Happy Trails

I'm not really sure how to write this post. It's one I never planned on writing. 

I left Agua Dulce yesterday...in a car.  I am off the trail. I woke up this morning at my parents' house and tomorrow I will fly home. 

My PCT experience was one I will never forget. There were some great moments, but they were not enough to mask the monotony and loneliness I felt on the trail. As my enjoyment diminished, I felt a growing need to be home. I missed Tom and the boys and the dogs and my pillow and cold soda and...  My decision to hike was a selfish one and when the scale begin to tip away from enjoyment and towards the impact it was having on my family and what I was missing at home, it became harder to focus on the trail. Even when my sister was hiking with me, I many times felt alone and bored with the hike. 

My expectations and reality were not in sync. Knowing it was an especially high volume year for hikers on the PCT, I had thought it would be hard to find an available tent site or even sneak behind a tree for some business without being seen. In reality I was alone most days and camped alone most nights. That's a lot of solitude for a "people person"!

I kept thinking I would adjust to the loneliness, or connect with other like-minded hikers. I did meet some great people, and leapfrogged with them on the trail. It just wasn't the same as a bond or relationship. At the end of the day, no one knew or cared if you were safe or accounted for. Maybe that escapism is appealing to other hikers. I just felt alone. 

I stuck with the trail in spite of these thoughts, knowing it was a good learning experience for me and that I would maybe adjust. I also didn't want to pull the plug too soon, before I fully experienced life on the trail. I honestly feel that I have a pretty firm understanding of the life of a thru-hiker. Yes, the scenery would change, the weather would change, and the other hikers within a day of you might change, but the day-in day-out head down solitary life would be a constant. 

I am pleased with how well my body responded to the physical stress of the hike. No blisters except for one deep tissue blister that was absorbed. Of course there was some pain and soreness, but my body held up well and was always ready to hike in the morning...albeit after a slow start most times!

The PCT will probably hold a spot in my heart forever. I would enjoy being involved in it in some way again. Maybe the life of a trail angel would suit me better!  I may get the shot at that later this summer when I plan to be in the Pacific Northwest. 

I feel some disappointment but I have confidence I made the right decision to abandon my quest for a PCT thru-hike. Thank you for your encouragement, support and for following along on my adventure. 

Thanks, Double D

Thru-hiking is exhausting!  My daily mileage didn't suffer a bit and I gained the much-appreciated companionship of my sister these last 85 miles. Not too many people could jump on the trail and hike along with the thru-hikers without missing a step. Very impressive!  She earned the respect of the hikers...and a spot to nap at Hiker Heaven. 

Hiker Heaven (aka The Saufley's)

Double D and I put ourselves in a great position to get to Agua Dulce early today by extending our hiking day yesterday. We just had ten miles to hike today. The first few were much like the last few yesterday.  We knew we needed to cross a freeway but the trail kept taking us lower than the road. I joked that there would be a tunnel way down low under the road. Well, wouldn'tcha know, there was a tunnel way below the freeway!  Cool!

Before reaching Agua Dulce, we walked through the Vasquez Rocks. These rock formations, caused by a fault line, have been featured in many movies including many westerns and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. 

No sooner had we left the Vasquez Rocks than we entered Agua Dulce. It's a small desert town with a variety of houses, most on acreage with dogs and horses. The trail goes right down the main street of the town. As we walked we saw hikers at tables outside the Sweetwater Cafe as well as a sign out front welcoming PCT hikers. We didn't need much of a conversation to decide if we should stop or not. Double D had a great looking burger and I had breakfast. Mmmmm, so delicious!  And the drinks were served in quart jars--they have probably learned how much soda thru-hikers can consume. 

It was just a one mile walk off the PCT to Hiker Heaven. This family has turned their yard, garage and trailer into all the space and services a thru-hiker could want. Laundry, showers, computers, cots in covered and/or enclosed large "tents", trips to REI and the grocery store (hey, wait! some of these people are coming back with in-n-out cups!!!), and bikes available to take to town. It's just amazing. Hikers can spend up to two nights here resting and recovering. The Saufley's are the original, and considered by many to be the best, Trail Angels. 

Twenty-Seven Miles?!?!

We started the day hiking a side trail from the campground to the PCT. Thankfully we woke up to clear sunny weather and it lasted all day. 

The lesson of the day was to take a designated lunch break which involved laying down and taking our shoes off. Ahhhhhh...

We almost stopped for night at mile 412, but after another break with our shoes off, we decided to push on for six more miles. 

We had another road walk detour that left us exhausted, but with a nice camping spot near a fire station. 

Joey earned her trail name today:  Double D. By the time she goes home, she will have hiked almost the entire Section D of California and has endured its many Detours. 

Hiking With My Sis

After a great breakfast at the Cajon Pass Best Western, Mom and Dad brought my sister and I to the trail. We stopped in Wrightwood to pick up Tower who was starting at the same spot. 

It was so nice to have my sister with me to share the hike. The hiking itself was rather boring, so it would have been miserable without her. 

We climbed to the top of Mt Baden-Powell, a 9399-foot peak. On one side the sky was clear and on the other clouds were building and billowing up. Most of our hike was on the clear side of the ridge but by late afternoon we were hiking in a fog. 

Near the top of Baden-Powell was a 1500-year old tree. Another hiker took our picture with it. Also there is a picture below of the most beautiful piped spring I've seen on the trail. 

This was the day of the confusing Endangered Species detour. There are a couple different options. By the time Jo and I got to the start of one of the detour options, the fog was pretty heavy and we were getting tired. We considered setting up camp at the picnic area where we were but decided to begin the road walk portion of the detour. We made it to another picnic area in the fog and decided to make camp. A couple other hikers came by as well as a friend looking for another hiker. She found her later and came back to get us. She said she could bring us to a campground in the sun at the trailhead where the side trail begins to join the PCT after the detour. We couldn't pack up fast enough!

The campground was great. There were trail angels there cooking spaghetti and garlic bread, and they had a fire burning. Five other hikers joined us in our spot and there were others there as well. It was a great ending to what could have been a wet, cold, miserable night. 

Another 26-Mile Day?!?!

Another early morning...seems they all start between 5:10 and 5:20. I think that's when the birds start singing. We had two miles on the trail before beginning a ten-mile road walk. Yes, another detour!  This was for poodle dog bush. The detour led us by a memorial for a couple firefighters who were killed in the 2009 Station (?) Fire. The forest fire was the largest fire ever in LA County.

We were happy to be back on the trail at mile 430. Not as happy however to learn that there was no water there as we had thought. After a quick snack we headed to the ranger station at mile 436 and a hopeful water cache. 

Yes!  The cache existed, along with shade trees and picnic tables!  We took a long break to eat and rest our feet. Joey discovered a couple blisters :(

We took enough time rest, refuel, rehydrate, and use the bathroom. There have been so many campgrounds and picnic areas in this section, Double D probably thinks there are toilets all along the PCT. 

We made the decision at this point to push on to the Acton KOA Campground eight miles away. This seemed smart at the time. Six miles into it, we were stumbling along the meandering trail hoping and praying it would end soon. We barely made it to the campground, just as the little store on site was closing. No cold sodas for us :(. We did however get a shower and tent sites. 

Earlier in the afternoon we were treated to some wildflowers. Because it has been a year with low rainfall, the wildflowers haven't been abundant, but we found this display to be really pretty. Unfortunately the poodle dog bush has been the dominant flower in this section of the trail. 

I think with the end of Section D we will have reached the end of poodle dog bush and detours, at least I hope so!!!

My Trail Angels

I just gotta take a minute to share my appreciation for the support of my family. This hike has stretched me uncomfortably in so many ways. Many times I feel near the breaking point in one way or another. To help me get through it, my family has visited me, hiked with me, and been willing to drop everything to bring a pair of shoes or whatever I need at a moment's notice. Mom has worked so hard to provide me with good meals in spite of my changing appetite and tastes. Before hitting the trail I didn't realize how critical their support would be. I think their role at home was probably more difficult than just waking and walking. I will never be able to fully express my thankfulness to my family for their unconditional support of me and this hike. 

Back to Cajon Pass???

Today was another low mileage day. I just needed to cover 14 miles to meet my family in Wrightwood. I knew there was going to be some more climbing which is always more time consuming, so I didn't waste too much time getting started.

The picture below shows the view from my campsite this morning. The views we had to the valley the day before were completely taken away by clouds this morning.. We were quite aways above them. 

I was closing in on Wrightwood and was curious who would get there first, me or my family. I was coming down a steep, rocky descent and a man walked out from behind a tree and said he was lost. It was my dad!  He gave me a cold root beer and his little day pack and took mine for the rest of the walk to the car. 

My mom and sister had made a huge fruit salad and brought cold drinks to share with the hikers coming through. Trail magic is always the best part if a hiker's day. My dad also helped some hikers to and from town before we headed in ourselves and enjoyed lunch in Wrightwood. I was very surprised to see a quilt shop in the little town. I barely caught it--she was going out of business and liquidating her inventory. 

We are staying tonite at the Best Western in Cajon Pass. Yup, the very same Best Western I stayed at two nights ago!  It took me two days and 28 miles to walk to Wrightwood. By car it took 16 minutes. Now THAT'S discouraging!

Tomorrow my sister and I hit the trail in Wrightwood. She's a brave soul because the first part of the hike tomorrow will take us up Mt Baden Powell which I believe is over 9000 feet. 

Mcdonalds for dinner again tonite. Hey, it was really good two days ago!  I saw many hikers there I hadn't seen before. 

It's after "hiker midnite" which is defined as 9:00 pm, so in spite of the motel room with great pillows, tomorrow morning I'm a hiker again. 

Leaving Town

It was a little tough to leave the vortex of Cajon Pass this morning. There is nothing charming about the area, but the Best Western had amazing pillows, and the McDonalds was between the pillows and the trail. There were quite a few hikers at the Best Western enjoying first breakfast...only to visit McDonalds for second breakfast a short time later. There were those of us heading back out to the trail, and those just arriving. Sphinx and I got a ride from Aloha the short half mile to the trail. 

An interesting side note to the road we walked on to get to McDonalds is that it used to be part of Route 66, a historic roadway from LA to Chicago. At 2,448 miles, it was less than the length of the PCT. 

Something else I forgot to mention a couple days ago is that I met a gal hiking southbound on the trail. We talked briefly. Her trail name is Ravensong. To the best of her knowledge, she was the first female to solo thru-hike the PCT in 1976. It was a very cool chance encounter. I wish I would have asked her for advice.  

After the crazy wind coming in to Cajon Pass yesterday, I was pleased that it was calm this morning. It picked up before we started hiking, but never got as bad as yesterday. The trail went over one of the several train tracks in the area. Trains are a constant in the area. Soon we left them behind as the trail began to climb. That was another constant of the day. We have climbed about 3000 feet today in 12 miles and have another 2000+ to go tomorrow in our approach of Wrightwood. It was warm today, but nothing like the Deep Creek day--probably around 85-90. 

We had a 4-mile detour today to avoid a section with poodle dog bush. This plant is one of the first to grow in areas that have had a fire. It is dormant until after a fire. Supposedly the body's reaction to it is like that of poison oak but on steroids. Makes sense to avoid it! 

I'm camped tonite with seven other people. Very unusual. One of them "hangs" which means he sleeps in a hammock. He let me try it out. It's VERY comfortable. 

There is some concern about the upcoming endangered species detour. Apparently there are two options; one requires a poor trail with rocky, slippery footing and 20 extra miles, and the other involves a roadwalk on a busy freeway. Just who is the endangered species!

The last picture is at camp tonite. We heard there is a fire that is bringing smoke into the area. I smelled it earlier today, but can only see the result of the smoke tonite. 

It is customary for thru-hikers to earn trail names. Today I earned mine:  Soda Pop. I have a tendency to hike out of towns with a cold soda or two stashed in my backpack :)

Two All-Beef Patties, Special Sauce...

There is no problem coming up with a high point of trail life today. That would be the McDonalds and Best Western at I-15 in Cajon Pass, CA. It's a good guess that every thru-hiker walks the .4 mile off trail to visit this McDonalds. Some hang out there for hours. It's worth it alone for the unlimited refills on cold soda--such a luxury!

And speaking of luxury, the pillows at the Best Western have me wondering if the addition of a full-sized pillow would be a reasonable addition to my backpack. 

I was off slowly again this morning. I came stumbling in last nite and water for today was close to the last thing on my mind. So, first thing to tend to this morning was water. I had a tough time getting water at the stagnant creek near my campsite so I did my best and hoped it would be enough. I was very happy to find a water cache not far up the trail. There were warm sodas and some snacks too. 

I got a little lost around the base of a dam, but eventually found the trail along a road. Go figure. One of the nation's most scenic trails and today it followed a road and went under two large power structures. 

The trail went by a large lake today. I think it was the largest body of water seen to date on the trail.  Funny that the hikers were all very aware of how much water we needed to get us through the day as we hiked by this lake. 

Lunch today was interesting. I came across a small, unexpected stream and used the occasion to top off my water and grab a bite to eat. I started with a Payday and ended with a Snickers. Sorry, Mom. I had pulled out a chicken lunch this morning but the ease and speed of the candy bars won out. Thank goodness there was a Big Mac at the end of the day to round out my nutrition!

The wind made another appearance. It was so crazy windy at one point that I swear I tried to take a couple steps and the wind pushed my feet down to the same spot where I lifted them. It was worst shortly before reaching I-15 which made the McDonalds reward that much sweeter. 

Everything in Pairs

Leapfrogged with different hikers today and that was kind of fun. Took my time getting started this morning. Even boiled water to make a latte. Really roughing it out here!

Things seemed to come in twos today. The trail followed two creeks, I saw two snakes, I soaked my feet in two water sources, and there were two bridges to cross. Actually there was a third later on in the day. Unfortunately that wasn't the only thing to break tradition with the "twos". If my thermometer is correct, the temperature was in the triple digits. Something else amusing about all the pairs? I hiked with a guy named Noah today!

I had gorgeous views of Deep Creek most of the day. I stopped taking pictures because it was cutting into my hiking time. A thru-hiker fell and died in this section a few years ago. I can understand why because it's hard to watch the trail and the scenery at the same time. I was careful to stop when I wanted to look.

At mile 308 was the famed Deep Creek Hot Springs. It is a "clothing optional" swimming hole. The creek and the hot springs combine in the area. There were people other than hikers there--still a hike for them, but not as long as ours!. With such hot weather and no showers for the hikers in a few days, most threw modesty to the wind and jumped in. I didn't stay too long because I knew there were many miles to cover before there would be a place to camp.

Saw my second rattlesnake today. One more step and I probably would have stepped on it! It was just trying to cross the trail. I gave it the right of way and it just went straight across, shaking its rattle the whole time. The other snake looked like a rattler but wasn't. I could just see a section of it across the trail. It didn't move even after I threw a little stick at it. I nudged it with my hiking pole and it still didn't move. I figured it must be dead so I decided I should move it off the trail so it would t scare someone. At that point it sprang to life and slithered off. It was a big one, probably over 4' long.

You know when you get a sense that you're not alone? I had that today when hiking shortly after leaving the hot springs. No, my hair didn't stand up on end, but rather I smelled something that let me know someone was around. I looked up to see a couple about 30 feet ahead. I smelled her perfume. Amazing how it stood out in contrast to the "smelly" hikers.

I passed another milestone today, 300. I'm at 318 tonite. There's a McDonalds at mile 342. There are two others sharing my campsite tonite and they both have plans to get there for dinner. I'm thinking I'll show up around 10 in the morning the following day for breakfast and then stay for lunch :)

Too many miles for me today. I think it was nearly 27. My left foot was pretty bad by the time I stumbled into the creek/campsite this evening. I hope it's better tomorrow. I really had no choice because camping is not allowed in the Deep Creek area and this was the first flat spot after that.

Overall a very good day. Oh, and if you're curious, yes I did :)

Leaving Big Bear...Again

My first order of business today was to test out my "new" shoes. I walked to the Big Bear icon Thelma's for breakfast. It was good, but I gotta give the nod to Grizzly Manor where I had breakfast yesterday. The shoes passed this first test.

My second order of business was to find a ride to the trail. Within minutes of my call to Sarge at the hostel, I got a call that a ride was on its way. Big Bear has quite a network of trail angels. There is a gal hiking this year whose husband is following along her hike by car, meeting up with her in towns along the way. This leaves him with plenty of spare time so he's making himself available to other hikers in need of vehicular transportation. He brought me and three other gals to the trail this morning. Thanks, Aloha!

The trail was pretty easy today and my shoes performed very well over the rocks, although for the first time there weren't very many of them--or maybe I just didn't notice them as much!

I think I didn't take enough pictures today because half of them are of a bathroom in the middle of nowhere. There was even a lock on the door. No toilet paper, but reading material!

Most of this afternoon was spent walking thru a valley where there had been a forest fire previously. It was kind of eerie.

Today was a much better day for me. I suppose it's fitting that I learned something from my Mom today on Mother's Day. I had quite the melt down last night and she impressed on me that I really needed a good night's sleep. I hadn't really thought how much that could affect me, but when I'm pushing myself physically, it makes sense that I need to get enough rest so my emotions don't go haywire. Thanks, Mom. I love you :)

I walked a little further today than I had planned, about 17 miles. I've got a sweet camp spot by a creek. I'm probably ok close to the creek, and just a few feet from the trail, but I told myself that the first flat spot I find after reaching water would be home for the night. Unfortunately a lot of bugs must have had the same conversation.

Big Bear...Again

The plan was for a "nero" day yesterday, meaning near zero miles. It's a little more productive than a full zero day, and you still get to take advantage of everything a town stop offers. One of the big pluses of the day yesterday was breakfast at the Grizzly Manor. It's a tiny restaurant with probably as many people waiting outside for a table as there were inside eating. Biggest pancakes I've ever seen. I took advantage of the calorie burn of a thru-hiker and ordered the "Polar Bear" breakfast--2 pancakes, 2 eggs, hash browns, and bacon. I saw the size of the pancakes before ordering and downsized to just one, knowing there was still no way I would finish it. The older gentlemen next to me at the bar was obviously a regular customer and added some local charm to the already enjoyable experience.

Shortly after getting back to the hostel, I struggled to pack up my food for the next leg of my hike. It's hard to pack up dried meals on a full stomach. My mom's doing a great job though of trying to anticipate my changing tastes and appetite. I was so happy to see a bag of vanilla caramel latte in the box :)

A ride to the trailhead presented itself a little before I was ready, but I decided to take advantage of it and go. There's a picture below. About 30 minutes into the hike I began to get dizzy. The feeling wouldn't go away. Also, the minimal shoes I've been wearing have started taking a toll on my feet because of all the rocks on the trail. So, between the dizziness and the pain in my left foot, I probably resembled a drunken hiker. I had been hiking with Bob (Tower) and told him I thot I may need to go back to town. He wisely suggested going forward to a road crossing that was much closer than the trailhead. This road is a rough dirt road used infrequently by off road vehicles and has a reputation of being difficult to find a ride to town on, but I liked it's proximity. Just as we were coming to the road, a couple appeared. They were day hikers from LA and were happy to give me a ride to town. It was pretty emotional for me, getting off the trail even though it was just to go the few miles back to town. The dizziness had been going on for more than three hours and I knew it wasn't smart to push even further away from help in case I needed it.

I ended up at the Motel 6 in town. Mom and Dad were ready to leave early in the morning to bring me new shoes and some electrolytes which were suggested as a possibility to relieve my dizziness. After a long talk with Tom, I decided to check the hiker box in the motel lobby for a pair of suitable shoes. Hiker boxes are all over these trail towns in places where hikers gather. They are a place where hikers can leave things they no longer want/need, or pick up things that others have discarded. Can you believe there was a pair of shoes in my size with much thicker soles??? They don't have a lot of life left in them, but I think they'll get me to my next stop where mom and dad had already planned to meet me. Every week the trail gets me a little closer to them.

I don't remember much of the hike yesterday, but I DO remember seeing llamas! I have pictures to prove it!

I slept great in a real bed and am about to walk to another breakfast landmark in this town. I think I have a ride this afternoon back to the spot on the trail where I left yesterday. I really don't want to repeat those ten miles!

Two Big Bears and Big Bear Lake

I'm in Big Bear! Yay! I had hoped to get a little closer last nite, but all the climbing really took it out of me and I stopped short of my goal. I was afraid it was going to mess up my chance of reaching Big Bear today, but I made it!

If you look closely at the first picture you will see a snowy Mt Gorgonio. The snow arrived with the rain that fell on us last nite. The rain on my tent this morning had partially turned to ice. Brrrr. Thankfully I stayed warm and slept well. It was a chilly start to the day.

Next to the trail around mile 250 is a private zoo where they keep and train large animals for movies. The tiger was laying down when we passed, but the grizzlies were up and moving around. The cages were small and offered no protection from the elements. The bears didn't acknowledge us in any way. They will be the only grizzlies I encounter on the PCT--at least that's what they tell me!

There were two surprise Trail Magic events on the trail. I've included a picture of one. Because of the rain last nite, I had packed up some wet gear. I took advantage of the chairs and food that were part of the trail magic and laid out my wet stuff to dry. It didn't take long and I was back on the trail.

I could see the town of Big Bear from way up high a long time before getting to highway 18. I called the hostel, where many hikers stay, to inquire about space for the night and the offered free ride from the trail. Got the answering machine. A lady had pulled over and ended up offering me a ride. She got me to one end of Big Bear Lake and I needed to be at the other. I started walking but the sidewalk felt very hard under my tired, tender feet. I stopped at a 7-11 for a drink (and some powdered sugar donuts--a perk of thru-hiking) and just asked the people in line if anyone was going in the direction of the post office. A guy offered me a ride right to the hostel. Ahhhh, I needed that! I'm optimistic they will have room for me. If not, I'll move on to Plan B. No one is here now to ask. They have my resupply box, so I needed to stop here anyway.

The hostel has washers/dryers, bathrooms, wifi, and power for my phone. Luxury!

Rain?!?!

What wasn't supposed to happen did. Thankfully we reached camp and got our tents set up before the rain started. I just ran outside to drop the tent lower to the ground and tighten it up. Hopefully everything will be mostly dry in the morning.

The day started beautifully. The trail followed water for a good portion today which was a nice change. I lost track of how many times a creek was crossed. There was a lot of climbing again today, and this section is notoriously hot, but we had moderate temperatures and cloud cover almost all day.

For the third time in as many days I think we exceeded the maximum 15% grade that the PCT is supposed to maintain. I'd ask for my money back, but my permit was free.

I was used up tonite. I had planned on a few more miles but just didn't have it in me. Good thing, or I could have gotten caught in the rain.

I'm very happy to be camped tonite with several others. No one can help me stay dry in my tent, but at least I know I'm not alone. I think there are six of us here. It's only 7:00 and still light out, yet all of us are tucked in our tents staying warm and dry.

A few more miles today would have got me into Big Bear tomorrow nite. As it stands, I'll probably camp tomorrow nite about 4-5 miles shy and hike in on Saturday for breakfast :)

Idle Awhile in Idyllwild

(Shoot...this post is out of order...oops. I finally have the ability to post and guess I just got too excited and sent them in the wrong order.)

What a great full zero (no hiking miles logged all day) in Idyllwild with my folks. It almost didn't happen because a road into town was closed due to a fire. I'm so thankful they made the effort and got there. They spoiled me rotten--food, foot rubs, and extra attention to my next resupply box. Idyllwild is a great, small mountain town with lots of friendly people.

Mom and Dad dropped me off at the trailhead to Devil's Slide trail at 8:45 in the morning. There was lots of discussion given to what to wear in the rain/snow mix and 35-degree weather. I had a climb from approximately 6100' to nearly 9000'. It was tough with cold and snow most of the way. Very beautiful in spots but I didn't want to stop to take out my phone for fear of getting cold. As I began the LONG descent down the north side of Fuller Ridge, the ice was falling from the trees. What I would have given for ice falling on me in the desert! It was very windy coming down the hill. I am having trouble making peace with the near constant wind.