When the rubber meets the road
The more time I spend outdoors, the more comfortable I feel. I got to a point where I felt confident. I’m sure I know everything I need to know about backpacking outdoors. Not so fast. Although I have researched this trail for countless hours, nothing beats the experience itself. That being said, I would like to share with you how the journey humbled me.
Not all trails are maintained equally
Looking at my map of Wrightwood, I noticed a 4 mile trail closure. The typical alternative route is to take a paved road that runs parallel to the trail. I want to stay on track as much as possible, so I’m looking for a possible alternative. I looked and saw a trail that goes into the ridge and a trail that goes down and connects to the PCT after the closed area. I double checked the forest service website and it says it is open and «walkable.» Then I added a track and waypoints to my map and I have an alternate route.
Here is the alternate route I created. There appears to be a trail that bypasses the PCT trail closure.
That mountain ridge is so scenic and enjoyable compared to walking down the road. Although the process is not as easily classified as the PCT, it is visible and clear. As the sun sets and it gets colder, I’m determined to get down to that ridge and rejoin the PCT. I thought it was going to be an easy 3 mile cruise, but I was wrong.
This is more preferable than walking on a road. Walking along a ridge is very picturesque.
A few meters ahead I could see a large tree blocking the path. I thought there were a few of them, so I continued. It turns out that it will be like this for the rest of the tour. Aside from the blowdowns, there are multiple trail washouts. Most of them are considered incomplete and not safe to pass. Plus it’s already dark. I’m ready to bail but I’m also already committed. What I can do is take extreme precautions. I would guess that this trail hasn’t been maintained for at least a year after a big storm hit the area.
After jumping through many obstacles, I am able to rejoin the PCT. Then I walked a mile to camp. I arrived there around 10:30 p.m. Inside my sleeping bag, I consciously mentally decompress. I am so shocked by that experience. It was both scary and a little relieved to have passed that trail safely. I learned the hard way that not all trails are maintained equally.
My shorts were ripped off after parkouring several tree fells. This leaves my battle scar on that path.
Camping in the storm
The next day I woke up to pretty good weather and clear skies. I am aware that a “light” rain is coming, so I planned to walk as far as I could before it rained. Later that day, the weather begins to turn cloudy, foggy, and windy. Along the way, I know I have the option of spending a night at a trail angel to avoid the rain. My stubbornness is greater than my confidence, so I stayed on the path. I thought everything would be fine but it’s just another mistake on my part.
Later it starts to rain with stronger gusts of wind. At this point, I walk as fast as I can to keep my body warm. Looking at Farout, I know that there is a camp nearby and I decided to camp there. I arrived there around 3 pm. At this point, I’m so wet. Then I set up my tarp so I could dry the clothes and keep warm.
This is the case where my casting skills are tested. At first it seems like the stakes are high until a gust of wind just ruins my setup. I set up my tarp several times and with every gust that came in, my tarp setup just collapsed.
At this point, I almost gave up. I considered walking to the trailhead, hiding inside the bathroom, and spending the night there. Then I suddenly remembered the dead man’s technique when betting. Then I tried this technique and did it very diligently on each male line. I picked up some large stones to make sure it could withstand strong gusts of wind. After doing all this, I successfully installed my tarp.
I kept looking out of my tarp during the storm hoping the weather would improve.
After becoming confident in my setup, I pulled out my dry clothes and sleeping bag and waited to stay warm again. All night I watched each stake carefully to make sure they didn’t lose control. I know that once my tarp explodes again, all my stuff will get wet and I’ll be in big trouble. Fortunately, my shelter remained intact after the storm. I’m glad I stayed warm and dry for the rest of the night.
This is what my tarp setup looks like after the storm.
The bottom line is not to underestimate the bad weather ahead. A predicted “drizzle” could be nothing or a life or death situation. In my case, I’m lucky that I didn’t get into the latter. However, that experience taught me the potential danger of the weather, especially on the road.
The change of footwear caused an injury
After about 700 miles in my Topo Pursuits, it’s time to change into a new pair of shoes. I really love my shoes and have no problem wearing them. Since most hikers use solitary peaks, I tried to give it a try. I didn’t expect the shoe change to cause an injury.
I have nothing bad to say about Lone Peaks. I find them really comfortable and even wider than the Topos. As my feet grow it is also very ideal to wear shoes that allow room. I think my feet love it, except my Achilles tendon.
At this moment I remembered that I am limping. Luckily, I’m a few kilometers ahead of the city.
After 60 miles of using Lone Peaks, my right Achilles tendon is starting to get irritated. At first it is still bearable, but over time it becomes more uncomfortable. At that point, I could see a small lump on my Achilles tendon, which was an indication of swelling. With that, I need to reduce my mileage by 5-10 miles from usual to get my feet back on track. Now I have an injury and the damage has already been done.
Keep your spirits high even after misfortune.
Learning it the hard way
On the trails, there are a lot of things you can’t control. I could be for or against what is ideal for me. Plus, I’m starting to see the harsh reality of hiking. Not everything works in my favor. There are always surprises along the way and the only thing I can do is face them. I think I could minimize those setbacks by being careful with my decisions no matter how small or big. The problem is that I will never know until it is too late to undo it. I guess the only way to learn it is to experience them firsthand.
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