Month: October 2018

October 26th, 2018Mm 75.5 to Mt Laguna mm 42Distance: 33.5 miles0550 – 1800 I needed an early start today. For one, it’s just better to get in as many miles while it’s still cool. And two, my headlamp batteries were dying, so I wanted to make it to Mt Laguna before dark in the evening. In the early morning, I had the benefit of the moonlight and didn’t need my headlamp. Worst case, I could rob the batteries out of my Spot device. I passed by Zappy’s tent early on and began my way up into the Laguna mountains. This was the last big climb that would take me from about 2300′ up over 6000′. These hills were dry but[…]

October 25th, 2018Warner Springs Community Center mm 109.5 to mm 75.5Distance: 34 miles0800 – 2000 My tent was mostly dry in the morning, despite the sprinklers. It was such a nice area that I took my time packing. I regretted dragging my feet later in the day but at the time felt no rush. Zappy left just after I did but we hiked separately all day. I was in a very good mood starting out on my own and enjoyed hiking up a river valley and then through open plains on a beautiful morning. I came to eagle rock, a series of boulders that have a pretty distinct figure. Can you see the eagle? I spent the rest of the[…]

October 24th, 2018Muirwood mm 145.5 to Warner Springs Community Center mm 109.5Distance: 36 miles0630 – 2030 What a long, hot, and happening day! First, it was another new record for longest distance hiked in a single day. I was inching my way towards 40 miles but wasn’t sure its going to happen in the short time I had left. I knew that I could do it but with the limited daylight hours, it was hard. As it was, I walked for a couple hours in the dark on this night. My goal was to get to Warner Springs so that I could camp at the community center, where there were bathrooms, outlets, and picnic tables. I started in the dark,[…]

October 23rd, 2018Spitler TH to mm 168.5 (rejoining PCT after closure) to Muirwood mm 145.5Distance: 23 miles plus 4.7 miles to town0830 – 2000 I’d arranged to meet Lorraine, the Trail Angel, at 8 am and the grocery opened at 7 am, so I went there to get a breakfast burrito. I also ate a huge pecan cinnamon roll that I got at a bakery the day before. It was as big as my 2 hands. I was so stuffed after all this food that I barely ate anything until the afternoon. With all these town stops, I was no longer loosing weight and may have actually be gaining. I met Lorraine and was shortly at the trailhead. I found[…]

October 22nd, 2018Fuller Ridge mm 189 to mm 179.5, then Devils Slide and Ernie Maxwell Trail to Idyllwild due to fire closure.Distance: 9.5 miles plus 6 miles to town0610 – 1300 I had to go into town today since the trail was still closed for 11 miles from a 2013 fire. There were many side trails from the north end. To get back on the trail south of the closure, there was a detour on dirt roads. Thus a continuous footpath into and out of town could be achieved. Unfortunately, another fire closed the dirt road route this year. Now the only way to get back to the trail was by traveling along 2 narrow,  busy highways that had no[…]

October 21st, 2018Whitewater Preserve mm 218.5 to Fuller Ridge mm 189Distance: 29.5 miles plus .5 mile from preserve.0630 – 1820 First, if my memory serves me right, I wanted to point out that I finished the Te Araroa in 108 days and today was my 108th day on the PCT. It would have been cool if I finished both trails in the same time but I will be done within a week. Not bad for a trail that was nearly 800 miles longer. Secondly, today was like clearing a huge hurdle, perhaps the last big challenge. I was a bit intimidated by the massive climb and lack of water to end the day, but it wasn’t so bad. The trail[…]

October 20th, 2018Mm 253 to Whitewater Preserve mm 218.5Distance: 34.5 miles plus .5 mile to preserve.0630 – 1800 I set my new record for distance hiked in one day, but only by half a mile. I’d done several 34 and 34.5 mile days but today I finally got to 35. I pushed hard to make it to a conservation preserve and it was totally worth it…more about that later. It was cold, as usual, in the morning. I could feel that the ground was frozen in places. Mt Gorgonio caught the morning sun and showed off its snow cap beautifully. I got nice views looking back at the Angeles forest / mountains and forward to the desert valleys I would[…]

October 19th, 2018Mm 278.5 to mm 253Distance: 25.5 miles0630 – 1900 For once, I resisted the pull of town today. I went into Big Bear, got my business done, and got back on the trail to get the miles in. After 3 days, I was just 1 mile shy of my 30 mile a day average. I had just 9 more days to keep up this pace. Besides my flight home, I was also motivated by an upcoming trip to Spain. I needed to leave for that shortly after I got back. It felt weird to be planning for anything beyond the PCT. There was life after the trail…though I was leery of it. I was torn in half by[…]

October 18th, 2018Deep Creek bridge mm 310 to mm 278.5Distance: 31.5 miles0630 – 1830 Today was all about going uphill…but gradually. I gained more than 7000′ over 29 miles, going from about 3000′ in elevation up to just shy of 8000′. Consequently, I didn’t do as many miles as hoped for but that’s ok. I think this was the longest continuous stretch going uphill so far. I continued up the canyon and shortly came to some hot springs. I found Kuba packing up there. I tried some of the pools but they were way too tepid for my taste. I need my hot springs to be “mother of dragons” hot. Perhaps in the middle of the day they were fine[…]

October 17th, 2018Cajon Pass Interstate 15 mm 342 to Deep Creek bridge mm 310Distance: 32 miles0800 – 1830 Overnight, I bought a one-way ticket from Phoenix to Miami for the 31st… now I had a deadline. If I averaged 30 miles a day, I would make it to the border by the 28th…just 12 more days, including this one. It probably wasn’t realistic to do this, since I also had to factor in town stops. I was feeling very optimistic, I guess. The hotel had a good continental breakfast, so I was able to stuff myself before resuming the trail. I was glad to get away from all the hub-bub of that busy interstate. The noise quickly disappeared as the[…]