Day 28: Fully loaded for Cleveland.
I accidentally woke up at 5:30 after forgetting to turn off the alarm… luckily no one was disturbed. I stayed in bed for a few more hours before finally deciding to wake up. With my things packed, Christy dropped me off at the local coffee shop as we hugged goodbye. I left him my decorated ornament and some money as a thank you.
The cafeteria was filled with several bustling older men forming a circle at the front. I ordered my drink, originally planning to sit outside, but I needed to charge electronics (and it was loud), so I went inside.
“They suck,” one barista lamented. ‘They are here every Wednesday and they scare away all our customers. They think they know everything and they never shut up. But I’m glad you’re here. He gave me a free cupcake on the house because I was a hiker. Of course I was going to stay. Plus, really, because I had nowhere to go.
After five hours, two drinks and a croissant, I left the store. It takes me four to five hours to write a single blog, and most of it is writing my shorthand that I write in my notes app every night. I wish it was faster.
After coffee, I bought four days worth of food to take with me to Acton, sent a postcard to my friend for his birthday, bought a free hot dog at the local gas station, and visited Mountain Hardware just for fun. I received a commemorative enamel with the old PCT logo for signing the tracking log. Christy was there, which was a fun coincidence.
Every time I leave town, I always hear the phrase «fully loaded for Cleveland» in my head and for a long time I couldn’t remember where it came from. It was at Wrightwood when I heard Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ that I identified this phrase. With the housework done, it was time to leave.
I started up the town roads back to the Acorn Trail, a slow 1.2 mile walk from town. I think a trail angel passed me by, but I didn’t see any point in asking for a ride when I was already halfway down the trail. Heading up the trail it was another two miles to the PCT, steeper than Devil’s Slide in Idyllwild, but still doable in time. Overhead, the sun was beginning to set, a much clearer view than yesterday. A beautiful ride to the Mountain High Ski Area lifts took me to my campsite for the night. I wonder if they have gaming chairs in the upper shacks like at Summit West. (Note: I was a lift operations employee at Snoqualmie Pass last winter.)
I cooked some Knorr rice, which wasn’t really cooked due to the gusty winds, high altitude, and a flame that wouldn’t stay still. I still ate it anyway. I could see the lights of Los Angeles to the south contrasting the near darkness of the Mojave Desert to the north.
Day 29: Bushwhacking and Baden-Powell.
By chance, I was able to experience sunrise over the Mojave despite not having set an alarm. I loved it, 10/10.
I began to walk through the terrain of the ski resort where fallen and burned trees dominate. I also saw my first poodle dog bush. Although it may seem innocent for a plant, the oil from its leaves can cause rashes much worse than those of poison oak or ivy. People have been sent to the hospital for touching. poodle dog bush. It was imperative to avoid it. Brilliantly (hehe), I opted for hiking pants, which makes it easier to avoid chance encounters. Along the way, I almost had my photo taken on a chairlift, but I saw some maintenance workers driving down the dirt road, so I ran out. Journal. Well, I’ve spent a lot of time on chairlifts.
It was already hot, even at 8,000 feet. Unfortunately, a significant descent was necessary to reach Highway 2 before ascending Mount Baden-Powell. I didn’t really want to summit as I was happy and satisfied with San Jacinto, but apparently the normal PCT trail was covered in snow.
After forty-four exhausting, arduous and endless curves, I reached the top. With a clear sky, no wind, views of the Mojave and Los Angeles, the conditions were sublime. There were several wooden signs to choose from and pose for a photo. Mount Baden-Powell is apparently named after the founder of the Boy Scouts, and some other hikers who came to Eagle took photos at the BSA monument. Those who also knew where to look (i.e. not me) could even see Catalina Island from the top.
I met some new couples, Anne and Sebastian from Germany, and Bucket and Chung D from the United States. It was great to hike with them and made the climb seem more of a team effort. I also met some young locals who were on their first backpacking trip. How exciting! I loved chatting with them about their plans and how they were feeling. They were also very curious about mine.
After the summit, I headed back down to the PCT, but there were more snow banks in my path. I started following boot prints that seemed to be going in the right direction, but unfortunately I went a long way off the trail where probably no one had been before. I had to climb over fallen trees, loose rocks and soft ground on a very steep angled traverse below Mount Burnham. I was a little worried about falling and getting lost, but with some common sense, I made it. Continuing on, I could faintly see the Los Angeles skyline as I squinted against the smog. I arrived at Little Jimmy Camp, quickly made dinner, and passed out.
Day 30: One month of tracking and Save the Frogs day.
Wow, a month of tracking! It seems like a lifetime ago when I was freaking out on CLEEF. Now every day feels more and more routine. Beautiful (usually) and always different, but generally routine. Walking really is my unpaid job.
I have also had cravings to «experiment», not for food, but for activities other than walking. Namely, two-stepping at a honky tonk bar and/or slalom skiing on Lake Roosevelt. I’m really craving both specific things right now.
I left camp around 6:45 and met Sophie and Downhill Dave on the way out. Last night I heard a group of young people arrive at camp and they seemed like a great group to be with. I would have shown up, but I was completely exhausted and wanted to sleep right after dinner.
It was a major climb from the burn area gate, only to return to the Angeles Crest Highway almost immediately. This was all in a span of about four miles – frustrating. The trail crosses that road a few more times, and we were going to hike it today too, as we were going around the 20+ year old frog closure. An endangered species of frog lives in this area of the road, so part of the trail has been closed for repopulation. Let’s hope they survived the fire that devastated this area.
It was a lot of walking on the sunny road today, but the new friends made it better. About three miles later, we had lunch on the side of the nearly empty road. Many sections of the highway were washed away by mudslides in last winter’s floods, so only CalTrans workers are out. I still listen to my book, mostly interesting but not helping me move fast. It was so hot that I even covered 400 miles without fanfare – a pretty good job for 30 days.
I was dragging a lot in the afternoon, but surprisingly, there was magic on the trail just when I needed it. Some former hikers prepared a smorgasbord of food, and boy was it a pick-me-up. That staved off my hiker hunger as I downed various drinks, hot dogs, chips, cookies, and more. Feeling full and ready for the last three miles, I played my upbeat music and headed to Sulfur Springs Campground for a nearly 20-mile day. The mosquitoes were gone, but having dinner with company (Dave, Sophie, Smokey and Shoeski) made it worth it. I really like this new group and they want to do bigger days like me, so I hope we can stay together.
See you next time!
