Ziggy and The Bear

I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise from my cowboy camp in the desert hills near Palm Springs. I was in no hurry to begin my day. There had been too much hurrying the night before and I consciously decided to relax and take things in stride this morning.

As I was about packed up, Thirsty Boots hiked by and I joined him. I really appreciated his company today.

Trail angels left cold sodas in an ice chest under the I-10 overpass. In most years, the desert walk to I-10 can be miserably hot, but that wasn't the case today. It was warm, but bearable. Surprise ice chests are always fun to open.

Shortly after crossing under I-10, Thirsty Boots and I came to the trail angel home of Ziggy and The Bear. This couple used to treat hikers in the Anza area but have relocated to a home right off the PCT in Cabazon. What a set up! They have built a full length covered patio and three portable shade structures that almost completely fill their backyard. The ground is covered with carpet. New for this year is a shed that has been turned into a shower facility. Wow. It was amazing. When hikers arrive, they are given a place to sit (which is a luxury in itself) and a tub with water to soak their feet. That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the visit. I left before dinner was served, and obviously missed breakfast. A traveling trail angel ran into town for Burger King orders, but I passed on that as well. A couple hours later I was back on the road with clean feet and hair, and a fully charged phone.

Back to the dusty job of thru-hiking... The trail went by some of the large windmills used to generate power. They make an eerie sound. There was a sign on the trail to stop in at the "office" on site for shade and water but I felt I'd been spoiled enough already for one day. I logged another 9 miles or so after the visit at Ziggy and The Bears and then had to make the decision to hike on or take the short half-mile side trail to an old trout farm that is hiker friendly. I made a last minute change in my original plan to stay on the trail and now I'm in my tent at the trout farm. My decision was based almost entirely on my desire to get out of the wind, which hasn't been the case so far. I'm hopeful I'll get a good night's sleep. This place is beautiful! It even comes with picnic tables and bathrooms too!

It appears the hikers I've been leapfrogging with have moved on up the trail. There are several hikers spending the night here tonite. It's nice to not be alone.

Tomorrow will begin with a walk across a largely dry wide creek area. Then I understand there is another climb. What a surprise! Haha.

7:45 and I'm ready to sleep. Morning comes early on the trail.

The Interstate 10 Barrier

I logged 24 difficult miles yesterday. Shortly after cresting Fuller Ridge, I-10 came into view WAY down on the desert floor. As the day wore on, the wide swath of asphalt started to look more appealing than my narrow, rocky, dirt trail. I entertained the possibility of hiking into the night and flagging down an east bound bus. Interstate 10 runs through Houston and I knew I could be home within a day. I miss Tom, the comforts of home, Harley's prom is this weekend, and TJ's coming home from school.

I ended up being able to find a spot to camp and things seemed better this morning. However, it was probably good that I was hiking with someone when I walked under I-10!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday was desert, today was the mountains. It was already cooling last nite and of course it was windy. I found a tent site that was fairly sheltered so the wind itself didn't bother me much. The noise however is something I'm not used to yet. It's like waves crashing over the top of each other.

There was no warm up period to the hike this morning. It started climbing and continued climbing. The only time the trail went down was so it could go back up again. I'm thinking the minds behind the trail must have really thought they were clever designing a trail to go up one side of a hill and then down the other.

Along with the climbing, the wind was an issue most of the day. The picture below was taken this morning when I THOT it was cold and windy. It got much more so.

I hiked again with Thirsty Boots for awhile, and leapfrogged with several others throughout the day.

I still have no appetite, and the thought of most foods is not appealing. I gotta get this figured out because I'm plowing through the calories and I need fuel.

The highest point of the trail today was just shy of 9000 feet. It was high enough to see a little snow! The scenery was just beautiful. In reality, i probably missed some good views because i had my head down concentrating on the trail, or was just too oxygen-starved to care. I didn't take too many pictures because it was just too windy.

Mom and Dad planned a last minute trip to come see me in Idyllwild. With the lack of reliable cell service it's amazing we were able to make this work. Can you believe they were walking up to the trailhead as I was walking out?!? It was so good to see them. I hadn't realized how tough today was going to be. It made their visit even more meaningful.

There is a side trail into Idyllwild from the PCT. It's 2.6 miles and drops from 8100 to 6500 feet. Even downhill is tough on tired feet. The worst part however is knowing that it will need to be reversed on Tuesday morning. Following the climb to the return to the PCT, the trail continues to climb to nearly 9000 feet again.

Back to the good part of the story... Mom and Dad got a cabin in Idyllwild for two nites. The area is expecting thunder storms, rain, and snow. No time to be on the trail! I got to shower, wear cotton clothes, go to dinner (Mexican food of course for cinco de mayo), and now I'm in a soft, warm bed. Ahhhhhh...zzzzzz

I'm 333!

I got an earlier than normal start this morning. Probably had something to do with the fact that I was asleep by 8. It was a tough day yesterday and I was totally exhausted.

I came across an unexpected water cache near Anza. There was a register to sign in. I was #333 which means 332 people have signed in ahead of me. I don't know of they are all still on the trail.

There was more desert this morning but lots of climbing today and now it's windy and actually cold!

The highlight of the day was a side trip to the Paradise Cafe. Its just a mile from the trail, but they were offering rides both ways. I ordered their Jose burger and couldn't finish it. I had three glasses of coke :). Most hikers were ordering milkshakes. I just couldn't do it. A few miles up the trail I would have liked one though.

Dr Sole, the trail angel who doctored my day's feet at kick off was set up under a canopy offering his services. Others are in more need than me and I didn't want to wait, so it was back on the trail around 1:15.

A little ways up the trail I started sweating profusely. I figured my body was finally hydrated enough to release some moisture. In reality, I must have bumped into a cactus needle because there was a pin prick in one of my water bladders. It was leaking into my pack and down my legs. Thankfully I caught it early and was able to control the damage and save most of the water.

In the mornings I think of all these clever or insightful things to say about hiking or the trail. However, at the end of the day I'm usually too tired to remember them. I know one thing I wanted to comment on is the different treads to the trail. I've included a picture of a rocky portion. There will probably be more on this thread later.

Mom and Dad are going to try to get to Idyllwild tomorrow to meet me on the trail and spend a day or two. Just found out there's a fire that may prevent that :(

Camped by myself again tonite. It's windy again, but I'm a little sheltered. I don't expect it to be as bad as it was at scissors crossing. I also expect to have the sleeping bag completely zipped up tonite!

Oops, Too Much

I think I overdid it today. When figuring out each day there are a few things to consider: mileage, water, and a tent site at the end of the day. Today was hot, and all exposed desert hiking. There was an 18-mile waterless stretch (which means carrying lots of heavy water). And, I'm camped alone again tonite in a dry creek bed because I just couldn't go any further. Truth be told, I probably shouldn't have come this far. Between the heat and the physical exertion, I've lost my appetite, but am forcing as much food as I can stand. It seems like I'm drinking a lot of water but yet trying to chew pita chips at lunch felt a little like chewing a towel. Thanks, Jo, for the dried apple slices--they were one of the best things I had all day!

I crossed an invisible line today. It was the boundary line for San Diego and Riverside counties. The desert was the same on both sides.

Total mileage for today was 21. I hope I make tomorrow a little shorter. Twelve miles from my campsite is the trail-famous Paradise Cafe and their Jose Burger. Not sure I could eat more than a bite but I'm going to try. I'll find the nearest camping available after lunch and give my poor feet a rest.

I heard a weather report for the area I expect to be in the first part of next week. Can you believe a chance of rain and/or snow???

No cell service here which is a major bummer because I really want to phone home :(. I've gotten used to having cell service most of the time so far.

Pictures show my campsite from last night, a peek inside my tent, and a pano shot from this morning.

What a Day

As if the trail magic last night wasn't enough, we were greeted with bagels, egg-in-the-hole, hard boiled eggs, grapefruit, and bananas this morning. What a great group of trail angels who, after today, have been upgraded to trail gods.

It was a quick 9 miles or so to Warner Springs. About halfway, there were more trail angels with peanut butter and jelly burritos, cold sodas, fig newtons, and candy. I wasn't even hungry yet from breakfast but how could I refuse? They were set up right by Eagle Rock which is a pretty cool rock formation.

Views were varied today which was fun for me. There was barren pasture with cows, huge oak trees, streams, and even a couple horses that did not understand my right-of-way on the PCT!

At Warner Springs, the community center was turned into a hiker store. Outside on the grass under the trees, hikers were going thru resupply boxes, resting, and socializing. There was even some guitar playing and singing. At the community center, laundry service and showers were being offered. Laundry was $6 and a shower was $8. Three Cokes were $3. That's what I chose. Now before you question my choice, let me tell you the genius of my decision. I had made an attempt at washing my clothes the night before so they were at least a little cleaner than they had been. And then several miles into my hike, after some hot, exposed climbing, there was a creek and I was able to get in and clean myself and my clothes, and cool off in the process. Now, there was no soap involved, but I do feel much cleaner. All those people who paid $14 to get clean ruined it on that hike!

So tonite I have a sweet camping spot pretty high up. It's sheltered, but there is no wind. With the high number of they hikers this year I figured I would rarely, if ever, camp alone. But, unless a late hiker comes by in the dark, I'm here all by myself.

Missed Milestone and Trail Magic

To say I woke up to breakfast in bed isn't entirely accurate because technically you need to sleep in order to wake up and sleep never happened. However, I did eat breakfast in my sleeping bag looking out at the hills waiting for the sun to rise so I could get up and end the torture of the windy night.

I packed up and headed for the cache of water under the bridge at Scissor's Crossing. In some long, dry, waterless stretches, trail angels help out by delivering gallons of water. Some caches are very large and I visited two such caches today. I topped off my water and began the supposedly arduous climb but it wasn't too bad. The trail wound around a hill for miles but not all was climbing. I had to make a decision around mile 16 to stay or hike on. Like the day before, I chose to hike on.

The last six miles were pretty miserable. Basically I was attempting back to back 25-mile days with no sleep in between. I felt like I was sleep hiking. The day got better though when about 2-3 miles from my intended destination I saw Billygoat heading up the trail. He's the 74-yr-old trail legend who hikes on the trail every year. He was on his way to Billygoat's Cave (yes, named after him). I had a short enjoyable conversation with him that ended with him sharing news of Trail Angels at Barrel Springs, my destination for the day.

I was re-energized and practically flew down the frustratingly long, meandering trail. In my haste, I completely missed the 100-mile point on the trail :( It was worth it though to get down the hill. They had chili dogs, Caesar salad, oranges, cold drinks ( of which I had 3!), and chairs, and a place to charge phones. It was amazing and exactly what I needed.

Barrel Springs also had water so I made an attempt to clean my clothes. There are stages of clean and my attempt only helped a little, but it was worthwhile.

Later on they had a fire and everyone gathered around. It was an awesome evening and a huge psychological boost. I'm ready for more hiking. Short day to Warner Springs tomorrow for my first resupply box and then up the trail.