Section Three: Mount Laguna to Paradise Valley Cafe, 112 miles, 8 days, 7 nights
Day 10: 13.5 Miles, Mount Laguna to Boulder Field Camp
The sunrise was gorgeous!
It was a pretty hot day and lady bug was having issues with the heat.
We met some day hikers. They had their car parked nearby so lady bug decided to leave the trail.
This is the valley to the east of Julian. I gave the girl I was hiking with the trail name "Sea Creature" because she works on a boat and talks about ocean animals non stop all day and she has a jellyfish necklace. She liked it and the name stuck.
Day 12: 9 miles + 12 mile hitch, Rodriguez Spring to Julian
We clung to the side of this ridge for 7 miles.
The day was very hot and the breeze was minimal, but the flowers were amazing!!
On the last two flat miles we ran into my dad who drove us into Julian for the night.
Day 13: 9 Miles + 12 mile hitch, Scissors Crossing to 'Bee Camp'
We got free pie at Mom's for breakfast and packed up for the day. Another trail angel showed up to give the German girl who also stayed on the porch that night a ride to the trail so sea creature and I hitched along with her.
The German girl took off at a million miles an hour despite the heat so it was just sea creature and I again.
It was brutally hot but the views were amazing and there were new flowers around every corner.
It seemed like the entire desert was in bloom.
We paused for a lunch break to cool off near this very healthy and active bee hive.
Flowers everywhere!
When I walked into the elevated area we had picked for the camp I was suddenly surronded by a huge swarm of bees, for an instant I didn't know if I had stumbled into their nest and looked around frantically for an escape route but everywhere I turned the bees just looked even more dense. A few seconds later they dissipated, they were just swarming and I didn't get stung. This story is extra funny because only the evening before a few hikers (Sea Creature, Bionic, & Righteous) and I got a lecture from a Julian local about animals and other trail dangers and he specifically mentioned that "bees can smell your adrenaline".
Day 14: 16 miles, 'Bee Camp' to Barrel Springs
We woke up early and hit the trail around 6:20 to try to beat the heat of the day.
We had to walk an extra mile to pick up water at the 3rd gate water cache.
3rd Gate water cache is awesomely stocked! This is Sea Creature on the left and Cookie on the right. Cookie is a teacher from San Francisco.
The trail slowly turned more grassy and green and we left the cacti and desert behind for the day.
An awesome rock. I should take more pictures of rocks.
I've reached 100 Miles from the border!!!! Which for me is actually more like 186 miles because I haven't been going in order, either way you look at it, it's a big milestone!
Flowers are still everywhere and everything is so green, it's hard to believe this is still Southern California!!!
The three of us reached Barrel Springs which is near a road, we were a little iffy about three girls camping so close to the road but it was a fairly hidden spot and we had each other. I built a small fire and we cooked dinner as more people unexpectedly dropped down the trail and into our camp. We were joined by 12 other people!!! Everyone was drawn to the fire like moths! There was Nosebleed (who had blood all down his shirt from a nosebleed), Juke Box (from Wales, who liked to sing), Pippin & Clutch (who were 2nd time thru-hikers with base weights of 5 lbs and 8 lbs respectively), Young Blood, Boaty McBoatface (who broke out a ukulele for some quality camp fire singing), Pouches, Hey Baby, Rainbow, and few other people who didn't have trail names yet. Even with all the commotion we all got to bed before 10. Great night!
Day 15: 24 miles, Barrel Spring to Warner Springs to 'Boulder Ridge Camp'
It rained in the early morning, it was my first rain under the tarp and I got very excited and couldn't sleep anymore so I was packed up and ready to go just after 6 am. I was the second person to leave camp that morning.
The first nine miles were very easy walking, through meadows without much elevation change.
I met three day hikers and kept pace with them, my legs felt great!!
Eagle rock is at mile 106 and was a huge milestone for me, this was one of those unique trail things I am super excited to see, like the half way point sign, the big bridge in Oregon, both terminus monuments, Crater Lake, banana slugs, and Whitney to name a few.
That way to Canada!
Here are my day hiker friends, the couple has a ranch in Oregon and the other guy builds sailboats in Ketchikan, AK.
Very easy walking near a stream on the way in to Warner Springs. I stopped at the post office and picked up my resupply box and met a girl there from the bonfire the previous night.
She is 22, from Colorado, was going to Senegal with the peace core at the end of the summer and hiked extremely fast. I was still feeling good after doing ten miles before 10:30 and decided to try to keep up with her.
We gained over 3000 feet of elevation that afternoon and it sprinkled a few times but overall it was perfect walking conditions.
I gave the girl I was walking with her trail name of "Chirp" because she makes a great chripping noise and had told me "if I could be anything I would be a bird". Which might seem a little strange out of context but we talked about lots of things to keep our minds off the steep incline.
Day 16: 20 Miles, 'Boulder Ridge Camp' to 'Boulder Cliff Camp'
We woke up at about 5:30 and we were inside a cloud!
Tarp in 'storm mode' with the front corner pulled back to let me pack up easier. We packed up pretty slowly and were on the trail within 45 minutes.
It rained on and off all day.
We stopped for water at Tule Spring which came out of another fire tank, but was very brown and rusty and gross looking.
The cooler weather was fantastic to walk through. Here, another dry section that looked like it could be absolutely brutal in full sun.
The clouds made everything more dramatic and majestic. Two Norwegian guys caught up with us and we set up camp among some boulders and brush. There were ten people at this boulder cliff camp but most of them stayed in their tents because of the fickle rain. Chirp and I made another fire to dry out our soggy hiking clothes and get toasty warm before bed. The fire was obnoxious to start but once we got it going it attracted four other hikers; the Norwegians, a girl from Minnesota, and a guy named Prince who broke out his ukulele for more camp fire singing. There is something special about six hikers who just met singing Rocket Man together around a little fire on a cliff overlooking a stormy mountain range you all just walked over. Awesome night!
Day 17: 8 Miles, 'Boulder Cliff Camp' to Paradise Valley Cafe
I woke up at 5 am, before the sun rose and had a leisurely morning with hot tea. We started around 6 am.
We passed a surf board that they wanted everyone in the PCT Class of 2016 to sign. There was also a little free library and a water cache.
Everything was covered in dew and my feet were wet and not particularly happy.
Prince caught up with Chirp and I. They were basically running down the trail!
Everyone from the campfire the night before caught up and passed me, everyone had some serious burger fever and were setting a seriously blistering pace.
I fell behind, but not by much, they waited for me at the road crossing to Paradise Valley Cafe.
Day 10: 13.5 Miles, Mount Laguna to Boulder Field Camp
I met a couple of girls (Lady bug and the second one didn't have a trail name yet) in a camp spot in a boulder field. We had a small fire and the fire disturbed an ant hill. These weren't ordinary ants, they were huge, inch long beasts, not exaggerating. Huge. The ant incident happened after dinner so once they took over the fire area we decided it was time for bed. I was very glad to have a bivvy.
Day 11: 13.5 Miles, Boulder Field Camp to Rodriguez Spring
This is our camp right behind a fire water tank (took this picture standing on it).
The sunset was very nice again and the night was very warm. Lots of mayflies. I found an extra tent stake here!
In Julian, sea creature and I met a bunch of other hikers and stayed on the back porch of a Trail Angel's restaurant and did laundry. We befriended a girl staying in the hotel next door and she let us take showers in her room.
We got free pie at Mom's for breakfast and packed up for the day. Another trail angel showed up to give the German girl who also stayed on the porch that night a ride to the trail so sea creature and I hitched along with her.
Sunset beautiful and it was looking like another warm night.
Day 15: 24 miles, Barrel Spring to Warner Springs to 'Boulder Ridge Camp'
We found a small camp near some boulders and set up our shelters just before the rain really started to come down. In a break in the rain I made a small fire, we cooked dinner and went to bed.
Day 16: 20 Miles, 'Boulder Ridge Camp' to 'Boulder Cliff Camp'
We walked the extra mile down to the cafe and arrived before they stared serving lunch! So much for burger fever! Everyone had to make due with gigantic breakfasts.
Chirp was leaving the trail for a few weeks for her Mom's birthday (they were going to France!) and her Aunt and Uncle were picking her up and taking her to San Diego. I hitched a ride home with them and finished my 3rd section. This brings my total trail miles to 237 (that's almost 10%!!!!) and I've spent 15 nights on the trail so far. Can't wait to head out again!
Chirp was leaving the trail for a few weeks for her Mom's birthday (they were going to France!) and her Aunt and Uncle were picking her up and taking her to San Diego. I hitched a ride home with them and finished my 3rd section. This brings my total trail miles to 237 (that's almost 10%!!!!) and I've spent 15 nights on the trail so far. Can't wait to head out again!
