*these posts are coming straight from trail, I apologize in advance for typos!*
Location: The Desert
Start: Dirt Road – 624.8
End: Cabin and McIver’s Spring – 645.0
Miles: 20.2
Ascent: 4058 | Descent: 2747
Sleep: Cowboy
Today was a full but good day. We woke up in our wind tunnel excited to see the sunrise. I woke up early enough that it was still somewhat dark and I got to watch the sky slow lighten, but there weren’t the dramatic colors I was hoping for. It www still pretty and I enjoyed watched the sun rise in the sky as I ate my Pop Tarts in bed.
We got moving a little after 6am and followed the trail up and down from a ridge. It was a nice warm up and I stopped to dig a cat hole before our first hill of the day. The climb itself wasn’t bad, but the annoying part was the sand that made it nearly impossible to get good traction. I felt like I was working really hard for each step I took. I did see a baby Mojave Rattlesnake, so that was kind of cool.
The trail mellowed out after several miles and i walked along the ridge for a while. There were tons of cool rocks on top of the ridge, they made for interesting scenery. The wind picked back up on the ridge and I again felt like I was fighting for each step. Battling the wind put me in a sour mood and I found myself thinking about how eager I was to get out of the desert. I’ve really enjoyed the southern section of the PCT, but the wind had me ready for something new.
The trail began to descend toward the road where our water cache was. I felt like I was moving along pretty good and was surprised when I heard someone quickly approaching from behind. I turned around and saw Cinderella who I met on the AT! We connected on Instagram before the trail so I knew she was out here, but I was still surprised to see her. She started on April 20th and had already caught up to us! She was fast on the AT and she’s just as speedy now. We chatted for a bit before continuing on to the cache.
At the cache I reconnected with Truffles, Pinky, and Hangman. Gooey, U-Turn, and Pimento never showed up at our pre planned campsite, so we were unsure if we’d see them today. Truffles and I talked to Cinderella some more before collecting water from the cache and eating a snack. Our big climb for the day was just after the cache, so we had to muster our strength to continue on.
When we left the cache we powered up the hill. I was impressed by our group and how consistently we hiked, we passed several other hikers on the climb. The climb was definitely uphill but was gradual enough that I didn’t feel like I was dying with each step. We gained elevation quickly and were soon looking down into the valley we had just hiked through.
The last mile of the climb felt very strenuous. It got steeper and there were multiple false summits. Finally we checked FarOut and confirmed that we had indeed reached the top. We hiked until we found a flat and shady spot and decided to go ahead and eat lunch. From our lunch spot we even got a view of several snow covered mountains in the Sierra!
After lunch the hiking was pretty uneventful. The rest of the day was a gradual uphill, but it was so easy I didn’t really notice I was climbing. I hiked on and off with Truffles but listened to my book to pass the time. The trail ended and the last several miles of the day were on an ATV road. I was surprised to run into several dirt bikers and off road vehicles on my road walk, but Truffles reminded me that it’s the weekend.
Eventually we made it to the Cabin and McIver’s Spring. Actual flowing water! We were so excited to see a piped spring rather than another water cache. This trail has made me very appreciative of shade and water. The cabin was small but surprisingly tidy, it kind of reminded me of an AT shelter (with an additional wall). Truffles and I picked out of campsite and lounged in the sun talking to other hikers.
Pinky and Hangman showed up after a while. I gave myself a bird bath by the spring, mainly just to wipe the dirt and grime off my legs. Afterwards we all ate dinner together before retiring to our sleeping bags. Truffles and I have been cowboy camping a lot recently just because it seemed easier than pitching the tent. We had the perfect spot for a tent this evening, but still chose to cowboy camp. We probably won’t be able to do that much in the Sierra so I’ll enjoy it while we can.
Location: The Desert
Start: Cabin and McIver’s Spring – 645.0
End: Walker Pass Campground – 652.5
Miles: 7.5
Ascent: 470 | Descent: 2091
Sleep: Cowboy
What an amazing and full day we had! I slept fitfully because of the wind and was ready to get moving when my alarm went off at 5am. We were on trial just after 6am and moving with purpose. Pinky had new shoes waiting for her at the Ridge Crest post office and since it was Saturday, she had a limited window to pick them up. She and Hangman arranged for a shuttle from the Walker Pass Campground down into Ridgecrest at 9:30am, so we just had to be there before then.
Our only elevation gain was in the morning, but it was a smooth 500 feet that was so easy I didn’t realize we were at the top of the hill until we started descending. Truffles and I had left camp a little bit after Pinky, Hangman, and Pimento but we caught up to them before too long. The 5 of us hiked together and took in the colors of the wildflowers blooming.
The 7 miles went by quickly and before I knew it we could see the road deep in the valley below. We made it down to the campground around 8:30am and found a shady spot to wait for the shuttle. We weren’t sure how many people the shuttle could hold, and since it was most important for Pinky and Hangman to get to the post office we decided that they would wait for the guaranteed ride and Pimento, Truffles, and I would hitch.
The 3 of us went down to the road and were picked up within 5 minutes. Adriana let us throw our packs in the trunk of her Jetta and was a wonderful tour guide! She had grown up on a ranch in the area and told us all about her horses and the “water wars” in the valley. She was heading into town to go to Walmart herself and didn’t mind having some smelly hikers tag along. She was lovely and the time flew by as we made our way into town. Adriana had a few errands to run and took us along as she went to the car wash and Tractor Supply before finally setting us out at Walmart.
Once at the store we reconnected with Pinky and Hangman. They had found several outlets outside the building and Hangman was charging their electronics while Pinky shopped. We plugged up our battery banks and decided to diving and conquer as well. We have been so spoiled with 2 Walmart resupplies in a row!
As we finished up our shopping, Gooey and U-Turn showed up. They had gotten into town the day prior after getting a hitch from their road walk. When we had all we food we needed to last us to Kennedy Meadows we loitered outside the store reorganizing our packs and trying to make plans for lunch.
We decided to walk to Christy’s, a local diner about a mile from Walmart. The walk was short and on sidewalks but the sun was absolutely brutal and we all worked up a sweat. We were so excited to get to eat in town and the staff at the restaurant let us charge our electrics while we ate. I had a turkey melt sandwich with potato salad and a side salad. It was delicious!
When we finished to lunch it was only about 2pm. We weren’t ready to go back to trail just yet because we planned to stay at the campground we hitched out of, so we didn’t have more miles to do. Truffles had spotted a bowling alley on our way to the restaurant and we decided we’d go bowling for the afternoon. Pinky contacted the trail angel who picked them up earlier and she agreed to take us back to trail when we finished bowling.
The Sierra Lanes bowling alley was an absolute hit! It was recently remodeled so it was super nice inside. They played early 2000s club hits so all us millennials really enjoyed the music. There was a bar inside and we all got drinks to help improve our bowling game. I can’t even remember the last time I went bowling. We all had a blast watching each other bowl and cheering when someone got a strike.
We played several games and eventually decided to check out the other offerings at the bowling alley. Half the building was dedicated to bowling, the other half was like a giant arcade. We all took turns playing arcade games like Dance Dance Revolution and zombie shooter games. It timed out perfect for Amy, our trail angel shuttle driver, to pick us up around 5pm.
Thankfully Amy drove a large SUV with a rooftop container to store packs. It was a squeeze but we got all 7 of us in the car with our packs distributed in the trunk, roof, and floorboards. The drive back to Walker Pass was about 30 minutes and Amy told us about how she and her husband met at a Scottish Festival and how she became a trail Angel.
When Any dropped us off at the campground, she set us out in front of a campsite that was providing trail magic for hikers! Truffles made a beeline for the trail magic while the rest of us went to go claim campsites. After I found a good spot for the night, I went to join Truffles at the trail magic.
Strictly, KP, and Bozo were class of 2023 PCT hikers who put out an elaborate spread. They had an assortment of drinks like water, Gatorade, beer, and soda. They grilled hot dogs and had chips, hummus, and veggies. When we arrived they were preparing to grill some meat for tacos as well to go with their homemade guacamole. It was amazing!
There were over 20 hikers wandering around the campground and partaking in the trail magic. We got a chance to talk to KP for a while and were especially excited when we learned he’s from Knoxville and will be guiding in the Smokies this year. 100 Grand, Starburst, Trevor, and Pigeon made a surprise appearance and we spent most of the evening catching up with them.
As the wore on we all got to watch the sunset on the mountain behind us. Bozo talked to our group for a while and was so encouraging about the Sierras. He said he remembered all the fearmongering and how scared he had been about the Sierra, and they ended up hiking through it just fine in a record snow year. He said he wanted to be a source of realistic encouragement to hikers and said that being cool, calculating, and confident will get you through the tough parts. He even pulled out his ice axe to give us a demo on how to self arrest. Our conversation made me feel a lot better about the snow and really got me excited for the Sierra!
I managed to stay up well past hiker midnight, but around 9:30pm I had to call it a night. Today was the perfect hero because it was productive, fun, and we actually made it out of town!
Location: The Desert
Start: Walker Pass Campground – 652.5
End: Spanish Needle Creek – 669.9
Miles: 17.4
Ascent: 3635 | Descent: 3592
Sleep: Tent
Today was a good day. Truffles and I had cowboy camped last night I was surprised to see a ton of condensation on our quilts this morning. I packed up my slightly damp quilt with the intention of setting it out in the sun to dry during lunch. We all were moving slow after the fun we had in town the previous day, so we didn’t leave camp until around 7am.
It was a quick hike from the campground to where the trail goes over the road at Walker Pass. From there the trail climbed steeply for several hundred feet before it evened out into a more gradual uphill. I had looked at the elevation profile for the day and knew that we would be climbing most of the morning. There were a ton of switchbacks (like always on the PCT) that helped to make the climb easier. We were definitely gaining in elevation, but I didn’t feel like I was killing myself to climb higher.
At the top of the first ridge I found Pinky and Hangman taking a break. I took my pack off and sat down with them for a while. Gooey and Pimento joined us for a bit, and U-Turn kept hiking and we never saw Truffles. After the break there was still more climbing to do. We were on a ridge and the trail kept going back and forth between which of side the mountain we were on.
Off to the right side we looked out on the barren mountains and open plains of the desert. On the left side we could see rocky peaks and pine trees. Two totally different views, all visible with the turn of your head. It was wild and wonderful and made the climb so much more enjoyable.
Getting to the top of the pass felt like a short lived accomplishment because the trail immediately started going downhill. The descent was short but steep and thankfully set us out at a small creek. Gooey and U-Turn were already there filtering water, and Pinky and Hangman soon joined us. There wasn’t much sitting room around the creek, but it was in the shade and we decided to eat lunch there. Truffles and Pimento caught up and we debated what the milage should look like in the afternoon.
I left our lunch spot first and missed the shade desperately as I set off into the sun. The temperature rose significantly during the afternoon, and it didn’t help that we had yet another climb to do in the heat. I kept my head down and tried to power up the hill in order to get it over with quicker. The trail was fairly sheer with a steep sloping edge and I tried to just stay focused on moving forward.
After I made it over the hill and started coming down the other side I began looking for a shady spot for a quick break. I found shade under a straggley tree and found a podcast to get me the remaining few miles of the day.
When I arrived at the campsite and creek I was so happy to see flowing water I could actually dip my feet in! I arrived with U-Turn and we quickly claimed spots and went to stick our feet in the creek. Thankfully the rest of our group showed up soon after because the campsite got crowded quickly. All of group gathered around on Truffles and I’s Tyvek for dinner and to make plans for what our mileage would be like to get us into Kennedy Meadows. It’s hard to believe we’re almost through with the desert and will be in the Sierra so soon. Hangman pointed out that as of today we are officially a quarter of the way done with the trail, that’s mind blowing!
