Day 9: Mile 77.3 to 91.4

We left the RV park at 7:30am this morning, which was later than I wanted since it was already 60 degrees outside, the sun beating down us as we unloaded our packs from the trail angel’s car. Today we had 14-ish miles to the water cache, and about 2,000 feet of climbing to do. My pack was absolutely full of water and food for the next stretch. In the car, when I sheepishly answered someone who asked me how many liters of water I was carrying, my response of “five liters” garnered a response of “That’s excessive!” from the trail angel. He explained that the climb would be mild, the weather good, and the miles cruisey and that all that water would be extra weight.

He was right about the first bit. Climbing out of Scissor’s Crossing, I tried to keep a steady pace as the temperature climbed in tandem. The grade was good, and I felt motivated to push on to get the hardest part of the day done when it was relatively cool. We saw some fighter jets swoop down across the mountain, and the loud booms startled us in our focus to get up the desert mountain.

And soon, it was done! When we passed the three mile mark, signifying we had climbed the steepest part of the day, I was proud and surprised that we had crushed it so fast. I felt fresh and renewed from my zero day. It felt like my calves were actually working and my feet weren’t in obvious pain. In that moment, it was good to be on trail.

But as the sun started climbing in the sky, the miles became slower and slower. I kept a good attitude and pushed through, telling myself that at noon Claire and I would definitely take a midday rest, a trail “siesta” customary to avoid the hottest part of the day. And just about at 12:15, I started feeling overheated and ready to sit in the shade. Unfortunately, there was none. Looking around every corner and bend, there was nothing tall enough to cast a shadow with the sun high in the sky. The two of us were feeling desperate for relief.

I had the idea of pitching my ground sheet as a tarp between two shrubs, and then having us sheltering behind that. We got to work, and soon enough, we had a shelter, even if it was kind of structurally unsound. Claire and I ate our cold soaked noodles and laughed about how absolutely ridiculous this shelter was, because it looked SO stupid, but it was nice to be under a tiny bit of shade. We joked that there would probably be a nice shady spot around the corner.

And sure enough, our friends came around the corner and pointed one out to us, a mere 20 feet away. All you could do was laugh (but not cry, we cautioned, for we needed every drop of hydration).

We re-installed our shade under two larger bushes and joined Sandra and Koda for a rest in the shade. It’s nuts how much a little shade can boost morale.

Some clouds rolled in as we got up about an hour later, and the wind was blowing every now and then, but the last half of this hike was mostly just a slog. I met a lot of nice hikers, and took a lot of good shade breaks, but it was just tough, hot hiking. It just went on and on. To stay sane, I thought of all the fun outdoor activities I want to do when I get home besides hiking (cross-country skiing, mountaineering, mountain biking, etc.)

I drank pretty much all the water I brought by the time I made it to the cache at around 14 miles that day. My group joked that if we had taken the trail angel’s advice to only bring three liters instead of five we would all be shriveled up from dehydration. The cache was so awesome, just pallets of water driven in by ATV by trail angels and the PCTA. It was truly like an oasis, and I don’t think this day would be feasible for most people without it.

We ate dinner by the cache, and I asked everyone about their highs, lows, and buffaloes from the day (classic debrief question from my trail crew days). It was nice to reunite with people and celebrate getting through a rough experience like today. There was a real sense of camaraderie seeing people set up their tents after a long day on trail.

Claire picked out an AMAZING campsite, and we watched the sunset from the ridge. I was so wiped out from the long day, and couldn’t find my headlamp, so I just gave up and laid down for the night. The day ended on a great note, despite the challenges (or maybe because of them?).

The moon is full and extremely bright! Tomorrow Claire and I are waking up at 4:30am to get an early start on the day before the temperature skyrockets. The plan is to get to the water source (and possible trail magic) before noon, and siesta until it gets cooler.

Day 10: Mile 91.4 to 104.9

My alarm sounded at 4:30 and I did not want to get up. But thinking about another day baking in 85 degree heat, I forced myself to get ready. I drank my new coffee concoction, two instant coffees mixed with a Breakfast Essentials packet in a SmartWater bottle, and got to work packing up camp. Nice coffee while in town is a big priority for me!

I ended up being ready to hike right before sunrise. Claire and I set off in the cool dawn, and I just can’t get over how pretty the desert is in the early, less harsh light. The plants smell good, little bunnies are hoping around, and I can actually hike at a normal pace. It was wonderful.

I hiked for about three miles before stopping for breakfast at a pipe gate. I was cruising through the miles, and wanted to get as many done before it got much hotter. I threw in my headphones and listened to the Eagles, since they have a desert vibe and I’ve been enjoying a few of their songs, and skirted around the mountainside on trail. Once the sun fully came out though, I took my headphones out to listen for rattlesnakes, since hikers in front of me had seen them in previous days.

My feet were feeling the long day from yesterday, and the temperature was rising. I pushed on. Something that’s amazing about the PCT is that you’ll be walking and seeing a certain view for a while, getting closer and closer certain landmarks, and you get used to seeing the same things. Then, all of a sudden, you’ll turn a corner round a mountain and leave that view behind, and be met with something totally new. That’s what today’s views were like, just flipping a page and entering a new chapter of a book. More shrubs, more grass, oak trees, and less harsh desert.

And soon, the 100 MILE MARKER!!!!! I was on the phone with my mom when this one happened, and I was so surprised! I couldn’t believe it was real. I had walked 100 miles on the PCT. Obviously, there is lots more to go (some 2,550 miles, give or take), but I was extremely proud of myself for getting this far, all while feeling good physically and mentally.

Just after mile 100 was the first water source of the day, at Barrel Springs. I arrived at 11:45, meaning I had hiked a full ten miles before noon! Another big accomplishment in the books!

Barrel Springs was rumored to have trail magic, and sure enough, Scott from Oceanside, CA was there with chips, sodas, charging ports, and a handwashing station for hikers who passed through that day. It was the perfect spot for a midday break. Thank you so much Scott!!

Claire and I decided to push to bag more miles for the day, and I’m so glad we did. The last three or so for the day went through a beautiful desert oak woodland, and then through a range-like grassland. It was stunning. There were picture perfect oak trees and unending grassland into the distance. I really wasn’t expecting the beauty of this section, and maybe that made it even more impressive.

I ended the day at a perfect campsite on San Ysidro Creek. Lots of other hikers ended up there too. I really like how we’ve ended up in a completely new group just by nature of how people take zeros and start fresh from town. Things are already different from the first week and I really like that a lot.

Warner Springs is an easy four miles tomorrow! Looking forward to showers and bucket laundry after a very hot and sweaty past couple of days. I’m going to bed with the sounds of tons of frogs singing by the creek.

Day 11: Mile 104.9 – 115

It was a misty morning waking up on trail. Since I didn’t have many miles to do, my morning pack-up chores went super slow, and I left camp alone. A dense fog was settled over the landscape, which soon transitioned to an open grassland. It felt super spooky and fun to be hiking alone and not be able to see anything on the horizon.

Eagle Rock was a big highlight of the day. I’ve seen it in so many PCT videos, and it’s incredible to see it in person.

It was easy, fun hiking to get to Warner Springs. I listened to “Dragon New Warm Mountain” by Big Thief, which hits so hard out here traveling through the natural world. Adrienne Lenker’s lyricism about nature is so potent. Honestly, I should probably limit myself to listening to this album to once a week, because I could just replay this album again and again out here.

Something about hitting the first 100 miles yesterday is making me actually feel like a thru-hiker. I think of all the time I spent imagining what it would be like to be out here, and I just feel so grateful I was able to make this dream a reality.

Hiking into Warner Springs, the scenery became a lush oak forest. Leaving trail, I walked on the road to the community center, where there was resupply options, a shower, and a sink to do laundry in buckets. It was so welcoming to arrive there. The volunteers were so kind, and it’s amazing energy to be in a place full of hikers.

I met lots of new people as I washed and wrung out my filthy clothes in the sink, and then hung them to air-dry on the chain linked fence. I hung out inside for a bit, and ate the most delicious microwave burrito of my life. Claire found a guitar, and our new friends Keith and Rory joined along in listening to her play music. It was so wonderful to hear music, sing, and talk about music with everyone. It was a very sweet moment.

Even though it was a hiker paradise, we had to leave to make more miles for the day. I ate one more burrito and took one for the road, and left Warner Springs behind. The first part of the hike was completely flat, through grassland and live oak trees. We were cruising. We wanted to camp as close as we could to the last water source, because we knew that the next day’s water situation might be sketchy. We decided to push on, thinking it would be cruising on flat ground, when all of a sudden it turned into a moderate climb. It was the first time my blood was pumping all day, but luckily we hiked with Brad, a hiker who was from Oregon that we met at Warner Springs. Conversations make elevation gain feel much easier.

We arrived at another amazing campsite at a creek. I pitched my tent on a prime riverfront site. There was even a “dining room” for all the people who joined that night for dinner, which was just a circle of rocks that meant everyone had their own to sit on. I couldn’t find my spork at dinner though, and thought I left it behind at Warner Springs while I was doing dishes. My solution was to use one of my tent stakes to eat my potatoes and gravy with. Everyone got a huge kick out of that, which might lead to a possible trail name of “Tent Peg.”

There’s a little trepidation about tomorrow, given that the next water source is 11 miles away and maintained by a trail angel. It’s called “Mike’s Place,” and the comments on FarOut (the app we get trail, camping, and water reports on) were saying the tank was low.

It’s going to be a long, dry section after Warner Springs, with lots of heavy water carries. I’m glad I’ve fallen in with a good group, though. I’m also feeling much more confident in making decisions on trail, and I’m really getting used to the thru-hiker life. The miles are going faster and things are becoming more routine in a good way.

I’ll be posting the next update soon! Thank you all for following along 🙂