Tag: Southern California
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Day 22 | Mile 298.5 – 314.3
(+1.7 miles from Cedar Glen Malt Shop) A snow-free day AND I passed the 300 mile marker!!! I had an ankle deep water crossing first thing, before rejoining the PCT. After that, I stayed dry until the last mile of the day, at which point I had a waist-deep water crossing (which I would not…
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Day 21 | Mile 278.6 – 298.5
(+1.7 miles to Cedar Glen Malt Shop) Back in the sloppy posthole-inducing snow for most of the first half of the day, but as I descended from 8000′ to 4500′, the snow began to retreat from the trail. The trail followed Holcomb Creek for about 10 miles, and crossed it three times. The crossings were…
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Day 20 | Mile 266.1 – 278.6
The hike out of Big Bear started out with a dry, clear trail with several rock fields and beautiful flora. The trail quickly became obscured with snow, and remained that way for the majority of the day. Unfortunately this was wet, slushy snow, which is not great to walk on. I tested the depth of…
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Day 19 | Mile 250 – 266.1
Finally, back to well-defined trail… or should I say trails? I got off-trail several times today. The trail joined dirt roads several times, and twice I overlooked the spot where the PCT diverged. There were also many, many different trails criss-crossing the PCT, and I accidentally explored some of those (bonus miles!). My hiking motto…
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Day 18 | Mile 235.5 – 250
(via the Ridgewalk Bypass) Shortly after my campsite, the trail returns to the Mission Creek drainage, and is blocked by 25’+ rocky waterfalls. The PCTA is encouraging hikers to skip this entire section (from miles 209.5-250), but a few hikers are choosing to scale these waterfalls. Hikers coming from the north last year discovered they…
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Day 17 | Mile 218.5 – 235.5
(+0.7 miles from Whitewater Preserve) What a day! A day filled with rocks, sand, rocks, water, water, and water, and not much else, including a trail to follow. This entire area was ravaged by a hurricane last summer, and the trail essentially is the Mission Creek basin now. For nine miles, I created my own…
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Day 16 | Mile 206.8 – 218.5
(+0.7 to Whitewater Preserve) The day began by finding my way through desert shrubbery, utilizing tall trail markers since the trail had been washed out. I passed under Interstate 10 and began my next climb through narrow valleys. At the top, thousands of small wildflowers filled my view. I enjoyed the views as I descended…
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Day 15 | Mile 190.7 – 206.8
(+5.3 miles up Black Mtn Trail) The day I passed the 200 mile marker was a long, varied day. It began up Black Mountain Trail, which was snow-free and full of seasonal streams… until mile 4.5, at which point I put my microspikes on and hiked in continuous snow until PCT mile 192.6. The snow…
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Day 14 | Mile 162.7 – 168.6
(+2.5 miles up Cedar Spring Trail + 4.7 miles down Spitler Peak Trail) I decided to bypass miles 168.7-190.6 due to my lack of mountaineering experience. I did hike through that section during my second thru-hike attempt in 2021, and with all the side trails I’m hiking, I’ve almost made up the miles already! I…
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Day 13 | Mile 151.8 – 162.7
(+2.5 miles down Cedar Spring Trail) Finally hit the snow today! I made a new lady friend, and tried to track down a trash panda. I hiked through another beautiful boulder-filled area. The boulders seem to erupt from and melt into the earth at the same time, I absolutely adore these areas! I skipped down…