Twig Adventures

My Adventures blog

Daily Adventures on the trail

DWTH SDTCT Day 6: Cresting the Crest, Then Big Descent

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Friday, March 21st, 2025, 0700-1840PCT water tank to near Cedar Creek Falls trailhead mm101.5, Elevation 2000′26 miles. It was very cold in the morning, just 37 degrees F! I actually passed frost on the grass as I set out. I was sad to find that the route didn’t spend any time following the PCT, but merely crossed it and continued following signs for the California Riding and Hiking Trail. I even saw another sign for the SDTCT, complete with a little map! This was just as well, because the route led through a series of beautiful meadows. The meadowlarks and blackthroated sparrows were singing gleefully, while a family of ravens tumbled around in the grass. It was so gorgeous in[…]

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DWTH SDTCT Day 5: Crossing the PCT

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Thursday, March 20th, 2025, 1400-1900Stagecoach RV park to PCT water tank, mm75.5\PCT mm62.4. Elevation 4730′13 miles. I spent a leisurely morning at Mystic Canyon with Otzi and Barbara. Otzi and I left just before noon, stopping at a grocery store to buy some items. He’d been doing trail magic / hiker feeds at a campground near Mt Laguna, catering to PCT hikers. I contributed to his stock of supplies (beer and soda), and bought a few things for mine. I didn’t need much, because I anticipated finishing the route in 3.5 days. In fact, I hoped to be visiting Otzi’s Trail Magic in about a week, drinking some of the beverages I just bought. We drove to Julian and Otzi[…]

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DWTH SDTCT Day 3 & 4: Stagecoach & Unexpected Zero with Friends

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Tuesday, March 18th, 2025, 0700-1400Culp Valley campground to Stagecoach RV park, mm62.5. Elevation 2350′20 miles.Wednesday, March 19th, 2025. Zero I slept so soundly in the privy, which may seem kind of surprising, given the weather and the nature of my accommodations. But the more the wind howled, the more I felt a smug satisfaction, knowing I just managed to dodge the claws of mother nature this night. The outdoors can really make one appreciate even a humble privy. Of course, I made sure to vacate my impromptu Airbnb first thing in the morning, but not before at least leaving a deposit! The morning was chilly and still very breezy, but at least it was dry. Instead of reconnecting to the[…]

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DWTH SDTCT Day 2: Borrego Springs

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Monday, March 17th, 2025, 0630-1900Outskirts of Borrego Springs to Culp Valley campground, mm42.5, elevation 3300′12 miles. The night was so calm and the sunrise so vibrant, I was entranced by the combination of stillness and brilliance. I loved the desert for these gifts, but soon I’d be climbing high into the first set of mountains forming the Pacific Crest. I wasn’t in a hurry for that just yet. I was only looking forward as far as a town stop for breakfast. The route took me straight through Borrego Springs and I had no idea what to expect. Would it be another rough and trashy desert town, like so many I’d already passed through? I cruised west along the 5 mile[…]

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DWTH SDTCT Day 1: The Salton Sea

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Sunday, March 16th, 2025, 0620-1800Salton Sea, eastern terminus of the San Diego Trans County Trail, elevation -226′, to outskirts of Borrego Springs, mm30.5, elevation 500′30.5 miles. It felt great to be at the start of the SDTCT when I woke. I was moving before the sunrise, since I didn’t want to be discovered camping along the shore. I couldn’t see how far away the water was, but the flats made for a nice sunrise. I didn’t even realize that I was standing over 200 feet below sea level. The depression was formed by the San Andreas fault, which stretched the landscape as the plates slid past each other. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a place so low, and[…]

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DWTH Day 41: Whitewater Preserve & the PCT

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Saturday, March 15th, 2025, 0540-1400Desert Hot Springs to Whitewater Preserve, End Section 8e, elevation 2100′16 miles. Then skip to start of the SDTCT. I woke early, as I was very eager to get out of the flop hostel and leave Desert Hot Springs behind for good. This was the day I’d finally finish my hike from the Arizona Trail to the Pacific Crest Trail, completing all legs of the Great Western Loop. My layover in DHS was necessary and revitalizing, but I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to leave a town. I took a bus north a few miles to reconnect to the route where I’d gotten off, then walked some blocks through the remnants of town. As[…]

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DWTH Day 40: Desert Hot Springs Layover

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025, 0540-1400Black Rock Campground to Desert Hot Springs, mm 15, Section 8e, elevation 2100′18 miles.Plus 2 days in town, hiding out from a winter storm (Thursday-Friday, March 13-14th) I slept warm and comfortable in the embrace of my juniper, then was up early, eager to make it into town for a hot shower after 18 days. I think this stretch set the record for the longest time I went without a shower, plus also laundry. However, I did take a pretty good sink shower / laundry at the Fenner gas station a week and a half prior, so I’m not sure this record counted as much. Regardless, I was feeling pretty rank. I briefly stopped at the[…]

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DWTH Day 39: The Homestretch

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Tuesday, March 11th, 2025, 0630-1900JTNP mm 84 to near Black Rock Campground, mm 17, Section 8a, elevation 4030′27 miles. The morning was beautiful in the canyon. I heard a great horned owl and a canyon wren at the same time as I continued up. The canyon split and I decided to not follow the suggested route, but rather go for an easy dirt road walk across the Queen valley. I picked up the Desert Queen Mine Trail and followed it to the road. It was early and a weekday, so I didn’t see a single car while walking several miles along it. What I did see were tons of Joshua Trees! Plus there were many cactus and bushes planted and[…]

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DWTH Day 38: Joshua Tree National Park!!!

Desert Winter Thru Hike

Monday, March 10th, 2025, 0650-1740Pinto Mountains Wilderness mm 63.5 to Joshua Tree National Park, mm 84, Section 8, elevation 4100′20.5 miles. Coyotes woke me in the morning, the sweet sounds of the desert. It was cold when I started, only 39 degrees. I proceeded up the wash, which forked into a bunch of branches. I took a wrong turn at one of them and had to do a short up and over to get back in the right wash. Luckily it was pretty easy. A series of passes and washes repeated through the morning. The going became more tedious as the washes got pretty thorny, narrow, and rocky. I took yet another wrong turn and had to do a short[…]

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DWTH Day 37: Pinto Mountains

Arizona Trail

Sunday, March 9th, 2025, 0800-1810South Sheep Hole Mtns to Pinto Mountains Wilderness mm 63.5, Section 8, elevation 2580′.22 miles. It was warm overnight and I woke to the amazing scent of the nearby blooming creosote and vines. The desert holds so many surprises! I set out across another valley, aiming for my water cache at HWY 62. It was a cross country stretch of 4 miles, but easy to take a line-of-sight off the distant hills. I used the ‘Sight and Go’ feature on my Garmin watch and it worked great. The skill simply involves following a compass bearing, something I did every day when I worked on ships. But it’s even easier with mountains to aim for and nothing[…]

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