Tuesday, March 18th, 2025, 0700-1400
Culp 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 the trail from the campground, I decided to just walk HWY S22 for about 2 miles to where the route crossed ahead. I figured there wouldn’t be much traffic early in the morning and thus, it wouldn’t be a big deal. The was sort of true, but the road was also narrow and curvy, with just enough large truck traffic to make for an unappealing (and occasionally dangerous) 40 minutes. It was a dumb move on my part, but at least it was over quickly.
Meeting with the route again, I followed a series of dirt roads that were part of the “Jasper Trail”, according to my notes. The route briefly switched to single track, then back to dirt road. I saw some motorcycle tracks and then a solo dirtbiker, but other otherwise all was quiet. I descending into a valley and joined a more traveled road heading south along Grapevine Canyon. Along the road, I passed a small cement box and piped spring that had decent water, named Stuart Spring. But I still had plenty of water from the day before, so I didn’t bother collecting. I passed another spring listed on my map, saw lots of green vegetation, but failed to find any running water. It was probably buried under the tangle of dense vegetation and I wasn’t desperate enough to bushwhack for it.
Just in time for lunch, I crossed HWY 78 and took a break in the shade of a trailhead sign. This was one of the suggested water cache locations, but I was still not in need of water, so I was glad I hadn’t bothered with caching. If I’d been desperate, I’m pretty sure I could have flagged down a passing vehicle. I looked at my map and realized that this was the same road that went past Scissors Crossing (about 4 miles away) on the way to Julian, a prominent stop along the PCT. I was getting pretty close to my favorite trail, once again. Given the proximity, I probably could have even hitched to Julian easily enough.
I kept going along the dirt road, which ended and became a mellow, sandy wash walk up Plum Canyon. It was very beautiful, another lovely hike in the Anza-Borrego. The wash petered out at the top of a plateau, where a nice single-track trail resumed. It led down along the northeast side of Shelter Valley. Here was yet another optional stop along the SDTCT, the Stagecoach RV park. This was also a stop along the PCT, and therefore there was recent and detailed information on it in the FarOut app. I read that they served hot food like pizza and burgers, and that was all it took to steer me cross-country across an open field, over a fence and presto!, I was wolfing down pizza slices and a coke for my second lunch.
At this juncture, I took an unexpected detour for nearly 2 days. Previously, I’d been in contact with a local Trail Angel, Otzi, who happened to be in the area and offered to pick me up. I didn’t need to take a break, but he relayed that his best friend Cache 22 was visiting. I met Cache 22 and his hiking buddyWhyNot on the Hayduke route in 2023, then again at the Florida Trail Billy Goat Days in 2024. I was excited for a chance to see him again, so I took Otzi up on his offer. Poor guy, he was was in Julian at the time, which wasn’t too far away from where I was, but he needed to drive all the way back to his home in Alpine, on the outskirts of San Diego. Had I realized the distances involved, I would have probably stayed put on trail. None-the-less, I ended up having a great “trail vacation” for a few days, plus got some much needed hiker and trail angel companionship.
It was fun to learn that Otzi and Cache 22 had hiked the PCT together in their 20’s. Otzi was hoping to once again hike the PCT this year, only now in his 70s. What a feat! On the way back to his house, he gave me quite the amazing history lesson of the area. He also pointed out a bunch of the landmarks that I’d be passing along the SDTCT. It was a great sneak-preview.
The time off the trail also allowed me to watch a few videos and read some more highlights about the route, so I had a better idea of what to expect for a hellacious bushwhack section up the backside of Mt. El Cajon (coming up day 6). I also developed a better plan for how to deal with some private property issues and possibilities for stealth camping as I neared the more developed coastal areas.
Back at Otzi’s house, I got to meet his wife Barbara, who was just the sweetest. Plus also their cat, Aria, who made her home on my lap. They rent a number of AirBnb accommodations and I had the unique opportunity to stay in their amazing tipi! I almost stayed in a tipi on the PNT, but switched to a canvas tent at the last minute. So this was a first for a thru-hike, and for my whole life, in fact. From my first night sleeping in a privy, now to a tipi…I was stepping up in the world!
Otzi also showed me his other rentals, which were all so unique and lovely. He made one into a hobbit hole, which was amazing! There was also a really nice tiny barn that could accommodate 4 or more hikers. I highly recommend a stay with them and you can find one of their listings in the main house here. Or just google: Mystic Canyon Tipi, Mystic Canyon Master Suite, Mystic Canyon Cozy Room, Mystic Canyon Bunkhouse, Mystic Canyon Bungalow or Mystic Canyon Gnome Room.
I’d originally planned to get back on trail the next day, but taking a zero fit better with Otzi’s schedule. I didn’t mind at all, since I was in no hurry. I very much appreciated the down-time and getting to hang out with Barbara. We went for a very nice walk around the neighborhood and she also treated me to some of her amazing vegetarian meals. It was great to eat some real and healthy food for a change! She even shared some of her dehydrated vegetables, which lasted me well into my next hiking segment on the PCT and made my camp meals so much better. Thanks Barbara, you rock!
I really appreciated all that Otzi and Barbara did for me, giving me an awesome place to stay, amazing hot showers, delicious food, and just a chance to hang out with them and Cache 22. This was the first time since I started this journey that I got to stay with Trail Angels and it was so great. It was very unexpected but ended up being one of the highlights of my long journey. From the bottom of my heart, thank you both.
