5 to 9

Well, my day is really 5 ‘til sunset (a little before 8pm), but 5 to 9 seemed to fit as the best musical representation of my new way of life. As I’m starting to write this from my room in Big Bear Lake, California, at 8:20 pm, I’m already thinking I may need to go to sleep soon, as it’s past my bedtime.

Since my last post, I’ve traveled from Idyllwild, off of mile 179, to Big Bear, off of mile 266. I’ve now officially completed 10% of the PCT.

May 8, 2022, mile 256 and change.

After a nice town day in Idyllwild, we headed out early Tuesday morning, May 3. After climbing up the three-mile Devil’s Slide trail from Idyllwild back to the PCT (non-PCT miles are the worst, particularly when you gain thousands of feet of elevation), I made the decision to summit San Jacinto, which sits at 10,834 feet and is the highest peak in Southern California. The peak of San Jancinto isn’t technically on the PCT, but we were so close, the sun was shining, and my legs were feeling good. Daddy Long Legs, Big Spoon, and I decided to make the climb. The extra miles and elevation were worth it. It offered 360* views of Southern California, with LA to the west and Palm Springs to the east. We felt on top of the world.

After descending from the peak, we decided to camp at mile 186. We walked only seven PCT miles that day, but a million miles in reality. The biggest debated question: if you walk a non-PCT mile, does it even count?? Regardless, we were exhausted and the campsite had epic views. Plus, the next day we had a nearly 20-mile water carry from miles 186-205, coupled with 7,500 feet of decent with increasing temperatures.

I’ll save you the suspense, but the next three days were incredibly hard, mostly because of a heat wave with temperatures reaching into the 90s. On May 4, we made the big descent from over 8,000 feet to about 1,500 feet over about 20 miles with no water source in between. Plus, I had about five days of food with me. This all equals a HEAVY pack. A good rule of thumb is a liter of water every five miles. Assuming you listen to rules of thumb, that’s 8.8 pounds of just water. Water is the trickiest thing to manage in a desert with limited water sources. You want to ensure you have enough, but you don’t want to carry more than you need. If you carry too much, you go slower, your back will hurt, and you will need more water. If you carry too little, well, that’s obvious. I’m starting to get better at judging the Goldilocks amount of water I will need. Plus, I’m getting a little faster, which means you can carry less water. It’s a vicious cycle.
We started the descent, and it seemed to go on forever with the same view of the I-10 in the never-ending distance and San Jacinto behind us. I couldn’t believe I was just on top of San Jacinto the previous day (it’s the snow-covered peak in the photo below). I didn’t make it to camp that day until 7:15, so it was way past bedtime by the time I actually snuggled into my tent.

The next day, May 5, Cinco de Mayo. One of the worst and best days so far on the trail. The day started off fine, as I walked with Remedy, Gnome, and Tommy Hawk to the I-10, about five flat miles from where I had camped. The PCT crosses under the I-10, otherwise known as the I-10 Oasis. Trial angels provide trial magic and hikers hang out. To most folks, it doesn’t look much different than a homeless encampment. But to hikers, it is heaven. Cold drinks to squelch the desert heat and a place to get a ride to Cabazon to go to the In-N-Out, a treat while on the trail.

I-10 Oasis in the mid-morning of May 5.

We got to the In-N-Out right when it opened, 10:30 am. We ordered our animal-style burgers and were happy campers. Remedy and I then made a trip to the nearby gas station to pick up some necessary Cinco de Mayo provisions, while the others watched our things. We had a very difficult decision on our hands: 24 ounce tallboy margarita hard seltzers or a 12-pack of 12 ounce cans. We had 10 miles to walk until camp, where a creek awaited us. Neither Remedy nor I wanted to carry 24 ounces even if it was liquid gold (my tent doesn’t even weigh that much), so we opted for the 12-pack and we figured we’d donate the rest. Well, Gnome, who will be a triple-crowner when he completes the PCT, was not willing to let go of these seltzers. Like a star running back, Gnome carried that 12-pack for 10 miles in the 92* midday desert heat. I was in awe and incredibly thankful.

Should be a candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

This is when the day got hard. After about three miles, I was not feeling well and it was just so ridiculously hot. I told the others to go ahead because I had found the one tree/bush that offered even a glimpse of shade. I just sat there. I needed to sit there for as long as it took. The heat was taking over me and I needed to ration my water to make it to the campsite. I was seriously also regretting the burger and milkshake I consumed with unsuspecting delight about two hours earlier. This may have been my lowest point. I can’t even explain how terrible I felt. After shutting my eyes for about thirty minutes, drinking some warm/hot electrolyte-infused water, and thinking about the creek waiting about seven miles ahead, I mustered the strength to get up and keep walking. These were the hardest seven miles I’ve walked. Step after step up a couple thousand feet with the sun beating down, limited water, and no shade (turns out, tall things don’t grow without water). I was dreaming of a cold Gatorade. I honestly would look up to the sky in the hopes one would magically appear. None did.
Finally, after using every ounce of strength I had, I reached the place where the map indicated the river was supposed to be. It was dry. I started having a panic attack. It had no water left. The next source wasn’t for another six miles. I couldn’t walk six more miles. What was I going to do? I read more about the water source on the map comments. Apparently, certain boulders that fell changed the course of the river and it now flowed .25 miles further along the trail. Phew, I could walk .25 miles. It was going to be okay.
When I arrived at the creek, Gnome, Remedy, and Tommy Hawk had been chilling the Truly Margaritas in the creek, awaiting my arrival. After I chugged at least a liter of water, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style, feet cooling in the creek and sipping our margaritas. We had a blast. Others joined in the party. We laughed, were a little tipsy, and toasted the pain of the hard day away. It worked: the pain of just a short time earlier became a distant memory. We camped under the stars and I was happy again.

The next day didn’t get much easier, as the heat pounded down on us. Thankfully, we had plenty of water sources. I dunked my shirt in the water at least three times for some instant AC and it dried within 30 minutes. We hiked from mile 220 to about 235.5.
We were done with the heat. Even though it was projected to cool down the next day (May 7), and we were climbing to about 8,500 feet of elevation, we woke up at 4:30 am that morning so that we could hike the hardest part of that section (a 2,000 foot climb over 4.5 miles) during the cool temperatures. We hiked over 20 miles that day, to about mile 255. We all had in the back of our heads that Sunday was Town Day in Big Bear. Plus, I had one of my dearest and closest friends, Inbal, meeting me there. I was so excited.
We made it to Big Bear by lunch on Sunday, May 8, a short drive from mile 266 of the PCT. I made sure to give Inbal a big smelly, dirty hug when I saw her.

That evening (okay, at 5pm), Inbal and a big group of my new hiker friends (who feel like old friends now) had dinner to celebrate my birthday a couple of days early. I felt lucky and content. While I hate getting older, particularly as I am getting close to a new decade, I’m not dreading this birthday as much as I have dreaded birthdays in recent years. I’ve started to view my life differently. Although I’ve walked only 10% of the PCT, I’m really proud of those 266 miles. Those miles have started to give me a sense of direction and a renewed sense of who I am, my life worth, and what I can do in the future. I honestly can say I am looking forward to and excited for what this next year has to offer.

Leaving Big Bear tomorrow. The next town stop is Wrightwood, at about mile 364. ‘Til next time… ❤️