Month: May 2015

May 20th
Total mileage: 454
Today’s mileage: 10

By lucky chance, Six-2 and I found each other at the Acton KOA general store/club house. He had done some big miles over the past couple of days to catch up. We said farewell to our Dutch friend Claire, who was on a limited visa and was choosing to jump ahead to the High Sierras; sad to see a friend go. The KOA field was full of maybe 25 hikers. The showers and laundry were good.

Six-2 and I left Acton (mile 444) and the vortex of James & Lori’s RV. We had a hot but short day to Ague Dulce (mile 454), where we enjoyed Mexican food and fellowship with many others. Traditionally, this town was a special stop for PCT hikers, as Hiker Heaven is located here. Hiker Heaven is the name of where the Saufleys live, known as the King and Queen of Trail Angels. Unfortunately, they were closed this year for the first time in 18 years, so instead…we gathered in the town’s grocery store parking lot.

About this time, Six-2 got a little bored, hehe:

Unrelated, but here is a list Six-2 gave me of everything he consumed today:
1L Gatorade
2 cups Moroccan tea w/cream & sugar
1 peanut butter clif bar
Wasabi almonds
1 nature valley protein bar
Small Odwalla green super food drink
2 dove ice cream bars
Small bag of Frito’s
San pellegrino pamello soda
Large piece of enchilada casserole w/sour cream
1L water
1 can Michelob ultra light beer
Banana
Croissant sandwich with mayo cheese salami
Nature valley bar
1L water
1 shot tequila
Chips & salsa
1 huge smothered burrito: shredded chicken+beans+rice+cheese
side of beans
Two glasses of water
San pellegrino grapefruit soda
3x gummy shark candies
1 bottle Stella Artois beer

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EXTRA: Joe Brewer has an excellent video showing this stretch of trail from Agua Dulce (Mile 454) To Mojave (Mile 558). I highly recommend subscribing to his channel:

May 19th
Total mileage: 444

Today should be a long descent back to the desert basin. Ready to be back in warmer temps. (Careful what I wish for?) The KOA campground that hikers are aiming for has showers, laundry, and a jacuzzi for $15. Did I mention pizza can be delivered there?!

UPDATE: James and Lori surprised me at mile 444, and gave some great trail magic to 25 hikers. 🙂 In the bottom photo, you can just make our their RV. I saw it from the ridge and thought….”Hmm..that kinda looks like theirs. And this is kinda reasonable distance. I wonder if that could be them?” Hehe. It made the remaining 2 miles so easy to churn out.
He had hot dogs, cookies, Guinness, Blue Moon, Michelob and more for hikers. It was a wonderful surprise. Later that night, Hendrix was able to join us for dinner in the RV.

May 18th
Total mileage: 430
Today’s mileage: 27

Long day, 6 liter water carry, 2 long ascents, and probably 10,000 toxic poodle-dog bushes.

We had a strong morning as Armstrong, Hendrix, Clark Kent and I sang about 200 fragments of songs. We generally went out the gate with 1st verse, 1st chorus…and then no one could remember the 2nd verse, so we’d return to the chorus again. At one point, we asked Clark Kent if he had any suggestions. “Maybe some Eagles?” So we sang Hotel California, and as the solo approached, I wondered if any of us could do it justice with our air guitars. I’m proud to say that all 4 of us nailed the solo. Afterward, Clark said, “Heh. That was awesome.”

Hendrix, demonstrating once again his peanut butter-water system. At one point in the day, we looked out over a huge valley that was nothing but the remnants of a wildfire, save for in the very center, where a fire station stood. We joked that they had to be the worst firefighters in the history of firefighting…they saved only their building?! Of course, we know the station was likely built *after* the fire, hehe.

Poodle Dog bush grows quickly in burn areas. Contact can cause a reaction like poison oak. It has a very pungent odor.

 

 

 

Spent the night at Messenger Flats campground. Amazing how cold and foggy it got on the ridge, in sharp contrast to the heat of the day. I used a mylar blanket for the first time…think it was worthless.

 

 

May 17th
Total mileage: 403

We camped at Little Jimmy’s campground. Had hoped we reach it with flat dry places, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. There were an estimated 50 people there, including scout and church groups. A bunch of us thru-hikers camped on a snow-covered service road. It was a very cold night and, unfortunately, I seemed to have lost one of my gloves during yesterday’s ascent.

To Armstrong’s credit, just before we reached the trailhead on our descent of Baden-Powell, he found a cooler with some expired BudLight. Here you can see Armstrong, Switchfoot, Honeybadger and Mac enjoying a beverage at 9 am, hehe.

Upon reaching the pavement soon after, we were once again thrust into a dilemma. The next few miles of trail are officially closed due to an endangered species…a yellow frog of some sort. Once again, the PCTA and the Forest/Parks Service can’t recommend an official alternative to the PCT, so hikers are left to their own devices to decide which route is best. A large group of us ended up doing the road walk. There was some concern about two tunnels on the route, but they ended up having a sufficient enough medium that we felt safe and plodded through. By late afternoon, Armstrong, Honeybadger and I had managed a hitch down to Newcomb’s Ranch, a biker’s bar that was known to close relatively early. We treated ourselves to burgers and Fat Tire ale. This is also the first time where I met a Swiss hiker sitting next to us, named Recon.

May 16th
Total mileage: 384

About to summit Baden Powell. Hoping the snow is nominal. May be off the grid for the next 5 days. Agua Dulce/Acton is our next goal. Hope the temps are ok tonight. Hard to leave the cabin.

Update: Reached summit, 9,400 ft. lots of snow and slush.

Lost a glove on the ascent, bah.

We descended about 8 miles, but it wasn’t enough to get down off the mountain. We reached Little Jimmy campground just before dark. Unfortunately, it was slammed with people, from both scouts and a church youth group. There were several fires going, but no real space within the campground itself. Most thru-hikers gathered on an adjacent covered service road.

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EXTRA: Joe Brewer has an excellent video showing this stretch of trail from Baden-Powell (Mile 370) To Agua Dulce (Mile 454). I highly recommend subscribing to his channel:

May 15th
Today’s mileage: 0

Another zero in Wrightwood. Honeybadger joined Armstrong, Hendrix, Six-2 and myself at Cheryl’s cabin. HB made bloody mary’s for us.

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John Z. excellent channel shows some good video footage of this section and the days ahead.

May 14th
Today’s mileage: 0

We received some great trail magic this morning! Our luxurious Pine motel told us they were already full for tonight, so it was time to investigate other options. While Hendrix, Armstrong and Six-2 ate at a sushi place (whose existence here is shocking given how small the town is), I put on my pack and decided it was time to investigate the Methodist church camp in town. Rumor was they had a bunkhouse where hikers could rent a bunk for $10. It was quite cold already, and clear that snow was coming.

As I was about to cross the street, a woman named Cheryl hollered from her SUV, “Hey! You know a storm is comin’, right?” “Yep!” “You got a place?” “Nope!” “You’re welcome to use my cabin, hop in!”

Her hospitality was unparalleled. She told me she lived in Victorville and would be leaving today, but I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted. “Let’s stop and pick your friends up.” Which we did! Then she started pointing at any hiker in town and saying, “Do you know him? Does he need a place?” And I said I don’t, and she said, no matter, feel free to invite anyone you want. She implored us to help ourselves to anything in the fridge.

There was one downside. I asked her, “Is this within walking distance to town?” Because we all really needed groceries, and wanted a restaurant meal or three. And she said, “sadly, no.” Well, she underestimated our capability and drive, hehe. It was easily within walking distance, about a mile out. A pleasant walk in the snow too. She did warn of us that a mountain lion visits their backyard regularly though.

Thank you, Cheryl!

 

 

I was very much ready for a zero day today. We managed over 100 miles over the past 5 days. A couple of days were ideal and pleasantly surprising, and a couple were flat out demanding for multiple reasons.

Nice map that shows the journey so far. Notice how west the trail continues to head. Remarkable how close to LA we now are.

May 13th
Total mileage: 369
Today’s mileage: 22

Exhausted. Over 5k of vertical feet today with a 6 liter water carry. Had a coyote howling quite close last night while we all cowboy-camped. Claire said she saw it within 5 meters of me. Kinda spooky. I then heard it over by Hendrix in the chaparral and I wrestled with whether it was appropriate to wake him or not. It was meager sleep for the rest of the night, at best.

Most of today involved a very long slog up a ridge. Everything was exacerbated by my terrible chafing. Six-2 has had some suffering too of that sort. A day or two earlier, Honeybadger had recommended that we should go commando (no underwear). That would certainly get more airflow and stop the chafing. We both agreed to give it a try. Boy…was that a mistake, lol. I know, I know…why did we listen to a girl on this matter, given some fundamental differences…

There was a service road about 13 miles into the day and a wonderful trail angel showed up with his pickup truck, and some gatorade and snacks from Costco. He even had chairs. We unpacked our damp sleeping bags and took an hour siesta to let them dry. Some ne’er-do-well took this incriminating photo, haha.

We reached Highway 2 in the final hour of light and were again lucky to receive trail magic, this time from young schoolgirl Michela and her dad. They were kind enough to make Frito chili pies for all the hikers coming down. We saw a group push through on trail, skipping Wrightwood, even though everyone knew a snowstorm was coming.

A large pickup truck with 3 people and an extended cab offered us a hitch down into town, which we were grateful for. Otherwise, we were going to ride in the back of the truck bed of the trail angels when they left.

Very glad we reached Wrightwood before the storm. Snow is expected tomorrow and Friday, so it’s likely we’ll take two zeros. More details to follow.

Hendrix, Six-2 and I shared a modest room at the Pine motel, a tired place in Wrightwood. Here, Hendrix can be seen imposing his feet on the rest of the world. We enjoyed a huge pasta dinner in town and then visited a nearby saloon.

May 12th
Total mileage: 347.3
Today’s mileage: 19

Reached McDonald’s at Cajon Pass, on the Highway from LA to Vegas. Hendrix won the calorie count by diligently calculating his total calories at 3,200. I limited myself to a 2 cheeseburger value meal, four refills of soda and a milkshake. I was a bit intimidated by the 27 miles dry stretch we knew we were entering, and I was eager to do my first serious night hike (although that didn’t pan out). I left with Six-2, Hendrix, Armstrong and Claire. We made it 5 miles and called it a night at the last flat valley floor before a lengthy ascent.

Fearsome wind during this final descent to the highway crossing.

Hikers must then cross via a causeway beneath the highway.

I think Hendrix is doing his best blue steel or magnum look here.

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EXTRA: Joe Brewer has an excellent video showing this stretch of trail from Cajon Pass (Mile 342) To Agua Dulce (Mile 454). I highly recommend subscribing to his channel:

May 11th
Total mileage: 328
Today’s mileage: 20

Here are the two warm spring pools that we were near. We used the one below the previous night.

 

 

 

 

Hot day, very low water, bad chafing, ugh :/. Legs are fine though. Poison oak all around too. Tough day. McDonald’s tomorrow at 342. One has never craved McDonald’s until one is on the trail and half a day away.

 

 

 

 

There was some stupid spray-paint graffiti on the large rock faces along this path, sporting swastikas and phrases like “art is not a crime”. There were also multiple precarious points on the trail, where one bad move and one would likely fall to their death. I later read that someone has died on this stretch.

A couple hiking south stopped us with trail magic of a strawberry or a tangerine. It was a very kind gesture, although one had to control oneself and not shake them down for 4 or 5, hehe.

 

 

 

A water cache in the middle of nowhere. All hikers are grateful for locals who maintain caches like this, although since you don’t know its coming, as a hiker you often are already carrying all the water you require. Sometimes in a situation like this, the garbage can above is as useful as the water.

 

My chaffing was so severe, I had told Six-2 to carry on, and that I’d catch him in the morning. But I missed the side-trail that branched off to the campground I was going to stay at, and instead pushed on several more miles to the formal campground, finding everyone just as it was getting dark. Met a guy named Armstrong, made chili, and cowboy-camped. There were huge frogs/toads that occasionally moved in the leaves around us.