Day 10

The Lodge

The morning was a little chilly to start off. Had to road walk a few miles before cutting over an embankment and hit the dirt trail that led us to a dirt road. I’m hiking with younger guys and when they get going they’re gone. They waited for me a few miles up the road where the PCT trail picks up. I decided to stay on the dirt road that led me into Idyllwild another 5 miles. They were going to take a different route but it was closed so they road walked as well and then took a different trail into town.

A late snow storm was coming in so I headed straight to a lodge and booked myself a room. Awesome place to relax and get cleaned up. Had it to myself since the other two camped behind a local bakery, and I couldn’t get anyone to take up the two remaining beds. We(GG,At Home,Tarzan and myself) headed to La Casita mexican restaurant for $1 tacos. I got 3 chicken and 3 veg. These were probably the best tacos I’ve ever had. They do it right by frying the tortilla first to make it crunchy then
overload them. After dinner I retired to the lodge. Was nice to actually unwind by myself and organize gear.. I even soaked in the tub for awhile.. Nice!

Nothing too scenic on this otherwise boring walk.

Taco night. From left
Gentle Giant(GG), At Home, Tarzan, Me

Day 9

Okay, back to the tarp. Throughout the night the wind would pick up and die down. Also last night was the first night hearing coyote’s in the distance. Just as I was about to wake up at 5:30, the wind picked up and the tarp caved in on me. I was screwed. The guylines became a tangled mess and I couldn’t spend the time unraveling them so I rolled it up in a ball and stuffed it in my pack to deal with later.

Broke camp and started the trek to Paradise Valley Cafe ( home to best burger on trail ) 16 miles away. Trail had a gradual climb, nothing too hard. The sun is what does me in. I try and take cover under small trees when I can but try not to spend much time there. A burger and beer are calling me up trail. After hiking solo all day I ran into hiker Rising Sun and we road walked the final mile to the cafe. The burger and two Blonde Ales hit the spot. I could easily have doubled my order on both, but I had to move on and get to the next town, Idyllwild, another day away.

A 2013 fire closure leaves hikers with the decision to either hitch to Idyllwild, go back to PCT and hike 12 miles and then hit a side trail and hitch from there, or road walk about 10 miles. I chose the road walk with Tarzan and At Home. The road walk is so hard on your feet though. It sucks, but the purpose of it is to link continuos miles together. We walked a busy paved road for 5 miles, then a dirt road another 4, then another 1.5 paved again. We hooked up with two other hikers ,Tim and Bridget, waiting outside an inconvenience store. They were closed and didn’t even sell beer. We walked another 1/2 mile to Hurkey Creek campsite and called it a day. 27 hard miles.

Paradise Valley Cafe

Road walking is fun!!

Day 8

Awoke today realizing that just a week ago I started this journey. Feels like I’ve been at this a lot longer than that. We were eagerly to get going this morning because word on the trail was that Trail Angel Mike was throwing a ‘cinco de mayo’ party 12 miles up trail. I could smell the tacos and beer already. It was a slow start for me. My feet weren’t carrying me fast enough so I gingerly walked the relatively easy desert terrain knowing I would get there for the celebration.

I told you at the beginning to read at your own risk..so here it comes. I finally had my first trail poop. Hard to believe that I was able to hike toilet to toilet this far. My buddies thought there was something wrong with me.

Well, after I took care of business, I hit the trail and practically skipped (not really) my way to Mike’s. I’ve read about this place, but to walk into this was like something out of Mad Max movie. WTF? It’s a party in the middle of nowhere. I walk on in and there are about 30 hikers throwing down tacos, chicarones,macaroni salad,menudo stew and Tecate beer. Wow!!!

Having had a plate of food and 3 or 4 beers, I sat back with a few others and BS’d while patching up my feet. We could have stayed for dinner but we wanted to get to our next campsite, so we threw on our packs and hiked another 10 miles down a twisting trail to Tule Spring, our next water source. The hike down was awesome, with the sun setting and the orange and red hues mixing in with the blue sky.

Setting up camp was interesting. It was getting dark fast, the wind was picking up and looking like rain so I set up my ground shelter for the first time on this trip. I only set it up once before in the yard, needless to say I should have practiced more.

Mikes place is the white dot..middle of nowhere.

Need I say more??

Gentle Giant walking into sunset

Day 7

Monday morning came around and most of the hikers, including myself, waited for shuttle rides to the post office 1 mile away. Great thing about it was there were a few locals that do this out of shear pleasure to help us out. I went to pick up my trekking pole parts and was up an back in about 20 minutes.

One thing to point out is that it seems most hikers have some kind of foot/leg ailment. Kinda funny to see so many people looking like they just stepped into their senior years, walking slowly like they just shit their pants, me included..(sorry if any seniors are following this).

Hung around at the center trying to get some internet stuff done, but the damn power kept going out on computers so I didn’t get anything done with journals or my GoPro. Loaded up on a few supplies and we hit the trail around 4 to hike the 6 miles to our next camp site. Easy going trail with a nice breeze to make it enjoyable with the aching feet. Camp site was almost beach like, nestled among trees and a flowing stream. Two things that don’t seem to go together in these parts. There were probably about 20 hikers there, so it was cool to hang out while night set in and enjoy conversation from two Aussies and Bucky from Wisconsin. Had some pasta for dinner followed up with some black tea…yawn..time to retire to the hammock.

Beach camp

Hell yeah!! One limb hang.

Day 6

Woke up before the sun came up around 5:30 and broke camp to start the 18 mile trek to Warner Springs Community Center, a destination you don’t want to miss. They shuttle you to the post office, offer food resupply, showers and laundry. Most hikers hold up for a day to heal the wounds from the first hundred miles.

Felt pretty good from the start after only 5 hours sleep and a few tequila shots. I set off on a small climb that eased off after 2 miles. It wasn’t as hot as previous days but I still carried 4 liters of water to Barrel Spring water source 10 miles away. Met up with Tarzan along the way and then with Kett and Hirachi. The miles flew by quickly and we found ourselves a few hours later at the water source. Hung out there and did a little foot surgery and was on trail in an hour. I hiked out with Michael who I hung out with in Julian. It started to get hotter but there was a slight breeze which kept us cool a little.

As we were walking and talking about his time in the AirForce, I came up with the trail name Dawn Patrol for him. He liked the way it sounded so now he goes by that. We hiked through some really cool open cattle pastures, totally different terrain than what we were used to. Hung up on the scenery we apparently missed the famous Eagle Rock formation..oh well. We finally made it into Warner Springs at 4, but they were closing up for the day…bummer. There were probably about 30 other hikers there so it was great to meet some other people and see others who I met along the way. Was great to finally run into Tyler again and see how his hike was going.

I ended up washing my clothes in a bucket and showering off with a hose. What’s a stinky hiker to do? As I was cleaning up a guy named Monty came by and cooked hot dogs for everyone. Since I really didn’t feel like cooking, I helped out by eating 4 of them. Soon after that GG and Owen (trail name At Home) all hung out for awhile before I decided to call it a day and hook up the hammock and catch up on some journal entries.

Tarzan

Foot Repair

Cattle Pasture

100 mile mark!!

Strolling through pasture

Day 5

This was a long day, but very eventful. Got up and left camp around 7 and hiked the 4 miles down to Scissors Crossing so we can hitch the 12 miles into the town of Julian to resupply, eat and relax for the day.

Got to the crossing and found a water cache left by some trail angels. Really didn’t need any so we left it for the other hikers coming through. Met another hiker Michael and then headed up to the road with thumbs out waiting for our first hitch of the trip. About 20 minutes went by when a brand new F150 stopped to help us out. Kevin (can’t remember the other guys name) tossed the crap in the backseat into the pickup bed along with our gear and we were off to Julian. Riding in luxury was nice for a change, the AC was cranking and the two guys were really cool. 12 miles later we were dropped off. Kevin even drove us around the small town so we knew where to go.

First stop the General Store for a few items. After that we went our separate ways. Owen had friends meeting him and we decided we’d meet up later. Next on the list was Moms Pies. They give PCT hikers a free slice and a drink. After that I went down to the coffee shop to get on Wi-Fi to get things done and ran into Tarzan, who was able to help me with the blogging stuff. Such a great help. Word on the street was that Carmen’s Mexican restaurant gives a 20% discount to hikers and does your laundry if you want. Are you kidding me? Walked into Carmen’s and found Owen saddled up with a burrito. He’s on a quest to find the best burrito on the PCT. I went with the shredded beef burrito and it was gone in 5 minutes. I passed on the laundry since it would take awhile, but could have used it since my shirt is so stiff from the sweat and salt coming from me. The damn collar stands up by itself.

Decided to get packed up and get that ride back to the trail. Headed out to the road solo and then two other hikers showed up. 5 minutes went by when a lady named Heather and her dog layla picked us up. Heather is one of many trail angels in Julian that helps out with rides and stocks the Scissors cache. What a great person. We got dropped off and headed under the bridge to get cool and found a few more hikers as well. Since it was going to be a full moon tonight we decided that the Third Gate campsite 14 miles away was going to be the goal. Started the 800ft climb in the lowering sun but it was still hot. The burrito wasn’t sitting well with me, probably cause I ate so much too fast. I took my time and walked it off as I continued the long slog up the trail.

Time went on and so did the trail. I hiked along solo for awhile when I stopped to switch out water bottles and then out of the blue Owen and GG came right up behind me. What the F? Owen stopped for a break somewhere and I must have passed him. We talked about Third Gate and started our hike again. I must have walked off that burrito and was eating some gummy bear type snacks when I got a burst of energy and took off. I went along solo again knowing we would meet up at the campsite.

The sun was setting and the full moon was lighting the trail as I continued on. I’ve never hiked by moonlight before and to be doing it in the desert was unbelievable. The solitude I felt along the way was like non other I’ve ever experienced. A very spiritual moment for me I guess. I didn’t want it to end.

Up trail I saw a hiker (Ben) with a headlamp on that I would soon meet up with. Made small talk and I moved on. A little further up I saw a few more lights. I stopped to check my GPS App to see how much further. Ben caught up and we hiked till we caught up with the two hikers..Stick and Kett. The four of us were determined to get to the campsite so we pounded out the miles and got there at 10pm. I wondered if my two buddies were going to make it or not. We set up shop and sat around talking for awhile when Stick asks, “who wants a shot of Tequila”?. Don’t have to ask me twice. I took a few shots and a little later was headed off to sleep. Laying there under clear skies and a full moon waiting to drift off, I thought about how fortunate I was to to experience it. What a day!!

Hitching to Julian

Full moon rising

Camp at Third Gate

Day 4

Woke the next morning feeling fresh and ready to go. Had some oatmeal for breakfast and packed up the hammock.  Gentle Giant and Owen took off a little before me. I had to clean the oatmeal out of my plastic container which solidifies like concrete after a few minutes. I needed to fill up on water before I left so I stopped at the horse trough which has running water to fill it up. There was also a water cache left by a trail angel. I filled up and noticed two water bottles that must have been left by one of my hiking partners. I tossed them in my pack and headed out into the morning heat.

It was nice solo hiking this section. The trail was relatively flat and meandered through thick chapparel. I was about an hour or so in when I ran into my hiking friends. Owen quickly noticed the two extra smart water bottles in my pack and was very thankful that I didn’t leave them behind. One thing I’ve learned in the few days on the trail is the comraderi amongst hikers.

It was another hot day so we got going and cruised through the next few miles before descending down to the desert floor. While descending the trail, we could look back at some of the miles we covered. Once hitting the bottom we started right back up a dirt road. It was a short climb but it was hot. I broke out the umbrella which helps cool you off, but with the slightest wind the damn thing turns inside out. It happened twice so I decided to pack it up before I broke it. Somewhere along the way, I let a few things get the best of me. My GoPro camera shit out on me from day one. Can take pics but the LCD screen doesn’t show what I’m looking at. Also being new to this blogging thing, I started to get behind on it. At one point I felt these minor issues started to affect my hike.

Sensing a little frustration, my hiking buddies said it would come around and it would fall into place. That changed it around for me. The next water source was Rodriguez Spring Rd a few miles away and once we got there I was able to sit back and relax a little while drinking about 3 liters of water.

After a long break we moved on and worked our way towards Scissors Crossing. Along the way we got our first sighting of a rattlesnake.  It was just off trail but it let us know it was there.  Not wanting to move we had to step off trail to get around it. Tried making it to the crossing but decided on camping about 4 miles before in a canyon with the moon lighting up the surrounding terrain.

First Hammock Hang

Sunset

Anza-Borrego Dessert

Day 3

We left camp early the next day on our way to Mt Laguna. It’s a small town with a few shops for resupply. Stopped off at Pine House Cafe for a little breakfast and then headed down to the sports supply. I was looking for a quick release lock for my hiking pole which I lost on day one. No luck. At that point I decided to contact the company ( Cascade Mt Tech ) in Seattle and they said they would ship one to my next stop at Warner Springs a few days up trail. Stopped at the general store for some food and hit the trail.

It was a gradual climb up that opened up a few miles down trail to a very impressive view of the Anza-Borrego desert. Made you sweat just looking at it. We stayed for an hour and took some pics and started on again searching out for a campsite. It got very windy along the way, but it helped cool down the 90 degree temps. Decided on Pioneer Mail Picnic Area. Restrooms and water right there, and for the first time trees to hang the hammock..finally. Wendy and another woman by the name Mikky Mouse strolled in a little later. It was getting dark as we started to eat when another hiker by the name of Tarzan(Chattanooga TN) showed up. A fitting name he got when hiking the AT trail with his dreadlocks and a loin cloth. Really cool dude trying to hike the whole trail before college starts again. He ate and took off into the night wanting to get some more miles in.

The hammock felt great. I slept really good that night giving my body a break from the cold hard ground.

Day 2

Started off the day hiking with Wendy and Owen. Again the trail started off easy and when the sun started rising, so did the temperature. Another hot one. When your used to Seattle weather, it doesn’t take much to start draining you. The trail had its ups and downs but it was easy going most of the way. I hiked the first part mostly solo only passing two hikers from Missouri (James & Ashley) until I ran into Tyler again at Boulder Oaks campground. He had just reloaded on water and was on his way out. I reloaded myself and was resting a bit when Owen strolled in. Shortly after, James and Ashley showed up. We all introduce ourselves hung around awhile, then I decided to hit the trail. Wasn’t long after, Owen caught up and we cruised along. Somewhere along the way we ran into Gentle Giant(Brad) (remember from the beginning, most hikers get trail names at some point). His name fits, 6’5″ and a really laid back guy from Seattle. The three of us hiked for awhile to Fred Canyon and decided to rest a bit. We continued on to the next water source at Long Canyon Creek and decided to make camp for the night at mile 38. Cowboy camped (no shelter) under clear skies, it got pretty cold considering how hot the day was. It was hard to sleep on the cold ground two nights in a row for me. Looking forward to finding trees to hang my hammock was all I could think of that night.

Where is Pauly V.?

Paul has been hiking in company with Owen (Threeve Weaver).
Owen is carrying a SPOT satellite tracking device and updating his location several times a day.
Link to Threeve Weaver’s “Where am I?” page.

At the water tank…

Photo courtesy of Threeve Weaver.

5/3/15 Location 2

At Mile 109.5 of the PCT on Sunday, May 3, 2015 (5:15 PM).
Google Maps link to my location.

5/3/15 Location

At Mile 91.3 of the PCT on Sunday, May 3, 2015 (5:56 AM).
Google Maps link to my location.

Arrival and the Start

Well, it’s been a whirlwind of a trip already. My buddy Seth dropped me off at the airport on Sunday morning. On the way down I flew over what I was going to walk back to. I thought to myself “that’s a lot of ground cover”.

I got picked up by a “trail angel” named Bob (people who house and help hikers along the way). These are very generous people who have a passion for the PCT and want to help out, whether it’s transportation, housing you for a few nights, cooking food or leaving water at a trailhead. Totally amazing.

Bob ended up hosting 6 of us,making numerous trips to the airport for two days.. Hikers who stayed with me included..

Beth and her dog Brooklyn(Dallas)
Wendy(Chicago), Tyler(Seattle), Thomas(New Mexico) and Kelly (England)

All great people with different reasons for hiking the trail.

After some good Mexican food Monday night he gave us the itinerary for Tuesday morning. 4:30 wake up call, leave at 5 and at trailhead by 6, just in time for sunrise.

At 5am, Bob loaded us up and drove us up the twisting highway 94. Driving quickly he mentioned that if anyone felt motion sickness that he would pull over for a few minutes. It was a cool morning but we knew the temps would be higher in the desert.

Sure as shit he was right. Got there at 6, unloaded, and the sun came up 2 minutes later. Like clockwork. We took some photos and Bob wished us good luck. At the trailhead I met Owen from San Diego who just got dropped of by friends.

Took a few more photos, signed the trail registry and was off, everyone leaving at different intervals.

The trail has no water for 20 miles, so you have to carry 5-6 lters of water to make it to first camping area. It was easy going at the very start, twisting and turning along the way. The sun was coming out and you could feel the heat starting to rise quickly. It wasn’t long into the hike when Owen and I started hiking together. We made our way along the trail, sometimes hiking together and other times alone. We met up again and hiked for awhile and then ran into Tyler. We all rested before the big climb up Hausser Mountain. It was brutally hot, 90 degrees with no shade. I struggled a bit as those two made their way to the top and then they were gone. I finally got to the top and made my way to our first campground with about a liter of water left. A group was gathered there and when a new hiker arrived, everyone welcomed them with a applause. Met other hikers there then picked up a 6 pack and called it a day.