My Name Is

Hi!
My name is
What?
My name is
Who?
My name is

Not Slim Shady. Not Eminem.

I’ll save you the suspense. It’s Encore. There have been a few names in the running, hence why I’ve saved making my trail name public until one stuck. Encore has stuck. Here’s the backstory. As some of you may know, I’m not a morning person. What can I say? It takes me a bit to get into the day. Breaking down camp and packing up is no different. I like sipping hot coffee and I hate getting out of my quilt, particularly if it’s a cold morning. I really enjoy having my coffee in my quilt. It’s a great combo for waking up but not a great combo for getting ready quickly. This process takes time and there comes a point where I can’t do much while sipping coffee in my quilt. Due to my process of greeting the day, I am often the last to be ready to hike for the day. But, as the days have been getting hotter and my circadian rhythms have become more synchronized, I have been getting up earlier (don’t worry, I still make my coffee most days) and my process has been getting faster (I can now roll up my sleeping pad while still in my quilt). I’m usually no longer the last. But I don’t think I’ve yet to be the first. It’ll probably never happen.The good news is, even if I’m last to leave, I’m usually not the the last to get to camp. But, now that the days are getting hotter (except for my birthday, which was frigid), I am going to have to get moving faster. Fast. Night hiking may even be in my future

Since my last update, I’ve traveled from mile 266, to mile 369.3. I’m officially more than halfway through the desert portion of the PCT and I’ve been on trail for four weeks. I’m starting to find my hiker legs and I’ve started picking up the pace a bit. 15-mile days now need to be 20+ mile days. The good news is: 15-mile days used to feel like my limit, but 20-mile days now feel doable. My legs feel stronger. I’m still sore and I certainly hobble a bit after sitting. As of about a week ago, the soreness has transformed to more of a dull, background soreness, rather than an all-encompassing, I-didn’t-know-my-body-could-hurt-this-much-soreness.

Here’s what happened since my last update from Big Bear.

300-mile selfie. Feels like ages ago. Star Camel, me, Illy, and Squeezy.

From Big Bear, after eating a Grizzly Breakfast at Grizzly Manor Cafe, we set back out on trail, my actual birthday. We knew it was going to be a cold night, so we wanted to get to camp before dark. The hiking was relatively easy and we were feeling good (except I took a wrong turn and accidentally hiked two non-PCT miles - travesty!).

May 10, Pickle crossing a bizarre rock-fall area.

One thing I’ve learned, however, is, no matter how good you feel one day, things can change quickly. Our good friend, Big Spoon, had to get off trail because he hurt his MCL. We were all incredibly sad for him, and knew it just as easily could have been any one of us. So, we take each day as they come and are thankful that our bodies tolerated and enabled our crazy brains for that day.

My body hated my crazy brain that day because the temperatures were dropping dramatically as the sun set. Despite the frigid temperatures (dipping below 20*), my friends put on a little backcountry birthday for me, candle and all.

Backcountry birthday.

My quilt kept me warm through the night. The harder part was getting out the next morning. It was so cold. I was not the only one taking their time that day. But we made it on the trail by a little after 8am. Not too shabby for freezing temps! Our goal was to make it about 20 miles so we could make it to the hot springs by lunch the next day. Boy, did hot springs sound delightful. I barely took any pictures on May 11 because it was just too cold and it’s hard to take pictures with gloves on. We made it to our campsite that night and it was a balmy 37*. Felt glorious.

The sun started kicking in on May 12, which turned out to be one of those days that just kept giving. The trail on this section follows a creek (which I believe is part of the hot springs water system), that often sits in a ravine. The trail traverses the ridge line, so you have continual views of this untouched waterway. The photos don’t do it justice, but I’ve tried to capture some of the beauty where the trail meets the water.

We made it to the hot springs around midday on May 12. It was stunning. There were cool pools and natural hot tubs. We jumped between the hot and cold and back again, soaking our aching muscles and basking in the sun. We did not want to leave. So we stayed for at least a couple of hours feeling pretty lucky that we could just sit and enjoy.

Eventually, we did leave, as we wanted to make it another six miles. As my friend, Pickle, called it, these six miles were a hiker highway. Gradual descents, smooth terrain, and beautiful views. We were cruising.

We got to mile 314.3, where the trail meets an actual road. We learned of a bar called Joshua’s Inn outside of Hisperia, CA (don’t let the name fool you, it’s not an inn) that will pick up hikers and let them camp on the property. A beer sounded good after a long day so we made the call. It was another excellent decision. Soon enough, a massive pickup truck rolled up to take us. Could we all fit? Well, we were all going to fit. We rode to the diviest of all dive bars in style.

After we set up our tents in the back, we drank our $2.50 PBRs, put on some good music on the juke box, chatted with the regulars, and awaited our pizza delivery. This was the worst best pizza we’ve ever had. By any standard (not just NYC), it was categorically bad pizza. But it was still some of the best pizza in the world.

The next morning, we got back on trail. I’m actually forgetting what happened most of the day, except that it was incredibly hot and that our friend, Big Spoon, met up with us towards the end. At a certain point, we reached Silverwood Lake. The trail weaves around the entire lake, which is beautiful, but large and far below the trail. Large and far below on a hot day. Water that is taunting you but you can’t reach.

After sweating more than I thought was even possible and lacking in water, we finally reached the point where Big Spoon was meeting us. He had coconut water, root beer floats, fruit, OJ. The list goes on. After a long day of sweltering in the sun, we were happy again.

The next day was an exciting one. The PCT crosses Interstate 15 at Cajon Pass. And what do to interstates have? Rest stops! And what do rest stops have? Food! (Are you sensing a theme here?) This particular rest stop had a McDonalds and a Subway. We all wanted Subway, as our diets are a bit short on vegetables. The day was already pushing 80* by early morning and we had a big climb and descent to reach the promised land of an I-15 Subway. I was feeling pretty good and I started playing a game, as I tackled the trail that day. I named it Hill Challenge. Could I power up the hill or would I shuffle and pant up the hill? If the former, point for me. If the latter, point for the hill. That day, despite the heat, my leg muscles just felt like they were really winning against the hills. It was still a challenge, but there was a strength I hadn’t felt before. I felt like my muscles could carry me up. (The next day, the hills won the game. Strength comes and goes, I guess.) I was feeling good and took way too many pictures of flowers.

We finally reached Cajon Pass around midday. It was 0.5 mile walk from the trail to the Subway with heat radiating from the pavement. I think this was the most dangerous part of the PCT so far: crossing the freeway entrance to the I-15 to get to the Subway. After a nice person finally stopped to let us pass, we did it. We were hoping for some nice AC and our salad sandwiches. Unfortunately, there were a couple of obstacles. It was a Subway in a convenience store so there were no tables and the man in front of us just ordered 14 subs! We we would have to wait. But we finally got our subs and found some shade: the back of the building next to the dumpster and the I-15. These were not the advertised PCT views, but we had cold drinks and quasi-fresh food.

After we spent too much time behind the Subway, we hiked the rest of the day during the late afternoon and early evening, otherwise known as the Golden Hour. After passing through some very cool underpasses (see below), the views became spectacular, with the sun hitting the mountains and the flowers in a way that truly makes you believe that only a divine force could have conjured a setting so beautiful. I walked for those hours, taking in the light, feeling lucky I was here to witness the majesty.

Tunnel under the railroad tracks leading us back to the wild.

Renee, Illy, and me. Drinks courtesy of trail angels providing trail magic. (Don’t worry, new shirt is on the way!)

The next day was hard. 20+ miles with 5,000 feet of ascent and a 17-mile water carry in the blazing heat. It was just up and up and up and up with no shade. I wasn’t really a match for this hill, or mountain, more accurately. I think I can only play Hill Challenge with hills, not 5,000-foot climbs. Everyone was hurting this day, trying to ration their water and survive the heat. It was just a hard day. But, eventually, the cacti turned to pine trees and we made it. The next day, just a short two miles to Wrightwood, where our glorious Airbnb awaited us.

We arrived in Wrightwood around 8:30 am, just in time for breakfast. Our Airbnb let us check in early, and had everything a hiker could want: a washer/dryer, multiple showers, and clean pajamas to wear while you wash your clothes. It also had big deck and a grill, so we hosted a big dinner that night for about 12 hikers. We served Fifty P’s famous burgers, grilled veggies, Greek salad, roasted potatoes, and brownie sundaes for dessert. We talked about our three favorite subjects: food, gear, and ailing body parts, with occasional deep thoughts thrown in the mix. The night couldn’t have been better.

I’m already three hours past hiker midnight (town days are very busy! So many errands!), so I best be getting to bed, as back on trail early tomorrow. Our first task ahead: Mount Baden-Powell, which sits at 9,407 feet. Another big day!

I’ll hopefully be able to update in Acton, CA, but there’s a bit of a stretch between real towns, as Acton is more an RV park than a town. ‘Til next time. ❤️