Days 8-12
April 18 - 22, 2021
Miles 77.3 - 151.8
I had a great rest in town yesterday and I felt fantastic waking up this morning after sleeping on a real mattress. We got a ride back to the trail from one of the Banner Ranch employees. Nine of us squeezed into a minivan, with all of our packs. We must have looked like a clown car when we all spilled out of it back at Scissors Crossing. With my feet back on the trail, I was excited and ready to go!
Despite my enthusiasm, today was incredibly tough. I had changed up my shoe and sock situation yesterday and I think I may have done too much too fast. I added the toe sock liners, but I didn't size up my shoes. My feet were cramped in my now too-tight shoes with an extra sock layer. I formed a new blister on my inner big toe, the complete opposite of my intention with the sock liners. I had also replaced my shoe insoles to something with more cushion. While I still think this was a good idea, my feet need some time to adjust to the change. They feel pretty sore.
In addition to the feet changes, I was carrying a lot of weight today with 6 days of food until my next resupply point. My pack was heavy and I struggled on the incline coming out of Scissors Crossing. It was hot with no mercy from the sun. I wasn't drinking enough water, but I didn't feel just how dehydrated I was until the end of the day.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just me who was having a rough day. Jackie scraped her knee up really good when she lost her footing and stepped slightly off trail and slid down the side of the mountain a little bit. And Lauren, who earned her trail name and now went by "Mango," got stung by a bee. I was walking several paces behind her when I saw her stop and start swatting at the air. I rushed over and she said she just got stung by a bee. I moved her ahead down the trail so that we could get away from the angry bees whose hive was just disturbed. The bee had stung her right by her eye. I pulled out the stinger. Ouch! The sting site by her eye was a little red and swollen and we watched for any change the rest of the day, but thankfully it didn't get worse.
We got to the "3rd Gate" water cache where we were going to camp for the night. This is the one water cache that can be relied upon along the trail. Volunteers regularly stock gallons of water here as this is a long stretch of trail with no natural water sources. When we arrived, Mango accidentally walked backwards into a cactus. I pulled out several cactus spines from her leg. It was a rough day for everyone.
To add to the challenges of the day, we got word that Montezuma Valley Market burned down to the ground yesterday. No one in our group was planning to go there, but it was a devastating blow to hear something so horrible happen to the trail community. We had heard about how the owners had put in a ton of work to make it a friendly and welcoming stop for the PCT hikers. While the building was ruined, no one was injured thankfully.
The following day went much smoother. I was getting more used to these early morning starts. I gave up cooking oats for a hot breakfast each morning and instead had been eating granola bars on the go. It was much faster and had been working well for me. I was also more incentivized to start early so that I can be witness to these spectacular sunrises. With little to obstruct the view, the rising sun seems to command the wide expansive sky of the desert.
Much of today was easy walking through gorgeous meadows and over low-lying hills. Two horseback riders passed me on the trail. I always love seeing horses, until I have to dodge the poo mounds they leave behind. The horses were a little unsure of my silver umbrella I was using as sun protection so I kept it shut while they walked by.
I collected water from Barrel Spring and enjoyed a short break in the shade. I met an older couple hiking together and talked to them for a bit. They were fellow flora and fauna fans. We talked about what we had seen on the trail so far and the overlaps in wildlife conservation work that we had done. They both knew so much, I felt like I could talk to them for hours.
Just past the spring at the road crossing, someone was doing some trail magic. I was so excited until I realized what it was: the surviving food from the Montezuma Valley Market. All the rest had been burned during the fire the other night. It was quite somber. We met some people who were there that night. Thank goodness no one was injured. I am still in shock that something so awful happened to a member of the trail community. I hope they are able to rebuild.
I made it to Eagle Rock. I was so awed by this rock formation's incredible resemblance to our national bird. It is not man made and is completely natural. I enjoyed getting to see this amazing rock formation that is sort of an island in a sea of grassy meadows. I dropped my sunglasses while I was taking photos and the frames cracked. Served me right for how much I actually wore those on my hat instead of on my face.
The campsite for tonight felt so different than what I spent the day hiking through. It was a flat clearing among big shady green trees and there was a small creek nearby. I sat there with Mango and Slice for a bit with our feet in the cool running water. My feet weren't as sore as yesterday and even though I have those blisters, they aren't bothering me at all. Quite a few people joined us at this campsite. It was a lot of fun having a big group of people. We all got to celebrate passing the 100 mile marker today. But I also got a little socially worn out and had to retreat to my tent early. That certainly was not something I was prepared to feel when I started hiking solo.
My day started very similarly to how most of yesterday went: flat through big grassy meadows. I passed the road to walk into Warner Springs. The community center, normally a hiker hub, was closed due to covid-19. They did have a hose outside where I filled up my water bottles. I did not send myself a resupply package here like a lot of other hikers do, so I continued hiking.
I took a short break at Agua Caliente creek where I got some water and enjoyed the shade of the trees. Despite its name, the creek was nice and cool. Then I began hiking up the incline. It was hot and exposed and I didn't feel so strong. My feet ached and I wanted to stop. When I reached the Lost Valley Spring I did. I found some scant shade and stayed there for almost 4 hours. At some point during that time, Mango and Slice arrived. I walked down the road with Slice to grab some water from the spring. It wasn't very good water. It was dirty and stagnant and I could see the mosquito larvae swimming around in my CNOC water bladder. I tried several time to collect water without mosquitos and failed each time. Can't be too picky when it comes to water out in the desert I suppose.
During our long siesta, we met another hiker who went by "Dirty Jobs." He earned that trail name due to his uncanny resemblance to Mike Rowe. It was really nice to hang out with Mango, Slice, and Dirty Jobs sitting in the shade rather than hiking through this heat. We still had some miles to do so I did eventually convince myself to start hiking again. A couple more miles uphill and then it flattened out.
The other day, I discovered that Mango and Slice were listening to The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson on audiobook. I love this book and the rest of its series; WoK is the first in the Stormlight Archive series. They're dense high fantasy novels. I decided to download it and listen along with them. We could have a little trail book club. I had struggled a bit with whether I should listen to books or music while hiking. Part of me wanted to enjoy the sounds and silences of the trail. The other part felt like I need some sort of distraction from these long days of hiking. I decided I could let myself listen to audiobooks and music, but only after the birds stopped singing in the morning. The mornings are for the birds.
The following morning was rough. A heavy mist covered the mountains. Hiking through it was cold and wet. I put on my warm layers and even my rain gear to try to cut the stiff wind. My hands were numb and I had trouble using my fingers. I tried to hike fast to stay warm, but I was still cold and pretty miserable. The weather got worse throughout the morning.
I stopped with Slice and Mango to get water from Mike’s Place. There were rumors of sexist attitudes and negative encounters for women at this place. I had debated whether I should even stop there or not. But the large water tank was well outside the house and we didn’t need to talk to anyone to just fill our bottles. I’m sure everything would have been fine and pleasant had we gone up to the house, but it was easier to just collect water and go.
Hiking was better the rest of the day. I hiked fast to warm up against the chill of the mist. It finally burned off in the afternoon and the day became warm, but thankfully not hot. I got to see 3 horny toads and was even able to catch one. I love these guys so much! They’re such cute grumpy little pancakes.
We took a break at Tule Spring, a small green oasis among this desert dryness. I got the chance to take my shoes and socks off and rest my feet for a bit. They’re very sore again and I am worried I made the wrong choice in switching insoles.
My period started today, which was a surprise. I only noticed when I took a pee and noticed my urine was tinged red. Normally, I get bad cramps the day before my period starts and have the heaviest flow on day one. But without the convenient, if not annoyingly painful, warning, and only light flow, I was caught unaware. I easily inserted my menstrual cup and continued hiking. At least I noticed early on before I bled into my underwear.
The campsite tonight was super windy! It was windy down in the canyon so we kept hiking thinking it would get better out of it. We were very wrong. The wind was intense and blew very fine sand into my tent. I hoped the wind would die down overnight and I would be able to shake my tent out in the morning. The side of the tent kept hitting my head throughout the night.
I felt really strong today! I woke up early and started hiking around 5:30. I got to Highway 74 at 9:30. 11.3 miles and ~1,800 ft in elevation gain in 4 hours! It felt great. Also, I passed the 150 mile marker. I started hiking west down the road towards the trail-famous Paradise Valley Café, but I barely took a few steps before a car drove up and offered to take me there. The driver was apparently an employee at PVC and throughout the day would check to see if there were any hikers who needed a lift. It was only a mile away, but I was very grateful for any opportunity to not have to walk along a road.
I picked up my package that I sent to myself here. It contained my microspikes and enough food to get to Idyllwild. I was pretty sure I wouldn't need the spikes on my shoes – there just isn’t enough snow now. But last year, there was a tragic accident in the section just ahead. A young hiker slipped off the snow and ice covered trail and fell to his death. The microspikes are so light that it would be silly to not carry them, just in case.
I sat at one of the tables and began charging my phone and battery bank. I gave the waitress my order of pancakes, hashbrowns, and a hot tea. Then I went to the restroom and employed hot running water and soap to clean away 4.5 days of trail sweat and dirt. Running water has become a luxury for me out here.
After I finished my breakfast, Slice, Mango, and Spaceman showed up and joined my table. We all ordered lunch. I got a salad, grilled cheese, fries, and a soda. It all tasted so good and I truly felt that I was in Paradise. We stayed all day at the café, hanging out, charging our electronic devices, and eating food. When it started to get dark, we split off and set up our tents. PVC graciously allowed hikers to camp out in the space behind the building.
I am excited and nervous for this upcoming section. I think it will be beautiful as I head into the San Jacinto mountains. Yet, this is also where "Microsoft" slipped on ice hidden underneath fresh snow and fell down the mountainside on March 27, 2020. He had just graduated college and was hiking the trail until he began his new job in the summer. This is a different year and I am passing through this point almost a month later than he was. But it still is sobering to think on this young, fit hiker who shared the same dream as me, and how he lost his life to the trail. Be careful out there friends.
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