Month: May 2023

Apple thinks I’ve done about 39k steps today.

Yesterday I thought I had a sinus headache starting up from my allergies. The record setting rain has really created record amounts of flowers and pollen.

So I didn’t think much of a headache all night. But I was going kind of slow and mentally befuddled.

Yep. Altitude sickness.

The melt has resulted in some reports of dangerous conditions. We were going to take a bypass but Win caught I wasn’t doing well so instead of going forward we headed back to Spitler Peak Trail and down to Idlewild—the “official” bypass.

I’ll note some of the side trails are really not advised and messy. There are some advisory warnings since the side trails look good on the maps but desperately need maintenance and repairs.

We had planned to divert to Idlewild so it wasn’t a big change, but we had to hike back to the Apache Spring junction where we had tented (Mile 169.2) and then back to Spitler (mile 168.6).

As we dropped and took a short break suddenly everything cleared up.

It was strange. Usually I’m good to 10k feet without problems and I was having them at 7.5k feet which I’d done a thousand feet higher this week without trouble.

I got somewhat dehydrated though and that could well be the difference.

So we took a different route into Idlewild. A wonderful couple from Arkansas picked us up at the road and we talked about our kids who graduated from Texas A&M.

At the Idlewild campsite we met up with Mariah. She camped next to us last night and we passed going back to Spitler. She had taken 179.4, Devils Slide Trail like we had planned to and got to the campground in Idlewild not too long after we did.

Showers. Laundry. Food. Feeling much better.

190.7 will be Black Mountain Road. Then on to Mile 209.4 and a finished Southern California.

Water at 205.4, a stream at 200, and whatever we bring with us up Black Mountain. 209.4 is I-10 and the finish point (actually the surface street there where you can catch a shuttle).

I’m excited.

Great weather. Still cool in Idlewild.

BTW this clip is 186.4 on Far Out—part of what we are bypassing. Lots of very messy trail reports right now.

Ok. Usually slackpacking is easier than hiking. But we did over sixteen miles at a speed faster than three miles an hour.

Then our ride met us with our pack contents we hadn’t carried and dropped us off at rainbow road again—this time heading south.

Big Bear is 17.9 miles and we are camped with a group of NOBOS at 2407.0 with only 38.7 to our next resupply.

The thunder, lightning and rain we set the tent up in has passed but we are finished for the day. Beautiful clouds and sunshine now.

Ok. Usually slackpacking is easier than hiking. But we did over sixteen miles at a speed faster than three miles an hour.

Then our ride met us with our pack contents we hadn’t carried and dropped us off at rainbow road again—this time heading south.

Big Bear is 17.9 miles and we are camped with a group of NOBOS at 2407.0 with only 38.7 to our next resupply.

The thunder, lightning and rain we set the tent up in has passed but we are finished for the day. Beautiful clouds and sunshine now.

Tired enough to sleep for a few hours until 8:00 pm and then to go back to sleep after trying to post this blog entry. Sunset was beautiful with a clear and cloudless sky.

Less than a hundred miles to Paradise Valley Cafe.

2503 is where we finish the South.

At 2389 now. About 114 miles left.

2387.5 on my wife’s phone; 2389.1 on my phone.

I’m not sure why the difference.

But it finally resolved.

Video.

We woke up early, got a good start around 5:40 or so and finished going up and then up and down.

We hiked into the sunrise.

It varied between Alpine and desert with shifts as we descended to Big Bear.

The mountains were glorious.

The extra miles yesterday past Little Bear (a horse camp location) paid off and we arrived at the shuttle location early.

A nice couple drove us to Saucy Momma’s Pizza and then Kenny took us shopping.

It is finally dry desert, though we will zero tomorrow to rest and then we have a stretch where the PCT takes us down a river bed—31 crossings all of which are expected to get us wet.

Just finished a very hot shower and waiting on laundry to be done.

Happy on the trail

We are at Kenny’s and he is super nice.

Kenny’s music video

I’m kind of fatigued. I’ll think more clearly tomorrow.

Hmm. Ate a fair amount of yogurt and ice cream. I feel worlds better.

We had another long day with a lot of ups. Three water crossings above my knees.

Originally we planned to stop at Little Bear Springs Camp, 2.2 miles back. We arrived early in the day but worn out. Rested for a while then hiked to the next water.

I had mashed potatoes and beef jerky for dinner. Used a backpacker pantry empty to make it and avoid more trash.

Win did a perfect pitch at a picturesque site. I filtered five liters of water and chemically treated three more for tomorrow morning.

Big Bear is 17.2 miles away. We will take a zero to rest & resupply. Paradise Valley is only 131.5 away and that will finish the South for us.

Happy on the trail. Perfect summary.

The day started with us discovering three hikers cowboy camping in the site next to ours. And a hiker tenting right next to the trail.

Mile 2340.9 and Highway 173 just as Alan was dropping off hikers. We saw so many hikers as we hiked in. Joshua Inn is the new super destination—but no breakfast.

Happy on the trail’s post.

So Alan suggested Mile High as the best food in the high desert. And Mother’s Day was saved.

We are waiting on our food.

Update. Food arrived. Huge servings and great food.

Steady up. We got to the hot springs where I was finally offered a beer after thousands of trail miles and many years. I accepted it for Happy since I don’t drink. I so would have loved a soda or a coke

Just as we left “obnoxiously naked tm” guy showed up. Pipe stem arms and legs. Glaringly untamed. Pot gut/beer belly with bad posture. Overly large stick to hike with.

He had obviously stripped down before approaching the hot springs (instead of changing when he got there) and aggressively invaded people’s space—changing his route to harass people.

We continued leaving and hiked more up. No place to stop early that had water. 18.8 miles up. About three thousand feet of ascent.

2353.9 is where we ended up. Empty when we got here but four other hikers as we go to sleep at 8:00.

Big Bear is now 35.2 miles ahead. Ducks are loud. It was a good Mother’s Day.

??

We started at near to 4:05 AM and hiked with headlamps to get some distance before it got warm.

Video of our start

We had a siesta at the lake and then hiked on.

The place we stopped from across the lake.

Met a trail maintenance crew.

Then we camped for the night next to a stream/water source after filtering and treating water.

Happy on the trail’s entry. She nailed it.

Yesterday we had some NOBOS ask about trail conditions into Wrightwood. Win described things and water and such.

Then one of them said, so you left Wrightwood what, 2-3 days ago. I choked holding on the laughter as Win/Happy said “we left this morning.” Some people. ??

We tented at a campsite not in Far Out with a couple-three other hikers. One was in the first Gossamer Gear “the one” I had seen.

This morning it was beautiful and perfect for hiking.

We got started towards the water cache as soon as it was light enough to see.

We were completely out of the trees and into real desert again. No water until the cache though there is some left over green from all the late snow.

We got to the tunnel under the railroad.

Then finally to the trailhead that leads to the most famous McDonald’s on the PCT.

Which had water problems so we couldn’t use the lobby or sit inside or order drinks.

That left us to cross the freeway, buy lunch at Del Taco and head to our hotel where they had a general purpose hiker box and a special one.

We picked up the paper map for our next section to replace the one we gave the guy on trail whose phone died from a lack of recharging at McDonald’s.

Video of today, including the train tracks without a tunnel.

We are now getting ready to do laundry at the hotel.

When we were setting up at Vincent Gap I was planning on a Zero in Wrightwood.

Maybe if the shower had been hotter. I froze yesterday in the shower.

The truth is we got far enough that the Nero we had yesterday left me rested. Today looks to be downhill.

We spent the night in a tiny house cabin. Not bad for sleeping, I’d want larger for living in (at least one closet for clothing). It was nice.

Waiting on our shuttle back to the trail now. We will be back at 8:30 with 500 feet of up and then all downhill. We may make it as far as the McDonalds (a landmark on the PCT) though our current plan is a little shorter.