Day 5 – 18.4 km – Wednesday 01.05.2024
The night was windier than I thought, so I woke up a lot. At least I could see the starry sky. At 5:45 I get up again and pack everything up. Since I hadn’t set up a tent, I was quickly done. After breakfast and coffee we continue.
While the sun is slowly rising on the right, I can still see clouds hanging in the mountains on the left.
After a short time I arrive at the street from where I want to hitchhike to Julian. While I’m walking along the road towards the intersection, a woman drives past me and asks me if I have to go to Julian. A short time later I’m sitting in her car. She drives several times a day from the trail to Julian and back to drop off hikers. We take another hiker on the way and then drive about 20 minutes to Julian. Then the woman lets us out.
Once in town, I meet other hikers directly. Among other things, the two Americans that I had already seen in the last few days. We go for breakfast in a café and so there has been a real meal for a long time. While the two will only be on the trail for two more days, I still have a lot of route ahead of me.
After the meal, I say goodbye to them and look for a supermarket where I want to shop for food for the next few days. When I briefly sat on a bench, Pete, a hiker from Great Britain who started running with me, comes to me. We talk about the previous sections. In fact, he was on the road at the same pace as me. But he went to town last night and stayed there. Since he had lost his tent pole, he had to camp cowboys for the last nights. He recommends a hiker’s shop opposite me because the groceries there are cheaper. So I decide to go there. Pete accompanies me because he also needs food.
I buy food for 5 days and new sunglasses because mine broke on the side on the first day. Then I fill the things up and put them in my food bag. With a full backpack I go to the town hall, because there is said to be WiFi there and I would like to publish it on the blog for the last few days. After a while I finished writing everything and upload the last pictures, so Pete comes by again. A short time later we go together to grandma’s kitchen shop, a small shop where you are supposed to get a piece of apple pie for free as a PCT Hiker. In fact, we get ice cream, coffee and cake. I chose a piece of apple cherry cake. In the shop we also meet other hikers who are already sitting at a table. Including many familiar faces of the first few days. We sit down with you and we will quickly exchange ideas. Most of them have just arrived and are on the road for about half a day and Pete. Many pictures of rattlesnakes are shown around and some other information is also exchanged. When most of them make their way to shopping, I start my return journey to the trail.
On the street I meet a group of French who were also at Scout and Frodo. After just a few minutes of hitchhiking, we all sit in one car on the way to the trail. The driver is quite nice and supposedly has a friend who sometimes distributes to a hiker on the trail drinking. But he himself is on his way to a music camp. When we arrive on the trail, we actually meet the driver’s friend, which everyone is happy about.
After saying goodbye to the others, I’m making my way back. Since I was intercepted about 1.5 kilometers further up this morning, I would like to go back this path so that I really walked the entire path. I leave my backpack with a group of hikers who are looking for protection from the sun under a bridge. Without a backpack, running is so easy that I decide to jog the track. I quickly covered 1.5 km each.
After this short sports session, I finally start again around 3 a.m. at noon. My stay in Julian was longer than planned and so I’m not sure if I’ll still be able to do the 10 miles (16 km).
In the hot midday sun, I walk quickly up the mountain. The climb is dragging on quite a bit, but at least the view is getting better and better.
Further up, it then increases along the slope around the mountains. Always very much I cacti and get a look at the valley in front of me.
Since I’m driving fast and don’t take breaks, I’ll cover another 16 km in the afternoon before I set up camp on a hill shortly before 7 p.m. Since I was able to see these mountains from below yesterday and the clouds were hanging there, I decide to set up my tent again today.
But first I’ll cook something to eat. The sun is slowly setting next to me and by the time my tent is finally standing, it’s pretty dark.
Day 6 – 37.4 km – Thursday 02.05.2024
I get up again at 5:45, pack everything up and have breakfast while the sun is slowly rising.
Then I start running and it goes on for a long time like yesterday. Always up and down easily.
After a short time, I’ll meet the camp, which I had actually targeted yesterday. A hiker is packing his last things there. When I ask him how he’s doing, he says pretty quickly that he’s unfortunately no longer water and until the next opportunity to fill up, it’s still 12 km. Without further ado, I give off half of the remaining water. In the morning hours, we should both manage it with half a liter.
I quickly set off again to do a lot of distance in the cool temperatures.
It continues through the beautiful landscape and next to me I can often look into the distance. Even today I see many cacti, lizards, rabbits and snakes again.
After just over half the distance to the next water station, I drink my last half liter and continue walking. It’s now really warm in the sun and it’s getting hotter and hotter. I’m all the happier when I finally find the sign that sends me to the water. It goes off the path for a short time and down to a road. There I find a whole lot of water, which is provided by volunteers. Since it will take quite a while from here before I can get water again, I fill up 2 liters of water and drink one directly on site. So I should be able to walk another 15 km in the hot sun.
It’s a long way down the slope. In between I get a nice rattlesnake again. Although I was able to brake in time this time and thus stop a few meters in front of her, she starts to rattle and hisses me. The rattling is much louder than expected and a really good warning signal for hikers like me. I quickly step back a few meters and soon after that the snake makes its way back into the bushes. When she’s far enough away from the path, I quickly walk past her.
After a short break in the shade, a longer descent follows. From afar I can see the street I have to go down to. After all, running down at these temperatures is more pleasant than climbing up. After 25 km I pass around 1 p.m. past a camp where there is running water from a drinking trough. There I lie down in the shade for a few minutes and take a short nap to rest my legs. After that I talk to two hikers who are also here. Surprisingly, a man comes by and asks us if we want something to drink or eat. He has a lot for hikers with him and spend the whole day here to cool people down. A short time later we sit in the shade with vegetables (peppers, cucumber, tomato), colas and rice pudding and are happy about the good food. After such a long time in the hot sun, everything tastes particularly good.
While we eat the things, we talk and have a good time in the shade. Later I wash off the dirt of the last few days with the water from the potions and clean my clothes. After the things dried in the sun, I would like to thank the man for the food and drink, say goodbye to everyone and start walking again. After the almost 1.5 hour break, I would like to do a few more kilometers in the afternoon. I targeted a place at the stream just before Warner Springs. I should be able to do the 12 kilometers in three hours.
After crossing the road, it’s through grass first and suddenly I find myself in large cow pastures. For a long time I walk through the long grass and see cows graze in the distance again and again. So it almost seems a little suspicious that I meet cows here. A few hours ago I was still in barren desert landscapes and here trees and green grass grow.
After about two hours I pass the Adlerstein, a well-known rock formation in the region. In fact, the rock formation looks like an eagle. Supposedly this was an important place for the area indigenous people to offer celebrations and festivals as well as offerings. I look at the stones for a few minutes and then continue walking quickly again because I still have almost 4 kilometers ahead of me.
After a last short section through the forest, I arrive at the targeted square. Apparently, most people go on to the next camp or stop somewhere else. Because although it’s right on the path, nobody is there apart from me and nobody can get past after that. Actually, I wanted to camp cowboy here again today. But since I’m annoyed by mosquitoes while preparing dinner, I’ll set up my tent and retreat there after the meal to fall asleep soon. After all, it’s already half past eight and the sun has already set.
Day 7 – 29 km – Friday 03.05.2024
The night was very cold. When I wake up in the morning, I’m glad I’m lying in the tent. I pack my things up and have a short breakfast. It’s so cold that I’m wearing my down jacket and walking around while drinking coffee so I don’t get cold.
Then I’m on my way. It goes briefly along the water. Then I cross a street and then it goes on over a large meadow. In front of me I can see some mountains whose peaks rise from the clouds.
I’m running for some time with a young woman from Arizona who looks like at home here. After some time, it goes along the water in the forest. Here I keep crossing the small river, where I can often fill up my water.
Soon the path will be steeper again and I keep walking up. The trees decrease and I get a good view of the landscape around me.
In between I see another rattlesnake. At least my third. Otherwise I meet rabbits, snakes, lizards, etc. again on the way.
After a longer climb, I pass a camp just before twelve. Here I find a shady spot under a bush where I settle down. I spread out my sleeping pad and lie down in the cool shade. A Canadian comes by a short time later. He would like to fill up his reserves for the further route at a somewhat distant water point. Since I’ve read that it’s more of a stinking pond, I’ll do without it and prefer to take a short afternoon nap. When he returns, he just says that it really isn’t the best water, but you can drink it well after filtering. We talk about half an hour before I set off again. I only have half a liter of water left for 12 km, but I hope to find a place to fill up in between and otherwise I’ll be able to do it with half a liter.
In the warm midday sun I keep walking up the mountain. After all, a refreshing wind is blowing and so it’s not quite as overwhelming. I try to keep my heart rate at 130 because I sweat less and don’t have to drink anything. After about 7 km I actually find a spot where I can fill up my water. Under a stone there is a small hole with cold and delicious water.
After drinking a lot and filling my bottle, I keep walking. My next destination is Mike’s house, which is somewhere in the middle of nowhere and belongs to a tacco manufacturer who provides his property for camping and water filling.
After a few more kilometers I get there and meet a large group of hikers who are currently resting here. In addition to water, there is also a refreshing cold cola. I sat for some time with Pete, the only hiker I can see from the first few days. Just as we were about to set off again, the owner of the house came. As we read, that’s a very good sign. Apparently he comes here from time to time and grills for the hikers. A short time later, everyone is involved to prepare the food. Chicken, sausages, rice and beans are prepared on the grill. The food smells really good, my hunger is getting bigger and bigger. The other people here feel the same way as me. When it’s finally finished, each of us gets something to eat and we eat the delicious meal together. There is also ice-cold beer that the owner brought for us.
Actually, I wanted to walk a few more kilometers today, but I’ll leave it alone. Instead, I prefer to drink beer with the people here. Shortly before 8 a.m., I set up my tent and then, like the others, go back to sleep.
Day 8 – 39.2 km – Saturday 04.05.2024
The alarm clock rings again at 5:45. I’ll catch up on yesterday’s diary in my sleeping bag. Then I get up and dismantle the tent. The others are already almost all on the road and only three people are still there, although I can only see one. The backpacks of the other two are still packed ready.
I walk up a bit from the house and fill up my water. Today there is only 19 miles (30km) a reliable water station at a hostel. At the water tank I meet two more hikers who take 6 liters of water with them because they don’t know if they can make the route today. I had a short breakfast and then fill up 4 liters, which should easily reach the hostel. Then I drink another liter on ex and start running.
In the morning it’s still pretty fresh and so I’m starting the day with a sweater today. But soon the sun will rise over the hills and it will warm up again quickly, which is why I take off the sweater and apply sunscreen. At the beginning of the day, most of the time it goes downhill quite relaxed. Although the path is partly overgrown, I’m making good progress.
In the distance I can already see the first snow-covered mountains. Strangely enough, I hardly ever meet people on the way. Although almost everyone started running in front of me, I can hardly get past anyone. Today I find running very easy and soon I have completed the first 10 miles (16km). In the meantime, I’m getting along with the Imperial system to some extent, even if I don’t always find it difficult to spontaneously estimate how long it will take me, for example, for 7 miles.
After I’ve already done a large part of my route around half past 12, I lie down a bit in the shade of a bush and rest. Then it goes on again in the meanwhile hot sun. After all, a bit of wind is blowing, which makes running more pleasant. As I hike around the area, I look at the many different cacti and some animals that I also meet today.
I can increase my rattlesnake counter again today, so I’m now at 4. But this time it’s just a small rattlesnake that apparently just fell asleep. She stays motionless for a long time and when I stomp the floor with the stick, she starts to rattle quietly and sneaks into the bushes without hissing at me.
In the afternoon I’ll meet a hiker who was also at Mike’s house yesterday, but had already started at 6 a.m. and thus over an hour ahead of me. After a few more kilometers I descend from the PCT to the hostel, which is further down in the valley. I meet a lot of people there again, but almost all of them are new faces. While I’m treating myself to a cola and a pack of chips, people’s people who seem to have overtaken without even seeing them are gradually trundling in. They probably just lay somewhere in the shade off the path. I stay in the hostel for almost an hour and rest there. But since it’s only half past five, I’ll fill up my water reserves and set off again. Everyone else wants to stay in the hostel as the 20 miles (32km) was already too much for them.
On the other hand, I walk up the mountain to the trail again and continue my hike. After a few meters on the path, I talk to a man who would rather spend the night in a tent on the trail than in the hostel for a while. After that, I continue for almost 1.5 hours before I find a suitable campsite after almost 40 kilometers. Here I set up my tent, cook my dinner and then go to sleep directly because it is already dark again and I want to give my body enough time to relax.
Day 9 – 33.7 km – Sunday 05.05.2024
It rained a lot during the night and it was very stormy. In the morning it’s still raining and I don’t feel like getting up because I know that I can then pack a wet tent in the rain. Nevertheless, I get up a short time later and will soon be in the rain jacket and rain pants.
Since it’s so stormy, the rain is blowing from the front in my face. The hands will soon be freezing cold and I spontaneously decide to walk to a café that is about 3 km away. I would like to warm up there and hope for better weather. But it will be a while before I get there and the rain makes me pretty much soaked.
When I arrive punctually at 8 a.m. during opening hours, I meet a few hikers who I already know and who walked to the cafe yesterday to stay under the roof. They really feel sorry for me that I had to spend the night in the tent during this storm and then walk here this morning. After all, the café opens directly and I sit at the table with the others and warm up my hands at the warm coffee cup. Then there is a delicious spinach feta omlet. During the hearty breakfast we talk about various topics, such as the other plans and the previous route. However, more serious topics, such as post-trail depression and breakdowns during hiking, are also being discussed.
When some leave to get into town by car, I’m getting ready again. The weather has gotten a lot better and since I still have food for two days, I’d rather walk a few more kilometers and get to the city from the other side. So I’ll be on the road again soon and walk the road back to the trail.
From there, it’s pretty easy to go uphill pretty quickly. The path is a bit rockier than in the last few days and the cool temperatures make it feel completely different. Soon I get good views of the area and it’s still going up.
As the height increases, I feel the strong wind more and more. At a windless corner I sit down and recover a few minutes from the permanent climb.
Then it goes further up. Soon the wind will be so strong that I’m out and about with a thick jacket and gloves. While I’m walking over an exposed comb, I’m blown back and forth by the wind and I’m happy when it’s finally on in a forest.
There I meet two sisters who are just taking a break and think I’ve just missed their hot chocolate, which I could have really used. As it turns out, you are already two weeks longer than I am on the road and your goal is to enjoy the time as much as possible. Even if you won’t arrive in Canada at this pace, I found your attitude very interesting. Soon I said goodbye again because I still had a few kilometers ahead of me and still have to set up my tent in the evening sun to dry it.
The remaining kilometers are quite scenic, but they also drag on quite a bit. Especially the last climb, which means another 300 meters in altitude, doesn’t feel very good after the altitude difference, which has already been 1600 meters so far. But since the sun is already slowly setting itself up, I still run up the mountain and pretty much sweat. At the top I actually find a nice place with a good view, which is why I really wanted to come here. I quickly set up my tent and let it dry in the last few minutes of the evening sun.
Later there is another rich, with whom I have talked more often today and whom I still know from Scout and Frodo. We have dinner together and enjoy the view while we exchange ideas a bit before it’s time for bed again.
Day 10 – 22.3 km – Monday 06.05.2024
Luckily the wind didn’t stop at night and overall it was warmer than expected. I get up on time to watch the sunrise over a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything to eat because I’m running out of oatmeal. Rich joins me for a moment, but then sets off soon. I still enjoy my warm cup of coffee before I pack my tent and start walking again.
In the low morning sunshine, the landscape around me once again looks fantastic. I can see far into the distance and it really feels like in the mountains.
For a long time it goes up and down the mountain wall. Again and again I pass dead trees and some white flies ice, which probably accumulated on the trees by storm yesterday, down on me.
After a few hours of running, I see the first snow on my tour and I find the change from dust-dry desert sand to snow very crass. Less than two days ago I was in cacti and sand and now I’m in the snow at almost 2000 meters. At least I’ll soon be able to fill up my bottle at the meltwater, which I’m pretty happy about, because I’ve slowly run out of water.
Then it goes further up and soon I reach the first pass that has to be overcome. There is significantly more snow here than expected, but overall I can get along well without microspikes. You can walk well on the partially frozen snow, but I’m still making much slower than I had hoped.
Further back there is still a lot of ice on the trees, which probably accumulated due to the storm yesterday and looks really interesting.
Actually, I just wanted to descend shortly after idyll game today, fill up my reserves there and then climb back to the trail. But since I’m only making slow progress, I won’t reach Saddle Junction until around 2 p.m., from where I can descend to Idyllwild, I’ll probably spend the night at a campsite in Idyllwild.
The descent is quite long and unfortunately I can’t find a way to hitchhike into town. So I walk the remaining kilometers to the campsite with another hiker.
There I actually meet Toubi, Jussi, Chris and Anna, whom I still know from the first few days. We set up our tents and decide to grill sausages in the evening. But before that, showers and washing clothes are finally on the agenda again. Since I’ve only ever washed myself in streams and haven’t had a real shower since the start, it feels like a real treat to wash off the dirt of the last few days. After that, I’ll go shopping in the local supermarket to replenish my reserves for another 5-6 days on the trail.
Back at the campsite, we all have a barbecue together and drink a beer or two. Even if the grilling is partly more like a fire show, the food tastes really good and it’s very funny. Shortly after 10 a.m. it’s over and everyone goes back to their tent. While the others here will have a zero-day tomorrow, i.e. a day without running or a day off, I’ll be on again tomorrow.
Survey
Here’s a quick map of where I am right now. I’ve already got blue behind me and I’m currently on Mile 179.
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