Most people on trail would agree that some miles feel easier than others. For me, the first three miles of the day tend to feel incomprehensibly shorter than the last three miles. Similarly, the hiking conditions can affect how long a mile feels. For example, this week we had overcast conditions and managed our first marathon on trail. It felt easier than the hot and exposed eight miles we later did out of Agua Dulce. It has lead me to believe that some miles are simply subjectively longer than they are objectively!
Day 29
It was the coldest night on trail so far. I woke a few times experiencing the loss of feeling in my feet and a numb nose. Despite being able to see my breath the entire night there was no condensation in the tent. We’ll take the small win!
We began our descent, walking from woods into exposed burn zone. The blackened remains of trees stood like skeletons lining the way to the road. We don’t have wildfires in England so I have a limited knowledge of them. My understanding is that while wildfires are a natural part of forest life with many benefits to the ecosystem, the rate and intensity of them have been escalated due to global warming counteracting these benefits. In the case of the Bridge Fire, arson was to blame which feels so wasteful, especially when walking through the wreckage it caused.
Thank you Lieutenant Dan and Patrick
As we reached the road we spotted Lieutenant Dan, a hiker who walked the PCT in 2016 and now offered trail magic. He had a tarp coming out of his truck, under which was a rug, and coffee on a hot stove. Our morning then got better when another trail angel, Patrick, showed up. Double trail magic! Before we knew it Dan was tucking into a freshly made chilli dog and me a grilled cheese. Amazing.
We finally left the side of the road full bellied and buzzing from coffee. The next section of PCT was closed due to conservation efforts. The mountain yellow-legged frog is endangered and has been discovered in this area, subsequently, this part of the trail has been closed to protect it. We took the quiet road following the tarmac as it snaked its way around the mountains. Walking was fairly easy going and, while heavy on the joints, made a nice change. There was an abundance of roadside toilets and picnic benches to break at.
Dan and Chapstick even made use of the data available to watch an episode of SpongeBob while walking
By the time the strain of road walking outweighed the novelty, we were back on trail and quickly arrived at the 400 mile marker. Here Chapstick announced he was willing to change his trail name to Sweet Rolls. He was named this for his appreciation and promotion for Hawaiian Sweet Rolls to be used for hiker lunch’s instead of wraps.
Shortly after this mile marker we made camp at Camp Glenwood. We had walked with the same group we camped with last night making us a party of 10. Luckily, the camp was big enough to fit us all plus 2 extras who joined us in the evening and would continue to walk with us the following day.
Realistically we couldn’t stay a party this size, but it was satisfying to see two picnic tables cramped full of happy chatty hikers.
At dinner we realised we could order pizza to the place we planned to camp at the next night. As we were settling in the tent Sweet Rolls read out the menu from the pizza place. A hikers lullaby if you will, helping me fall into one of the best nights sleep on trail thus far.
Day 30
While I had slept well, Dan slept rough having to reinflate his mat every couple of hours due to a slow leak.
In the morning the picnic table filled rapidly with the hikers we camped with. We headed on out, the trail easy and, other than developing hives from a wasp sting, was uneventful. We started in alpine forest and descended into the familiar chaparral.
The further you look, the drier it seems to be
We made it to Mill Creek Fire Station where we chilled by the picnic area. Sweet Rolls had ordered pizza from the ridge where he had reception. We were now a party of 12 and we ordered three 24 inch pizzas, 16 pieces of garlic bread, 3 x 2L of Pepsi, a brownie pizza, a cookie pizza and a crate of beer. This resulted in 12 very happy hikers. While waiting for pizza, Dan and I successfully patched up the hole in his sleeping pad.
4 slices were the equivalent to a whole large pizza
I felt tired today, not physically but mentally. By the end of the day I felt my social battery had been drained. I had to really battle my need to be alone and manage how grumpy I was being. As great as it is hiking with a group, sometimes you simply need a moment alone. I found a place to pitch away from everyone else, only to end up with four others camping next to us. I couldn’t help laughing at the situation and luckily by morning I felt a lot more tolerant of company.
Can’t complain too much with pizza and a sunset
Day 31
This day marked one whole month on trail. We moved out quickly, breaking camp and congregating around a picnic table to eat left over pizza and coffee before heading on out up the ridge. The area surrounding us had been heavily burned from past fires. The cloud eerily floated into the valley, swirling upwards. It felt akin to the smoke which caused the area to become blackened in the first place.
Little cloud inversion
Further on at the highest ridge, the walking became very dramatic with dark skies and thick clouds moving so fast we could see them passing over one another. All noise was lost to the wind which battered ua from the south. While it wasn’t raining we could feel the moisture in the air, descending from the damp cloud.
The cloud made for easier hiking than a sun soaked sky
When we set out this morning we didn’t have any particular plan on how far we would go. At 1pm we had covered 18 miles easily and felt good. We worked out that the LA Camping & RV Resort was exactly 26.2 miles away from where we camped previously and suddenly it became our goal. What a great way to celebrate 1 month on trail.
We rolled into camp feeling elated. Our bodies had just covered a marathon on uneven, hilly terrain with 18kg (39 pounds) on our backs. This felt like a big achievement, especially considering the patchwork of blisters on my feet. This meant we had a nice easy day for tomorrow: just 10 miles. Then we planned to move on to our best side quest yet!
Day 32
I woke feeling grateful for our tent and sleep system. It’s taken a month for me to really appreciate our mobile home. Camping has never been something I’ve felt completely compatible with. The lack of space, influence of the elements, and the tendency for the sleeping mats to slide down the slightest slope are just some of the things that had put me off. However, now I’ve come to accept our cramped quarters for the sanctuary it is.
My feet felt a little achy after our marathon yesterday, easing as we fell into a familiar pace ascending the tall-grass covered hills.
We passed through a graffitied tunnel under Highway 14 and found ourselves dwarfed by Vasquez Rocks. This is an interesting rock formation whereby layers of sandstone have eroded at different rates based on their varied composition. The site has been used in several films and TV shows, mainly westerns or sci-fis due to their barren, yet otherworldly appearance.
Vasquez Rocks
We raced to the car park to meet Sweet Rolls’s sister, Josephine, who had kindly agreed to pick us up and host us at hers in LA. She brought us iced coffees, a Guinness flavoured one for Dan and me, and a custard bun each. On the way to LA we stopped by Costco. Dan and I have never been to the superstore and we were very excited. Our jaws dropped at the scale of the store and the variety of products available. In hindsight perhaps we should have eaten before shopping because we both entered a crazed state of picking up anything we fancied and trying all the samples. After twenty minutes we both felt overstimulated and drained leaving with too much food.
Although, this was nothing a $1.50 hot dog and surprisingly good pizza slice couldn’t resolve.
We reached LA and were treated with homemade pesto pasta for me and ox tail rice for the others. Josephine had also sourced a tin of Heins Baked Beans for Dan after he had been whining about how much he wanted an English fry up in Wrightwood last week. To finish the day we were treated with delicious tacos washed down with gin and tonics.
Day 33
Good morning LA. By 11pm we had stopped by China Town, a coffee shop, and had sent off our resupply packages. We then started on assembling a picnic which we took up the mountain to the Griffith Observatory.
The famous Hollywood sign
It felt very surreal being here. I have actually been to the observatory before, but I wasn’t very well at the time so my memory of this is close to non-existent. Being in the privileged position to unexpectedly revisit this location now that I am well enough to comprehend it comes with a great feeling of achievement.
Our little picnic overlooking downtown LA
We arrived back taking final advantage of the shower and packed away our bags, bracing to leave civilisation and return to the wild. But first stopping for a torta, a Mexican sandwich, to pack out. We said goodbye to Josephine who showed great kindness by hosting us.
Drizzle was not feeling great so decided to stay in Agua Dulce. Sweet Rolls, Dan and I continued on following the road out of the town and into a valley of high grass and yucca plants. We followed the valley’s basin before ascending as sun dipped behind the hills casting its final light for the day.
At the top of the hills we found a pitch by a small woodland. Once the tents were up we enjoyed our tortas, our last luxury from LA, before collapsing into bed.
Day 34
The hiking today was tough. On an emotional level we felt the absence of Drizzle, and for Sweet Rolls, the lost comforts of being at his sister’s dampened his mood. On a physical level, the sun burnt down on us, unrelenting with its intensity. The path demanded steep ascents from us and our recently supplied packs threatened to pull us back down. Any shaded areas were occupied with poison oak leaving limited break options. After 15 gruelling miles we arrived at Green Valley Fire Station, broken and miserable.
However, awaiting for us was Kaleidoscope, a hiker from our original trail family, who we had not seen since Julian. We sat under large trees during the midday heat and updated each other of trail events. Shortly after Dan and I noticed the couple we met at the San Diego REI. We had been chasing them down for some time and finally we were able to hear about their experiences.
While it was great catching up with everyone, the effort of the day had zapped all my energy. The lowest point of the day, and perhaps an example of how tired I had become, was when I accidentally tipped my gallon bag of snacks into the trash mistaking it for my rubbish bag. There were my nuts, cookies, candies and bars swimming in garbage juice. Tragic.
At rock bottom and feeling unmotivated to either hike further or set up camp we decided to leave our packs and hitch to a gas station a mile or two down the road. Here we sat outside eating ice cream and drinking iced coffees, my trail snacks now replenished. We returned to the fire station with a regained a sense of purpose.
Water sources are becoming more interesting the further north we travel!
The sun was beginning its decent, and we had full bellies and were pumped with energy. We agreed to hike another three miles in the cooler hours and set up camp at the top of the climb. Back on trail we joked and chatted, a sign that spirits had been regained. At our campsite we had a large cistern of water which we sat on to make our dinner under a field of stars.
Day 35
By 8am I was a furnace. The sun was barely up, at its least powerful, yet it contributed to the mess of sweat and fatigue I was. It doesn’t help that we’d been climbing most of the morning and carrying 4L of water each. We’d been weaving up and down over several valleys since leaving Aqua Dulce. While we all felt better today mentally, the toll of valley climbing alongside a change to our sleep patterns to avoid the midday heat was beginning to take its toll.
Again we found ourselves moving through old burn zone. Scorched trees doubled up for giant charcoal sticks. Their gnarled branches drawing lines of black on my pack from where I poorly menoveted around them. Below the dead trees were a thick green band of new life. Wild flowers provide a break to the homogeneous greenery and butterflies merrily bounce from flower to flower. Here in the old burn zone, poodle dog bush thrives, it’s beauty deceptive to the allergic reaction that it famously causes. I underestimated the mental toll of constant vigilance of its leaves.
The dreaded poodle dog bush
In a wildflower meadow at the top of a pass, we found a water tank whereby a tin roof collects water and funnels it into the tank. The water line is shallow and the opening to collect the water is small meaning we had to be creative with our method of collection. We attacked a carabiner onto the hand loop of a trekking pole, then connected a water bladder. To keep the bladder open we used a stick and then proceeded to lower it into the tank, successfully bringing up about 1.5L of water. As the tank was under the shade of the tin roof we had a siesta here.
Creative water collection workshopping
In the early evening we moved on, up another valley as the heat began to dwindle. We passed the 500 mile marker, took another treacherous journey through the poodle dog bush infested trail, and arrived at our camp for the night. Another cistern on a hill side.
One month on, the trail continues to surprise me. I wasn’t expecting myself to be able to pull a marathon this early in our journey. To my surprise, I felt strong doing it, only then to find myself feeling miserably weak walking 15 miles two days layer! I still struggle with the heat and the cognitive work load of managing trail hazards; negotiating poodle dog bush and poison oak, or blow downs and snow covered areas really take their toll mentally. Regardless of my difficulties I know I’m becoming stronger, and that’s a really good feeling.
