Miles 181.3-210 Days 16&17

Start: 181.3 End:193.8, 6.8 up and down San Jacinto + 8.2 on PCT Total 15

It was a cold night sleeping on the snow. I realized my foam pad is not the most insulating pad and had a chill most of the night. 

I woke around 3:15 when I heard Rocky start to move around. Time to get up. It felt so cold outside but I slowly started getting up and getting my things together. I started by making coffee and oatmeal while still in the comfort of my sleeping bag. I got everything else ready and slowly started to make moves, getting excited for the adventure that lay ahead.

Putting on my frozen shoes took, I’m not exaggerating, 10 painful minutes. I packed everything into my backpack, got out of my tent and began to use my ice axe to hack out the frozen stakes. Rocky, Spark and I were on trail shortly after 4 in the morning. 

It was a slow and steady start as we crunched our way up the mountain. We took turns going first and setting the pace and took breaks often. The snow was still so frozen that it was rather easy walking on it with our microspikes. We had an awesome view of Palm Springs valley as we went. 

The sky was gradually more and more illuminated with pink and purple as we ascended. We were getting quite close and all agreed to just keep pushing on without breaks so we could see the sunrise on top.

There were a couple steeper sections at the top then one last final steep push and 3.7 miles and 2000 feet in elevation later, we had made it! We made it just in time to watch the subrise at 10.800 feet on the summit of San Jacinto, the tallest mountain around. 

To the south is where we came from, rolling hills and pine trees, mostly covered in clouds. to the north, where we were going. You could see the desert floor with a winding intersection going through it and abundant wind mills. That was I10 way down there and we would be headed there the following day. We were surrounded by mountains in every direction, it was absolutely breathtaking watching the sun peak its head out and illuminate everything in its path. 

We stayed up there for a while, celebrating and taking photos and drinking the summit beer Rocky had packed out.

After we had our fill of the surroundings we headed back down the other side of the mountain where we would rejoin the PCT. What we went down was North facing so it was still quite crunchy and easy to walk on, although we would all post hole every once in a while. We followed a set of footprints down and didn’t quite realize how much snow was back there until we saw the tops of some signs and a porter pottey

We were soon back on the PCT and did our own things as I filtered a bit more water from, Rocky made coffee and Spark continued on. There was still a lot of snow on the PCT section but there were also patches that had dried out. That was until Fuller Ridge, another north facing area that still had many feet of snow. It was midmorning by this point and the snow had begun to turn into slush. This went on for a bit until I popped out on another side and saw Spark, she told me to go ahead and I followed a switchback down to the south side of the mountain for a bit before I lost the trail. I checked my map and I was way off trail, and Spark had followed me. I told her and we bushwhacked back up the mountain and kept going up and up until we got to the top. We saw Rocky who had caught up and was about to make the same mistake and we called out to her and she joined us. We crossed the mountain and entered another north facing snow covered terrain going steeply down. 

We kept going down, following footprints and portholes , some that were2/3 feet deep. Again the snow was becoming slush and it was quite easy to slip and fall. I slipped and slid down but being in control I deciddd to keep sliding down on my butt as it was easier. Rocky did the same behind me. 

We went down this steep section for 10 or so more minutes before Rocky called out that she had lost her phone. We dropped our packs and I went back up with her to look for it. I didn’t realize quite how steep that section was until we were going back up. Luckily her phone was just on the top of the snow where we had slid and it was buried or gone forever. 

The snow was getting to me, there was only 2 miles to where I wanted to have lunch and after an hour I checked and I still had a mile to go. I put in some music and trudged forward, getting grumpy at how difficult it was to walk in the snow and at how often I was slipping and falling. After a painful hour o popped into the clearing of a campground and saw Spark filtering some water. 

We sat down at a sunny picnic table and had lunch and a long break. I ate my lunch and we drank the summit beer that Spark had packed out. Another hiker, Yaht Rock joined us, having skipped the snowy section. He asked if any of us had a knife for his summer sausage and I beamed with pride and went to grab my necklace knife to lend him. I went to grab it but it wasn’t around my neck. I gasped in despair remembering I had taken it off two nights ago and never remembered putting it back on. I must’ve left it on the ground or on a rock, I was devestated. I tore up my backpack but it was no where to be found. 

Grumpy with being up since 3 am, having lost one of my favorite items, and the difficulty of the snow, I trudged on, planning to go 3 more miles to camp next to a river. Thankfully the snow let up after this campground and I was able to take off my microspikes and go a descent pace. It was a breath of fresh air!

I quickly made it down to the river and set up my pad and relaxed in the shade next to the water. I planned on cowboy camping that evening. Rocky joined me a bit later on and set up in her own little cove but within earshot of me. I was so happy to be done hiking for the day. There was a slight view of San Jacinto way up there and it was crazy to think that we had been up there that morning!

Day 17

Start 193.8 End 210 Total :16

It was a windy night and in the morning I couldn’t fall back asleep. I checked my watch and it said 6am so I figured it was reasonable to get up and ready for the day. I was on trail by 7. I checked my phone when I got service and saw that a friend of my sister in laws, Sara, was able to pick me up that day. She had reached out to me after seeing I was doing the PCT and offered to help me resupply and host me!

I hurried down the mountain. It was all downhill, slowly switchbacking down the mountain for 12 miles, losing 5000 ft of elevation. It was a cruiser walk and it was so cool to keep seeing San Jacinto way above me. 

I made it to the 200 mile mark as the trail went down and the terrain changed to much more desert vibes with huge boulders.

After 12 miles the trail deposits you on a road which you walk for .5 mile or so. The trail then picks back up but is sorta in a wash so it was difficult to follow. I realized why there were so many wind mills as I kept getting blown off trail. After a while the trail gets completely irreconizable and you just have to do your best to head towards the I10 underpass and not get blown over.  

I finally made it and saw Guac and Poptart. I asked guac what had happened to mama kitty and she replied that she hasd broken her ankle! Something about aggravating an old injury. Guac was now hiking with pop tart and her group but had skipped the snowy section and were waiting on them. 

Sara was soon there and was immediately so welcoming. We clicked immidatley  on our shared love for thru hiking! She had so much energy, excitement and stoke on all things hiking, it was awesome. Sara has done the Colorado trail and John Muir Trail and plans on doing the wonderland and tour de Mont Blanc this year! She dreams of doing one of the triple crown hikes (AT/PCT/CDT).

She took me to have my first In&Out experience and I devoured my double cheeseburger and milkshake. We then went back to her home, which she shares with her fiancé Vance. She lent me some clothes so I could wash all mine and I got to take a much needed shower. I made a couple calls and we went to Trader Joe’s and Vons so I could do my resupply and she could get some groceries. 

She and Vance then made us a 3 course meal consisting of a delicious salad, homemade pizzas that  and a fruit yogurt chocolate concopcion for desert! All the main food groups, it was all so yummy and I couldn’t have been more grateful. 

We watched a bit of TV before I called it a night and slept on such a comfortable bed with a full belly and grateful heart!