Casa de Luna

May 26, 2011

Start: 454
End: 478

Woke up, repackaged some food and then waited around for Kylie and Annie to pack up and get ready. We got a ride down from the Saufley's to the "trail", which was the road that ran through the middle of Agua Dulce. We stopped and had breakfast at the cafe before hitting the trail at 10:20am. We moved pretty slow for the first two miles up road until we hit dirt again.

The weather was perfect. It was about 75F at the peak of the day, but felt much warmer in the sun hiking uphill. I wasn't really mentally prepared for hiking today, but it was still a good day nonetheless. It helps that we will be at the Anderson's tonight (aka Casa de Luna), so the motivation was there.

About 7 miles from San Fransisquito there was an amazing cache called the hikers oasis cache. It is nestled in a manzanita grove and had chairs, shade, and cold drinks. Everything you could want on a warm day. We grabbed a drink and then headed out at 5:45 in an attempt to make it to the road and get a hitch to the Anderson's before dark. About 3 or 4 miles from the road there were three people trail running the opposite direction we were going. Annie and I started speeding up at this point with the hopes that we would make it back to the road about the same time as the runners and get a ride from them. They ended up passing us again about a mile from the road and we were able to hustle down and catch up to them while they were standing around talking. One of the women said she would give us a ride if she knew where the Anderson's was, so I quickly spoke up and mentioned I had directions. We also ran into another hiker, Tumbleweed, who was also going to the Anderson's, so the four of us got a ride with two of the runners Sarah and Connie.

Once at the Anderson's we set up our sleeping area and then proceeded to dine on taco salad, the Casablanca de Luna specialty. It was delicious. A group of hikers sat around the fire pit in the driveway hanging out and talking late into the night.

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May 25, 2011

Zero day at the Saufley's aka Hiker Heaven.

Mostly just hung out, ate too much food, and mailed a few things, including some food to Kennedy Meadows and a few things from my pack to home.

Always fun to take a day off and hang out with hikers. Back on the trail tomorrow and onto the Anderson's! There is a two night max at the Saufley's and a two night min at the Anderson's, so it's looking like another zero day in the near future!

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May 24, 2011

Start: 436
End: 454

Today Wiz and I got up relatively early (for us) and got on the trail a little after 7am. Our mission is to get to Agua Dulce by 1pm for a large lunch of pizza and beer, and then head on to the Saufley's aka Hiker Heaven.

The area we passed through today was pretty nice with some scenic views as we headed down the last ridge of the San Gabriel range into Soledad Canyon. We took a short break at this point before moving on to the final 10 miles of the hike. This part involved a bit more climbing as well as being during the hotter part of the day. It wasn't that it was all that hot outside (upper 70's or low 80's), but it was definitely much warmer than the day before when I wore my rain jacket most of the day to block the gusting wind.

The last few miles before Agua Dulce took us through a giant culvert at the bottom if a ravine below a highway and led us to Vasquez Rocks Park where there were magnificent sedimentary rock canyons and rocks that looked like the could be from Mars. I later learned that a number of TV shows and movies have been filmed there, including episodes of The Outer Limits, Star Trek, and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. The last bit of the PCT through the park was a little tricky due to the lack of PCT signs and the multiple trails that braided the landscape.

Once in Agua Dulce, we immediately stopped at the pizza place and ordered the family meal deal, which consisted of a large pizza, large salad, breadsticks, spaghetti, and 4 soft drinks which we traded for beer. It was a ton of food, but we eventually finished it all. At lunch with us was Blister, Top Shelf, Wired, and Drop Dead, with a few other hikers straggling in as we were leaving.

After pizza we walked a very slow mile to the Saufley's. The setup at their house is amazing and they have everything down to a science. As soon as you walk in the gate, there is a place to pick up a laundry bag, town clothes, and a towel. Then you proceed to the backyard where they have multiple large white tents setup, complete with Slumberjack cots, and find an open for to throw your pack down. Then you go to the trailer home they have in the backyard and signup for a shower. They also have about 10-15 loaner bikes that can be ridden to town for food and to resupply at the store.

Fantastic. Going to take a zero tomorrow because it really is a hiker heaven.

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May 23, 2011

Start: 412
End: 436

So even though I went to bed at the same time as the sun, it rose before I did in the morning. Still made it to the trail by 7:15 and started on the days miles with the plan to stop at Mill Creek Ranger Station to get water and meet up with Wiz, who was getting a little bit later start.

The weather the past couple days has been rather chilly. Highs have been in the upper 50's or low 60's, and the lows probably in the upper 30's. In addition to that, it has been a bit breezy, especially today. The sun has been playing a cat and mouse game with the clouds all day.

Along the 7 miles to the ranger station there was another detour. This one was a road walk on a dirt road to avoid an area of the Station Fire that was apparently unsafe to hike. I didnt mind the road walk and there were some pretty great views which helped the time pass quickly. So quickly in fact that I completely bypassed the burned down Ranger Station without realizing it and didn't fill up my water bottles. I didn't find out I had missed it until I ran into Wired on the trail. up to that point I had drank a half a liter in the morning, and had another liter in my backpack which I had yet to drink. According to the water report that meant that the one liter I had would have to last me another 14 miles until water at mile 432. Wired took pity on me and gave me some of the water she had picked up, so I owe her food or drink when we get to Agua Dulce. Fortunately for me, it turned out that there was water flowing at a creek that the water report listed as "always dry" at mile 425. I took advantage and filled up another liter to carry and drink until mile 432.

At about 12:50 we stopped for lunch and ate with Wired, Top Shelf, Blister, and General Zod. After that it was only another 8 miles to camp at North Fork Ranger Station.

The miles have been pretty easy all day today, and the cool weather has been more of a blessing than a curse, especially given that fact that the weather is typically much warmer than my PNW blood would like. The only thing that has been somewhat bad is the poison oak that was on the trail the last couple miles before the Ranger Station, and some other plant/weed that grows everywhere, including all across and along the trail in some sections. Supposedly it can cause a reaction similar to, or worse than, poison oak.

I got to camp at about 4:30 and immediately made dinner, and then set up camp in the corrals, which are down the hill and out of most of the wind. The guy manning the Ranger Station as a fire lookout, Todd, has generously provided water for us too! Very nice of him to do considering there is no running water (at least not for public consumption).

Camping at the Ranger Station tonight are Wired, Top Shelf, Wiz, General Zod, Blister, and Viper. Talk in camp tonight has been about the delicious pizza and beer we will be enjoying in Agua Dulce tomorrow, as well as the hospitality of the Saufley's, which is the stuff of legend. Only 18 more miles, so we should get there in time for lunch! I love food!

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May 22, 2011

For those of you who are wondering, this is what I look like now! I have yet to shave and have a pretty sweet tan line below where my sunglasses are since I wear a baseball style hat and bandana that cover the top half of my face pretty much all day.

Start: 384
End: 412

Woke up today around 6:30 to the sun shining on my face... Poor me. After eating a quick breakfast and packing up, Wiz and I were on the trail by 7:20.

After a couple miles, we came to a PCT detour which was put into effect to protect the habitat of a frog. Which type of frog, I am unsure, but the result being we either had to do an 18.5 mile alternate trail loop, or road walk 4.5 miles on Hwy 2. Since we didn't plan an extra day of food for the trail detour, we did the road walk. It went fairly quickly, and was safe since that section of Hwy 2 is closed due to part if the road sloughing off the side of the hill. The time also went quicker because we were able to walk and talk with Blister, Wired, Top Shelf, Gangsta Rap, 12 Ounce, Thumper, Stumbling Goat, Cowbear, Punisher, General Zod, and Dave.

When we got back on the PCT we were only a mile or so from mile 400! The Shotgun Sisters (now Gangsta Rap and 12 Ounce) brought wine in tetra-pak containers for the occasion, which they generously shared with Wiz and me. It wasn't completely horrible, despite what you may think.

After lunch, we were all a bit lethargic, mostly due to the wine we just drank. That and the fact that Wiz and I had done 31 miles in the past 24 hours. We pressed on and eventually made it to Fountainhead Spring for water, and then a couple miles further to camp for the night. It was a little windy, but overall a nice place to camp. We were also joined by General Zod at our impromptu camping area. After dinner, I immediately got in my sleeping bag, journaled, and proceeded to go to sleep by 8pm. Gotta love cowboy camping and going to sleep when the sun does.

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May 21, 2011

Start: 369
End: 384

After a late night last night, we ended up getting up pretty early, around 7am. Drop Dead made some delicious banana buttermilk pancakes and we lounged around for a few hours. At about 10, Kylie, Wiz, and I walked over to the Village Grind, where they offered a free cup if coffee to hikers in exchange for a picture and our names. To our surprise, there a was an olde man named Kirk playing the guitar and singing his own songs at the cafe, so we hung around and enjoyed his musical stylings.

After coffee, we grabbed some sandwiches and salads for lunch and headed back to Courtney's. We watched a movie called 180• South, and lounged even more. The other four hikers got a ride back to the trail at about noon. Everyone seemed pretty content to stay, however Wiz has to get to Agua Dulce by Tuesday so he can get a ride to LA to catch his flight back home for his sisters wedding. I was also feeling a bit antsy and wanted to get out of town, so the two of us ended up getting a ride back to the trail and were hiking again by 3pm. The others decided it would be easier to wait until the next day since the minimum mileage for the next segment is 15 miles, up and over Mt Baden Powell at ~9400', and then down out of the snowy section to Little Jimmy Springs Camp.

Wiz and I took it pretty easy to the base of Mt Baden Powell where we encountered a large group of boy scouts who had just come down the mountain. We asked them and the scout leaders how it was, and they told us there was quite a bit of snow, they broke a few trekking poles, and the snow was a little bit slushy and slippery, due to the time of day.

The trail up the mountain consisted of a series of switchbacks zig zagging up until we came upon snow, probably around 8000'. At this point, we put on our microspikes and continued up the switchbacks until the trail was completely covered in snow. Once we got to that point, we headed straight up the side of the hill toward the top, following the footsteps of others who had done the same thing. It was slow going, but we made it up to the top around 6pm. The view was amazing! A full 360 degree panorama of multiple mountains, valleys, and hills shrouded in thicker mist (or smog) as they got further away. We enjoyed a snack break at the top, took some photos, and then headed down the mountain toward our nighttime destination which was still about 6 miles away.

The next 3 miles went very slow. The trail wound in and out of the snow along the ridge we were following, making it difficult to find the trail at different points along the way. It wasn't all that bad though. From a spot on the ridge we were able to have a magnificent view of the sun casting a purple glow on some distant mountains, and simultaneously enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen. The sun went behind a band of clouds above the horizon, making them glow orange, then dropped below the clouds, lighting the sky. As the sun continued setting, its color changed from orange to red and slowly sank below the horizon leaving the sky blazing with oranges, pinks, and reds; truly spectacular. After the break for sunset, we continued down the trail, eventually making it below most of the snow before it got dark. Once we had clear trail we were able to go much faster. We ended up hiking without our head torches most of the way. As the sky got dark, the valleys where various cities are located began to light up. So we traded a spectacular sunset for the city lights far below.

We finally made it to camp at about 9:10pm, only to discover a large group of scouts camping at Little Jimmy Camp. We spoke to a couple of the parents who said there were two troops camped out, totaling about 50 scouts, in addition to the ~10 other PCT hikers who were also there. Once at camp we quickly made and ate dinner and then laid out our sleeping bags and cowboy camped under the stars. One of the best days of the hike to date, even with such a late start to the day. This is what the PCT is all about.

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May 20, 2011

Start: 354
End: 369

Last night was surprisingly good, given the angle of the ground I was sleeping on, and I awoke feeling well rested! Today, the six of us are headed to Hwy 2 so we can get a hitch to Wrightwood and resupply (buy food), and we need to get there before 5pm because Annie has a package waiting and the PO is closed Saturday and Sunday.

Since we camped about halfway up the ridge, we only had about 2500' to ascend, before dropping some elevation to the highway. It was a little bit slow going due to the altitude, but it still went quickly and we were treated to views of Mt San Antonio and one other that I don't know the name of.

Speedbump sped ahead and made it to Wrightwood before we did, and the rest of us got to the highway by 1:30 and attempted to get a hitch. It took us about 30 min to get a ride, due in part to the fact that there were few cars headed that direction. Eventually, a lady driving a little red sedan pulled over and asked if we were hiking the PCT, to which we said yes, and then asked if we had ever been arrested, to which we said no. Based on those answers she agreed to give us a ride. Just after she pulled into the parking area, a jeep pulled in to the parking area also offering a ride. Since my backpack was the only one that wasn't loaded in the red sedan yet, I threw it in the back of the retro two-seat jeep that Peter was driving and we headed down the hill to the PO.

Once in town, everyone was extremely friendly. One person offered us a ride to the trail if we needed, and another, seeing we were a bit unsure where we were going, offered us directions. While waiting for Annie to get her mail, Wiz and I went over to the hardware store to check out the list of trail angels in Wrightwood. We got a hold of Courtney, who was already planning to host 4 other hikers, and agreed to take on the 6 of us (we found Speedbump). Courtney has not thru-hiked the PCT before, but hosted Hikers last year, and subsequently did a 200 mile section hike in August! She hopes to do more this year, and may even end up hiking with us somewhere up the trail.

The group staying at Courtney's included Liz, Skinny D, Wired, Top Shelf, Speedbump, Kylie, Wiz, Annie, Drop Dead, and me, and it was awesome. After a group of us ate a late lunch at Mexico Lindo and enjoyed some margaritas, she showed us back to her place and let us (made us) take showers, do laundry, borrow her car to get groceries, and crash just about anywhere and everywhere at her place.

After our errands/chores had been taken care of a group of us went to the Wrightwood Inn for Karaoke night! It was definitely an interesting experience. Drop Dead sang a couple songs, Wiz signed Kylie up to sing Down Under, and then the group of us went up together and sang "I would walk 500 miles" at the end of the night. Fun times in Wrightwood.

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May 19, 2011

Start: 335
End: 354

So just so you all know, sleeping near water tends to lead to more condensation on the tent than camping away from water. Somehow when I was setting up last night I didn't realize I was near a small creek so this morning my tent had condensation inside and out.

After we had each taken care of our respective condensation issues by wiping off or drying things in the sun, we headed off down the trail, 7 miles to McDonalds, which is ocated less than a half mile off the trail where the trail passes under Interstate 15. It was a beautiful morning to be hiking and I took more pictures than necessary, but I figure I'm just making up for other days when I don't take many.

When we got to McDonalds a little after 10am, the six of us took over one corner (3 tables) with ourselves and packs, and tried to get as far away from other patrons as possible due to our hobo looks and hiker smell. We had sort of an informal competition to see who could eat the greatest number of calories. The following is the list of food I ate with the corresponding number of calories:

Big breakfast with hotcakes 1090
Syrup 180
Whipped margarine 40
Sausage egg and cheese mcgriddle 560
Large orange juice 290
Apple walnut salad 210
Cheddar onion mcchicken 360
Jalepenos cheddar mcchicken 370
Reeses PB Mcflury 660
Peach pie 250

Total calories: 4010

I should also note, and I'm sure you'll be proud to know, that I was the winner of the competition! Wiz was a close second, followed by Drop Dead, Speed Bump, Kylie, and last but not least, Annie.

After we had sufficient time to recover from all the food we ate, we headed back to the trail. The area where we walked after lunch is right on, or very near to, the San Andreas fault. We walked along the side of one ridge before crossing a valley and then ascending the next ridge. The goal was to get to a place called Gobblers Knob, where the map showed some campsites, but due to our long lunch at McD's we only made it part way before searching along the ridge top for decent places to camp before it got dark. It's not exactly flat, but it's flat enough.

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May 18, 2011

Start: 307
End: ~335

The morning was much the same as most mornings, mostly clear and fairly cold. After packing up camp I was on the trail by 7:20am to continue the hike through Deep Creek Canyon. The remaining miles of the canyon were just as breathtaking as the day before, with the exception of the fact that there was a plethora of graffiti with tags including everything from "Ham Ass" to "R.I.P. Big Steve". There were two small sections where the trail had slid out, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the PCTA had made it out to be and was definitely worth the "risk".

By noon I had 11 miles under my belt, but it felt like much less, probably due to the fact that I made a conscious effort to go a little slower so I could enjoy the views and take pictures. It's interesting to see some of the other people thru-hiking and how utterly miserable they look. The PCT is such an amazing thing that I think if I felt like they look, I wouldn't be out here doing this.

The miles for the rest of the day went fairly well and when we were about 22 miles in for the day we saw a sign for trail magic at Cleghorn Picnic Area. At the picnic area was Shepard, who was cooking up hot dogs, hot beverages, and also had chips and donuts. I had a little bit of everything available, and then proceeded to eat a dinner of cheddar broccoli rice with tuna. Definitely ended up very full after all of that.

After all the eating we headed out for a couple more miles until we could find a good campsite. Because the trail was along the side of a ridge on the way up, and then the way down we ended up hiking until 8:00pm and got in about 28 miles for the day. A few more than I really wanted to get, but at least we will be closer to McDonalds in the morning to enjoy some greasy goodness. What a way to celebrate a birthday.

Tonight I am camped with Drop Dead, Wiz, Speed Bump, Kylie, and Annie. It has been great hanging out with a group of people, but I'm thinking I may try to do some solo hiking/camping after resupplying in Wrightwood. We'll see what happens.

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