PCT days 13-15: Cabazon to Big Bear Lake

Day 13: What goes up…

What goes up must come down, or in this case, what goes down must come up. Where yesterday everything was descent, today everything was ascent.

I left the windmills of Cabazon behind and headed toward Mission Creek. My goal for the day was to cover enough early miles so I could find a tree and crouch in the shade to resist the heat.

Other hikers further along the trail had obviously had the same idea. As the trail descended to the first intersection with Hauser Creek, I found a half-dozen hikers lying under the only pool of shade, a nice tree along the riverbank. We ate, refilled our water bottles, and some of us took a nap to pass the time until the afternoon cooled down enough to recommend the hike. A few miles into the Hauser Creek challenge and I found a beautiful campsite on the water and we turned in for the night.

Day 14: I’m on a mission

The Mission Creek section of the PCT was severely damaged by Tropical Storm Hilary in the summer of 2023.

Much of the river banks that once housed the trail. They were destroyed by the hurricane, leaving cliff walls that fell 50 feet or more. Hikers must travel along the river bed and sometimes across the river itself, looping, climbing, and over rocks and boulders.

Since there was no real path, I made my way across the creek bed, trying to follow the path of least resistance. It was slow, but not terrible, mostly a matter of lowering expectations knowing that fast miles were going to be impossible.

I saw a few cairns, but at first their placement seemed almost random, more of a suggestion than an instruction.

The multiple water crossings felt good on my feet. Plus, because the trail, or at least what’s left of it, follows the path of the creek, it’s hard to get completely lost. Just follow the water and you will get there.

That said, exiting the stream bed takes some time. If you try to return to the original trail too soon, you’ll likely get stuck on a high cliff and not be able to get down. If you leave it too late, the opposite happens. You will find yourself unable to get back up without backing up for what could be miles.

I later learned that several hikers had missed a turn that took one back to the trail. They continued along the water and ended up dead-end at a waterfall and had a pretty scary run up the canyon walls to rejoin the PCT.

The positive was that while Hauser Canyon is 15 miles of continuous climbing, I was too distracted looking for trails around rocks and boulders to notice.

Bear alert!

As I was lazing in my tent, exhausted after a day of battling Mission Creek, I heard a soft sound. I sat down and looked down the trail, and there was a black bear walking down the trail. By the time I turned my phone back on to take a photo, he had already turned around and trotted off back the way he had come, probably alerted by my surprised «Oh my God!» It’s always fun to see a healthy bear. I hope I didn’t surprise any hikers who came in!

Day 15: The world is a beautiful place.

A pleasant and uncomplicated day of walking. Which honestly leaves little to write. A beautiful sunrise. Nice trail. It’s not too far to reach. Life is good.

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