tiffany's pct journal
ENTRY 43.
California Section D: Agua Dulce to Interstate 15 (Cajon Pass) - Part II.
Days: 127 - 129.
Dates: November 7 - 9.
Trail mileage: 2267.0 - 2311.2.
Distance: 44.2 miles.
The hike up Mount Baden-Powell wasn't easy, but the views were great. It was only about 17 miles to the highway to Wrightwood, where I'd be resupplying, so I wasn't in a big rush.
Getting in an early start
Mount Baden-Powell summit isn't on the trail, but it's only about a tenth of a mile off. The weather was gorgeous and it was still early, so it was a no-brainer. I happened to reach the summit around the same time Ctrl+Z and Katie got there, so we were able to sit around and take pictures.
One of the last big climbs on the trail
After spending some time at the summit, I kept on. There were some ridiculously long switchbacks, and so many of them. It wasn't a flat day by any means, but I was still able to reach the highway pretty early in the afternoon.
Are you telling me I've somehow walked 2,277 miles?
It wasn't an easy hitch into town. About 20 minutes after I got to the highway, Ctrl+Z and Katie caught up, and the 3 of us tried to get into town. It still took a while, but a pick-up truck stopped for us, and I got to ride in a truck bed for the first time. It was a lot of fun!
View from the aptly-named scenic highway
We stopped at the Mountain Hardware store, where PCT hikers can get their special commemorative PCT pin, and I was able to get in contact with a trail angel named Jeff who was nice enough to let the 3 of us stay with him overnight.
Before heading over to his place, we stopped at the post office and grocery store for resupply, then the brewery. Before we left, 2 women stopped to talk to us, and had Katie read a random text one of them had sent to a guy for the other woman. There was apparently a whole drama with one of them being with a guy who had a girlfriend or something? I still don't really know. But they ended up asking us a lot of questions about the PCT once they figured out that's why we were in Wrightwood in the first place.
Sleeping indoors was great that night because the nights were getting really cold, and I even got to take a warm shower. Thanks, Jeff! He was nice enough to give us a ride back to the trail the next day too.
Katie's trail hot chocolate, but indoors
It was a long day, with a steep climb in the very beginning, which I didn't love, then about 20 miles of steady downhill, which I think I loved even less. I was planning to camp a little bit before Cajon Pass, which was about 28 miles after Wrightwood, but I got a message from Ctrl+Z and Katie asking if I wanted in on a room at the hotel in Cajon Pass. I messaged Yahtzee to see if she wanted in too, since I knew she was around, and we all decided to split a room. I couldn't pass it up (I mean we were talking about laundry, showers, sleeping indoors, and continental breakfast for $20 apiece), but I had been hiking slow that day, so I had to pick up the pace. I knew I wouldn't get in until late no matter what.
A very long day of hiking
There was little water that day. I also hadn't hiked that late into the night on the trail yet up until that point, so that day felt insanely long. I didn't get to the hotel until around 10:00 PM. We saw the other hikers we met at Casa de Luna and Hiker Heaven there too, so it seems like everyone had the same idea.
Cajon Pass is not what you'd call a town, it's just a highway junction. There are a couple convenience stores, some fast food places, and the hotel. There's no reason to take a zero here. And I totally didn't mean to, but the others decided they were going to stay another night, and I figured $20 for another night indoors was worth it. I was getting a little burnt out on hiking (c'est impossible!), and taking extra zeroes sounded great in general.
One of my favorite signs on the whole trail
It was also Yahtzee's birthday, so Katie and I went to the Circle K next door to get as much birthday stuff as we could. They had a surprisingly large variety — we were able to get birthday cake bites, a birthday cake 3 Musketeers bar, and hot fudge sundae Poptarts.
Opening birthday presents!
We wrapped everything using our dry sacks and plastic bags, sat around, and had Yahtzee open up all of her presents. Happy birthday, Yahtzee!
California Section D: Agua Dulce to Interstate 15 (Cajon Pass) - Part II.
Days: 127 - 129.
Dates: November 7 - 9.
Trail mileage: 2267.0 - 2311.2.
Distance: 44.2 miles.
The hike up Mount Baden-Powell wasn't easy, but the views were great. It was only about 17 miles to the highway to Wrightwood, where I'd be resupplying, so I wasn't in a big rush.
Getting in an early start
Mount Baden-Powell summit isn't on the trail, but it's only about a tenth of a mile off. The weather was gorgeous and it was still early, so it was a no-brainer. I happened to reach the summit around the same time Ctrl+Z and Katie got there, so we were able to sit around and take pictures.
One of the last big climbs on the trail
After spending some time at the summit, I kept on. There were some ridiculously long switchbacks, and so many of them. It wasn't a flat day by any means, but I was still able to reach the highway pretty early in the afternoon.
Are you telling me I've somehow walked 2,277 miles?
It wasn't an easy hitch into town. About 20 minutes after I got to the highway, Ctrl+Z and Katie caught up, and the 3 of us tried to get into town. It still took a while, but a pick-up truck stopped for us, and I got to ride in a truck bed for the first time. It was a lot of fun!
View from the aptly-named scenic highway
We stopped at the Mountain Hardware store, where PCT hikers can get their special commemorative PCT pin, and I was able to get in contact with a trail angel named Jeff who was nice enough to let the 3 of us stay with him overnight.
Before heading over to his place, we stopped at the post office and grocery store for resupply, then the brewery. Before we left, 2 women stopped to talk to us, and had Katie read a random text one of them had sent to a guy for the other woman. There was apparently a whole drama with one of them being with a guy who had a girlfriend or something? I still don't really know. But they ended up asking us a lot of questions about the PCT once they figured out that's why we were in Wrightwood in the first place.
Sleeping indoors was great that night because the nights were getting really cold, and I even got to take a warm shower. Thanks, Jeff! He was nice enough to give us a ride back to the trail the next day too.
Katie's trail hot chocolate, but indoors
It was a long day, with a steep climb in the very beginning, which I didn't love, then about 20 miles of steady downhill, which I think I loved even less. I was planning to camp a little bit before Cajon Pass, which was about 28 miles after Wrightwood, but I got a message from Ctrl+Z and Katie asking if I wanted in on a room at the hotel in Cajon Pass. I messaged Yahtzee to see if she wanted in too, since I knew she was around, and we all decided to split a room. I couldn't pass it up (I mean we were talking about laundry, showers, sleeping indoors, and continental breakfast for $20 apiece), but I had been hiking slow that day, so I had to pick up the pace. I knew I wouldn't get in until late no matter what.
A very long day of hiking
There was little water that day. I also hadn't hiked that late into the night on the trail yet up until that point, so that day felt insanely long. I didn't get to the hotel until around 10:00 PM. We saw the other hikers we met at Casa de Luna and Hiker Heaven there too, so it seems like everyone had the same idea.
Cajon Pass is not what you'd call a town, it's just a highway junction. There are a couple convenience stores, some fast food places, and the hotel. There's no reason to take a zero here. And I totally didn't mean to, but the others decided they were going to stay another night, and I figured $20 for another night indoors was worth it. I was getting a little burnt out on hiking (c'est impossible!), and taking extra zeroes sounded great in general.
One of my favorite signs on the whole trail
It was also Yahtzee's birthday, so Katie and I went to the Circle K next door to get as much birthday stuff as we could. They had a surprisingly large variety — we were able to get birthday cake bites, a birthday cake 3 Musketeers bar, and hot fudge sundae Poptarts.
Opening birthday presents!
We wrapped everything using our dry sacks and plastic bags, sat around, and had Yahtzee open up all of her presents. Happy birthday, Yahtzee!