Days 27 to 30 (Miles 455 to 530)

We left Hiker Heaven on foot and were immediately offered a ride down the road into town. We ate an incredibly delicious and filling breakfast at the Sweetwater Café (Agua Dulce is Spanish for sweet water). After breakfast we powered down the road and back onto the trail. By midday, we had reached Bear Spring. We took our time hiking a few more miles and finished the day around 3:30pm, setting up camp next to some high voltage lines. Continue reading “Days 27 to 30 (Miles 455 to 530)”

Days 14 to 16 (Miles 252 to 293.8)

We fell asleep to howling wind at Ziggy and the Bear’s. It did not die down as we slept, but grew stronger. I awoke at some point in the middle of the night and watched as somebody’s air mattress flew through the air. He must have gotten up without weighing it down with something. Fortunately he caught it before it flew over the fence. Continue reading “Days 14 to 16 (Miles 252 to 293.8)”

Day 13 (Miles 194 to 211)

Today we made it to Ziggy and the Bear’s house! The first 12 miles were all downhill, from 6500-ft to about 1500-ft. The trail is really nicely graded, but that also makes it really long. After reaching the bottom of Mount San Jacinto, we trudged five miles across the desert in what felt like a wind storm. There are a ton of windmills in this area, so I suspect it’s pretty much always very windy here. Continue reading “Day 13 (Miles 194 to 211)”

Days 11 & 12 (Miles 177 to 194)

A section of the PCT is closed due to the 2013 Mountain Fire. Some people are walking a parallel route on other roads and trails, but a lot of hikers are bypassing this section and hitchhiking straight into Idyllwild. With the weather (and also my feet) taking a turn for the worse, we decided to hitch a ride into town for a zero day. Continue reading “Days 11 & 12 (Miles 177 to 194)”