Instead of getting up at 3AM, I wake up at 6:30AM, take my time getting ready. Today’s goal is to get to the I-10 highway underpass. It’s an area where there is usually water caches, a nice wall to sign and then I can grab a hitch hike into either Cabazon or Banning.
I’m currently at mile 190 and I-10 is mile 209.5. Im going to have to hustle to get there. If the terrain is like the last few days I’m not sure it’ll happen.
I start off up and down up and down on small little detours around trees and bushes. I come up to the first ridge, it’s still covered in snow. Microspikes still on, I get stomping. I first kick to see the ice pack, my foot sinks straight in. Ok, now I know what I’m dealing with.
The elevation gain is mostly downhill today from the map. I’ll be starting at around 9,000’ elevation and dropping down to 1,800 by the time I’m done. My body feels good, mind ready for the day and my desire to hit Mexican food later tonight strong.
After today this breaks up my trail family, Wolf Slayers taking a week off to hit Joshua tree with their girlfriend. They are staying at a SICK air b n b. The night sky is something I want to see from there. Seven and I are both jealous of that.
Blueprints leaving California and heading home to prep for their hike. Seven wants to push on and get through the desert this week. He’s planning on taking time off in a few weeks to hike with his friend Sprite who starts their thru hike at the end of March.
I plan on taking a zero day in Banning and healing up my blister and sitting out todays heat. It’s currently 92°F. That’s really the only issue or need I have right now.
Craig went home to Venice beach to heal up and will be back to get to Big Bear. He’s got a cabin there near the lake and we hear it’s pretty fresh. Dirk and Anita (Feather) that I met in Julian, and Renaissance who I cowboy camped in the chicken coup at Little Bears are now 3 or 4 days ahead of me. (Hopefully I can get reliable status reports on water info now)
It’s a sad time. The people I’ve been hiking with for 15 days going our separate ways. Ultimately I think it’s good thing. As much as we all have loved the time together and become super tight we all also want some more alone time. We want the solo struggle for a bit, don’t get me wrong San Jacinto was a team sport. But now that’s we’re past that it’s time to gain some self confidence on less tough terrain before we get to the sierras. And the sierras will definitely be a team sport again.
Anyways the downhill today’s 19 miles, two water sources one of which is reliable at mile 15. The snow luckily ends after the first two miles and it’s back to smooth sailing on dirt path.
My feet, shoes and socks all soaked. Today’s a day I’m going to wreck my feet even worse. I remember my buddies Dobbins advice. No matter what I ask him about. Dude my girlfriend dumped me, dude I have the flu, dude I missed my flight…. Change your socks, drink water, ibuprofen.
I set an alarm for noon, I shall take a break and change my socks no matter what. Also drink some water.
Before noon I hit the mile 200 post. This one wasn’t as exciting to me as 100 for some reason. At 100 I was electric, tears in my eyes as I passed it. The 200 sign was knocked down and I almost missed that it even said 200 on the side.
Noon comes and my phone goes off as I’m at the water source. I spend 20 minutes cleaning my water filter that taste like rice water and decide I’m too antsy to stay there. It’s a town day, clean it there I say. And it’s in the direct sunlight with bees everywhere. Honey bees, but still annoying flying around me buzzing.
I say I’m going to push on for shade. I walk another mile up the trail and don’t find any, I say screw it up and post up on a rock. I take my shoes and socks off and air out my feet. It’s too late at this point they were toast yesterday. With 4ish miles left to go I make my self some lunch, enjoy some sun on my shoulders and since I have cell service for the first time in days I text my friends back home. Most of them just asking “You alive?”
As I’m packing up to leave Seven walks the corner. “What are you doing bud?” Chilling, burning time and just smoldering in the sun. Let’s get a move on and get to i10.
The rest of the trail down was smooth sailing but just hot. Hotter than I’d like. My water was hard to swallow as it tasted so badly. I loaded it up with flavoring and it’s still gross. We came down from 9000’ where the air was crisp and cool, now into the dry dusty hot desert. We follow along a rusty irrigation pipe knowing at the end of it is our last source of water. Multiple signs saying non potable. My rule of thumb, filter everything. We fill up and filter and start the two mile road walk towards the highway.
As we get half way there we see what is probably my favorite house so far. So unique. Cant even see it.
After that quick break we reach the highway underpass we sign the board and scratch our names and dates on it. From the underpass we jump a ride with our buddy Bp to Banning where we checked into the Holiday Inn. They treat me like a king here being an IHG platinum member, I’ve been burning points for town days as I still have some from when I traveled a ton. It feels good to fully dry everything out, and shower. At 6:30 we go to diner for some amazing Mexican food and everyone else drinks huge margaritas!
Tomorrow we do a full resupply at Walmart, hit a gear store to see if I can get some patches for my sleeping pad and then get back onto the trail into the wind farms.
The Pacific Crest Trail 