Day 25 – Riding the Mountain

Posted on June 18, 2025 by TheJessicaness

Up to breakfast in bed so I can publish another post while we wait for the day to begin. Yesterday, nine of us agreed to spend a day at Six Flags, Magic Mountain, just 20 miles off trail, so we will take Gert and Captain Underpants will shuttle the others in his giant van. I have a second breakfast with Gert and we leave the hotel at 9.

While we wait in line to park, we see the van drive by that will deliver Rachel, Trailer Park, Nightcap, Ravi, Seeker, and Greg to the security gate. The park has a drink special where a $20 cup gets free refills on the day of purchase with a 15-minute wait in between, so some of us will do that, but Ravi is fine with water as electrolytes are expensive.

Lt. Sparkles and Jess on Viper

We get lost finding the large orange and green ride and a park employee is unable to help us. It’s a good thing there are only so many ways to get there. Most of us will ride Tatsu, and Ravi doesn’t think it was a great starter ride and already feels sick. The seats tip so that the rider can fly through the air, over band-aids, hair ties, and gum.

Seeker, Nightcap, Jess, Trailer Park, Rachel, Ravi, Greg, Caleb – photo by Lt. Sparkles after Roaring Rapids

Viper is our next ride and we will not ride it again, even without a wait. It left the girl behind us with whiplash and the guy in front of us choked on his spit. Gert says it’s more dangerous than a rattlesnake and my neck hurts. I’m glad Caleb didn’t go on that one or it would be a different day for us. We were able to walk in and get on as the gate closed behind us and now I know why.

Jess, Greg, Ravi, Seeker, Lt. Sparkles, Nightcap, Trailer Park, and Rachel on Apocalypse

It’s hot out, and while we hike a lot of the time, we think about cold things, so a water ride, Roaring Rapids, is the next obvious option. Caleb, Gert, and Trailer Park are the driest when we disembark. Greg tried using his umbrella to stay dry but the man behind the curtain had something to say, and he closed it. There is a drying machine near the exit for $6 a turn that none of us will use.

Caleb, Jess, The Flash, Trailer Park, Lt. Sparkles, Rachel

Our next choice is Apocalypse, a wooden coaster that flies over the ride-loading area. The speakers along the line are making noises that Rachel tells Ravi are working if he’s scared. It was a fun ride and we’re all still having a good time. This is the largest group, outside of high school, that I’ve ever been to a park with. It’s lunchtime when we get in line for West Coast Racers, so half the group goes to find food while we think it’ll only take 15 minutes.

We’ll end up waiting 40 minutes, but that’s because you get to ride twice – once on the first half of the track and then again on the second half, so that it looks like the two cars are racing. Caleb has pretzels waiting for us at 130 so that the girls have enough energy to walk to the entrance where Trailer Park will meet us with the chicken and croissants. Gert gets us some Starburst gummy candy that was being passed out as people exited the park and we’ll go back in.

Lt. Sparkles, Caleb, Greg, Ravi, Trailer Park, Jess, Rachel, Nightcap, Seeker

We walk through the long path of Goliath with four loops chained off, which lets us know how long the wait could be. It’s a fun ride but the abrupt stop to the gut has me sitting out while Rachel and Trailer Park go back for round two. I must’ve eaten too much that I also opt out of the Drop of Doom, but half the group gets the opportunity to pose with The Flash.

We are excited for the Twisted Colossus (so many fun facts about this ride), but some barf will take the car out, and there are two parked in the sun waiting to disembark. We watched them spray it down and towel dry it, but when the staff opened an exit gate, we took it. They would have to close the ride temporarily. I offered one more ride to Rachel as that’s all we had in us, but she was ready to leave too.

We see the others and get a last group photo. They will stay later until Nightcap’s mom returns to pick them up. She was here this morning, so they had a place (her car) to keep their giant, smelly bags all day. We find funnel cakes and ice cream but no stickers. Rachel thinks it’s cute that Caleb and I hold pinky fingers when our hands get sweaty.

Trailer Park and Rachel will take the bus to the parking lot while I stand and watch the water slide (separate park pass) drop people and splash the sidewalk. Those two will stay with Gert tonight, so we drive to the hotel and while Gert and Caleb get in the pool, Rachel and I will put our legs in. I’m not sure if she got in the bug-filled hot tub, but we all needed a shower.

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Day 24 – Meeting Captain Underpants

Posted on June 17, 2025 by TheJessicaness

We have the hotel breakfast since it’s included, and return to the room so I can publish another day. We leave the room at 9 and spend some time with Lyric at the Acton KOA (now the LA RV Resort). We walk around to justify the comment scrolling we both got caught in and judge this place for ourselves. We are also meeting Captain Underpants for burgers, so we were scoping out a good spot.

Lyric is camped between two picnic tables in the shade and fighting off bugs. The trail is at the other end, and the laundry is in between. We try sitting closer to the office, but the trash cans are too smelly. We drive to the trailhead and I walk up the hills to take in the views, but no sign of our tramily in the desert. Trailer Park will see us slowly drive away as we return to the office to relax in their entertainment room.

a robin at the resort

Trailer Park was able to reserve a cabin for $65 online, but the woman is now telling him it will be $300, and they will waive his refundable deposit. He calls his friend and lets him know there has been a change in plans. We pick up Gert after noon, and Rachel is half an hour behind him. The supposedly hiker-friendly resort charges $5 for an unpriced Gatorade, like the rest of their options, whereas we give our drinks for free.

We go back to the hotel so Gert can get a bath in his room, and we let the other two shower in ours before they return to the resort with drinks and fast food burgers for other hikers. While they are gone, we take Gert to Sen Noodle House. The guy behind the register asks if this is our first time in, and I tell him, “For today, it is.” The guy from yesterday chuckles and welcomes us back.

burned-out tree from June 15, photo by Gert

We eat our fill of garlic and chilli oil and then have shopping to do. Caleb will get Freon and a little orange air freshener for the car. Gert and I will walk over to the grocery store, and I’m able to exchange some coins for laundry and shower quarters. We will meet up with the others at Captain Underpants’ place in Valley Village.

photo by Lieutenant Sparkles

We find close parking, and he and Trailer Park are outside to greet us. Inside, we meet his girlfriend and Nightcap. Captain Underpants makes us all burgers, two at a time, on his hibachi grill on his patio while various people join to smoke other things. We are offered a box of chips to choose from and a cooler of drinks.

photo by Lieutenant Sparkles

Rachel is napping on the chaise, and Ravi is fresh out of the shower. They are getting their laundry done while they borrow clothes, and are plied with Liquid IV. Apparently, Ravi looked like a hot mess when they picked him up after 2pm. Once everyone is back from the store for meat, beer, cake, and cookies, we can start to watch Mile 666, a homemade horror film about the AT.

It’s nice to talk about editing and have an idea of the work that goes into it. The start of the film is interesting, and I have questions, but at 8pm, Gert is ready to go and deal with his blisters before bed. The couple has a nice place, and the delivery service from kitchen to couch was above par. We admire the painted portrait of Anita Hill on their mantle and the large piece done by the girlfriend’s dad, and say goodnight.

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Day 23 – Even the Car Gets Injured

Posted on June 16, 2025 by TheJessicaness

Caleb is up at 330, packs up his bed, and eats with the group. I grab the ibuprofen before they leave for Cloudburst Summit to avoid some road-walking and an endangered frog area that suffered burn damage. I get the tent partially down and sit while I wait for the meds to take effect. Caleb makes me breakfast and we pull over to eat at some point.

We go around a turn, the car beeps loudly, and the low tire pressure light comes on. Caleb gets out and we both hear the air escaping, like there’s a rattlesnake inside, from the front passenger tire. We put all the trunk gear in the backseat and pull out the donut. All cars should come with a full-sized spare as I feel that the car handles differently.

mailing a postcard between friends

The lift gate (trunk door) is usually automatic but is now malfunctioning too. It will take us another hour to get down the hill but we average 96 mpg while doing so. We are able to park at Discount Tire in Pasadena for an hour until they open at 8. The guy says they can repair the tire for free, but ours needs to be replaced because its guts are coming out.

They can’t get a tire until 2, so Caleb calls another place that won’t have one in until 4p. He asks for help, and the guy on the phone directs us to America’s Tire, just a mile away. There is a line but cars are moving quickly. I make sure we have at least one option before adding our name to the waitlist. About $200 later and we’re ready for the road again by 930.

curry ramen

Caleb is prepared to drive further into Los Angeles for cheap lodging, while all I want is to be back on the trail, so we compromise and head north. We stop at a car wash and, after a YouTube video, are able to get the rear gate working again. When we get to Santa Clarita, I realize we are only 155 miles from Warner Springs, but we have put a thousand miles on the car.

We can’t check into the hotel yet, so we drive to Sen Noodle House for a long lunch outside. I wasn’t going to get food but I’m so glad I did. Once in our room, we will shower and Caleb will nap away the afternoon while I write. I find a copy of the Bhagavad Gita in a drawer, but I get back to writing as Caleb reads his Kindle.

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Day 22 – Mount Baden-Powell

Posted on June 15, 2025 by TheJessicaness
hiking out of Big Rock Camp

We are up at 330 because though I want miles, I’m not willing to hike in the dark to get them. Caleb drops the four of us at Big Rock Camp at 515am. It’s 63°F, we are around 5,000 ft. of elevation, and only two miles of climbing away from the PCT at Vincent Gap. Trailer Park took his coffee for a walk and Rachel ran up the hill, with her rain pants on.

Gert is feeling much better and leaves me to hike at my own pace. This will be my first time alone on the trail and it’s half-freeing while also reminding me that others are waiting because Caleb is tracking me, even if he knows to get to the meeting point and hour or two earlier for Trailer Park. Back on the trail, I had to walk with my feet at an angle due to the steepness.

switchbacks

I see Gert again while he’s on his break after two hours of hiking, it had been every hour when he started, but the threat of heat and lack of water is a great motivator. I stop for a snack at 8 as all this huffing and puffing, just to hopefully only be an hour behind the group, is exhausting. I felt great when I woke up but now it feels like it’s already 2pm.

view just before the summit

Gert passed Rachel and I feel like he gave her the “wait on Jess” baton, but she’ll let me know she did because I don’t have FarOut and could get lost when the trail splits. We will hike to the summit together and reach it before 9. Gert is on the phone, there are a few trail runners, and Trailer Park is long gone. I borrow Rachel’s pen to sign a random page in the stack of hiker logs and take a quick selfie before slumping in the shade.

before and after the summit

I have a snack, and as Gert packs up, I’m ready to go. Rachel says she’ll catch up, because she has trail legs now and has been faster downhill than us. We are still making good time and we notice the red tint in bark and on rocks. Gert will get ahead on the inclines and wait at an intersection to point me in the right direction before going on.

going down the other side

The people who use this trail weekly let us know that we are a mile from the Little Jimmy Campground (currently closed to cars) which is two miles from the day use only parking lot. Gert and I use this as a snack spot to wait for Rachel who is just minutes behind. Gert gets behind a couple and when they let him pass, I see him start to jog like he can see Caleb with ice cream sandwiches.

We reach Islip Saddle to the sounds of Trailer Park and return noise at him. He saw Ravi and last heard that Caleb was stuck in traffic. There’s a campground across the street but the road is closed, so Caleb had to drive around. While we wait, a trail angel from El Salvador, who’s been in California for 40 years, delivers us pizza and baked goods and offers us one beer and cold waters.

Lieutenant Sparkles

While we eat, he sips the beer and tells us about his motorcycle collection. We see Caleb pull in, but we’re behind the vault toilet (we’ll take shade where we can get it) so he has to walk around to find us. It’s then that I see the poo paper nearby and call this meeting to an end. We find a spot at Buckhorn Camp and spread out so we can have a table in shade and the other in sunlight.

I am worn out and lie on the picnic bench in a nap-filled daze until Caleb mentions dinner, and Gert helps me up. I have to potty but the vault toilet smells so terrible that I must find a tree. I thought I’d get used to having to go inside those terrible contraptions, but they shut my body down. I’ve seen lots of pads in hiker boxes and they’re either buried or carried out. There’s a reason people bring a bidet and hand sanitizer.

The group is going to bed at 430, so I’m not the only one exhausted, but they are also hiking out tomorrow. I use a wet handkerchief to wipe down my dirty legs but am still too sweaty to sleep. There are also woodpeckers, my sore neck from last night, someone chopping wood, and I have a headache. There’s a guy who sounds like Ravi who is joining the two guys across from us.

Our bear box is full of trash and the ladies next to us sound like they’re at a wine bar and cackling to attract the opposite sex. The rest of my dinner is in the car, so I grab a snack from my bag and finish my water with electrolytes even though I’m over getting out of the tent repeatedly to pee. I will attempt to sleep again at 7pm and make it two hours before other campers’ lights are shining on our home.

Trailer Park, Lt. Sparkles, Rachel, and the trail angel

This, of course, means I have to get out of the tent again and wake Caleb when my top gets stuck to my earring, let alone the noise my tent pad makes. I’m still hungry and there’s snoring. Writing about all this now, I feel better. I can’t push myself to keep up with the others all day and expect to function properly. I also should’ve been able to pass out as usual, but not every day should be the same.

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Day 21 – A Day in Wrightwood

Posted on June 14, 2025 by TheJessicaness

Trailer Park is always the first one up. We have leftovers from the night before, and then I start the Airbnb check-out list: leave it clean, and make sure we have everything we came with. Caleb and I drive up to Table Mountain Campground at 830 to reserve a spot. We pay at North Lodge for what looks like one of the two remaining sites.

I drop Gert and Rachel off at camp so they can set up their tents while I take Ravi back to town so he can find another group to hike out with later (but sooner than us). I’ll drop Trailer Park in town, so he can help Ravi (and they can enjoy a large and amazing breakfast) while Caleb and I go by the National Forest Interpretive Center to find out that the two volunteers know less than he does about which roads are closed.

Apparently, someone is giving out tickets if drivers or hikers are found in a closure area around Wrightwood, so we want to avoid that but also find a way back onto the trail. Caleb sets up our tent, and the four of us go to Grizzly Cafe, where we are seated with the lunch menu as Ravi leaves with Seeker, who is hiking with Greg and Nightcap.

The waitress was sweet to bring me blueberries with my Monte Cristo (closest thing to French toast) when she knew I wanted breakfast. This cafe is also popular with bikers who occupy most of the outside seating (way better than inside). On our way out, Gert and Rachel need stickers and cookies. I take a quarter from the coin tray to operate the moose head on the wall.

license plate art

We can’t understand him, but the kid’s mom at the bar will record it moving, and it seems like we made their morning. We walk to Mountain Hardware so Rachel can sign the hiker log and talk to two hikers from Denmark who are also looking for a way around the closure. We were headed to the Ruff Around arcade next, but got distracted by the offer of free ice cream at the social (that we didn’t find, even if we could hear the music).

It’s $13 an hour so no one wants to hang out with cats. We walk into the Community Center instead and get Mountain High stickers and I get a red bracelet, “I love to read.” A woman in there suggests the museum so we walk over there. This area is on an earthquake fault and subject to wildfires, hence the heroes who saved the ski resort, a mountain biking station in the summer.

I’m curious to see the old firehouse that remains upstairs. As I climb the carpeted steps I’m transported back to my grandma’s house in the 80s when brown interior was in fashion. The heat quickly removes Caleb, who gets to listen to the docent downstairs (who he and Gert agree is as old as the museum).

She tells them that half the castle arch over the road was removed to fit tour buses from Los Angeles. While they are still listening, I wander outside to see the old mining gear and the inside of a tourist cabin (too much luggage for me). Rachel is on a bench out front catching a nap while Trailer Park is hiding and waiting for us. I start to walk away and soon we are a group again.

We get to North Lodge in the afternoon, missing the grand opening at one of Mountain High’s other locations, where they had giveaways, as the one we passed was closed. Some of us have ice cream (Starburst is better as a candy) and Rachel is ready for another nap. Caleb will show Trailer Park where the camp is, so Gert and I find out the event is just across the road from us.

We drive down there and Gert is able to get a Sunbum sunscreen and a sticker that’s been run over from the traveling DJs, one from London who played his first gig at a place in Utrecht, so they think we’re both from the Netherlands. They tell us to ask for Todd, the manager, who has more stickers. We agreed later that he doesn’t exist and have drinks at camp after a traffic jam at our site because cars have to back in.

There is a concert from 5-8pm, and we know we have to go to bed early, but we are fading fast. Caleb drops Gert and me back to Rachel while he takes Trailer Park into town for gas. I can’t wait any longer and snuggle on my loud tent pad at 530pm. There will only be a concert for Rachel who was distracted by her phone inside and the last to bed.

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