Category: Walking

This morning’s hike took us to Cajon Pass, which is where the Pacific Crest Trail passes under Interstate Highway 15. It’s well known by PCT hikers as the location of the only McDonald’s on the trail (well 3/10 mile from the trail, anyway).

We arrived in time for breakfast (Deb’s included a chocolate milkshake – she has been hungry on this leg) and found it pretty good compared to the trail food we have been eating recently. We bought two days of food from the Chevron gas station/mini mart next door and relaxed on the grass in the shade outside for awhile with a dozen or so other hikers. Until the sprinklers turned on soaking everyone and their packs. Actually this bit of trail mischief felt good.

It’s been warm recently and the next 22.5 miles of the PCT have no water and 8,000 feet of climbing up into the mountains near Wrightwood.

We had been debating the best strategy for this section, but naturally chose Deb’s approach which was to depart under the scorching sun during the hottest part of the day with our packs heavily loaded with 5 liters (11 pounds each) of water. She was determined to resist the magnetic pull of the Best Western motel which is also located at Cajon Pass.

Actually, it wasn’t that bad as we took our time on the long hot climb and are now camped 16.9 miles away from the next water. We should be able to reach water tomorrow night, and then have a short (nero) into Wrightwood on Sunday.

PS – We just learned hiker Chris was reunited with his pack and he is now ahead of us on the trail.

Photo: Deb looking down at Cajon Pass

Trail Date: Friday, May 2nd

Mileage: 12.2 miles

Today’s hike was along the shores of the very pretty Silverwood Lake. Flowers were blooming everywhere.

We stopped at the picnic area where we got water and rinsed out some clothes. We had them drying on the picnic tables and a tree limb when a park truck pulls up and the driver walks towards us. We both had the same thought – we were going to be in trouble for having our laundry hanging everywhere. Instead, Cathy hands us two delicious fruit cups and tells us to have a lovely day.

We hiked another seven miles of the Pacific Crest Trail to a lovely camp spot, where a quail has been scolding us for the last two hours because we apparently invaded her space.

Deb just saw her second shooting star of the hike.

Photo: Silverwood Lake

Trail Date: Thursday, May 1st

Mileage: 17.6 miles

Deep Creek is a remarkably beautiful section of the Pacific Crest Trail and we spent the morning marveling at the views as we strolled toward the hot springs.

We arrived at the hot springs late in the morning and had a wonderful soak before continuing down the trail.

Shortly after lunch we encountered a thru-hiker named Chris running down the trail yelling about an unconscious man up ahead. Cell phones are not working in the canyon, so I quicken my pace as I headed toward the unconscious man to send an InReach message for help. Chris continues south down the PCT looking for help at the hot springs.

I end up running as fast as I could with my full pack about a mile and a half north on the PCT before finding day hiker Darrell laying beside the trail with Emma shading him from the sun using Chris’s Ridge Rest sleeping pad.

Fortunately Darrell has regained consciousness. Turns out a bee had stung him on the neck, he had some kind of seizure, and was unconsous for about half an hour. Darrell was insisting he was OK but the group consensus was to send an SOS InReach message, especially since Chris was off finding a way to call 911.

This was the first time I have used the InReach for an SOS and it worked pretty well considering the steep canyon we were in. I explained the situation by text message and responded to a couple of texts asking for more information.

After an hour or so Darrell decided he wanted to walk out so I let the SAR folks know and Deb and I walked with them down the PCT.

A helicopter showed up, but we were moving pretty well and it would have been difficult for them to drop someone down to us in the canyon.

Darrell was unsteady at first but made it three miles to the Mojave River Dam spillway, where a firetruck and ambulance met us.

Chris had left his pack and all his gear where Darrell became ill, so we carried that down the PCT a bit until some of Chris’s friends came back looking for him. We passed off Chris’s gear to his friends and they headed south toward the hot springs looking for him. We hope Chris is reunited with his gear soon.

I had not realized during the excitement that Deb had given all her water to Darrell and Emma, so she was pretty thirsty when we reached the creek below the dam. A few minutes later we ran into Coppertone, a 2006 hiker, who served up root beer floats at Highway 173. They were delicious. Deb was in disbelief at such timely Trail magic.

Photo: A rescue helicopter in Deep Creek.

Trail Date: Wednesday, April 30th

Mileage: 17 miles

We encountered quite a few Pacific Crest Trail hikers today but most seem to be on a faster pace than us. We have increased our pace a bit to 16-17 miles per day, and that is working fine for us. One of the joys of our early April start is not needing to rush.

Today’s hiking took us along the very pretty Holcomb Creek and into the spectacular Deep Creek. We passed the 300 mile mark in our hike today.

Lon has joined the hiker elites (like Deb) eating his meals with a big spoon. Thanks Tina!

Photo: Deep Creek

Trail Date: Tuesday, April 29th

Mileage: 15.6 miles

After a windy night at Doble Trail Camp we were back on the Pacific Crest Trail after our break from hiking for the Kickoff.

The rain we experienced at Lake Morena last Friday came down as snow in Big Bear, but the Pacific Crest Trail was clear. We were treated to beautiful views of a snowy Sugarloaf Mountain as we hiked past Big Bear Lake.

The trail today was surprisingly gentle and easy allowing us to ease back into the rhythm of hiking.

Deb was thrilled to encounter two open air outhouses during today’s hike.

Photo: Big Bear Lake and snowy mountains.

Trail Date: Monday, April 28th

Mileage: 17.1 miles

We took a few days off from hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to attend the Kickoff (ADZPCTKO) at Lake Morena Campground and did not have cell phone service, so we have gotten behind on the blog.

After a zero day at the Big Bear Hostel, Chris and Mumbles gave us a ride to the kickoff in a rented van. Thanks Chris and Mumbles.

The Kickoff is a wonderful celebration of the PCT and this year was no exception. We saw many old friends and met new ones and attended many of the presentations.

This year seemed slightly different with a higher percentage of those attending being thru-hikers than in past years. The kickoff organizers have been struggling with the popularity of the event which is outgrowing the park where it is held.

We went on a shopping spree at the Kickoff. Lon bought a new Six Moon Designs Fusion backpack and we decided to upgrade our tent to a new Zpacks Duplex tent. These two items dropped Lon’s pack weight by about 1.5 pounds and the tent has more room than our old one.

We had some wind and rain at the Kickoff Friday night and Saturday and the new tent handled it well.

We also heard some really sad news at the Kickoff. On Thursday a young 19 year old hiker died while walking the first 20 miles of the PCT to Lake Morena.

Also, we learned that Richey Ruff, the developer behind the PCTHYOH app died shortly before the Kickoff.

On Sunday, White Jeep picked us up at the Lake Morena campground and whisked us off to San Diego. Dal met us there and they outfitted Lon’s pack with an amazing new data logger. Dal then took us to Big Bear, and we hiked the 2.5 miles from Highway 18 to Doble Trail Camp before dark.

Photo: The new Zpacks tent.

Trail Date: April 23 – 27th

Mileage: 2.5 miles