PCT SOBO DAY 119 – Mountain or road?

Day 119

Start: Tentsite, mile 2255.1

Finish: Inspiration Point/Wrightwood, mile 2286.5

Miles Traveled: 31.4 miles of trail, ~27 miles

Today I woke up a little more tired than usual. I felt pretty slow, but after breakfast I started down the trail. Today the trail would take me over Mount Baden-Powell, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go up there. There was still snow at the top from the last blizzard, and many of the recent FarOut comments recommended microspikes, which I didn’t have. I guess I’d have to see how I felt once I got there.

With only 400 miles of trail left, I was in the home stretch. I didn’t want to ruin it now. The trail took me on a path along Highway 2 to avoid the endangered frog section. From time to time, sports cars drove up and down the winding road. Otherwise it was a nice ride down the road.

After passing through a tunnel, it was time to make a decision: to climb Mount Baden-Powell or not? The route along the road was much longer, but I wouldn’t have to deal with the snow or so much unevenness. Instead of being the winner, I took the easy way out and walked the path. From the looks of the tracks I followed, I wasn’t the only one either.

Despite taking the road, the views were quite nice. I could see the desert floor below as I climbed higher and higher. Snow still covered the mountain, but it didn’t look as bad as I thought. The road seemed endless, but I was happy with my choice. I could get to Wrightwood today because I could move faster on the asphalt.

A few hours later, I found myself at Inspiration Point, an overlook at the intersection of the road leading to Wrightwood. I only stuck my thumb out for 5 minutes before they took me into town. He would be there in time for dinner. Sweet!

It took me a while to find a place to stay, but I finally found an AirBnb and a pizza down the street. I didn’t need anything else to be happy now. Even though it was the weekend and the city was bustling with activity, I stayed home and went to bed early.

And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!

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