Woke up with a significant amount of condensation on my tent which surprised me. It probably shouldn’t have but it did none the less. The first few miles to the water cache was relatively easy. Thank god for this well stocked and reliable water cache. The water carry from McDonalds would have been way to much. Our little group stopped here for breakfast and to fill up for the next stretch. After the cache it is more than 15 miles to the next water source and 6000 ft ish of elevation gain. I made the decision to carry 6 liters of water and am I ever glad I did.
Shortly after the cache there was a trail register. These are neat because you can see who is ahead of you and by how much.
The sun was out in force the entire day with no clouds and very little wind. It was only in the low 20s Celsius but it felt much much hotter. I deployed my sun umbrella but it did little to help with the heat.The uphill climb was gradual but relentless with little shade to be found. What made it even worse was that it basically was the same view of the same canyon all day long. At some point we passed the 350 mile mark which means we are now 1/2 way done the desert section of the PCT!!!!!
Out group split into two both with plans to camp at different locations. Myself and Ness had a more ambitious goal to put us closer to Wrightwood where our next resupply and zero day is.
We found the tiniest bit of shade for lunch and carried on. Shortly before 1600 my body decided it had enough. I felt dizzy and nauseated. Was it the heat, the elevation, the 800 mg of caffeine I had drank today from these most delicious electrolyte powders I found in a hiker box I’m not sure I’ll ever know. But I did something I rarely do and stopped, told Ness and took a break. We formulated a new plan and decided to camp nearby about 3 miles short of our goal. It’s not a nice camp spot and it’s very rocky. I lost my ground sheet so I’m using rain gear underneath my air mattress to protect it.
After some rest, lots of water (thank god I packed out 6 liters) and some food I am feeling better. 10 miles to walk tomorrow to we get to the access point for Wrightwood!
This was basically the view all dayLittle lizard dude sitting on top of a post
PCT Day 24 – Silverwood Lake Campground to PCT mile 343.6
April 28, 2025
Total PCT miles: 14.8
Non PCT miles: 1.7
Total: 16.5 miles / 26.6 km
Total elevation gain: 2257 ft
Total elevation loss: 2677 ft
Steps: 37507
Woke up this morning to a significant amount of condensation on my tent. Probably cause = camping near a lake with cold temperatures. One of the great things about this campsite was access to flush toilets and nice hot water. There were showers but you needed may dollars of quarters to make them work and I had only two. The full 5G cell service was also nice. It was great to wake up with people to talk with after being alone the last few nights.
I hiked with my new friends for a few miles until they stopped for breakfast and I continued on my way with plans to meet up at McDonalds at Cajon Pass. This McDonalds is a must stop on the PCT as it’s only 0.4 miles off trail!
The morning hike was easy enough but there were significant lengths that was slanted down to the right which was painful on my injured ankle. Going down into Cajon Pass was absolutely breath taking with incredibly views of the mountains range I’ll be climbing the next few days. It’s really quite amazing how quickly the landscape changes from large trees to shrubs to meadows and canyons.
The sight of the Golden Arches was an incredible thing to behold. The short walk off trail is on old Route 66 which I guess has been replaced by a very busy interstate next to very busy rail lines. There are a few plaques and signs that I didn’t read which likely tells some of the history about the area.
Entering McDonalds I found 5 other thru hikers enjoying their meals. 2 of which I had previous met. I didn’t eat as much as I anticipated likely due to the pizza last night. There is an unoffical PCT challenge here – basically resupply completely from the McDonald’s and see how many days you can go just eating from that resupply. I elected to not partake partially because I started feeling nauseated (later resolved-probably too much real food and sugar too fast).
Today is Mel’s birthday and I ordered flowers to be delivered to our place. Really wish I could have been home and not 3751 kms away as the bird flys. She called me at the McDonald’s after she got home and found the surprise!
About an hour after I arrived the 3 people I was hiking with showed up. In the end I spend about 3 hours sitting in the McDonald’s. Certainly a record for me. I left with Ness and plans to camp with Sage and Pinecone at a campsite 2.7 miles away.
The short trek to the campsite for the night passed under the highway which was quite creepy. The trail then passes along where the trains come by. These are really busy rail lines – we even needed to wait for 5 mins to cross the tracks before continuing on the PCT.
Set up camp all 4 of us with Durston tens (3 x domes and 1 x-mid.) and were later joined by a 5th hiker.
The next section involves a pretty significant water carry up 5000 ft of elevation. The next water source is 3 miles (a water cache) then 15 miles after that. Should be… fun?
Two packs are better than one.Flowers on the side of the road
PCT Day 23 – PCT Mile 313.4 to Silverwood Lake Campground
April 26, 2025
Total PCT miles: 15.4
Non PCT miles: 1
Total: 16.4 miles / 26.4 km
Total elevation gain: 2631
Total elevation loss: 2156
Steps: 39228
I thought I slept well last night but I must not have because I felt sluggish all day. Maybe the big miles the last two days are catching up with me or maybe I need to eat more. I packed up my tent and immediately had to cross Deep Creek. Because I thought I could see the bottom all the way and it didn’t look too deep I went bare foot to keep my shoes dry for the day. By about 1/2 way through I realized it was much deeper than I thought and eventually was waist deep in the cold water. Well I needed a shower anyways and I guess this kinda counts…
It was deeper than it looked.
The weather remained cool and partially cloudy. Optimal hiking weather! I crossed paths with a hiker from New Zealand several times through the day. We both remarked how empty the trail has felt. I really feel this year will be known for its social isolation.
The trail goes around Lake Silverwood which is manmade and used to generate power and likely a reservoir. Before going up to the lake you pass maintenance facilities and a giant spillway and some road walking. The walk around the lake was beautiful. Had it been warmer I definitely would have gone for a swim. There was a short walk through an area that had been recently burned which had its own strange beauty to it.
Based on comments I had read on Far Out (app used by thru hikers) I had decided to camp at the Silverwood Lake Campground because you can use Uber Eats at this location and pizza sounded like an amazing idea. My new friend from New Zealand and two of her hiking friends joined in the adventure. It was nice to be with people tonight after being pretty much alone for the last three nights.
On the way to the campsite we were harassed by 5 stray dogs. Apparently they have been causing a lot of issues for various hikers because the Far Out guide has lots of comments about them.
Thankfully the trail wasn’t very challenging today because all day I was feeling quite tired. I think I’m going to need to slow my pace a little or I’ll end up in the Sierras way too early. The next big challenge is Mount Baden Powell that has a significant amount of snow on its peak and there is no way to bypass it. It’s warming up over the next few days so hopefully the conditions change.
The company tonight was great and the pizza really hit the spot.
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.
