Pacific Crest Trail 2022

Miles : 0   Photo : Peacing out for a little while   I thought that after two zero days I’d feel confident enough to continue hiking but this morning my feet said “we’re still not ready!”. I decided that instead of spending more zero days in Wrightwood that I’d call in the support and have my Dad pick me up and take me off trail once again.    Doing two 27+ mile days nearly back to back was a huge mistake in retrospect. I should’ve just stuck to my goal of doing 16-20 mile days. It was working out so well for me! I’m just gonna take this as another difficult lesson to not test the limits of my body in such a haphazard way. Think like the tortoise, not the hare.    Gonna rest up for a few days now. Hopefully see a podiatrist, in an attempt to get some custom insoles. Thinking I’ll get back on trail next weekend (or slightly before). Not sure if I’ll go back to where I left off, skip ahead just a little bit, or go straight to the Sierras. I’d of course do an y miles I missed later in the

Miles : 0   Photo : Walking Down From Wrightwood I tried walking this morning and my feet still felt a bit funky so I thought another zero would be a good idea. My mind wants to keep going on to crank out big miles, but I need to listen to what my body tells me. I also figured the next town that will be worthwhile to zero in won’t be until Tehachapi (200 miles from here) so I might as well take advantage of the good rest now while I can. It wasn’t another day of just kicking up my feet and resting. I tried to be a bit more active, alive, and present. First was a gear shakedown with a group of friends I had met briefly back at the I-10 near Cabazon (Spider-Man, Ryan, and Kitchen Sink). For those who don’t know, a gear shakedown is going through your entire backpack to evaluate every p iece of gear within it to see if you can justify why you carry it. If it’s not needed, it’s thrown away, given away, or shipped away. The shakedown was for the appropriately named Kitchen Sink. It was us j

Miles : 0 Photo : Reflecting on a bridge Since yesterday was a large day for me I decided another zero was needed. I will save 27+ mile days for later in the hike going forward. I also felt like I needed a day where I didn’t almost absolutely nothing. Usually, a zero also means I’m doing chores around town and preparing stuff for the next stretch. Since I did all of the busywork two days ago, it meant today was just about doing nothing. It's what I’ve been wanting since Big Bear so I’m glad it finally happened. When I got back on trail at the beginning of the month, I was kinda trying to get rid of my trail name “Captain Leisure”. I didn't think it truly reflected who I was and what I did on trail. I got it during day 3 of my hike when Shakespeare said it on a whim, and I accepted it. Since then, I didn’t have a good reason to believe that I was the captain of leisure. The justification just wasn’t there.  I reflected on all of this yesterday during my hike and I ended up reinv

Miles : 369.3 - 341.9 (SOBO) Photo : Tracks Before Cajon Pass Woke up, feet felt okay to hike, so I decided today was the day to go all the way from Wrightwood back to Cajon Pass. I slackpacked it down the mountain which made for 11.5 hours of leisurely hiking. I turned the brutal sun-exposed, 7,000 ft elevation gain, 17.4 mile water carry hike into a walk in the park. My best routing on trail yet! During my descent, I got to see all the friends I’ve met over the last week who were either slightly ahead of me, or slightly behind me. It was fun seeing everyone’s reaction to what I was doing. It ranged from happiness to friendly envy, to just pure amazement. I knew I had something special going on when people were telling me things like “enjoy your walk” (instead of hike), “wooooooow!”, and “fuck you, you smart bastard” . Made me feel like I was legitimately cheating on the trail, but hey hike your own hike ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I ended the day again with the celebratory McDonald’s. Didn’t hit nearl

Miles : 0 Photo : Escaping the Piping Hot Sun Decided to take a zero today to avoid the risk of an overuse injury. I realized that I overdid it a little bit yesterday and my body told me to rest so I did. I checked out at the last minute at my hotel and skipped ahead by getting a ride up to Wrightwood, the next trail town I was going to run into in another 1.5 days or so. I rested for a few hours, did the usual town errands to get them out of the way, and then continued to relax. The difficult part about getting from Cajon Pass to Wrightwood is that it is all uphill, in the heat, with a long water carry to boot. My thought was why not take a zero (or two) now, then slackpack it down the mountain back into Cajon when I’m feeling ready to hike again. Avoiding the difficult uphill battle while also carrying only food, water, and the essentials. I’ll take all the easy miles I can get so I think it's going to be the right move for me. We’ll see when I get out there again!

Miles : 314.6 - 341.9 Photos : PCT x McDonalds Sign + Certified Hiker Trash What a crazy day! I woke up intending to just do a decent amount of hiking and then camping a few miles before the famous Cajon Pass which has a McDonald’s right off-trail. Once I got the first water source of the day I realized that I could challenge myself to get to the McDonald’s today and have it for dinner tonight. Since I had one of the latest starts I’ve had while on the trail (7:45 AM) and compounded with the fact that the McDonald’s closes at 8:00 PM, it meant that I would need to hike 27.3 miles in less than 12 hours. My feet felt up to it, I was determined, so I went for it!  It was easily one of the hardest days on trail. Since I had a late start and took two significant breaks (2 hours at Silverwood Lake, and another hour or so at Cleghorn Picnic Area up the trail), it meant that I had to keep an extremely fast pace all day. I don’t usually keep track of my pace, but today felt special so I recorde

Miles : 293.2 - 314.6 Photo : Posted Up at Deep Creek Hot Springs Once again a great day for hiking. No long water carries, the sun wasn’t exceedingly hot, and the terrain was fairly mellow. The miles came easy. There were two main goals today; keep up a good enough pace to have enough time to relax at the hot springs, and afterward make it in time to order pizza at the Joshua Tree Inn. Thankfully I was able to accomplish both!  The hot springs were of course the main highlight of the day. It was extremely refreshing to go for a swim in the cooler river water, and then shock my nervous system by jumping directly into the (VERY HOT) hot spring. My feet and legs gave me a “thank you” for doing so. There was something unique about this hot spring though. The marker on the map had a warning sign ⚠️ for it, which was a bit odd…but it makes sense in retrospect. The reason they give a “warning” for this stop is due to the hot springs area is “clothing optional”. I’ve never been to anything li

Miles :  277.7 - 293.2 Photo : Strolling Down the Mountain I am again surprised by how many miles I’m doing right now. I only hiked 7 hours, with breaks included, and I was still able to crank out 18 miles. Very proud of myself right now. The morning was really relaxing. Both Tiana and Stacy made me a great breakfast of English muffins, eggs, and bacon. Having a stomach full of good food probably contributed a lot to my successful day today. We took the scenic route around Big Bear Lake to get back to the trailhead where I had left off yesterday. We said our goodbyes and I was off. I had no idea I was the first hiker they ever housed until yesterday (I thought I was the second). I am so happy they decided to take a leap of faith and take me in. Taking it easy the last two days was much needed after that horrid desert section after the I-10. Thank you again, Tiana and Stacy!! It’s weird how quickly my mind has stopped worrying about my foot problem (it’s still slight there though) and s

Miles :  266.1 - 277.7 Photo : Above Big Bear Lake Today I decided to take a nearo to complete that extra section that I was hesitating on two days ago. I wanted a little less mileage before heading to Wrightwood because it made mapping out the next few days much simpler. Turned a 5 day trip into a 4 day trip. I guess I’m technically taking 5 days to get to Wrightwood after my zero day, but at least I get to sleep in a comfortable bed an extra night before heading out.  I slack-packed it by leaving all the gear I didn’t need for the day at Tiana & Stacy’s. Pack felt nearly weightless without my tent, sleep system, and multiple days of food. The terrain was similar to what it was on my high mileage day (very cruisy) so it resulted in an amazing day hike. The views of Big Bear Lake near the end were just the cherry on top.

Miles : 0 Photo : Juice in Big Bear Last night I was so exhausted that I barely slept. It’s a good thing I had planned a zero day today. Despite my lack of sleep, I still had a good breakfast, got my best in-town food resupply yet, and got to hang out with other hikers. The usual stuff.  Once I was wrapped up in town, Tiana & Stacy - the trail angels who are housing me in Big Bear - picked me up. I did my little hiker chores like cleaning my water filter, opening my mail, and just getting prepared for the next stretch of the hike. I assisted them with some of their stuff like stacking up firewood from the neighbor's house, fixing some technical issues with their phones, and just trying to help out where I could. It always feels nice to rest up in a real home after several days of backpacking. I was told that these experiences are harder and harder to find the more you get up the trail so I’m trying to embrace the magic now while I can.  I’ve only been to Big Bear once and that

Miles :  239.9 - 266.1 Photo : San Gorgonio Wilderness Today was such a treat compared to the last three days. Very cruisy terrain with no huge climbs. Surrounded by huge trees while being in a much cooler climate. The miles came easy. Just like last week in San Jacinto, San Gorgonio was a welcomed change of scenery.  While the hiking was amazing, I was having a logistical problem that needed to be solved. There are two viable exits off the PCT to get into Big Bear. One is at mile 266.1 where all you need to do to get to and from town is find a hitch. Another is at mile 277.7 with a 2.5 mile side trail where you walk directly into town. If I did the 266.1 exit it would mean a 26 mile day but I could get to Big Bear today and take a zero tomorrow. If I did 277.7 it would mean two near 20 mile days in a row but fewer miles once I left Big Bear. It wasn’t until I was down to the wire that I convinced myself that I would only be saving 6.6 miles on my next trek out, due to that 2.5 mile si

Miles :  226.2 - 239.9 Photo : Crossing Over Mission Creek + Me & Jupiter Today was all elevation gain. From 3131 ft - 7949 ft. The first half of the day consisted of crossing back and forth across Mission Creek. It was the most unkempt section of the trail thus far. I got off trail many times. Navigating felt like a puzzle game. Every time I got lost, I stood there scouting out for the next cairn or wood post. Sometimes I found them, sometimes I didn’t. Whenever I didn’t, I just looked at my guide. Lots of fun! While I was relaxing in the morning, I saw a hiker in the distance. A hiker that looked REALLY familiar. I immediately thought “That looks like Jupiter…” and then 20 seconds or so later I met @jupiterhikes! He is a big inspiration of mine, so it was extremely cool to actually meet him on trail. We chatted for a little bit about my foot problem, he was thinking of taking a zero soon, I asked if I could get a photo with him, and then I told him to enjoy the rest of his hike.

Miles :  213.4 - 226.2 Photo : Bridge to Whitewater Preserve  The cowboy camping was a success! I got a decent night’s sleep in the extreme wind! The only issue (that I can improve on at least) was that my pillow flew away a few times. I’m just so used to being in a tent. The moon woke me up a few times since it was extremely bright. Fun to look at, but sleep is more fun IMO. My biggest fear was bugs and critters but I didn’t notice any extra bug bites! I’ll be cowboy camping more in the future!   I woke up in front of the Mesa Wind Farm, which is a hiker-friendly business on the outskirts of Cabazon. At the start of the workday, they opened up the office for hikers to come in and relax. They had microwavable foods for sale so people could have an easy breakfast. I passed and ate my regular breakfast, but I did get some cold water. That alone was a real treat after drinking nothing but hot water all day yesterday (if you ignore In-N-Out). The main spectacle of the day was the stop at W

Miles : 190.5 - 213.4 Photo : Walkin in the Wind I think everyone I talked to today agreed that today sucked. 80-90 degree heat, a long water carry, little to no shade, and warm gusts of dusty wind. I tripped and fell twice, the bottom of one of my trekking poles snapped, I got rattled by a rattlesnake, and it was my longest day ever in terms of mileage. While I am proud of that last one, especially given my history of foot issues while on the trail, I am soo so glad that the day is over. The saving grace was getting to the I-10 oasis near Cabazon. It’s an underpass where there’s a plethora of trail magic, tired hikers, and a stocked water cache. There’s also an In-N-Out a few minutes away. I told myself I would just skip it since I already had food for dinner planned out, and I was low-key desensitized to it after being a huge fan for several years. However, once I got to mile 12 or s today, I knew I had to send it. I split an Uber with another hiker and we headed into town to have In

Miles : 181.2 - 190.5 Photo : Saying Goodbye to Idyllwild After two zero days in a row, and spending what was essentially a week revolving around Idyllwild, it was finally time to say goodbye. I had my rest though, and need to finish the desert section within a somewhat reasonable timeframe. I will say, it did feel bittersweet since both Jeannine and General treated me like a part of their family. They told me I’m welcome back anytime. I will always be extremely grateful for their hospitality.  After we had breakfast and said our goodbyes, Jeannine dropped me off at the trailhead. The climb out of Idyllwild was tough as the entire day of hiking was essentially uphill. Didn‘t help that 5 days worth of food was strapped to my back. Thankfully tomorrow is literally all downhill. I’m also in the middle of a 19.3 mile water carry, the longest water carry I’ve had so far. That means that right now I’m “dry camping”, where you camp in a spot without a water source . I feel pretty confident I’

Miles : 0   Photo : Posted Up Near Mile 108ish The intention today was to do a nero (near zero day). What ended up happening is a different story. I slept in a bit later than I expected, then did some last chores around Idyllwild. Things like organizing the last bits of my food resupply, going to the outfitter to pick up some biodegradable soap, returning some groceries since I bought a little too much, and stopping by the post office to mail out some postcards. I’m happy to take addresses for future cards! It was around mid-day when I realized that I wasn’t really in the mood to go hiking miles up a mountain in the 90-degree heat with my 5 days worth of resupply. I’ll head back up to the trail tomorrow morning when it’s nice and cool.    Since I had some extra time today, I finally went and created a proper blog. That way the people I know who aren’t super fond of using Instagram or social media, in general, can still see what I’m up to. It will be linked in my bio for now. It contain

Miles : 0   Photo : Me & Mr. Rex   Music : Heartaches by the Number   When the Idyllwild family and I were talking around the table a few nights ago, one of the hikers, “School Girl”, mentioned that Cabazon had the “World's Biggest Dinosaur”. That jogged my brain a bit so I did some Googling and I realized that it was the same exact dinosaur referenced in one of my favorite video games “Fallout: New Vegas”. I ecstatically told them about the connection and I guess they noticed how excited I was about it because two days ago (while on top of a mountain after a huge climb) I got an invitation to tag along with the family on a day trip around the desert. The main attraction being the dinosaur. I couldn’t say no…    We visited Cabazon and the cities flowing South of Palm Springs. Eating delicious food, visiting the sites, doing a bit of shopping, and just being around good company the entire day. It was amazing. I feel like zero-days will start to get harder and harder to take goin