The Adventures of...: Days 5-8, Miles 78-154, Scissors Crossing to San Jacinta Mountains

4/24, day 5, 24 miles, endpoint PCT mile 101.2.
Today was long, hot, sweaty, dusty, and non-descript. We left Scissors at 6am and immediately started scaling up into the San Felipe Hills. We would possibly have to go the whole day without water, so we loaded up before we left. Between the two of us we had 9 liters, over 20 pounds in weight (one liter weighs roughly 2.25 pounds, something that is important to know out here). Our first 14 miles were hot and dry, with scenery consisting of cactus and gravely rock repeating itself over and over again around each turn. We didn't see another soul during this stretch.

At PCT mile 91 we came to a water cache, or, as a hiker named Vibes called it when we arrived, "The Oasis." Down a hill a quarter mile long off the PCT was a nice stockpile of store bought water. Along this side trail were multitudes of shady pullouts where peoples' voices could be heard through the trees. Josh and I were so tired, we decided we needed a break. We set up camp in the shade and were so relaxed we ended up staying over 2 hours, skipping the blazing middday sun for a nap under the trees.

Finally, it was time to go. Another 10 miles later and we made it to our nightly destination, Barrel Springs. We covered 24 total miles, the most in one day so far. Both my legs and my feet are feeling exhausted. Tomorrow we will get to the town of Warner Springs, where a food resupply box and our bounce box await us at the post office. The bounce box has some much needed sunscreen and a new pair of shorts for Josh to try, among other things. When we are done with it, we will "bounce" it to our next expected town stop. There is even the rumor of showers in Warner Springs, so it should be a good day all around.

See that little bridge in the bottom left... yeah we slept under there last night. Very romantic.

Mountains and desert. Desert and mountains.

Josh coming up the climb.

Looking back. We started the day at the valley floor and came from over those far mountains the day before. And the really far mountains in the back the day before that.

These water signs are great... unless you have been carrying 5 extra pounds of water each because you didn't know there would be more.

Burnt landscapes everywhere in Southern California.

Water cache... we weren't expecting this so we had carried enough water to get us through but we still drank an extra litre each.

We relaxed here for 2 1/2 hours to escape the heat. It is amazing how much cooler it is in the shade.

The scenery turned green the last few miles of the day and it was beautiful.

Mile 100!

The final decent to water and camp at Barrel Springs.

Day 6, 11 miles, endpoint PCT mile 112ish.
We left Barrel Springs and were given an unexpected reprieve from the desert. We meandered through large rolling fields of green grass where the trail could be seen stretching out ahead for a mile or more. One of the fields contained a famous boulder formation called Eagle Rock. This rock looks exactly like a large eagle, hence the name, and was probably 20 feet tall. After leaving this oddity behind, we next passed through Oregon-like forests of trees, shade, and running creeks--the first running water we had seen in days.

We then rolled into Warner Springs, a small town of 203 souls. We hit the community center, where breakfast was $5, showers were $8, and the washing machines for laundry were broken. We happily paid for our showers, our first in 6 days. We picked up our only pre-planned food shipment for the entire trip, and our bounce box (a 5 gallon paint bucket) from the post office, where the one person manning the place complained they had run out of storage space for hiker box shipments. Our boxes were like a treasure trove of goodies. Back at the community center, I sat on a bench outside, picked up a mirror and tweezers from the box, and plucked the stray eyebrows that were starting to straggle in. I then grabbed the nail file from the box and happily filed away. Not sure how I would manage without these little things on such a long trip, so I think having the bounce box will be key for my sanity.

Apparently, a forest fire lat year permanently destroyed an upcoming section of the PCT, and there is no official reroute. Josh spent quite awhile talking and going over maps with other hikers to figure out possible detours, which I think we have figured out. After spending most of the day unwinding at the community center, we packed up and hit the trail at 5pm for a few more miles. We hiked out with another couple from Portland, Smiles and Andrew. Turns out, in one of those small world moments, we share a mutual friend back home with Andrew. In the evening the weather turned cool and the clouds began to converge. There is a chance of rain and snow rumored at the 5,000 foot level in Southern California; could make for some interesting hiking as we head further into the mountains ahead.

We loved this section. Huge fields with rolling hills all around us.

"I can fly higher than an Eagle, because you are the wind beneath my wings..."

Guess who had the right of way?

Unassuming, but heaven for hikers. Food, showers in the back, and internet access.

Some hikers camped here while resupplying, resting, or dealing with injuries. We would organize and move on.

Carla, Smiles, and Andrew headed into the storm.

Josh was definitely the only one excited for the weather coming in. Blue skies aren't good for his pictures.

Ready for the storm!

Quiet campsite hidden away in the trees.

Day 7, 20 miles, enpoint PCT mile 132.
Last night Josh and I woke up at 1am to the sound of rain rattling loudly against the walls of the tent. We hunkered down and I tried to fall back asleep amidst the rain coming down and the wind seemingly swaying the tent back and forth. I hoped when I woke up, the sun would be shining and it would have been as if the storm was a dream. 5:30am came, and the rain was still going strong, so we decided to sleep in until closer to 6:30. At that point we begrudgedly forced ourselved up and into the rainy, cold world outside the tent. I wore my rain gear--a coat and rain pants--and was once again very happy to have my unbrella. What had once been my portable shade against the blazing sun, was now my portable shelter, constantly keeping me safe from the rain and the biting wind. We hiked along with Smiles and Andrew into the rain. Two years ago Smiles hiked the entire California section of the PCT up to Ashland and had "not a single drop of rain" for her entire trip.

For the first few hours the rain continued, mostly a light drizzle. It stopped late morning, but the weather all day was moody--dark skies with swirling clouds, only a smattering of sun, and chilly temperatures. For the first 6 hours we hiked uphill at a constant grade. We reached the 5,000 foot mark, but had no snow. A neighboring peak, which couldn't have been much higher, had a shiny dusting of silver along its very top reaches. The four of us, along with Database, another hiker we have been flip flopping with since day 2, hiked along amidst spectacular peaks and valleys, both close and far off in the distance. We passed through yet another boulder field, this one larger and more far reaching than the previous. Today was by far my favorite day for scenery.

16 miles into our journey we reached the home of trail angel Mike. After following the signs off the trail down to his back porch, we learned Mike was out of town, but had housesitters to greet us. We hung out, rested, and refilled waters. Mike had a bunkhouse where hikers were welcomed to stay, which Database, Smiles, and Andrew all elected to do. It was early enough, and my legs were feeling good, so Josh and I pressed on without them. We walked another 4 miles or so in the evening along a mountain ridge, topping out at about 5,600 feet in elevation. We didn't see any other hikers the rest of the evening, and felt like we had the entire mountain to ourselves. Finally, we pulled off trail, made camp, and settled in for what promises to be a cold night. As I am writing this, the tent is blowing in the (ever constant) wind and I am wearing a warm beanie, a down coat, and wool leggings. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a bit sunnier.

Database, Andrew, Josh, Smiles (Alex). Yes that is a rain skirt Josh is wearing.

Smiles and Andrew headed up the mountain.

Our friends left us directions in the dirt.

Josh & Carla

The views after leaving Trail Angel Mike's

Camp for the night... we really had the place to ourselves.

Day 8, 22 miles, endpoint PCT mile 154.
I got my wish, as today opened up with brilliant blue skies all around. Although it was sunny, it was never truly hot, which made for good hiking. Today was mostly uneventful, with the highlight being an amazing cache stocked with soda, snacks, trash cans to get rid of garbage (which I otherwise have to pack around with me) and postcards with a sign promising they would be mailed out once a week. Josh wrote a postcard to his mom, and we each grabbed a soda. The kindness of strangers is definitely something the PCT is known for, and this was a perfect example of that kindness. Thank you, whoever you are!

Our guidebook said there is a great restaurant called Paradise Cafe one mile off the PCT at mile 151, so we made that our unofficial destination for the day. I used that cafe as motivation as we climbed and descended and climbed and descended countless miles. However, when we got to the turn-off for the cafe, we had a change of heart and decided to keep going for a few more miles. This brought us to the enrance of the San Jacinto mountains, considered by many to be one of the more scenic parts of the Southern California section. It also put us on a strange part of the trail, as 10 miles further the trail is closed due to last year's forest fire. Essentially, we are on a dead end road. Tomorrow we will travel the last 8.5 miles to the closure, then it will be a somewhat improvised route of fire lanes, bike paths, and who knows what else, to get us to the town of Idyllwild on Tuesday. It's all part of the adventure!