Tag: PCT

PCT 2018 Day 14, May 6, Sunday.

Start 291.5 near a small creek

End 319.9 at small campsite

Miles walked: 28.4

The trail follows Holcomb Creek for a couple of miles, then follows Deep Creek, but up the canyon wall a couple hundred feet, for much of the day. At mile 308 is the hot springs at Deep Creek. The Forest Service warns of high Fecal Coliform counts and primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, so of course I did not go in. The hot springs area is quite the water park, with a maze of springs, pools, and streams. Back on the trail, I hike over the Mojave River Forks Reservoir Spillway. The reservoir is dry, as it is most years. A few more miles of not following water, and a tiny campsite is a welcome sight. I have seen no hikers today after the hot springs.

PCT 2018 Day 13, May 5, Saturday.

Start 266.1 road crossing and exit to Big Bear Lake and Big Bear Hostel

End 291.5 near a small creek

Miles walked: 25.4

The hostel provides several of us rides back to the trail |or a modest fee– Jan and Bob, Metric Ton with his giant new pack, Violet (from the UK), and myself in an enormous old station wagon with luggage rack on top for packs.

Jan, Bob and I walk together for a few miles, navigating around a short a mile fire closure using a route on forest roads posted on the pcta.org web site. The trail had not been signed with the alternate route, so it was good we did our homework. Here is a Joshua Tree that was caught in the burn.

Jan and Bob were ready for a break, and I wanted to keep hiking, so we said our goodbyes. Nice people– hope to meet them down the trail. The route turns westward for several days on a narrow strip of mountain range, with the vast Mojave Desert to the north. Later, when the mountains turn north again, we will short-cut the turn by hiking briefly in the desert. Terrain in mixed conifer and broken limestone, gradually descending in altitude through the day from 6.8k to 5.3k.

The temperature goes quite high in the afternoon. And another large burn area is by Holcomb Creek.

I stop at a small creek late in the day, not visibly running but with pools of water cool and clear, gratefully accepted

PCT 2018 Day 12, May 4, Friday.

Start campsites at mile 253.1

End 266.1 road crossing and exit to Big Bear Lake and Big Bear Hostel

Miles walked: 13

Last night I reserved a bunk at the nearby hostel using their website. Now a quick hike out to the road junction to get to the town of Big Bear Lake, where a researcher is asking hikers to fill out a questionnaire on app use on the trail. A trail angel comes up and asks if anyone needs a ride to town– wow, that was easy. Jan (pronounced yan) and Bob ( both Germany), and Marie (France) also ride to the hostel with me.

Sarge and Crocs introduce us to the hostel resources, and I grab a shower and do laundry. Jan and Bob invite me to lunch, and we try nearby Teddy’s for burgers with Lella (Hungary, pronounced leela).

Later I walk a mile to the grocery and prepare my food bag. The trail calls for the morning.