own business, when my footsteps were interrupted by the all-too-familiar buzz of a rattlesnake. It was hanging out about a foot off the trail, and wasn't too happy about being disturbed. I thanked him for buzzing at me before I stepped on him, then backed up to let him do his thing. He slithered off into the shade, and once I had room to get around him, I sauntered past. Okay, that made me pay attention a bit more.

About half an hour later my attention was waning, when the familiar "bzzzzzzzzzz" comes from a spot about three feet from me, again alongside the trail. It took me a second to find the tail making the noise, then I about shit myself when i realized it's head was about a foot from my leg. After a quick jump backwards, and a few choice words, snake #2 went on its merry way. Okay, now I'm on full alert.

Number two, with the business end pointed towards me...

I don't make it twenty feet before I look up and see snake #3 sprawled out across the trail. At this point I'm wondering whether I should just sit down and wait until later in the day to keep walking. Then I realize I don't really want to plop down in the middle of all these snakes, so figure the best bet is to just get off the mountain.

Number three. At least this one was easy to see

Those next 7 miles were miserable. Every branch got a double take, and every time I had to pass through an overgrown part of the trail I made a bunch of noise, crossed my fingers, and went really fast. I must have had a million lizards run across the trail, and I jumped at every one of them. I only ran into one more rattlesnake, who waited until after I had passed him to buzz. Not sure how close I came to that one...

There were some good views when I looked up, though!

I finally got to the water faucet at the bottom, where I met Meg and we both proceeded to bitch about the heat and the descent, though we were thankful we were going down, and not up. A few minutes later, Rabbit joined us (with her own snake stories), and the three of us decided to walk another five and a half miles across the desert floor to a trail angel's house, where we would post up for the night.

We got to Ziggy and The Bear's just before 7pm (no more snakes!!) making it over a thirty mile day for the three of us. We had just missed the pizza order, but they happened to order a few extra, so the three of us split a large cheese and a large pepperoni pizza. There were no leftovers.

Planning to take a zero here tomorrow to let my feet rest a bit after covering 57-ish miles the last two days, with a lot of up and down. They also have WiFi, showers, and a cat named Boots, which should be plenty to keep me entertained for a day. Now, to drift off to sleep and what I am sure will be snake-filled dreams...

One of the more glorious portions of the PCT

When everyone's feet look like this, it isn't disgusting to have them this close to your food...

Day 9

First zero

Cowboy camped in Ziggy's backyard last night, and planning to spend today lounging around, taking it easy on the feet and legs, and figuring out what to do next. There is a trail closure up ahead with no good alternate. It's either a fifty-mile highway road walk, or take public transit around the closure and skip close to fifty miles of trail. Or hike through the closure, since it doesn't appear that the forest service is issuing citations.

Most hikers are going around the closure, a few brave souls did the road walk (but didn't recommend it), and some are saying "eff it" and walking through the closure, since no one has been fined yet. So I'll spend some time today deciding whether or not I want to hike through the "closure" or take public transit and skip ~fifty miles of trail.

Day 5: mile 109.5 - 131.4

​Day 6: mile 131.4 - 157.4

Day 7: mile 157.4 - 179.5 (plus ~5 additional detour miles)

​Day 8: mile 179.5 - 210.8

Day 9

Day 6: mile 131.4 - 157.4

Day 8: mile 179.5 - 210.8