Day 12: Mile 115 – 131.5

This morning I woke up early in attempt to budget time for any issues related to water. I was just feeling anxious about the potential water carry given the comments on FarOut. Luckily, it was going to be a cool and cloudy couple of days, which would be a godsend without lots of access to water sources.

After packing up, I spent probably 30 or 40 minutes filtering water, about five liters. I was getting so frustrated by how long the task was taking. Thru-hiking is full of so many “chores” like packing, organizing, filtering, etc. It feels like time is of the essence, too, since every twenty minutes that goes by equates to a mile you could be further down trail. It’s crazy how hard it is to escape feeling like time and to-do lists control your life, even in the middle of the wilderness. My intention is to try to slow down, be present and hopefully avoid feeling too bogged down in the future.

But due to my late start, I hiked alone most of the day. I felt pretty anxious in the background, about water and about the possibility of it storming since the clouds were rolling in. It’s funny how those two worries existed in my head at once. Soon, though, I got service and a text from hikers up ahead that Mike’s Place did have water. That helped my anxiety a lot, and I promptly watered some of the desert plants with the extra liters I was carrying.

It was a big climb today, I think about 2,700 feet. The desert views were pretty incredible though. So far, the trail hasn’t climbed an extreme amount, so it was actually pretty cool to get such a good view of where I came from. Sometimes it feels good to just lock in on a climb and make it to the top. You could also see a few pine trees start to pop up on the higher parts of the mountains, which I thought was pretty cool. It’s a neat contrast with the desert vegetation that really displays how much I was climbing.

I listened to “UFOF” by Big Thief, which has mystical desert vibes, and really just appreciated the landscape and missed Isabel, since we’re always listening to Big Thief together. I love how music can enhance the experience of the landscape I’m walking through.

The highlight of the day was getting to this section that was filled with massive sandstone boulders. It was like nothing I had seen on trail so far. I had no idea what the area was called and had no reason to expect it, but it was so jawdropping.

The wind was starting to pick up, and unfortunately my right foot was starting to hurt in a concerning way. I think it was due to the tilt of the trail on the climb, but needless to say, I was ready to be done hiking for the day. It was cold and I was starting to hobble by the time I made it to Mike’s Place.

Mike’s Place had a very strange vibe. It was just this guy’s property that had a water tank and some amenities for hikers, but everything looked a little worse for wear. It just had a weird feeling to it. I met up with my group, and sat in camp chairs for a bit, but didn’t stay long. The wind was howling, and we didn’t want to stay here, which meant I would have to hike more today.

The next spot that was potentially out of the wind was 4 miles away, which meant that I would be hiking about 17 miles total. There wasn’t really another option, so I put on my pack, and got to it.

We pushed on to the tent site, and did one last big climb for the day. It was me, Lydia, and Claire keeping the same pace. It was not easy, but I kept going, even though my foot was bothering me. It was nice to hike with the others and commiserate about how terrible the climb was and how tired we were.

We made it to the another tent site that was listed on FarOut, but didn’t stop there. It was literally called “Exposed Tentsite,” the only one called that on the app, and it really did live up to the name. We sat down and looked at the view and laughed about how awful it would be to camp here in the wind we were experiencing.

After a grueling descent, where I was just counting steps to pass time, we finally made it to the campsite. I had such a big day!! I felt so proud of myself for doing the mileage. I was worried about my foot too, but mostly I just wanted to go to bed.

The group (Rory, Keith, Pete, Snooze, Lydia, and Claire) and I made dinner after setting up our tents. The campsite was extremely tight, and me and Rory were head-to-head in our separate tents. It felt like sleepover.

Tonight there is wind and rain forecasted. I hope I stay dry and that my foot feels better in the morning.

Day 13: Mile 131.5 – 145.2

Waking up this morning, with my tent wet from rain, I didn’t want to get up and hike. I got ready, though, caught a bit of clearness to pack up most of the way, and then it starting dumping rain. Most people were waiting it out, but I thought that I was already wet, and wanted to get the walking over with, so I set off.

My wind pants are fine in drizzle, but while smacking up against all the wet brush on the trail, my pants got completely soaked. The goal today was to get to the Little Bear Hostel, so I reasoned that I would hopefully be able to dry my stuff there before the day was through.

It was really pretty in the rain! The clouds were beautiful and there was even a rainbow.

I met up with Claire and we ate breakfast when it cleared up a bit. For me, I’ve been eating PopTarts pretty much every day for breakfast. They are such a good, calorie dense backpacking meal.

After yesterday, both of us decided to hike super slow. It’s nice to hike together, make progress, but also not feel like I’m burning myself out trying to keep a certain pace.

Keith caught up to us, and I offered to let him pass, but he stayed hiking with us for pretty much to whole day since we were all going the same place. We talked about Georgia, his home state, the Beatles, and the reasons why we all were on trail. It’s so fun to spend time with new people and hike together when you have the chance.

We stopped for lunch at the next “water source,” which was some sort of emergency cistern. The water looked very sketchy, and neither Claire or I had to fill up. There was a comment on FarOut, though, that claimed that the PCT stood for the “Princess Crest Trail” because on other desert trails, like the Arizona Trail or the Continental Divide Trail, cisterns like these were perfect water sources. So naturally, me and Claire took that as a challenge and decided to filter and drink some of the cistern water for fun. It was honestly fine and came out of the filter clear. We got some of the boys to drink it as well. It was a very silly part of the day. We ain’t no Princess Crest Trail hikers!!

After the cistern and lunch, we started our big climb for the day, and took in the views. I’ve been using the app PeakFinder to try to identify all the mountains surrounding us.

Turning a corner, we saw a sign and a rainbow umbrella that advertised trail magic. We walked three minutes off trail to find a shade structure (which blocked the wind!), an inflatable couch, a cooler full of drinks, and lots of free sunscreen, ibuprofen, and other hiker essentials. It was the best trail magic so far. We sat for a while, and Keith and Claire both took turns playing the guitar we found there. They both are so talented that I just zoned out happily listening to the music. It made me so happy to be on trail.

We stayed for a bit but left to beat potential rain. We were aiming for a hostel listed on FarOut. There were comments on FarOut that said there might be “aggressive dogs” on the road to the hostel, and we nervously joked about it until we got closer, and I saw a note posted on the fence leading to the road. I was feeling pretty scared about the possibility of encountering these dogs. Even though Clare had bear spray and I had pepper spray, I was glad we were in a group to do this part.

We walked down the road, holding our trekking poles out in self-defense. We stayed quiet, and heard barking as we traveled down the road. Two big dogs came down the hillside and started approaching us quickly, barking loudly. Keith jumped at them, swung his poles around and hit the ground, and yelled at the dogs. They stopped approaching. It was so terrifying and quite the adrenaline rush. Continuing down the road, it felt like we were in a video game where enemies could spawn out of nowhere and attack. Luckily, no more dogs appeared. I was grateful to Keith for being with us and scaring them away. I didn’t think that hiking the PCT would get me into situations like this, but honestly I think it’s proof that the trail is pretty safe and that side quests to hostels or other town stuff is where the real potential for danger is.

The hostel was pretty funky, just someone’s house where hikers could stay in the barn or garage. There was a fridge with drinks and hot dogs for purchase that ran on the honor system. It was crowded with other hikers and frankly kind of overwhelming. Even though it was windy, I pitched my tent on a slanted part of ground in the massive yard that was sort-of protected by bushes. I didn’t want to stay in the crowded areas. It was quite the experience. It was fun to hang out with our group, but the hostel experience definitely made me miss the solitude of trail. I definitely will be limiting side quests in the future!

Everyone is excited to reach Paradise Valley Cafe tomorrow! There will be lots of good food to eat at the restaurant before our push to Idyllwild. Despite the dogs and the weirdness of the hostel, today was one of the most fun days of trail for me. The trail magic was awesome, I had great company all day, and I just felt like I was really doing the thru-hike, getting in my groove.

Day 14: Mile 145 – 158.4

The day started okay, waking up at the hostel. I felt anxious about walking past the dogs again, but fortunately we went in a big group this time, they didn’t bother us at all. We got on trail, and I just felt slow, tired, and not in a good mood.

I split off from the group and hiked alone. It was already getting hot, and my foot was bothering me from the other day. I worried about a potential injury, and just stayed stuck in my own head as I climbed and descended the hills leading the highway. Maybe I was in too bad of a mood to appreciate the scenery, but walking towards the highway I just dreaded going back to society, and just didn’t feel very inspired by being outside.

It was my first truly “off” day on trail. I just wasn’t feeling that good. I had service, so I called my mom and brother and chatted for a bit to pass the time. I passed the 150 mile mark, which was exciting, but I was too freaked out about the way my foot was feeling to be hyped about it.

The only way to deal with a bad mood on trail is seems to be to keep going. Eat every few miles, drink water, and not let it take over. I wished that I could appreciate the scenery more, though.

I walked to Paradise Valley Cafe, which was about a mile off trail, and was greeted by my hiking group and the warm service of the waitress at the cafe. I was still in a fog when I ordered my veggie burger and milkshake. I realized there that I had gotten my period, which explained why I felt horrible, but then came the dread of the logistics of dealing with that in the backcountry, especially with limited water.

People made hiking plans for the day but I hardly paid attention. The next section would be challenging, but I didn’t want to think about it. We stayed at the cafe for a long time, since it was so hot. When we packed up to leave, I called Isabel and immediately started crying. The foot pain was causing me so much stress, and I was worried that I had to get off trail to fix it. She reassured me that I was probably fine and just having a bad day. I really appreciated talking with her.

Clare and I took off and walked the mile back to trail. Crossing the highway, the landscape started to change a lot. It was a lot different than what I had hiked through earlier, much more lush and beautiful. There were live oak trees and pine trees with huge cones. I talked to Clare about how I was feeling and that made me feel better too. She wasn’t having the best day either, and it felt good to know that I wasn’t the only one having a hard time.

As the afternoon wore on, the views were stunning, and I had moments of appreciation for what I was doing. We were headed into San Jacinto’s backyard, our first intense mountain climb, and the trail promised to be some of the most beautiful and challenging yet.

It was getting late though, and due to the extra walking back and forth to the cafe, I was close to hitting 17 miles for the day, which was not the type of mileage I wanted to do, even if my foot wasn’t hurting. I was just going along with the plans that my friends made at the cafe since I was feeling not good and indecisive. I cursed myself for not paying attention. The trail was climbing and it was 5:30pm, and I had to keep going to make it to a water source. I cried again when I was alone, just angry at myself and overwhelmed by the day.

I met Clare at the junction to water, and she wasn’t doing well either. It was just too many miles to have done today. I was operating on autopilot when the group was making plans to camp and wish that I had done my own research. I felt so, so bad. It was a two mile walk back and forth to the water source and we just didn’t have it in us.

Fortunately, Rory and another group had extra water to give to us. Clare and I decided to dry camp at the junction in any spot we could find. It wasn’t ideal, and I hate relying on other people when in the backcountry (because what if nobody’s there the next time??), but everyone’s kindness meant that we could stop for the night.

I pitched my tent shoddily and ate a granola bar for dinner. It was just one of those days I needed to sleep off.

I really learned that you can’t turn off your brain on the PCT. You always have to do your own research and take care of yourself. I also learned that I can push through a bad day and still hike 17 miles (!!!!). I also was so grateful to have Clare and be able to figure out how to end the day on a positive note by not pushing too far.

I watched the sunset from this ridgeline campsite! The wind is dying down and I’m excited to sleep.

Spoiler alert for my next posts, but things get a lot better! This was a really strange and difficult section, with extreme highs and lows. The water carries and off-trail adventures definitely were a major challenge. I hate to leave a post on a bad day because I don’t want anyone to worry about me, but I also want to make sure I’m representing this adventure accurately. It is hard!! But I’m still so happy to be here and happy to be strong enough to push through challenges.

Next post arriving soon!