Day 26: Mile 266 to 285.9

I woke up in the coziest bed, and definitely did not want to get up. I did though, made coffee, and finished packing up my stuff. My mom, dad, and I left to pick up my friends Rory and Jay from the hostel to give them a ride to trail.

Saying goodbye to my parents was hard. They made things so nice for me in Big Bear, and I know they worry about me, so that made it pretty difficult to get back on trail. I know I’ll see them soon.

When we pulled up to the trailhead, I said goodbye, and then a whole bunch of hikers showed up trying to hitchhike, and I was shocked that my dad picked them up in his new truck!! It was so funny to see him and my mom become trail angels.

I felt okay the first few miles. It was chilly, so the hiking was going quickly.

Then, at a certain point, out of nowhere, my right foot started to bother me again. My mind was racing with questions. Was it switching from the bigger shoes I bought in Idyllwild back to my normal size that my mom brought me from home? Was it the tilt of the trail? Was it some other thing that would potentially take me off trail?

It felt like I was barely appreciating trail and stuck inside my own brain, worrying.

I got to the water source at 9 miles feeling pretty upset after worrying about it for that long. I talked to Rory and Jay and suddenly started crying. Everyone was really nice to me, but I felt pretty pathetic. I tried to eat, but I was feeling too sad about the pain in my foot.

Getting back to trail, my mind turned for the first time ever of what it would be like quit. I have such a nice life in Oregon, and I miss my partner and my family so much, and I know everyone misses me. I thought about it for a minute or two, and then slowly snapped myself out of it. I thought of all the reasons why I want to do this trail, and resolved that I owe it both to my past and future self to do everything I can to stay here.

I met Jay and Rory for lunch up trail. The views had opened up to show Big Bear Lake and the mountains behind it. I ate ramen and gummy bears in the sunshine. Rory bought a kazoo and a “nose flute” in town, and we had “band practice” with our instruments. Rory is really good at the nose flute and played “The Shire” theme pretty flawlessly. It really cheered me up.

After lunch at the Cougar Crest trail junction, the trail started to get so pretty, and so easy. It went through a beautiful ponderosa forest, and just cruised downhill. I was starting to get back into the groove again. Either the ibuprofen was hitting, or there was just something weird about the ascent out of Big Bear earlier, but my foot was feeling better too.

I ate and drank water every two miles and just enjoyed cruising through the miles. At one point, I turned around the corner, and saw the most amazing view of the mountains surrounding LA. Strawberry, Pinos, Baldy, Baden-Powell, and all the others— I couldn’t believe I was walking back to my old home, to mountains I climbed and dreamed of climbing.

I had walked 17 miles and felt good! It was only after about the 18 miles mark when things started to get a little stiff and painful. I think my upper limit is improving a LOT, but is not quite at the 20 mile range yet. I walked to Holcomb Creek having walked 19.75 miles, only slightly in pain, and met up with Rory, Jay, and Clare (!!!). I was reunited with my trail bestie!!

I set up camp and cooked dinner with the group. Jay left his beanie in Big Bear, and we laughed about him trying to replace it with Rory and Clare’s buffs. It was a busy and fun campsite.

I went to bed early since it’s going to be chilly. I hope my foot feels better in the morning. I’m hoping that tomorrow is a better day, even though today actually did end up being okay. I’m going to read a little of my PCT guide to see if there’s any fun facts about our travels tomorrow. I bought the guide on Kindle because I miss having to learn/teach new things everyday like last summer on the trail crew. I hope it helps satisfy my extremely nerdy thirst for knowledge. Until then!

Day 27: Mile 285.9 to 303.9

Today I woke up actually feeling sore for the first time in a while, from my almost twenty mile day. I knew immediately that I should probably try to make this day shorter.

It was really cold this morning, probably under forty degrees. A lot of people were freezing last night.

The trail was chilly but beautiful this morning. There were great views of the San Gabriels, and the cold weather and the oak leaves rustling in the wind made it feel more like fall than late spring.

I was mostly feeling better this morning, due to the beautiful views, nice weather, and my foot feeling better. The trail was extremely flat and pretty, so things felt like they were going smoothly.

I had twelve miles to do before Deep Creek Bridge, and decided to listen to music. I’d never listened to “All Things Must Pass” by George Harrison completely before, so I decided to download it and play it during the easy hiking. It really grounded me in the landscape. Plus, he’s Isabel’s favorite Beatle, and the love songs on the album are incredible, so it was nice to be thinking about her too.

I got to a crossing of Holcomb Creek right as it was getting hot. Rory, Jay, and Clare were just finishing up their break, so I said bye and met another hiker named Karen, who was sitting at the creek. We talked about our partners, living in Las Vegas, and our struggles on the trail. It was a nice conversation. It’s always really nice to get to know new people out here.

The next bit of trail was hot, uphill, very brushy, and full of blowdowns. It required lots of navigation and coordination skills. I didn’t love it as much as the morning hiking.

I finally turned the corner to Deep Creek Bridge, which was such a gorgeous paradise out here. There was a wooden bridge, the creek full of fish, and beautiful cool water. I took a long break here, ate ramen, soaked my feet, and watched the fish in the stream.

I hung out with the group again for a bit, but they wanted to push on to the Hot Springs. Karen was there, and we decided to head to a campsite before the Hot Springs together.

The trail alongside Deep Creek was definitely a highlight. It stayed up really high above the creek, and had fantastic views into the canyon.

It was incredibly green and floral, with flowers growing off trail and even out of the rocks.

Plus, I hit 300 miles!!! It feels like I just hit 200!!

There weren’t many campsites, and I was bone tired, so we took the first one we could find, having done 18 miles that day. So much for a short day!

I ate dinner (cheese and bread) in my tent since there were mosquitos at our impromptu campsite.

Day 28: Mile 303.9 – 317.9

I woke up on the ground with my sleeping pad deflated. At least it got me up early and out of camp at an early hour! I need to find the leak when I’m in town.

I left the site early, said goodbye to Karen, and made my way to Deep Creek Hot Springs. I was hoping to meet my group there since they pushed to make it there last night.

In the beginning of the day, I felt so much better than I had been the past couple of days. I was thinking about the trail and how much I was learning from it. It’s not really the trail, even, but rather the opportunity the trail gives you to be with yourself, alone, and recognize the way you react to certain things. The trail is just here, more like a mirror to reflect yourself back at you, in the company of endless beauty. It was here in this moment that I felt committed to staying on this trail, since I knew that there was so much more I wanted to learn about myself here.

I arrived at the hot springs but couldn’t find where my friends were camped. I looked around for about 30 minutes, but there were only a few locals hanging around, and no PCT hikers. It was really beautiful though, a paradise in the desert canyon. I didn’t really know what to do without the company of my friends, and the day was heating up, so I decided to leave without going in. I was slightly disappointed, and sad that I missed my friends.

I was a bit lonely starting the day out all by myself. But the trail was very lovely, still just skirting the side of the canyon. The environment was getting more arid and sparse as I exited the canyon.

I took a long, almost three hour-long siesta waiting for my friends at the creek near the Mojave Forks Dam. It turns out they were all asleep when I arrived at the hot springs earlier today, and had camped in the bushes next to them. They were still there by the time I made it to the dam. I was bummed I missed out, but really tried to enjoy the solitude. Sometimes it’s really easy and then other times it’s not.

Leaving the creek, I was once again concerned about camping alone. I just didn’t feel like it this time. Crossing the unforgiving desert, I really just felt lonely and vulnerable.

I got a message from Clare, though, asking where I was planning on camping tonight. She said she really wanted to catch up with me. I felt so much better after this, knowing that I wouldn’t be alone for much longer. It powered me up a steep hill out of the desert valley, and to Grass Valley Creek, where there was a bubbling stream and plentiful camp spots.

I met another hiker named Jackson there, and we had a nice chat while I lent him my water filter. Soon, my friends starting turning the corner: Clare, Rory, and finally Jay. I met another hiker named Abby too, who was Jackson’s hiking partner, and they both continued on past sunset to try to make it to the McDonald’s early tomorrow.

The group recapped their day at the hot springs, and talked about the wonderful time they had. Honestly, I didn’t really feel disappointed that I missed it. I was just so happy to be cooking dinner by the stream and catching up with them.

Being away from the group for a day and half really made me realize how tough the balance between being independent and social is. I’m by nature pretty independent, and often find it hard to rely on or get close to new people. Obviously, so much of this trail is a journey traveled alone. But on the other hand, other people’s joy and support really has the potential to lift your spirits out here, since it is so incredibly difficult. I’m glad I’ve had these couple of days to show me how much I care about the people I’ve been hiking with for almost 300 miles. I want to make an effort to develop these friendships and stay with them.

Tomorrow will be a bigger mileage day since I took it pretty easy today (15 miles, which two weeks ago didn’t sound too easy!). Ahead is the McDonalds at Cajon Junction, a famous spot on the SoCal section of the PCT. I don’t know whether we’ll make it there tomorrow or not, since the hike there will be 23 miles, and my biggest day so far has been just under 20.

I’m looking forward to a good sleep alongside the other cowboy campers at the campsite! This section has been tough emotionally and mentally, but I’m very happy to be reunited with my friends. I know that things will feel better now that we’re together, and also because I truly feel dedicated to finishing my this trail after riding out the recent downturns.

Thank you for reading!