PCT Days 6-8: Warner Springs to Idyllwild

Day 6: The kindness of strangers-part 1

The day was warm and sunny and my legs felt good. Before I knew it I had walked 16 miles of desert at noon. As my energy began to flag, I saw a welcome sign: «Mike’s Place.» Mike’s is a legendary trail angel stop, a desert water tank that provides a much-needed reservoir of water in the middle of a long dry stretch. Today I was especially lucky. A couple from Temecula, Eunice and Rio, had created trail magic to beat all trail magic, with hot dogs, fruit and cookies. It gave me the energy I needed to hike 11 more miles to a nice little solo campsite within reach of my next stop, the town of Idyllwild. Thank you Eunice and Rio!

Day 7: The kindness of strangers-part 2

A short mile from the trail is the Paradise Valley Café. The bus driver taking me from the cafe to the city asked me where I would spend the night. I told him I had checked with all the hotels in the area and they were full, so I was planning to camp at the town campground. That’s when he informed me that the PCT section of the campground was limited to 10 hikers. Uh-oh! I’d already seen more than that swerving off the road on PVC to escape the oncoming storm.

An unusually strong front was expected in the area, with snow and strong winds even in the valley. Up on the ridges, going would surely be difficult. In the city, between the tourists who came to see the snow and the hikers who hid from the bad weather, there was not a single bed available. I had planned to walk further to a trail into town, but warnings were up and down the trail: Get off if you can.

Luckily my driver took pity on me and generously invited me to stay at her house. I chatted with another stranded couple while my driver known as “Idy-do” returned to make multiple trips to find hikers and work her second job as the closest thing the city has to Uber Eats. I spent a comfortable night on their couch before heading into town the next day. Thank you Rochelle!

Day 8: Escaping the storm

My stay at Idyllwild was wonderfully relaxing and a great way to escape the terrible weather.

It seemed like everyone who hadn’t been able to get into town before the storm hit would be heading off the road the next day to dry out and warm up.

One hardy hiker told me that even with every piece of clothing he wore he had been dangerously cold on the ridge. I heard of another whose tent had been completely destroyed by the winds. He was trying to buy a brand new one to continue his hike. A man who checked into my hotel said he spent the storm walking through 6 inches of snow without being able to see the trail. He was simply following the steps of the person in front of him, hoping that person would not stray.

Me? Safe, dry and warm in what turned out to be a lovely resort town.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.