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.