Month: May 2017

Date: April 28, 2017
Miles: 206.8 – 226.1

“There’s one thing I’ve learned – if there are windmills, there’s gonna be bad tent weather.” ~ Strongback

I was really hoping I wouldn’t sweat today. I started out clean and shiny, and it only took the desert a couple hours to change that. The sun was out in full force by the time we started hiking. 

At about mile 213, we came up on the Mesa Wind Farm, where the employees were barbecuing hamburgers and hot dogs for PCT hikers. They said that they do that sometimes when they feel like it, and we were glad that they felt like it today!  Who doesn’t like second breakfast??

We eventually had to leave the oasis of barbecued meat and cold water to head back out into the heat, and in PCT style, we started climbing.  There were hikers hidden in just about every small patch of shade dotting the canyon we were in. 

 Along the way we confronted one of the moral dilemmas facing every long-distance hiker: do you cut a switchback and risk violating Leave No Trace principles and incurring the scorn of your fellow hikers or do you say screw it, I’ve had enough of this damn meandering trail and it’s unnecessary miles??  I will let you decide. 

The trail entered the San Gorgonio wilderness and the landscape started to change, particularly when we got closer to the Whitewater Preserve along Mission Creek. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stop there for lunch and get a little backcountry foot bath. 

We hiked until it started to get dark (still not sure about those mountain lions…) and then camped next to Mission Creek. The chorus of frogs and the sound of the river rushing by put me right to sleep. 

Dates: April 26 & 27, 2017
Miles: 0

“Is anyone else hungry?” ~ Me, several times a day

I’m not sure if John’s wife knew what it was going to mean to have five dirty, smelly, hungry hikers descend upon her house for two days, but she and her daughter graciously gave up their personal space, let us do laundry and cooked food for us. It was SO deeply appreciated.  Thank you Loyda and Sandy!!

While we were taking the time off, we did our resupply, ate food, mailed some things home, ate food, soaked in the jacuzzi, played with John’s pit bulls, and ate more food. I picked up a new tent at REI since the one I was using had so much unused space in it, even with me and all of my gear. I shaved nearly a pound off of my base weight in the process. Every ounce counts!

I also had time to get to know a hiker that we picked up in Cabazon, Lieutenant Dan (Roi Ben Shoham) from Israel. It was fascinating to hear about his time in the Israeli military, his perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his travels. He is in his twenties and has an appreciation for life that many of us don’t. 

We’ll be back on the trail bright and early Friday morning!

Date: April 25, 2017
Miles 193.6 – 206.8

At home, the windstorms usually die down sometime during the night and the next morning all is calm and it is safe for you to go fetch your garbage can or your front porch furniture from your neighbor’s yard. That was not the case this morning.  The wind was still threatening to turn our campsite into a yard sale so we got out of there as fast as we could and made our way down miles of ridges and switchbacks for approximately an eternity. 

Close to the end of our hike today was a large water tank that we could see for the first time from miles above it. That tank did not get any closer for hours, until suddenly we found ourselves practically on top of it. It felt like a Monty Python sketch. 

From there we walked another mile, and met the wife and daughter of our hiking buddy, Sock Changin’ John, who took us all to their house where we plan to stay for a couple days to resupply, rest up and hang out in the jacuzzi until we can no longer feel the muscles in our legs. 

But first we had to join the other truckloads of hikers that stopped at In & Out Burger in Cabazon. Of course.