Bushcamp to Bushcamp
41.2 miles (2.6 off trail miles)
Sobo mile 2500.8
Total mileage 5153.4
When my alarm buzzed me awake at 3am I cried a bit inside when I remembered I was totally out of water. That means no breakfast brew to kickstart my morning, bummer. I checked my map and found my next water source about 5 miles up the trail. I’d have to take the San Jacinto summit trail about .8 miles up to find water. Better get started…
Those five miles were pretty brutal. I could tell my body was dehydrated by the lethargy in my legs. When I reached the trail junction that led up to the spring I dropped my pack before making my way up. It was a happy moment for sure when I stumbled upon the half frozen spring. I sat there for a good 10 minutes trying to drink as much as possible, but kept getting brain freezes from the nearly freezing water.
Satisfied, I headed back down towards my pack just as the sunrise began to illuminate the valley below. Life was good again.
From there I entered into San Jacinto Wilderness, where the trail hugged the side of the mountain for pretty much the rest of the day.
Around 10am I passed two hikers named Z and David. It was nice chatting with them, as I hadn’t seen a hiker on trail in days.
As the day progressed I continued walking along ridge lines where the views just kept getting better.
Eventually the trail led me through a badly burned section. It always bums me out to see the damage these fires do to such incredible landscapes. I had to keep an eye out for Poodle Dog Bush, it was everywhere, but overall the trail was in solid shape.
I spent the afternoon jamming down the mountain dreaming of the feast I’d have once I reached Paradise Valley Cafe. I decided to skip the Idyllwild town visit. It was one of my favorite trail towns, and I had a friend I was hoping to see, but ultimately I just didn’t have time if I wanted to finish by Sunday.
As I continued to descend the forest slowly shifted into desert, and it got hot. Real hot.
Around 5pm I reached the road leading to the cafe, and after a mile road walk I’d arrived! I took a seat at the bar and ordered a plate of nachos and a double IPA by Mission Brewing.
I also flipped through the hiker log they keep there, and found my entry from months back. If you’re having trouble spotting it, keep in mind I hadn’t received my trail name yet…
Once I’d finished my appetizer I took a breather to grab the resupply box Paige had left there. I organized my food for the last 150 miles of trail before heading back inside to order my main course. I went with the chicken fried steak, with sautéed veggies and French fries.
It was alright, but in hindsight I should have gotten the burger. Oh well…Totally stuffed, I paid my bill and headed out back to find some flat ground to pitch my tent. I wish I’d just hiked back to the trail, because the cars speeding by on the nearby road kept me up pretty much all night. Rookie move, I’ve been doing this for seven months and still make mistakes. Such is life…
Cheers!
Hi Austin, It’s Lorna, Erik and Karl’s mom, remember me?
I was just in Idyllwild, the quaint mountain town on Saturday, most likely the day you were hiking nearby. I was there with a bunch of other female motorcycle riders for something called “Babes Ride Out”, camping in Joshua Tree Campground for 3 nights. We had ridden to Big Bear on Friday and up to Lake Arrowhead which may also be about where you were the same time. Interesting,
I saw the signs for the PCT, something I’ve always wanted to do, at least in part.
Erik told me about this blog of yours, so I’ll follow you also.
How many people your mom’s age do you see on the trail? Is it common?
Be safe. Lorna
Crazy miles. I see stretches name in the log as well. But if I remember you didn’t start hiking together until after that?
We’d been hiking together for a few days at that point. We met at Warner Springs.