Day 7 (May 16th)
Mile 77.1-91.2
14.1 miles (22.7km)
I woke up clean in a real bed in the Julian Lodge. I ate leftover pizza for breakfast and showered again, even though I didn’t really need it. Town was lovely, but the PCT has a sort of current to it, pulling you North. Without really even thinking about it, I caught a hitch back to Scissors Crossing. While hitching, I ran into Darius and Julien again and together we started hiking the hardest stretch I’ve faced yet. 14 miles with no water and no shade. Thanks to the winding road from Julian to Scissors Crossing, I started the trail motion sick. I was also carrying 6 litres of water. Our hitch, “The Professor” rolled his eyes at me and told me I would never need to carry more than 4 litres, but I was nervous, so I started with 6 all the same. Shortly after we started, the boys disappeared into the distance, and I stumbled along trying not to puke. Within the first hour, I dumped out one liter of water– my bag was just too heavy.
I’ve been saving my audiobook for particular moments of suffering (usually in the evening when camp is still 4 miles away), but I listened to it all day on this day. While walking I was struck by the Seussian landscape. All the plants would feel right at home in a Dr. Seuss book. I later learned that Dr. Seuss actually lived in San Diego for much of his life, which might help to explain this.
Around 2pm, when I was ready to fall over, I crawled under a juniper bush to find some shade and take a short nap, finally I started to feel better. I hiked in the blazing sun for the rest of the day, determined to make it to the water cache. Before I arrived at camp, I got a text from Julien: “Are you okay? Do you have enough water?”. It was so thoughtful, I could have cried. I walked into camp around 6pm with tears in my eyes, only to find that Darius and Julien had saved me a tent spot. After saying hello, I sat down in a spot a little ways away from them and cried my remaining water stores out. My friends politely ignored this. Darius and I made the journey down to the water cache together and then the three of us enjoyed a meal together. Spending time with my friends this evening really cheered me up. I am starting to feel like I belong.
Day 8 (May 17th)
Mile 91.2- Mile 109
17.8 miles (28.7km)
My longest day yet! Knowing that we were in for another long hot day, we woke up at 5am to beat the sun. After 10 miles, we finally encountered TREES! Such a wonderful site. We siestad just before the road to access Montezuma Valley Market. We skipped the market, but greatly enjoyed the shade of some big oak trees and a wonderfully cool water faucet with a big tub underneath. Here we met Gracie the pitbull who is also hiking the PCT! She seemed happy, but I felt bad for her having to face the heat for hours and hours of hiking.
We siestad for a couple hours to avoid the heat of the day, but before long, I got antsy to get moving again. I know I am a slower hiker than the boys, so I wanted to get a head start if I could. Fortunately the sun was kind to me and it was overcast as I hiked through meadows and cow fields. I stopped for a second break at a stream with a beautiful big tree and a big flat rock. Stretching out on the rock was a small pleasure for my aching body. Soon a new friend walked up and introduced herself as Jamie. It was really nice to see a woman my age on trail– so far all of the women has either been much younger, much older, or much faster than me, and I was hoping to make some girlfriends to balance my friendship with the boys. While Jamie and I were getting to know each other, we suddenly heard a crack of thunder. We both jumped. Jamie was nervous, so I feigned confidence that it was no big deal. Truthfully, I was startled by the thunder. but more afraid of rain then of wayward lightning strikes. We continued on, walking together to Eagle Rock. Eagle Rock is a natural formation and a sacred site to the Kuupangaxwichem people. It was a really neat sight, and is truly an iconic PCT destination! Three miles later we made it to camp in the sand of a riverbed right outside of Warner Springs. The boys and a number of other hiker friends joined us and I fell asleep to the sounds of a frog symphony in the nearby river.
Day 9 (May 18th)
Mile 109- 124.9
15.9 miles (25.6km)
Last night I camped with several other hikers just outside of Warner Springs. This morning, Julien needed to go to the post office in Warner Springs. I decided to go to the community centre to use the bathroom and charge my devices. I enjoyed hot tea at one of their picnic tables, and used their bucket showers to wash and clean my socks. What a luxery! I ran into Darius and Jamie again, and together we started our climb, crossing Agua Caliente Creek no less than eight times. Despite the name, the water was fresh and cool and I was glad to see it. As we neared the summit, the overcast skies suddenly opened up, pounding us with rain and hail. Thunder sounded like it was splitting the sky open. I wasn’t too nervous until we started seeing lighting strikes in the distance. Jamie was unsettled by the storm (to say the least), but she bravely continued hiking even while sobbing with fear and preparing to throw her trekking poles at any sign of lightning. Once the skies cleared, we all laughed at how nervous the storm had made us and we joked that Jamie might have earned her trail name– Thunder. Flies chased us the rest of the way up the mountain, making us hike at record speeds. Just before our next break, we spotted a stubborn rattlesnake blocking our path. With some stomping, we managed to clear the way.
Eventually, I put on my audiobook to numb the pain in my feet and hiked on. Jamie, Julien and some others decided to stop for camp, but I wanted to hike on. FarOut said that there was another site up ahead, and I hoped there would be more than one tent spot, as I guessed that Darius was camped there. Unfortunately, the spot was full. I chatted briefly with Darius before hiking on until I finally found a spot that could accommodate my tent- nestled in a tiny space between four big boulders. This will be the first night that I camp fully alone on trail. Right now, I sit atop the flattest of the four boulders watching the sunset and the bats swooping around.
I feel great. It’s something special to end each day with a sense of accomplishment after having done something as simple as walking all day.
Some other big news from today is that my trail name has solidified! Call me Beetle! 🪲I picked up this name on Day 4 while hiking out of Mt. Laguna. During the trail race, I was worried that all the big black beetles on trail would get stepped on, so I was moving them off trail. Since then the name has stuck, and I like it, so I am keeping it!
Day 10 (May 19th)
Mile 124.9-140.1
15.2 miles (24.5km)
I woke up this morning in my cozy nook, happy, and eager to get moving. However as soon as I started walking, I noticed that my sore ankle from yesterday had gotten worse. Every few steps resulted in a spasm in the muscles in my right calf and foot. I tried to ignore it. I tried stretching and shaking it off. I tried several Advil, but nothing seemed to help. It’s only Day 9! i winved to myself. I hobbled along and eventually made it to Mike’s Place. Mike is a trail angel who has set up 3 huge water cisterns on his property next to trail for hikers to use for free! Without his generosity, we would need to carry water from Lost Valley Spring at mile 118 all the way to Tule Spring at mile 137– 19 miles!! I didn’t see Mike today, but I am very grateful to him.
Water is getting scarcer all around. After Mike’s place we resupplied on water at Tule Spring, which was a thin drizzle of iron coloured water. I filtered it and then also used an aquatab, but the water still tasted fowl. It was better than the other option though– a concrete cistern of stagnant water that reportedly had a dead lizard in it last week. I skipped this stop. Tomorrow we will rely on another trail angel for water as well, as there is no natural source of water for the next 15 or so miles. Trail angels are such a special part of trail. Their generosity and the culture of kindness is part of what inspired me to hike this trail and continues to inspire me every day that I am out here.
Despite my hobble, I did eventually make it to Tule Spring for a long siesta and a calf massage. I sat with Julien, Darius, Slim Jim, Jacob, and Jamie to enjoy the shade and the metallic tasting water. The six of us then pushed on three more miles and made it to a lovely sandy camping area where we settled in for the night. It was a nice day despite my leg pain. Here’s hoping that my ankle/calf/ foot are feeling better tomorrow!
Day 11 (May 20th)
Mile 140.1-151.8
11.7 miles (18.8km)
We are in town! This morning I hiked nearly 12 miles from my campsite to Paradise Valley Cafe. In the morning, I stopped for a break at Mary’s Oasis, where a trail angel provides water, shade, picnic tables and even poetry. to refresh hikers. It was a really nice stop. We were all sad to learn that Mary’s Oasis will likely be closing next year to to the theft of several water cisterns. Hopefully someone is able to fill in. This would be a long, dry stretch without Mary to provide.
When I reached the road, I hiked under the powerlines to Paradise Valley Cafe, where I met up with my friends. Jacob and Darius had pushed to get to the road for breakfast, and so had been waiting a little while. I enjoyed a delicious veggie burger and fries.
We then split up to hitchike into Idyllwild. I caught a hitch with an awesome trail angel named Cake Whisperer. He showed us around town and then dropped us off at the airbnb. Thunder (Jamie) had the brilliant idea to rent an AirBnB, so we are staying together in a nice little place with , Julien, Darius, Jacob and Slim Jim. We are now out celebrating Thunder’s 29th birthday at the Idyllwild Brewery! I am looking forward to my first zero (i.e. a day when I hike zero miles) tomorrow!
Day 12 (May 21st)
Mile 151.8-151.8
0 miles! (0km!)
Idyllwild is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever visted! I woke up early at 6am, feeling completely wide awake and ready for the day– something that never happens at home. I decided to use my wakefullness to walk to the grocery store to buy some food for breakfast. I made our little household some tofu scramble, avocado bagels, cinnamon buns and fruit for breakfast. I also bought some fancy coffee, which we all enjoyed. I was a rainy morning, and we enjoyed not being outdoors as the rain poured down.
Before long, we had to get to our chores– visiting the gear store, the grocery store; washing clothes, pots and ourselves (again). While wandering Idyllwild we even met the Mayor and Deputy Mayor– two golden retrievers named Max and Meadow!
Tonight we are going out for dinner with about 10 other hikers, and then our friend Trevor will crash on our AirBnB’s couch. He arrived in Idyllwild from a different point than us, having already hiked 30 miles more than us. He might stay a couple days in Idyllwild now to wait for a package and possibly meet up with us in a couple of days to hike San Jacinto.
It was a really lovely zero, but I am so excited to get back to trail to start a new section where we can expect to see snow, mountains and high elevations. Looking forward to it!
