Sunday, Feb 16th 2025, 1020-1800
Beginning of Section 5 to past Leroy Tank, mm 17.5
17.5 miles.
I woke up at 4 am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I kind of hated towns because I slept so much better outdoors. I worked on my phone for several hours and ate junk food for breakfast. I really wanted to get a fruit bowl from the coffee truck, but go figure, it wasn’t open on a Sunday. Even the gas station was lacking the hot food offerings that it had the day before. Once again, I’d considered a zero when I woke up. But this town had so little to offer, especially on a Sunday, that it wasn’t a good place to hang around. I left not even having had a nice meal at a restaurant. I will say that I really liked the Sheffler’s motel. The price matched the outdated ambiance at least, and my room had all the accessories I could want. That was the only reason to stick around, and that wasn’t enough.
I walked almost a mile to get to the outskirts and posted up for a hitch by the grocery store \ gas station. I waited for about 30 minutes. I got a lot of stares and no smiles. I even got my umbrella out and waved it around to no avail. Finally a small Toyota stopped and I was pleased and relieved to see it was a woman driver. Though I’ve never had a truly terrible experience riding with a guy, there have been a few uncomfortable instances (Northern California). With a woman, I know I really don’t have to worry… unless they’re under the influence, high or just a bad driver.
Marsha was on her way back to Rim Rock near Sedona, after visiting a friend in Yuma. She was so sweet. As a thank you, I offered her some of my Chalcedony and turquoise (since I wanted to drop weight anyway). She seemed really excited about a few of the pieces and I felt great being able to give her something in return for the ride. She dropped me off where I’d left off and wished me luck. What a great ride!
From the start of section 5, I set off on a long series of dirt roads across the valley. I passed by a full cow trough only a few miles in. I carried a bunch of water from town, so I didn’t need any cow water. Nearby was Cullings Well, an old dry water source that was famous for having a beacon light (lighthouse), so people could find it at night.
I hiked more sandy roads and saw some SbSs go by in the distance. The route became a rocky mining road as I approached the Harcuvars. They loomed large and of course I’d be going up and over them during the heat of the afternoon. Joy! I passed a guzzler known for its killer bees, but I saw none. Oddly, I did pass by a piece of honeycomb later on the road, but still no bees. The road ended at a defunct mine, where the route climbed steeply up a ridge for half a mile or so. A previous hiker measured a gain of 823′ in 0.35 miles. And people think the Wildcats are bad! Not surprisingly, I left all my imagined stalkers behind in my dust at this junction…that comment’s for YOU mom!
I actually didn’t find the climb as difficult as I’d imagined. It was slow and tedious, but I just kept plugging away at it and suddenly I was on top the ridge. At least the torture was much shorter than the Harquahala climb. I took a break to do some peakfinding and was really shocked to see one name pop up on the screen…San Jacinto!!! This is a famous climb along the PCT, outside Idyllwild. The details matched … it’s a nearly 11k’ peak but I definitely could not see it from where I stood. Perhaps on an exceptionally clear day … Peakfinder said it was possible. Crazy!
I remained on the ridge for a short time, then began a long descent on a finger ridge. It was really cool, with awesome views. It went on for several miles. The going was slow but I found a few good game trails to follow. It was a long stretch of cross country but very rewarding. What a relief it was to get this range hiked, my only goal for the day.
Once back on the flats, I passed a defunct cow trough and then a guzzler. It had some pretty greenish water, which was at least useful for a little rinsing…I only used about 200 ml. I still had plenty of water from town for my dinner and another 10 miles the next morning. I can knock out those miles with no water when it’s cool. I found my standard tiny wash campsite and enjoyed the sound of a Western screech owl cooing me to sleep.
