Swarthout Canyon

Here's the view up Swarthout Canyon just a few miles after Cajon Pass. It was quite beautiful actually. With the clouds it nearly looked like a rainforest with all the green.

Duh!

I saw this sign in the tunnel under Interstate 15 and it made me laugh. Who needs directions when you've got this?

Day 26

Well, this entry will be short. After leaving McDonald's and hitting the trail at about 4 this afternoon, I hit my goal of 10 miles for a total of 24 today. That's three 20+ mile days in a row and I'm afraid my feet are showing it! It's hard to believe that after all the blisters I've gotten, I'm still getting new ones. It's frustrating because I'm doing all the right things to avoid the blisters, but they just keep coming.

Anyway, the weather today was again cloudy with a few raindrops which is wonderful in an arid climate like the past two days were supposed to be. It helps tremendously in terms of saving energy. Now I'm camped on a ridge at slightly over 5000'. For the next few days, I'll be over 6000' which will help if a heat wave were to hit.

Tomorrow is supposed to be an 18-mile day, so I may reward myself by sleeping in a bit. We'll see, but I'm pretty tired.

I guess this entry was longer than I thought it would be! Pics to follow.

Cajon Pass

Cajon Pass. It's down there about 4 trail miles away. If you look closely on the right portion of the frame, you can see part of a train making its way through the pass. Mercifully, the weather has been cooperating quite nicely.

Wilderness?

Some parts of the PCT are more remote than others. This massive powerline was one of two I walked underneath on my way to Cajon Pass this morning.

Mileage Sign

This sign was seen just outside of Silverwood Lake before the sun had come up so the lighting isn't very good. It shows the mileage to Mexico (332) and Canada (2326). Are we there yet?

Saturday Mid-Day Update

Last night I stealth camped at Silverwood Lake, which basically means I was camped in a picnic area that was closed to any overnight activity. If it is like other picnic areas, anyway. The park ranger even drove by four times and either didn't see me or didn't care. Regardless, it was fantastic because I was so tired from the little sleep I got the night before. There were bathrooms, faucets, a covered area where I could pitch a tent and not worry about rain. All in all, one of the best campsites yet! Combine that with the fact that I got there early enough to eat, wash my clothes, and set up camp before dark and you've got yourself a perfect storm of awesomeness.

This morning I got up at 4:10 to get ready and hit the road by 5. It paid off too because I logged 14 miles by 10:51 am when I arrived at Cajon Pass. With three sections of the trail now down, I've hiked 344.7 miles. Next up are the San Gabriels close to the San Andreas Fault.

The hike this morning was very good. I tackled a 5-mile climb from predawn to about 8 am. Then it was downhill for a while before another small but steep climb and then the roughly 4-mile descent to Cajon Pass.

When I got to the pass, there was a sign indicating that McDonald's was only 0.4 miles away. It might as well have been a five-star restaurant! (I'm still here, by the way.) So far I've eaten a double quarter pounder, 10 McNuggets, a large fry, and about three large drinks. I'm about ready to get a milkshake now as soon as the line shortens up.

Tonight I'm headed to Sharpless Ranch Road for a dry camp. The hike into the San Gabriels begins with a 22-mile waterless stretch so I'm tackling about 10 miles tonight and the rest tomorrow morning with the idea that I'll avoid the worst heat of the day during my climb. Hopefully it works according to plan!

I have no idea what cell service is like in the San Gabriels, but my guess is that it will be limited at best. So if you don't see any updates between now and Tuesday evening, don't be alarmed.

Silverwood Lake

I'm camped on the shore of this lake tonight. I took this photo on my way in. I'm on the west side of it and so am leaving it right away tomorrow morning.

San Gabriels

Next on my mountain range "to do" list are the San Gabriels, seen here as the mountains in the distance. They are much closer today after all the hiking I did!

Day 25

Today started waaaay too early. My alarm went off at 4:25 as usual. But with only a couple hours of sleep to my credit because of those inconsiderate guys close to our campsite, I was already tired when I got up. At least it wasn't cold though!

I had logged about 5 miles before breakfast and thought I was on track for a pretty good day. After I cleared Deep Creek Canyon, however, the trail more or less disappeared. Or wasn't labeled well anyway. I spent a fair portion of the rest of the morning trying to figure out where I was supposed to go and sweating like crazy from the heat in the meantime. Thankfully, right around noon the clouds rolled in and significantly dropped the temperature. It was awesome! I really only stopped for lunch and ended up getting to my overnight spot at around 5ish, giving me lots of time to take care of other things, like wash my clothes again to hopefully prevent any poison oak outbreaks!

So I'm already in bed and have been for a bit. Different Friday night than what I'm accustomed to! But, it's necessary because I've got about 14 miles to Interstate 15 (Cajon Pass) tomorrow and I'd like to get there by 11 am to avoid the heat of the day. As long as I leave by 5 and I don't have any issues, I should be able to. But I think I may try to get going even earlier...we'll see.

Deep Creek/Mojave River Dam

This was waiting for me when I got to the end of the canyon.

Sunrise in Deep Creek Canyon

Taken this morning.

Lunch Spot Yesterday

This has been the nicest one on the trail so far! But I almost lost a zip-off pant leg AND a sock here while washing my clothes. That would have been a disaster.

Day 25

Today was a pretty easy but boring day. The trail lost about 3000' of elevation over the 22 miles we hiked, but it seemed that it was going slightly up nearly as much as it was going down. We followed a small creek called Deep Creek for most of the day, usually bouncing from one side to the other, causing me to get a wet sock/shoe combo at one point. It traced its way through a canyon and zigzagged its way along. I'm definitely ready for a more direct approach!

Our campsite is close to the hot spring and literally surrounded by poison oak. The hot springs felt amazing after a long day of hiking. Definitely helped soothe the aching muscles and joints. It would have helped me sleep really well except for the three very drunk/loud/obnoxious bellowing out into the night air until about 2 am. I get up at 4:25 am so this should be fun. I'll let you know how the poison oak situation develops. I don't think I touched any of it but you never know.

So anyway, tomorrow will start out with more of the same before passing a couple of dams later on in the day. It's going to be another long day with about 22 miles to hike. The tough part is it at lower elevation which means it will be hot. However, the warmer temperatures will definitely make it easier to get up in the morning!

300 Miles!

Me savoring the 300-mile mark during my lunch break at Deep Creek.

In case you are wondering what the tape on my hand is about, I had a slight accident while cutting some summer sausage for lunch today. It really hasn't been my day thus far!

Thursday Morning Hike

This shot I took at about 7 am this morning. We started hiking shortly after 5 am to get in some good miles before it got too hot. We're about 14 miles into the day and enjoying a much-deserved siesta before trying to get another 8 miles done so we can camp at the hot springs tonight.

Right now we're hanging out at Deep Creek and I wish I had a fishing pole because I can see the trout swimming around! I would go swimming myself but the water is from snowmelt and freezing! Instead I washed my socks and the bottoms of my zip-off pants. While letting them dry the wind blew one of them into the water and I later found it about 100 yards downstream caught on a branch. I was lucky.

Day 23 (May 27)

After about two days of cleaning up, doing laundry, resting, eating, and resupplying, I decided I needed to hit the road again. With much heavier packs due to the food, Billy (another hiker) and I headed out at about 4 pm with a goal of getting 10 miles in before sundown. There was a good campsite there so it ended up working out well. Our tents were up and ready for bed before twilight had passed. Tomorrow we are hoping to make it 22 miles and camp near a hot springs along the trail. It'll be great...almost like an extra shower!

My knees are definitely tired tonight though. I'm hoping it is nothing except the added weight of food for the longest continuous hike without resupply for me (about 130 miles). But I'll have to keep an eye on them. Another reason to try to get to the hot springs!

This stretch is definitely going to be a hot one. We are at 6500' now but we'll lose about 3000' of that tomorrow and by Saturday noon I'm planning to be at Cajon Pass (Interstate 15). From there, it's a climb up into the San Gabriels along the San Andreas Fault before leveling off. On Tuesday, I'm hoping to make it to Three Points in the afternoon where I'll be picked up by my old college buddy Ken who lives in Pasadena. After cleaning up and resupplying there on Tuesday night and Wednesday, Ken is planning a cookout for Wednesday evening which should give me an opportunity to catch up with some old college friends. I'm pretty excited about that!

House Canine

This is Chief. He's half-dog, half-wolf. A beautiful animal! He had such a great temperament but could definitely be intimidating if he wanted to be!

Day 21 - 10% Done!

Today was an easy day.  I got up at about 6 a.m. and hit the trail by 7.  I had about 6.5 miles to go before I got to Van Dusen Canyon Road where I was hoping to hitch a ride into Big Bear where I would hang out for a bit and resupply.  I got to the road at 10 a.m. and to my dismay found out that the road was dirt.  I walked for about a mile or so before the first car came by.  A packed Chevy midsize truck with five people in the cab and the back full of stuff.  They stopped and I hopped in the back of the truck after being promised that I wouldn't break anything.  Luckily the spot that I picked was a big blanket or sleeping bag stuffed in a black plastic bag so my ride was great!
 
I got dropped off about 2.5 miles away from where I needed to go and walked the rest of the way.  I made a quick stop at K-Mart to pick up a few minor supplies and toiletries and then off I was to the Big Bear Hostel by about noon or so.  The accommodations are great.  I'm sharing a room with a few other hikers who I've met along the way.  The owner of the hostel, Grayson, is the same guy that supplied the recliner and fresh fruit the day before so it was good to see him and be able to thank him personally.  He also stepped up and gave me free lodging for tonight as his contribution, which I appreciated a bunch!
 
Anyway, tomorrow I'm taking the day to resupply and plot my next section--from Big Bear to Three Points--a distance of nearly 140 miles.  I'm hoping to meet up with my old college buddy Ken and/or his parents when I get there for another day or two.  But I'm getting ahead of myself...
 
...Something worth mentioning, in fact highlighting, today is that I have now officially reached the 10% mark for my trip on the PCT!  I'm pretty happy about the fact that I've made it to this point, but I'm a little surprised with how long it took for me to get to this point.  I'm definitely hoping that the next 10% happens a little quicker than three weeks like this one did!
 
By comparison, my fundraising level is at about 20% and I just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone who has helped get me to this point.  Hopefully I don't catch up to my fundraising number! :)

Day 20

My original plan was to head all the way to Van Dusen Road and then take that into Big Bear City (BBC). If you look on a map at the PCT as it relates to BBC, you'll see that it goes from east to west with most accesible points east of the lake because BBC is on the south side of the lake. Anyway, I just have a hard time going into BBC to resupply, etc. when I haven't even really made it to the lake yet. More importantly, when I go back to the trail after my stop in BBC, I do NOT want to feel like I'm going backwards!

So anyway, after possibly getting off the trail earlier, I chose not to and continued with my original plan. And I'm glad I did! If I hadn't, then I wouldn't have experienced the recliner/cooler combo until after the day off in BBC and wouldn't have appreciated it as much. So I started from Coon Creek Group Camp and ended up at Doble Trail Camp where I am the lone camper this Sunday night. This is a surprise for a holiday weekend...maybe they know something I don't. It even has a firepit which I would have used but I didn't have my campfire permit because...yep, you guessed it...it was in my bounce box.

Which brings me to my next point. The bounce box has returned! I told the peeps in Idyllwild that if they ever did get it to just send it to my parents and I'd just start over. Well, that's what they did so now I get little but important things back (tent stakes, rain cover for my pack, journal, etc).

So all in all, not a bad day! 22 miles on Day 20. I've only got 6.5 miles to go tomorrow until I get to Van Dusen, then it is on to the Big Bear Hostel to become human again. (I'm startin' to smell again.) By the way, major props to Grayson at the Hostel. He's the one who hooked me up with the recliner and cooler today!

Hmmm...

Heeeeeyyyy...I've been lookin' for that.

Trail Magic, cont.

...I saw this! Inside was assorted fresh fruit...something we rarely get on the trail. GOD BLESS WHOEVER DID THIS!!!

In case you were wondering, my spirits were definitely lifted. Only 25 more miles to Big Bear City.

Trail Magic!

About 6 miles into my hike today and I come across this recliner on the side of the trail. At first I thought it was a practical joke, but then...

Wildfire-Charred Tree

No real significance to this tree except that it is a snapshot of what we were dealing with on our 14-mile-long climb that saw us gain 5000'. No shade for the first 2500' due to desert conditions. Then minimal shade for the next 1500' because of the wildfire. I liked this tree because (minus the charred part) it kind of reminded me of the White Tree of Gondor in Lord of the Rings.

Day 19

I've never been as excited as I was today to hike 14 continuous miles of incline! I've wanted to be out of the excessive heat of the desert for a few days now and nearly 5000' of elevation gain would do the trick. The heat even forced me to take nearly a day just to recuperate and pushed back my arrival to Big Bear by a day. Of course this says nothing of the fact that I'm stretching my food so that I don't need to resupply earlier. So anyway, back to the climb. I started at about 5:15 this morning at about 3000' and followed a stream (a rarity in SoCal!) with lots of shade for much of the morning. The climb was gradual at first but began steepening the higher we got (I was climbing with a couple and their dog). We arrived at Mission Creek Trail Camp in the early afternoon and just relaxed for a while. I decided then to continue on another six miles to Coon Creek where there was a campground of sorts. It's a group campground so I just asked the folks using it if I could find a flat spot somewhere and post up. They said sure and that's where I'm typing this from with fingers that are so cold it is difficult to move them. I guess I should be careful what I wish for!

Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it approximately 22 miles to another camp on the outskirts of Big Bear. The following day then I'd hike about another 10 and hitch into town to do laundry and resupply.

Day 18

Today my spirits were at the lowest point they've been since I started this hike. I think it may have had something to do with the sweltering heat and me looking at a sign that said something to the effect of: Canada - 2,441 miles.

Here I've been busting my butt for nearly three weeks and I have hardly made a dent!

Anyway, I loaded up my pack and left the trout farm now owned by the Wildlands Conservancy at about 4 pm. A special thanks to Jack for letting me charge my blackberry while I was there. Muchas gracias.

Thankfully, the breeze was still stiff enough to take away some of the latent desert heat so I didn't broil any more than was necessary. After about 4 hours of hiking, I came across a creek that I was hoping to camp beside. Turns out another couple and their dog had the same idea. Not long after I got there three others who I had passed arrived as well, making six of us on the bank of the creek. Any more and we'd need our own zip code! But the company is good. I enjoy my time of solitude usually, but sometimes being out there all by yourself against the elements is a little disheartening. So the comradery is good and much needed at this particular point.

Tomorrow is a big day of elevation gain. About 5000 feet in 14 miles to be precise--a nice easygoing grade. More importantly, each step helps get me away from this stifling desert heat, which I'm very happy about!

San Gorgonio Sunset

No explanation needed here really except to say that I was on my descent to Mission Creek which is the ONLY really active stream I've seen since this journey began. Planning one's day around water stops and heat gets really old. Just sayin'.

Whitewater River

What? You don't see it?

The Trout-Farm-now-Day-Park owned by the Wildlife Conservancy is close to here. That is where I recovered from my near heat exhaustion.

Trout Farm

One of the things that really gets old after being on the trail for 17 days (ONLY 17 days!!!) is the inability to connect with people on the phone. First off, I'm conserving my battery as much as possible by keeping the phone off. In case a real emergency arises, I'd like to have the option of calling someone. Second, it seems that, main resupply points like Idyllwild nothwithstanding, every time I have access to an AC plug, I don't have cell coverage! Which brings me to tonight. After crossing Interstate 10 in the late morning and then continuing my quick pace in an effort to get off the desert floor before temperatures in the triple digits began suffocating me, I found myself with zero bars. Zero! I even had a bar at the top of Mt San Jacinto, but I still couldn't make any calls for whatever reason. But at least I had a sign of life! Not here at the Whitewater Trout Farm though. It really frustrates me because I wanted to call my sister and wish her a happy birthday today, but alas, no bars. Sorry Kristin. I've also been playing voicemail tag with Adrienne for who knows how long.

Anyway, the good news is that I'm already in bed and it's not even dark out yet! I also went farther than I had planned to today which means I don't have to do those miles tomorrow...woohoo! So now I'm 210ish miles down the trail (sorry I can't be much more specific...my data handbooks were in my bounce box...sore subject) and I'm planning on another 3-4 days to get to Big Bear City. I'd say definitely 3 but my knees have been protesting ever since all those descents I had to do in the last couple days.

Alright, that's all from Day 17. This won't post until at least May 22, possibly later.

Trout Farm, cont.

It is Friday, May 22 (Day 18) at about 1 pm and I'm still at the trout farm. I'm only at about 2500' so the heat is very oppressive, even with the wind. Yesterday's hike really took a lot out of me and I've been using today to recover as much as I can. I'm parked under a shade tree and letting the breeze air out all my equipment while I wait for 4 pm to roll around. Any earlier than that I'll be fighting the heat of the day again.

This is the most boring day ever. I wish I had something to read or a deck of cards to play solitaire or my journal, but I don't even have a pen because I put everything I wouldn't need during the climb to Idyllwild in the bounce box. So basically it feels like I'm watching paint dry while I force myself to drink as much water as I can. And a person can only check his equipment or read the trail guidebook so many times! I wish that the group of three hikers behind me were here so that I could at least have some social interaction. But I have no idea where they are. I left them two days ago during the descent from Mt San Jacinto that took forever. I hope they didn't get in trouble on the section leading to here that was so dry and hot.

I think the massive size of this trail is beginning to set in. I won't even be 10% of the way done (Big Bear City) with the trail until Day 20 at the earliest. Really I just want to be done with the Southern California section. The heat as well as the distance between water sources is ridiculous!

But once I complete SoCal, then I move on to the difficulties of Central California and the Sierras. Then I'll be hiking at a higher altitude with more gear. But the scenery should more than make up for it!

Wilderness, cont.

And this is what it looked like. This may have been the most boring day of hiking I've ever had. Did I mention it was windy? It was nearly impossible to stay hydrated!

San Gorgonio Wilderness

A few miles after the wind farm, I entered the San Gorgonio Wilderness, part of the San Bernardino National Forest (sort of). Also home to Mt San Gorgonio, the tallest peak in SoCal.

Mesa Wind Farm

Soon after my living-under-the-freeway moment, I encountered this. Shouldn't have been shocked it was so windy I suppose.

Rest Stop View

This is my view from under the I-10 overpass. Not bad!

Trail from Hell

This morning I rolled up my sleeping bag and hit the trail at 5 am in an effort to get down to and across the desert floor before the temperature hits the forecast of 101. First off, it was so windy that I didn't even set up my tent...just slept under the stars. It's not the first time I've done that but it was the first time that I rolled over and accidentally opened my water bag valve, leaking water all over my mattress pad and DOWN sleeping bag! (In case you were wondering, down loses all insulative properties when it gets wet. Good thing I'm in the desert!)

Anyway, after I got that mess cleaned up as best I could, I headed out of camp, hoping to get to the desert floor pronto. What followed was the most aggravating experience of the entire hike so far. Basically, the very poorly-maintained trail just did switchbacks back and forth, descending only a little bit each time, turning what should have taken an hour-long hike into a three-hour-long hike. It was maddening. Meanwhile, it's just getting hotter on the desert floor that I need to cross!

Anyway, I finally made it and it is weird to think that less than 24 hours ago I was at 10,800' and now I'm at 1,188' while resting underneath Interstate 10. I'm hoping to do only about 5 more miles today and then give the knees a break from all that descending.

By the way, I passed the 200 mile mark about five miles ago. :)

San Jacinto Summit!

Proof that I made it. :)

Descent

It's hard to believe that I was all the way up at the top of that this morning! Except my legs are feeling it.

San Jacinto Summit!

Proof that I made it. :)

Day 16

Today was a day of extremes. I woke up at about 8500' and promptly began my ascent to the summit of Mt San Jacinto. I got to the top at about 10:30 am and enjoyed a late breakfast while taking in the view. It was cold up there at 10,800' so I kept moving and wore my fleece.

After that, it was a descent as quickly as possible to get as close to the desert floor nearly 10,000' below. I'm done for the night and only made it to about 4500'. Tomorrow morning will be an early one to try to finish the descent and get across the desert before it hits triple digits!

Camp at 8,486'

Tuesday afternoon, I wrapped things up in Idyllwild and headed back to the trail, still frustrated about my lost bounce box. I got a ride from a local named David the four miles back to the Devil's Slide Trailhead. On Sunday, going downhill, the only thing I could think about was how tough a climb it would be on my way back up. But after a nice 1.5 day recovery, my legs were feeling great and the trail wasn't nearly as diabolical as I was expecting! I made it back to Saddle Junction and beyond and made camp before it got completely dark (before 9 pm). It's a bit windy up here but hopefully it stays under control. Tomorrow morning I'm planning to head to the summit of Mt San Jacinto at about 10,800'. I figure it will be good training for my later attempt of Mt Whitney. Assuming I make it to the top, then I'll continue on the PCT toward San Gorgonio Pass, which at 1,188' is the lowest point on the trail until I cross the Columbia River on the Oregon-Washington border. Then, it will be on to Big Bear City in the San Bernadino Mtns by Saturday night hopefully.

Hike On!

Home Sweet Idyllwild

This has been my cozy mountain cottage for the past two days. The regular rooms were full so they gave me a discounted rate in addition to the usual PCT hiker rate. I definitely liked the cabin and it was a good place to recover for a couple days, but otherwise this stop has been a disappointment, mainly because of my bounce box never making it here. I'm planning to leave this afternoon/evening anyway, and have the PO forward it along somewhere down the road if it shows up.

Bounce Box

Thru hikers of the PCT usually try to hike with a pack that is as light as possible. To help make that happen, we use something called a "bounce box". Basically, we throw a bunch of supplies in it that we don't think we'll need until our next resupply point. I had sent one from Warner Springs last Thursday to be picked up in Idyllwild when I got here. However, it is Tuesday and it still hasn't showed up. This not only causes me issues of a practical nature (my tent stakes were in there as was a rain cover for my pack), but I'm most disappointed in the fact that, in an effort to go as lightly as possible, I put my still camera in there too (I still have my digital camcorder) and I'm afraid it might be lost.

I hate the Postal Service.

Now I'm just trying to figure out how to proceed.

PS - There was a 5.0 earthquake around LA two nights ago that I felt. Wasn't strong, but just enough to make you feel small.

Two Week Update

In some ways, it feels like I've been on the trail for much longer than 2 weeks.  And yet, I can't believe it's already been two weeks.  Just a few days ago it feels as if I was trudging up and out of Hauser Canyon, just trying to make it to Morena Lake for my first night's camp.  Yet that was 160 miles, at least a dozen blisters, three lost toenails, 30,000+ feet of total ascent, two pairs of shoes, and at least five rolls of duct tape ago.  I've had days of hiking that I've felt relatively good and hiked 27 miles.  I've also had days where I covered only five days and that were so full of pain that I didn't even know if I'd make it this far!
 
Tonight I'm staying in Idyllwild, California--180.2 miles from the start.  It is the second night here for a planned recovery.  I'm here a few days after originally planned, but right now I'm just happy to be here after sweating it out in the desert for days.  In the next couple of days I'll be back in the desert for more hot work and then on to Big Bear City where I'll take another slow day.  My departure from here depends on the arrival of my "bounce box" from Warner Springs.  I mailed it from there when I was there on Thursday and it still hadn't arrived to Idyllwild today, which was a disappointment because I was planning to leave first thing tomorrow.  Perhaps this just means I should take another day here, but I'd like to get going.
 
I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting on the trail, but so far I'd say it has been harder than I thought it would be.  That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed it, but it has definitely not been without pain either.  All along I've said that if I can make it to the 500-mile mark, I'd be able to make it the whole way.  We'll see if that proves to be true.  What I do know is that this particular section in Southern California is tough, very tough, even by PCT veteran standards.  This is where the hiker works out the kinks, trying to get the lightest pack possible while hauling just enough water to make it to the next water source.  Throughout this whole section the body is adapting to walking absurdly long stretches.
 
There have been a number of stories that I'd like to share with you, but I have time constraints at this particular computer at the coffee shop that I'm in.  (It automatically kicks me off after 30 minutes.)  I've been jotting down notes when I can, although it is rare since oftentimes I'm too exhausted to do much of anything after making camp.  In fact, during my first week, I fell asleep with a can of soup in one hand and a can opener in another!  But what I have been doing regularly is making digital video recordings at various points along the trail, trying to document everything from tough climbs, to messed up feet, to encounters with rattlesnakes.  If I had the ability, I would post this stuff to YouTube so that y'all could watch.  Perhaps I'll get around to it later in the summer, but for now I'm just happy when I have wireless email access!
 
So anyway, thanks for the continued support from everyone.  It has been remarkable.  And throughout the ups and downs of this first two week stretch, I've never really considered quitting.  I've been inspired by contacts from strangers, friends, and family alike, encouraging me along the way.  Some folks who have contacted me are currently going through their own battles with cancer, and it reminds me of what it was like for me a few years ago when this hike was the farthest thing from my mind.  Others who keep encouraging me are those who have been supportive of me from the beginning of my own battle with cancer. 
 
So thanks to you all.  I've got another 2,478 miles to go and about $21,000 more to raise, but with all of you out there supporting me and continuing to spread the word, I know we can get it done.
 
Gotta log off, I'll provide more updates as often as I can.  Hope you enjoyed the flurry of them today!

Nearly the Best View of the Day

This sign marked my official arrival at Saddle Junction. At about 8100', it was about 400' lower than my highest elevation yesterday and about 2100' higher than where I began on Fobes Saddle.

The hike down Devil's Slide dropped about 1600' in 2.5 miles. I need to climb that to get back to the PCT...yikes!

Lingering Snow

Snow patches like this were normal when above 8000 feet. This is the only one that actually covered the entire trail. I sat in one for a little bit to help my body cool off. It felt great!

Mt. San Jacinto

This is an unobscured view of Mt. San Jacinto after my last climb. It is more than 10,000 feet at the summit. I'm debating trying to take a day to make a summit attempt.

Behemoths

Huge rock formations like this one were the norm throughout the San Jacinto Wilderness.

Post Lunch Work

This was the last major climb of the day for me. I had to go from left to right and around the mountain. It never seemed to end!

Lunch View

This was the view from where I ate lunch yesterday. I'm at 7500 feet in this photo.

Steep Trail

Here's an example of how steep the trail was in some parts of the higher elevations of the San Jacintos. This went on for miles.

Yesterday (Day 13), I started out at Fobes Saddle (around 6000 feet) and reached 7000 feet on Spitler Peak in about a mile. My lungs felt like they were burning up but the views were totally worth it!

7000 Feet

The views from the San Jacinto Mountains became progressively more amazing. I'd take a photo, then turn the corner and...boom!...there was another even more amazing view.

This one is from about 7000 feet and came after burning legs and lungs (that continued). The entire trail from Fobes Saddle to Saddle Junction--about 13 miles--was easily the most difficult terrain I've encountered yet. Very steep climbs and descents for at least 5 miles of those 13.

Gnarly Tree Trunk

This was near sunset, about 6000 feet up.

They Grow 'em Big Out West

The trail was dotted with thousands of these huge pine cones throughout the San Jacinto Wilderness. Luckily, I wasn't struck by any falling tree debris!

San Jacinto Wilderness, Day 12

After my breakfast burrito and Jose Burger, I was ready to tackle the San Jacinto Wilderness...or so I thought.

I was hoping to make it to Fobes Saddle that night, with Saddle Junction the real target the next day to get to Idyllwild via the Devil's Slide Trail.

PCT Ridge

This is a small unnamed ridge a couple miles before the Pines-to-Palms Highway (Hwy 74, where Paradise Corner Cafe is located). This is really the first time the Pacific Crest Trail has actually lived up to its name. The trail followed the top of this ridge with a hundred-foot drop on either side.

Prickly Pear Close-Up

Seen during my morning hike on Day 12 near Coyote Canyon Road. I hiked 13 miles that day and made it to the Paradise Corner Cafe in time for breakfast. I proceeded to eat a breakfast burrito and a Jose Burger (what they are known for) in the same sitting. Also saw a CHP patrolman nail at least six different cars for speeding in the nearby speed trap. Also met up with other hikers Don, Stitch, Mike, and Peter here.

Desert Hiking

In case you were wondering if I was really hiking through desert-like conditions, I offer you this photo for your viewing pleasure. Seen in the evening of Day 11, this is the first barrel cactus I've seen on the trail.

Trail Angel Mike's place

I hung out here during the heat of the day before tackling the last bit of San Diego County. I crossed into Riverside County that evening. It's probably one of the longest periods of time for a San Diego nonresident stayed in the county and didn't make it to the beach!

Silverfoot

(This should have posted earlier.) Sporting my duct tape kicks at Barrel Spring, about 10 miles before Warner Springs.

Day 11 - Midday Oasis

I put in about 10 miles this morning (Friday) and I'm definitely pumped about my feet not hurting as much!

The weather continues to be beautiful and the breeze helps a LOT with the heat, which is still eager to show you it can kick your butt, even at 5200 feet. So when I came to a home out in the middle of nowhere that is well-known in the PCT hiker community as the home of Trail Angel Mike, I had to stop. He provides water and a shady place to hang out whenever a hiker needs it. Pretty cool!

So now my plan is to put in another 15 miles today (fingers crossed) and then another 25 tomorrow. If I can do that, then I'll have about 10 miles to get to the junction to Idyllwild. It'd be really nice to get there midday Sunday so that I could clean up/do laundry before bed, leaving Monday to do nothing but rest my body and feet.

But about 51 miles lie between me and Idyllwild at the moment, so I can't get too excited yet...lots of work to be done.

Marsh Crossing

Hikers had to navigate this marsh created by Agua Caliente Creek soon after Warner Springs on Day 10. You had to delicately navigate your way across on an old 2x6 board and a few rocks. I didn't fall in, in case you were wondering.

Day 10

I don't think this will post today because the network around here only supports phone calls and no data it seems.

But I thought I should offer up an entry so that when I have sufficient coverage it will post.

I'm not sure yet, but I think today may have been my breakthrough day. Everything up to this point has been hot, slow, and most importantly, painful! But today I picked up my resupply package (thanks Mom!) in Warner Springs which included my trusty old asics running shoes. I'm not sure why I even tried anything different! Yesterday I hiked 25 miles in my horrendous duct tape sandal/shoe monstrosities just so that I could wander down the road to pick up my box at the post office without walking very far. And it was totally worth it! In the afternoon/evening, I hiked another 9 or 10 miles in surprising comfort, even with all my current blisters!

So here I am about 9 miles past Warner Springs, which means I'm right at 120 miles total so far, or $1200 raised...not bad! Considering my painful start, the fact that I'm only 3 days behind my original schedule is miraculous! Hopefully things will continue to improve.

Agrarian View

The trail wandered through a few horse pastures like this between Barrel Spring and Warner Springs.

I hiked this section in the evening and it was dark by the time I got to Warner Springs.

I was so excited about Warner Springs because my new shoes were waiting for me there. No more duct tape shoes!

100 Miles!

This is me celebrating my 100th mile at Barrel Spring. I had just achieved the milestone about a mile before. In case you couldn't tell, I'm exhausted.

Rattler!

This is the biggest rattlesnake I've seen on the trail thus far, a few miles away from Barrel Spring on Day 9.

I actually have video of this guy too!

And then there's this...

This is a "Lead Weight Cache" placed by a PCT practical jokester about 100 yards after the water cache in the previous photo. It advises the hiker to "Take only what you need" and it actually had lead weights inside. You definitely need a sense of humor on the PCT!

Water Cache

This is one of the best things a hiker can see on the trail, especially in the dry Southern California region. This one was found in the San Felipe Hills about 10 miles from Barrel Spring.

Prickly Pear, anyone?

These have been abundant so far on the trail.