The journey ends…for now.

Top of Forester Pass

Well, I’m alive and hanging in Bishop CA at The Hostel California. I made it through a week in the southern Sierras trekking through some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever experienced. Unfortunately this is where the journey ends for me. The first part of the week I was able to hike virtually pain free then gradually it came back. Surprisingly my knee has held up very well, its my feet that are the giving me problems. Whether it’s the shoes, insoles or the constant pounding they take everyday, it seems as though they never seem to recover. So I think its best for me to leave the trail and take care of myself so I can continue to hike in the future.

I really appreciate all of you who followed along and gave me the opportunity to share a personal part of my life.

I’m in the process of figuring out my exit strategy and see if I can try to experience a few more places along the way as I make my way back to Seattle.

I’ll leave you with a few photos and will probably follow up in a week or so with a synopsis of my last week on the trail and also some thoughts about my experience out there. I will say that if any of you who thinks and dreams about adventure or just wants to do something for yourself, plan it and get out there and do it. I only wish I did something like this earlier in my life. This definitely won’t be the last one for me..I believe it’s the beginning of something that will make my life more exciting and fulfilling. I don’t have the responsibilities that most people have so the world is open for me and the adventures are endless.

Thanks again for your great comments and support…

Grinder

Start of Sierras

Crabtree Meadow

Looking back from Forester Pass

Off to Kennedy Meadows

Just wanted to make a quick post. I’m off to Kennedy Meadows in a few minutes. A local guy here is giving myself and another hiker GQ a ride up. It’s a 3 hour trip..how cool and generous of him..the trail provides!!

Anyway I won’t have service for awhile..maybe up to 10 days..just not sure. Really looking forward to moving on and getting into the wilderness. I’ll probably take a few days then hit the trail…can’t wait to get out there!!

Cajon Pass & Wrightwood

Well, I’ve had alot of downtime since my stop at Cajon Pass, so I’ll pick up from there and get everyone up to speed. It was Saturday the 23rd when I got to the Best Western. It was great to be able to take care of myself without having to deal with hiking another mile like the way I was.

I didn’t do much there other than show up for the free breakfast in the mornings and ice what I needed to. On Memorial Day I met an older hiker who was having severe blister issues on his feet. He was waiting for his veterinary friend to show up to take care of his feet and drive him to town for new shoes. He mentioned that if the guy brings his portable xray machine they’ll stop by my room and get some photos of my knee. They stopped by awhile later and I got some free xrays. The guy said human knees are no different from horses or cows, so when he looked at my xrays he couldn’t see anything wrong. I had plenty of joint space in the knee, so that wasn’t an issue. Only an MRI will show the tissue image but I wasn’t going down that road.

I felt good about the xray images so I got my pack ready to head out and hitch a ride to Wrightwood about 15 miles away. I had a package there and from what I heard it would be a great place to rest up. I ended up having to get 2 hitches to get here. I arrived in Wrightwood about an hour later and was dropped off at the hardware store where my package was. There is also a long list of Trail Angels there who host hikers. After getting the list and a map of the town I walked next door to the market where hikers stop to resupply. Ended up seeing familiar faces, including Gandolf with the twisted ankle. He decided his hike was over and would be leaving to go home soon…bummer.

I was deciding who to call for a place to stay when a little kid came up with his mom and asked if I wanted to stay at his house along with some other hikers. I accepted the offer. They had baseball practice to go to and I had beers to drink, so we decided to meet up later. I walked to the local pub and met up with some locals there and proceeded to drink a few beers with them. The other hikers I would be shacking up with were there as well. After a few hours our Trail Angel showed up and gave us directions to the house and said to come by whenever we wanted. We were all having a great time there we didn’t leave till 10pm. The house was a mile away and I knew right away this walk was going to suck. I had to road walk one mile all buzzed up to a place I’ve never been before. I apparently went the wrong way and had to backtrack a little to get there. I finally got there without incident. Here I am in a new town, walking into a house I’ve never been at and not knowing where the hell I’m sleeping. I stumble in and there are the others, all sprawled out on the floor in the next room. I quietly got my sleeping gear out and passed out hard from the long day.

I got up Tuesday morning knowing I couldn’t stay at the house again. It was just too far to walk from town. I found out the local coffee shop in town let hikers sleep on their deck for free, so after I got dropped off I went over to check out the situation. I decided this would be the best place for me since everything is close by and I would be sleeping under the stars still.
The coffee shop (Village Grind) also serves beer and wine..perfect.

There were a few others there as well, including Ratatouille who I’ve hung out with before. Met so many great people from all over the place. Seems most people have some sort of foot or knee problem, but not like me.

On Thursday and Friday I went and got my first ever acupuncture treatments to see if it would help. The purpose is to increase blood flow to the area to speed up healing. This guy was highly recommended so I went for it. He is a very laid back guy and it was really interesting to learn about the process and what to expect. You can’t even feel the needles go in as they are tapped in about 1/4 inch in most places. After about 12 needles are strategically placed, an infrared heat lamp is put in front to help with the process. The following day after the first visit I could feel the difference. After the second one not as much. He said it would take a few days for results. I also got a pack of herbal capsules that help with inflammation. Overall, I’m glad I gave it a try. I would do it again knowing my health insurance will cover in network visits..not the case this time though.

So here I am, Thursday June 4th. My knee feels so much better. When I got here I wasn’t able to walk without a trekking pole for support or put full weight on my knee. My feet were still getting sore walking on the pavement. I was given a brand new pair of insoles from a hiker that for some reason weren’t right for him. They seem to help better than the other ones I had.

I started to write this post a few days ago but was reluctant to send it not knowing what I was going to do. 4 days ago I was ready to call it quits and just go home. Today I am planning my escape from Wrightwood and head up to Kennedy Meadows to at least be at the gateway to the Sierras. Right now I am able to walk without a trekking pole for support with hardly any pain in my knee and feet. This isn’t anywhere like it was when I left Big Bear, so I’m feeling really good about continuing on. Looking forward to getting there before the weekend if I can.

If you take a moment and look up the John Muir Trail, you can understand my willingness for holding out and hike this section. One of the most beautiful places our country has to offer. Thought about coming back later but it’s a logistical and monetary nightmare to do it. I’m already here in SoCal, only a few hundred miles from my dream hike with permits in hand.

I’m going for it as soon as I’m ready. I might stop at a trail angels house along the way for a few days..supposed to be a great place to party. If not I’ll head to the Meadows and hang for a few more days then hit it. If for any reason I feel I wouldn’t be able to handle it, I’ll hang it up.

There is no cell service there, not much along the way at all unless stopping for a resupply somewhere. I’ll try and post before I leave here.

Looking forward to sending pics from the Sierras. Thanks for hanging in there with me!!

Beers with some locals

Coffee shop deck

First acupuncture

The Italian Stallion.. Frederico from Italy

Polar Barb from Alaska and I

Slumber Cat and Maestro from Denver

Day 26

Despite the windy night and noisy tarp, I was able to get some sleep. I got another late start after laying around and massaging my legs and eating some breakfast. Didn’t plan on a long day because I only wanted to get to Silverwood Lake at mile 326 to relax and ease my way into Cajon Pass 14 miles away the next day. Well, things didn’t work out that way. My feet were getting sore and I decided I need to get off trail as soon as I could. The trail dipped down to a highway so I thought I would try and hitch a ride to Cajon Pass and get a room for the night. After about 15 minutes and nobody stopping I figured I would hike the last 3 miles to the Lake and get there before the sun went down.

I only walked for about 10 minutes then came up on a water cache left by a trail angel. Inside the cooler was a trail registry book (a notepad hikers sign). In the front of the registry was the trail angels name and number offering rides if needed. I quickly called him up and he said he was on the exact trail I was on and would be there in a half hour. So I waited, anticipating the ride, and called the Best Western to book myself a room. Shortly after Fritz and his dog Bambi showed up. The dog was a rescue from a hit and run and suffered from brain damage…definitely a sad situation. Bambi had a muzzle on and continually tried to bite me the whole way, barking at such high pitched levels I thought the windshield would crack. Its hard to describe in detail the events that took place on this ride, but it was very comedic to say the least. Bambi was wedged between the door and Fritz’s belly while on the drive, snarling and showing his teeth at me. I thought for sure he would just leap over and try and take me out, even with the muzzle on. We had to pull over so Fritz could tether him to the backseat to limit his range..I leaned in more towards my door just in case. All I could think about was the shower and bed that soon awaited.

We arrived at the motel 20 minutes later. These trail angels are so generous and do these things for us because they want to, so when I offered some cash to him and he denied it, I could only think it would be nice to have more people in the world like him…just not the dog. Wow, a ride I will never forget.

I checked in and signed the PCT registry and noticed some familiar names. Good to see some fellow hikers I know staying here as well. Went to the store, picked up a 6 pack and immediately hit the shower. Knowing I was off trail and able to get ice on my feet and knee and relax in bed felt great.

Waiting for Fritz

Day 25

My goal today was to get to the hot springs 3 miles away to soak my ailing parts. This is a clothing optional place so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Apparently alot of people from the LA area come here and from what I heard some good looking women. It was cloudy and windy for my trek into the springs so I wasn’t expecting a huge crowd when I arrived.

I got there and it was mostly hikers. Saw a few familiar faces and looked for a pool to hang my legs in. I had no desire to soak my whole body since it was a little chilly and I didn’t want to wait to dry off because I only wanted to stay for a half hour or so. A couple was already there with swim suits on so I was okay with that. No sooner I get my feet wet when another hiker joined in with nothing on. Really not into seeing someone in that state and then seeing them on the trail. After that some older heavier guy comes walking in with nothing but 3 Keystone Lights. He walks by me trying to get to the bottom pool only to pass by a few feet from me…Yuk!!! I have no problem with nudity but this wasn’t my scene so I packed it up and got out of there.

I mosied along the flat trail that dips in and out of canyons to the next water source about 5 miles up trail. I loaded up and continued until about dusk where I got to a nice sandy area where I could set up for the night. It was pretty windy out which made setting up the tarp a pain in the ass. I finally got it set up but not as I would have liked it. The wind was coming from every direction so the sides and doors would flap in and out making it hard to fall asleep with a sense of security.

I managed to make it through the night without having another episode like I did when I first set it up in the desert. I’m getting the hang of it, but with the size of the tarp and windy conditions it was like wrestling a muddy pig. I started to think a lightweight tent might be an option for me down the road… probably not.

Hot springs pool

Looking back to where I came from.

Day 24

The morning started off with me curled up in all my downess, feeling the cool morning air. As I started to get my gear ready, I felt my knee and foot issues immediately. I sat there massaging everything for an hour before changing and getting up to move around. I stretched a little, whiched seemed to help, but it was still slow going. Holcomb creek was flowing well below me along the trail. Awesome to hear water rushing down the valley knowing that I will be filling up in a short time.

I hiked on and off with Barb for sometime before we got to a creek crossing to fill up on some cool water. As the trail wound its way through the the high desert, it finally descended down to Deep Creek. This was probably my favorite stretch of trail for a long time. I would have been able to cruise through this section if it wasn’t for my leg issues. The views down the water cut gorge where different from anything else so far. The left side of the trail was guarded by steep slopes rising up. The right side followed up with drops of several hundred feet. You could fall off here and nobody would ever find you. I was trying to make the Deep Creek Hot Springs to soak my feet but that wasn’t happening today. I found a suitable place and quickly pitched my tarp with dark clouds forming with a chance of rain for the night.

Huge pine cones.

Deep Creek

First night solo camp.

Day 23

Sunset

Got up and I took my time getting ready. I wasn’t in a hurry, but I wanted to get a few more miles in for the day. I got going around 9:30. I didn’t realize that only a few miles up trail there was another trail that led me back to Big Bear.. another potential bailout? Guess I was wrong about my previous strategy on starting at mile 266.

The trail worked its way along the other side of the lake so I was able to see where I stayed the last 5 days. Again, this wasn’t a hard hike, but taking my time was going to go against me for trying to get some miles in. I ran into Meg who I met at the hostel and is also having a knee issue. We talked about our injuries then headed down the trail. I was a little slower trying not to overcompensate and keep an eye out for what was ahead of me. I didn’t look at the scenery too much since it kinda became repetitive. After awhile I came up on a group of a dozen hikers hanging at a horse trough water supply. I’ve met everyone here along the way, great group of all ages.

I decided to move on to the next water supply from the fresh flowing Holcomb creek that will parallel the trail for awhile. A few miles up trail the landscape changed to more scenic views with boulder fields and open areas, unlike what I was used to. I was only a few miles from a campsite when Rat Water came up behind me and we hiked the last mile to the site. Meg,her sister and Big Boy Scout where already there, so I found a spot behind a rock to protect myself from the wind and got a great view of the sun setting and casting an orange hue against the mountains. Was able to manage 14 miles in today.

Day 22

This is actually day 22. Somehow I lost a day somewhere along the way… ooops! I started the day not sure if I was getting back on the trail or not. I went over to the hostel office and there was a 10:30 ride leaving. I had a few hours to kill so I hung out with the the few hikers left and by luck there was a guy (David) who was a massage therapist there. He was able to help me out with some massage and walking techniques. He also suggested to lighten my load and ship food to Wrightwood to lessen my impact on my knees and feet. Off to my pack I went and took out about 4lbs of food and boxed it up to give to one of the hostel workers (Shawn) to mail for me.

It was time to say goodbye to Sarge and the guys and get mentally prepared for hiking after having 5 days off. The shuttle came and by coincidence again the drivers name was Paul… a different one of course. Just weird but in a cool sort of way. One Paul picks me up on the side of the he road, another drops me off. I was hoping it was some kind of good luck thing. Only one other hiker (James) was heading out. We got to the trailhead and James immediately hit the trail. I took a few minutes to reflect on my last day on trail and to think about how great my time at the hostel was..I was really going to miss it.

I started off and it wasn’t too bad. I still had the knee pain but as I kept moving along I felt the pain in my feet creep up so I walked slowly so I could get some miles in. The trail wasn’t hard, it was the shale rock that I felt with every step. It was punishing the bottoms of my feet, it felt like I was walking on a bed of nails. There wasn’t much of a view other than the desert, so I concentrated on my steps and thought about how far I would go today. There was a campsite 10 miles in so I focused on that. Since I started at 11:15 I wasn’t thinking about anything much longer. I arrived at the campsite around 5 or so and was greeted by two hikers whom I previously met, Ratatouille and Gandolf. Ratatouille is another hammock hiker and also is doing some podcast called Trailside Reader I think. Gandolf rolled his ankle a few days ago and was hanging out till it got better. Funny thing is, as I walked in, they were watching “Empire Strikes Back” on the phone. So out of place in the wilderness. As I set up shop other hikers showed up to camp as well. I ate then relaxed in the hammock thinking how the next day would unfold. I was finally able to break out those down pants to try and believe me they were worth the wait. I was covered in down head to toe and top to bottom.

Saying bye to Sarge..won’t forget his kindness and hospitality.

Cooling down knee with with my feesh filtered water

Thinking about my future trail days..

Days 17-22

Okay, so back to Big Bear Hostel. This was my first experience with a hostel so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I walk in and there are a few hikers hanging out on the couches in the community room. There is also a kitchen. Wasn’t sure of protocol so I waited for a guy named Sarge to show up and check me in. About half hour goes buy and he shows up along with some other hikers checking in. Somehow I get paired up with Moondog checking in. I met him at Ziggy and the Bear but really didn’t hang out. Sarge goes through the motions and we get the rules of the house, along with key codes, a towel for a $1, and a walk through of the place. We get a room with 6 beds. Sarge points me to the lower double bed and tells me to take that cause I’ m injured. Sweet!!

Lightening is already there when we walk in. A few minutes later Resident Cowboy walks in. We all get to talking and then about an hour after that Coyote and Baby Bear cruise in. Coyote looks over and says “Hey, looks like we get to share a room after all” These guys were awesome to have around for a few days. Moondog and Resident Cowboy went and got beer for me on two occasions and Coyote did my laundry. 42 was there and he got ice for my knee..that’s awesome. They all felt bad for me and wanted to help out in any way. Needless to say it was great to have some really cool guys to hang with.

Thursday I caught up with GG and At Home as well. We ate at some Mexican place again where those two took on the 18inch Burrito challenge. Chimichanga for me. The waitress never had anyone complete it in the 5 years she was there. Those guys put them down in 45 minutes..mission accomplished. Another hiker finished his as well.

Over the course of a few days we all went out to eat and got together for beers. What a great town to hang out in an recover.

There are two houses at the hostel and it was booked with probably 30 hikers. Another storm was coming in so everyone wanted to wait to see how much snow fell. We got an inch or so in town and the mountains got a few more. Nothing crazy but most hikers were looking for a few zero days anyway…myself probably more. After the storm settled on Friday, At Home took off for the trail with GG following on Saturday. Moondog, Resident Cowboy and Lightning left Saturday as well. Coyote and Baby Bear left Sunday. I was the only one left. Other hikers would be coming in but not in my room. Sarge didn’t want to move me so I hung out a night by myself.

Knee progression:
Along with the knee I have some sore spots on the top of both feet, probably from overcompensating.
When I went to take my first shower I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get into the damn tub. I had to brace myself against the shower wall then hang onto the shower door frame hoping not to break it when I got in. It was a tough go but I managed to get it done. The bars and restaurants are a block away so I used my trekking poles like crutches to get around. Over the course of a few days I iced my knee, followed with Tiger Balm ointment and then used heat compresses a few days later. I was able to get in shower with no problem and start walking around after day 3 with one pole and less pain. Monday I loaded up my pack and walked around a little to test it out. Not much pain but its still there. The problem is the inside left knee on the tibia where I fractured it 10 years ago snowboarding. There’s a little pain still but nothing like it was before.

My thoughts about how I would go about hiking differed from day to day. I thought about hanging here for a few weeks then moving by bus north, timing my arrival at Kennedy Meadows 450 miles away just in time for the snow melt. That would be expensive to say the least. I really considered renting a car and drive up the coast to Seattle and calling it quits and just take the sumner off as planned. After talking to a few friends and family I realized I’m not in any hurry, I’ll hit the trail when I’m ready.

Well, I’m either going today or Wednesday. Just need to see if the shuttle is filled up and what times it is leaving. I need to get back out there and give it a go. I might be making a mistake, but if I don’t try I wont know how it’s gonna feel. I’m going to walk at a slower pace. Wrightwood is the next town and is 100 miles away. I think I can do it in 5-6 days. It’s not a hard hike, relatively flat most of the way. I left the trail at mile 252 and am picking it up at mile 266. I’ll miss 14 miles..oh well. My reason for this is the trail skirts Big Bear and I don’t want the option to bail out at mile 266 and come back again. If I leave it behind me, my only direction is north..the way I should be going.

Day 16

Didn’t sleep all that well last night. At 8,000ft elevation it was alot colder sleeping on the ground. My ground set up doesn’t involve a sleeping bag, rather a quilt with a footbox sewn in 3 feet from the bottom. The problem with this is that drafts come in on the side. I tossed and turn all night trying to get comfortable without moving my knee a lot…not easily done.

I went over to the picnic table to eat and get myself ready. Kate helped me out by bringing my pack and a few other items over and Coyote went and filtered water for me. He was taking a few zeros( no hiking days ) at Big Bear hostel and said we could possibly share a room. I didn’t know when in the hell I’d get there so really couldn’t count on it. There were several other hikers showing up to resupply on water when I was leaving, so we exchanged names and I was on my way. I’m going to be honest, this hike was all about getting to Big Bear and nothing to do about the trail itself. I was hurting. I met some great people along the trail. Resident Cowboy(Seattle), Lomax (England) is another hammocking guy who I read about months ago on on Hammock Forums..he gave me some Tiger Balm for the knee. His knee was hurting as well.

I slowly walked along just trying to get to the next water source. After a few miles and a walk up a dirt road a little ways I found it. As I was filling up, Lomax showed up and we talked for a short time and then I was on my way. I didn’t have long to go, but the trail just dragged on and on. After passing the caged animal actors retired from Hollywood films (grizzly bears,tigers and others) I finally made it to my turnoff and a surprise trail angel water/soda stash. Sunkist orange was my choice. I walked the final few hundred yards to the road, stuck out my thumb and was picked up by a guy named Paul in 10 minutes..awesome!!

Paul dropped me off in Big Bear City just a few minutes from the lake. Here I was able to pick up those down pants I was after. After that I took the bus to the lake where I checked in at Big Bear hostel. I’ll get to the hostel in the next post. I made it..what a relief..now where’s the beer.

Trail Angels..gotta live it!

Gentle Giant picked these up for me..

Day 15

Well, got up today and realized right away this was going to be a tough day. I could hardly bend my knee it was so stiff. I got my gear together and At Home and GG were ready to take off. I told them not to be concerned about me and enjoy their hike and I’d try to meet up at the next campsite. The problem with today’s hike was that it involved climbing almost 5,000ft in moderate heat. ( Read at your own risk moment )… Before I got going I had to take care of business. Its a kinda funny situation. Even before I threw my pack on I couldn’t even take a step my knee hurt so bad. With a “deer in headlight” look, I scrambled to find a suitable private place. Not being able to bend much at the knees, I dug a hole in the sand with the heal of my shoe and took aim about 3 feet away. I feared falling backwards into the bushes and what I was about to create. I escaped unscathed… Whew!

Today I would be entering the San Bernardino National Forest. II put my pack on and within the first few steps I came to grips with the reality that lay ahead. This wasn’t gonna go good at all. It was like taking my first baby steps, not that I remember them. I couldn’t believe this was happening. “I might be out here for awhile”, I kept repeating to myself. After a few attempts of trying to walk I came up with a sort of hobble-hike. I was able to walk with a stiff left leg with an occasional bend thrown in. I started moving slowly first then a little faster trying to test my speed. At one point I timed myself. In the first hour I hiked one mile. The second hour the same. This was going to be a test of will for me to get to the next campsite. I had to stop for water a few miles up trail, but since I was walking so slow I didn’t realize I passed the last source up by a mile. Damn it!!! I took off my pack and unloaded the heavy stuff…food bag,clothes and a few other things and headed back down trail…Great. I walked about 1/2 mile when I remembered hearing water off the side of the trail. With my bad knee I walked down two short embankments to Mission Creek. I found a small waterfall and filled up 5 liters and drank 2 while I was there. FYI..1 liter weighs 2 lbs. Happy with my find I headed back to the trail and picked up my gear along the way.

Believe me, I was in a bad spot. I knew I wasn’t going to meet up with my buddies, so I was in this for the long haul, however long it took for me to get to a comfortable place for the night. I plodded along , feeling the pain increase as I went forward. The climb sucked, but it was better than going downhill. At one point on the trail my emotions took over and I started to think my journey might be over. With my eyes getting a little watered I pleaded to the “trail gods” not to take me off trail. Over and over I asked not to be taken off trail. As hard as this trail tries to beat you up, I didn’t want to leave the trail. This is a journey I want to finish.

I regained my composure and hiked the final few miles to Mission Camp campsite. I was relieved to see Kate, Color Wheel (really cool chick from Austria who I’ve hiked with before) and Unicorn with her dog Charlie. The feeling of being with total strangers and feeling like family is so hard to describe on this trip. It felt great to hear ” Hey Grinder” welcoming me as I walked up. We shared stories and ate dinner. There were so many trees to hang from but I was so exhausted I set up on the very cold ground.

A few other hikers showed up. It was great to see two up show. Coyote(Kett) and Baby Bear(Ben). Two awesome guys I met night hiking in the desert. It was about time for me to get horizontal so I hit the ground wishing I had those down pants.

I was only able to hike 10 miles in 10 hours with my breaks and water snafu. Not productive, but I’m only a day away from Big Bear Lake.

I didn’t take many pictures the last few days. My focus was solely on Big Bear.

Trail Love

A little beat up..

Day 14

I slept pretty good last night despite the slight pain I was developing in the knee. When I got up and started moving around I didn’t feel it was too bad, so I decided to pack it up and start another climb into the desert and start section C of southern Cal. The trail gradually ascends about 5,000 ft along this 18 mile stretch. The first few miles are home to a major windmill farm. There must be 1,000 of these scattered about like soldiers standing guard in the surrounding hills..( sorry no pics ). I stopped to take care of some foot isuues when 42(RJ from awhile back) came by. I told him I was tired of the desert section. He agreed but said we would miss it later on. I’m sure he was right. After passing through the area and climbing a small but punishing section, the trail leveled off just in time to rest for the next part. As I broke out a few snacks to refuel, Kate and Howdy showed up. Kate was having knee problems from the previous day as well. We swapped stories and after a few minutes we started the short steep descent to enter the San Gorgonio Wilderness.

The much anticipated destination of Whitewater Preserve a few miles away fueled us since it was the first real water crossing we would come to. Having hiked to the edge of a canyon and looking down to the flowing water, the winding trail to the bottom takes you in and out of view, kinda teasing you along the way.

Finally reaching the Preserve I hiked another 1.5 miles to a spot where I could find some shade behind a huge rock and drink some water and relax. I stripped down to my Ex Officio boxers and plopped my ass right in the semi- cool water. It felt so great to get my knee submerged, hoping to releave any swelling coming on. After about an hour hanging out it was time to get ready for the next hot section. Another 1,600 ft climb over 6 miles. Wasn’t too bad overall. After that it leveled off a bit then down a little to meet up with Mission Creek. The creek parallels the trail for quite some time so water is available for awhile.

I rolled up to a campsite and GG, 42 and At Home were resting and filling up water. They were there for an hour already. My knee is really slowing me down. They were planning on camping another 4 miles up trail so I told them I would probably show up a little later. I filled up on water and rested a bit, then made my way to mile 229 campsite. Met up with those guys, ate a double serving of mashed potatoes, and fell asleep to a choir of crickets and frogs. A long hot 18 mile day.

Whitewater Preserve

Feels soooo good!

Day 13

With a new day breaking, we knew there was a tough road ahead. Coming down from San Jacinto Peak via Fuller Ridge the previous day we had already descended 4,000 of the almost 10,000ft to reach the desert floor again. The descent started off innocent enough, cutting through the forest and boulder fields. I could feel the strain coming on in my legs and knees, but didn’t think much of it. After a little while GG and I took a break and this is where he gave me my trail name. Are you ready?? “Grinder”. I respectfully accepted this name. He thought I was always grinding out the miles so it definitely fit. Thanks buddy!!

This downhill was relentless, never ending twists and turns, sometimes flattening out, but never enough to soften the blow on my now weakening left knee. There was no stopping though. The heat is your enemy, water your friend. Unfortunately my water supply was diminishing. I had to get to the bottom soon. I finally reached the end where a water fountain greeted me, along with a family of bees bathing around it. Totally exhausted and in pain after over almost 10,000ft and 20 miles of downhill, I turned around and admired the snowy peaks, and with my middle finger raised high I cursed the downhill and what it did to my knee.

It wasn’t over though. After drinking a few liters of water and filling up a few, I still had to hike another 5 miles to the trail angels house Ziggy and the Bear. My knee was feeling the effects of the descent, so I was relieved to know the rest of the trail was mostly flat. With 5 miles of hot open desert and no shade I started to get that all to familiar feeling in my stomach. Perfect..just what I needed right now. Just up ahead the trail ducks under highway 10 in Cabazon where a trail angel named Monty left sodas for us.

After downing a Mt. Dew in a few seconds I readied myself for the final push to my home for the night. Ziggy and the Bear are a very generous couple who have been hosting hikers in their carpeted backyard for years. They provide some food, drinks, showers and a place stay for a few days. After a long day, I didn’t have energy for a shower so I hung out with about 20 or so hikers until the lights went out and the stars lit up the sky.

Last nights hang

“Grinder” a.k.a. Pauly V
San Jacinto Peak in distance..

Ziggy and Bear backyard

Day 12

The morning brought some cool temps and that clean fresh moisture I’m used to in the PNW. Walked back to town to see about a ride to the trailhead and pick up some down pants from an outdoor gear store in town I ordered from. The dude was suppose to be there at 8, but he was stuck in traffic coming from the coast so I waited till about 9 then told them I had to get to the trail by 10. Decided to leave and order pants online and have them shipped to Big Bear..5 days and away.

Clouds to west

Desert and Palm Springs

Got our ride and hit the trail around 10:15. With bright blue skies and the melting snow from the trees raining down in a light drizzle made the start of the hike refreshing. Small rivers made their way down the trail and for the first time had wet feet. The cold water that soaked my shoes in just a few minutes actually felt good, a change from the hot desert and highway walking.

GG and I worked our way up the mountain towards San Jacinto Peak to an elevation of 10,834ft, a little over 4,000ft climb. I could feel the altitude change as I continued on, stopping frequently to catch my breath. The smell of fresh pine and the sap from the trees warming from the sun made for an enjoyable hike overall. Off to the west the views were blanketed by clouds as far as you could see. To the east the desert and Palm Springs off in the distance. I finally reached the peak with incredible 360 degree views. Amazing how the views change from one direction to the other. Only stayed for about 20 minutes then started the long descent down to reach a campsite before night set in. The trail did not disappoint on the way down, carving its way down mostly with the views of the clouds and the sun setting to the west. Reached our campsite just as it was getting dark. With cold wet feet and the chilling night air, I set up the hammock wishing I had those down pants for extra warmth. Decided to throw my sleeping pad in the hammock for extra warmth to keep me toasty all night. Slept like a baby.

Day 11

Well, it snowed overnight. Got a few inches in town and a lot more on the mountain. The goal was to leave Saturday morning to climb San Jacinto Peak, so today was a lazy day. Stayed at lodge till about noon. Invited the other two to come over and shower and then decided we would meet up at the library like many others to take advantage of Wi-Fi and computers. It snowed on and off during the day but nothing too much. I resupplied on food, made some calls, and downloaded some maps.

Got a room with my fellow hikers a mile from town so we road walked (again) to that spot. Once there, I decided to go out for a bite and stopped of at Good Times. The name is a bit misleading since there were about 10 people there, but the beer and solo guitarist were great, the small fish sandwich not so much. Headed back to the room and hung out with the guys then off to bed.