It was a cold rainy night but I stayed warm and dry enough for the most part. Fortunately when nature called in the middle of the night it was only lightly raining. I packed up my wet tent and slightly damp sleeping bag and started the day.
Literally the first thing I had to done was cross another creek. I had 2 options as there was no way to cross it and keep my feet dry: 1) with shoes on resulting in wet shoes for the next few hours or 2) barefoot. As I could see the sandy bottom of the creek i decided to cross barefoot. The water was not warm… by the time I got to the other side, dried my feet off, got my socks and ankle brace on my toes were numb. The great part was that as soon as they were staring to warm up I had to do the same thing all over again. Yay!
The first few miles had some tricky damaged sections an lots of prickly wet and cold grown over sections that really helped lighten my mood.
6 miles in I reached the junction to Cedar Glen and debated for a good 5 minutes if I wanted to go into town or just carry on. In the end I made the decision to just keep going down trail. The sun started to finally shine, the trail conditions improved and I started making some quick miles.
From Cedar Glen the trail follows the ridge along Deep Creek. I passed the 300 mile marker and celebrated even though I didn’t walk all of the last 100 miles I’m proud that I have made it this far!
Around 1300 I found a place to eat lucnch and dry out my tent. Finally after 48 hours of not seeing any other PCT hikers, Diva rounded the corner! I met Diva a number of nights ago at Nitzy’s place. He had slept 2000ish feet higher in elevation last night and got 4 inches of snow. I was glad I had pushed the extra miles to get to lower elevation. He also sated skipping mission creek because of my ankle was a wise decision.
Finally I came to a 10 ft wide “seasonal stream” that I couldn’t see the bottom of. So now it was time to get both my feet and boots wet. Most thruhikers wear trail runners because they dry fast after stream crossings but I have yet to find a pair that works for me. My shoes are not waterproof so they will dry in a somewhat reasonable time But not as fast. Fortunately this water was not as cold as this morning and the sun is out so hopefully they dry out.
This was the only hot pool I could take a photo of…
The PCT crosses Deep Creek Hot Springs which for most is a great place to rest and soak away some of your pain. It’s a clothing optional kinda place and there were lots of day hikers and non pct people camping and exercising the clothing optional option here. The vibe really seemed off to me and it was getting late in the afternoon so I didn’t stay long.
I finished my day much how i started camped Next to creek that I’ll have to cross in the morning. But I had cell service for the last 2 miles and got to catch up with Mel back home. It was a long day but my ankle held up well with the 21 miles I pushed.
It was a cold start to the morning but I don’t think it actually got below freezing last night. I was plenty warm in my sleeping bag other than my feet. Some of the extra weight I am carrying is because i have a -10 degree sleeping bag. It has proven worth the weight on more than one night so far.
The goal today was to get to lower elevation so that what ever precipitation I have to deal with will be rain rather than wet snow. The second goal was to do that before it started raining. Both of which I achieved.
My ankle felt good all day despite not “taking it easy” with a 17.4 mile day. I made sure to take lots of breaks and the trail for the most part was easy going and not overly rocky. My left calf is actually causing me more issues than my ankle at this point.
I didn’t see any other PCT hikers today. Based on what I see in the Facebook groups it looks like most of them in the area are taking refuge in towns to avoid tonight’s storm. Considering the temperature, the wind and the rain they are probably the smart ones.
I did come across 2 small groups of day hikers and a family out on dirt bikes and 4 wheeler. They were kind enough to give me a drink and a snack as I answered all their questions about the PCT.
Other than that the trail was quite monotunous today. I had to ford across a freezing cold river and will have to do so twice more tomorrow. I decided to take my shoes etc off to keep everything dry.
I got to a campsite around 1600 hrs just as the sky was beginning to darken and made the wise decision to start setting up camp. As a result I’ll be dry… at least until I need to pee.
In 6.1 miles I can decide to go into the town of Cedar Glen. I wasn’t planning on this side quest but the high tomorrow is 5 degrees. So maybe i will.
PCT Day 20 – Banning to Big Bear (266.1) to PCT Mile 275
April 24, 2025
Total PCT miles: 8.9
Non PCT miles: 0
Total: 8.9 miles / 14.3 km
Total elevation gain: 1378
Total elevation loss: 961
Steps: 26573
I slept well enough last night which surprised me because I was nervous, apprehensive and excited to return to the trail. I packed up all my things and enjoyed a hot breakfast. The food at Nitzy’s has been amazing and is one of the many things I’ll miss. Knowing if things don’t go well on the trail Nitzy would gladly take me back while Ingot myself sorted out was reassuring.
I had debated staying longer but the next bus to Big Bear is Monday and I am doubtful my ankle will feel any better then than it does now. Also the longer i stay the harder it will be to leave. I said goodbye to Nitsy and was on my way to the bus station to start the next leg of this journey.
The bus ride to Big Bear was uneventful other than watching someone smoke crack at the San Bernardino Transit Station and the lady who decided she wanted to vocalize everything she saw and thought as we drove up the mountain. I arrived in Big Bear around 1230, had McDonalds and caught an Uber to the trail head. The skipped section that includes Mission Creek was 54.5 miles.
At 1400 I was back on the PCT. Regardless of what happens I’m proud that I made it back on trail. I’m sure this won’t be my only set back along this journey but at least I won’t be finishing at the same spot with the same damned injury. I’m content with the fact that I’ll most likely never have to hike in the San Jacinto wilderness ever again.
I did my best to keep a reasonable pace taking short rests every 2 miles. The ankle brace is great but it does cause some irritation. I’ll have to keep a close eye on it so I don’t develop blistered. I think the most frustrating thing is I have to pay very close attention to where I’m stepping which means staring at my feet and the ground rather than the nature around me. The first 1/2 of the trail today was a lot rockier than I had hoped but the second half was much nicer.
In total for the afternoon I walked 8.9 miles and am now camping alone. In fact I didn’t see another hiker on trail all afternoon. It’s going to hit freezing tonight so I’m sleeping with my water filter. There is weather moving in over night tomorrow so the goal is to get lower in elevation so it’s rain and not snow.
Group of thru-hikers at Nitzy’s Reset Ranch on my last night there.
PCT Day 15 to 19 – Injury time.
April 19 – 23, 2025
Total PCT miles: 0
Non PCT miles: 0
Total: 0 miles / 0 km
Total elevation gain: 0
Total elevation loss: 0
Steps: 0
It don’t look good….
I woke up around midnight feeling pain and stiffness in my right ankle. I tried to pretend it wasn’t there, to distract myself from the anxiety starting to fill my mind. Eventually I had to look and see just how bad the damage was. I grabbed my headlamp took of my sleeping socks, my heart sank and my eyes began to water.
My ankle was swollen and not just a little bit. There appeared to be some bruising but it was hard to tell in the light and it hurt. My ankle was sprained and I was again facing the possibility of leaving the trail at the exact same place I did in 2018. Well at least I had hiked 2 miles further than I had in 2018 and seen a small section I had skipped due to that injury.
I had promised myself one thing when I started the trail this time. I would not rush into decisions about staying or leaving the trail unless leaving was an obvious choice. So I layed in my tent alone save for the random car that had pulled in hours ago, the occupant probably sleeping in the back, trying not to make rushed or rash decisions.
I won’t lie I did look up how much it would cost to fly back home from Palm Springs while exploring options of places to stay in the area. Unable to quiet my mind I got no sleep the rest of the night and as the sky began to lighten I started packing up my home in preparation of the 2 mile hike south bound to the I-10.
It was a slow and painful walk. I tried not to scream at the world but at times I could not hold back the tears. I passed two hikers who I had seen the previous day. I told them that I knew I was going the wrong way but must have looked like hell because they seemed genuinely concerned. I called Mel and failed at putting on a brave face.
Once it was a reasonable time I reached out to Nitsy, a trail angle who runs a small hiker hostel nearby asking if she had space for an injured hiker. I will be forever grateful that she did. A few hours later I was picked up by Mission. She hiked the PCT last year and had stayed at Nitzy’s Reset Ranch. This year she had taken a week off work and was helping Nitzy. As I’m sure one could imagine taking care of PCT hikers by hosting them at your house every night is an exhausting affair. Nitzy had planned to take this week off to recharge herself but with Mission’s help stayed open. I’m eternally grateful for this. Had I had to stay in a hotel by myself while I recovered I’m not sure I would have ever found my way back to the trail.
Urgent care clinic in Beaumont CA
Along with several other hikers we went to In and Out Burger, a popular stop for thru hikers in the area. I was then dropped off at an urgent care clinic. Now personally I didn’t think I had broken it and had I been back home I likely would have skipped this part. But considering I was in theory planning on walking another 2400 ish miles on this ankle I needed to know for sure nothing was broken. If there was a fracture I’d be going home.
I found it amusing that when I arrived at the clinic staff advised me, almost apologetically, it would take up to 2 hours to see a doctor. With the same injury back home I’m sure I’d wait much much longer. 300 USD later I’d seen the doctor, had an x-ray and was ready to go with no fracture found. I texted Mission who picked me up now with 2 other hikers in the car and off to Walmart prior to going to Nitzy’s.
Nitzy’s Reset Ranch is more than an Oasis on the trail and has everything a weary or injured hiker needs to recover. For a reasonable price you get a place to sleep, shower, laundry, loaner clothes, and 2 meals a day. More importantly your not alone with your thoughts all day and night long.
By Wednesday my ankle was significantly less swollen and I was feeling much better. I debated leaving to Big Bear and getting back on trail but decided a few more days of recovery was probably the smart choice. The bus from Banning to Big Bear only runs three days a week (Mon-Wed-Fri) so Friday would be the day.
Shelf I built while at Nitzy’s.
Over the 6 days / 5 nights I spend at Nitzy’s I got to meet lots of hikers and kept myself busy helping out with chores. I even built a shelf Nitzy wanted out of a old piece of wood. It’s been nice being able to call home whenever I wanted and eat like a king. The food here has been nothing short of amazing and I’m sure I’ve gained some of the 10 lbs I lost over the previous two weeks.
New ankle brace.
I’m excited, concerned, stressed to be returning to trail tomorrow. I have a fancy new ankle brace that I’m reasonably confident will give my ankle the extra support it needs to hike all day (75/25). I’ll take lots of breaks and try to take it easy. Regardless of what happens I’m proud that I have hiked 210 miles of the PCT and I’m getting back on trail after the same injury (different leg) as 2018 took me off trail. Knowing my friends and family back home are cheering me on means a lot.
Nitzy (left) and Mission (Right) just before heading back on trail!
I’ll never be able to thank Nitzy and Mission enough for all their help.
Today was a long day. I had forgotten how painful the hike off San Jacinto mountain was. I woke up at a relatively reasonable time for a thru-hiker and was on the trail by 0630. The morning was cool and crisp making for perfect hiking weather. I was excited to pass interstate 10 where I ended my hike in 2018.
The day involved over 7000 feet of elevation loss and promised to be a long tough day. Unfortunately it did not all go completely to plan. I had two more instances of twisting my right ankle. The first time just 0.5 miles into my hike and the second time about half way through the day. Both with some short lasting pain, the second worse than the first causing me to fall to the ground. I was able to continue on the pain subsiding with no obvious swelling. I’m really starting to get concerned about if I will be able to complete this hike given this is now three times I have twisted it. I’m hoping that I get to Big Bear Lake without any more issues and can get an ankle brace.
As I descended San Jacinto the trees slowly turned into shrubs that got shorter and shorter removing all shade from the increasingly hot day. There were great views of the mountains on the other side of the valley that I’ll be climbing up over the next few days. The number and length of switch backs is a bit much. From where I camped last night to the road I’m sure is less than 1/2 the distance as the bird flys vs the switchbacks. I crossed paths multiple times with a 77 year old doing a section hike. I can only wish to be healthy enough to do the same at his age. We both crossed the 200 mile marker together but he slowed down and I continued on.
I was so happy when i got to the bottom of the mountain and there was amazing trail magic to be found. A1 and Shark, PCT hikers from last year were there serving burgers, cold drinks, and had all the things a thruhiker could want! They said they remembered how brutal this section was so they came out to make our experience better.
From there it’s a few miles to interstate 10 where I ended my hike last year. If it wasn’t Coachella weekend I probably would have found a hotel for a night or two to rest my ankle. But the cheapest one to be found was a two star hotel for 300 USD. I briefly debated camping under the I-10 but it would have been a miserable night sleep. So I’m nstead I took my first steps into the unknown onto trail I’ve never walked and new adventures.
If I’m being honest I still haven’t been able to answer if I’m here because I want to be or if it’s because I’ve been telling myself for so long I want to be. I’m hoping I figure this out soon. You would think that with all the time one has to think on the trail you could sort it out. But your so busy worries about basic necessities to address these types of concerns.
21.6 miles with 7009 ft of decent was a day. Tomorrow it’s going to be hot so it will be an early morning.
Looking back at Mt San JacintoRandom artOnward to areas ive never explored!!!!
