Day Twelve – Lilo and Stretch to the Summit

Posted on June 5, 2025 by TheJessicaness
starter views

Caleb will take two trips to deliver us hikers to Marion Mountain Trailhead, about 15 minutes up the road, which is very winding through these hills, and connects with the PCT. This leaves about 30 trail miles unhiked between Paradise Valley Cafe and Idyllwild but today’s focus is over 10,000 feet above sea level. Rachel wants to summit Mount San Jacinto so that she knows she can handle 13,000 ft when we summit Forester Pass, in about five weeks.

snow plant

The first group starts before 7am to the valley covered in clouds. A family with small kids gets turned around when the trail goes down and around. Luckily, Gert is excellent at spotting these false paths and pointing us in the right direction. Trailer Park passes, leaving Ravi at an early stream to get more water, and finds us an amazing water supply and decent camp – complete with pine cones and sunshine.

morning shadows

The idea was to set up one tent and dump all extra gear in there, but we realized we would be tired at the end of the day, so those who don’t need trekking poles to hold up their rooms for the night set them up. We also had the option to go down and spend the night with Caleb, but the elevation to get here was taxing enough over three hours and we all agreed we didn’t want to do it again tomorrow morning.

switchback bushes

We continue on Deer Springs Trail at 1030am and I’m glad to be wearing pants when we walk through a narrow portion of the path surrounded by spiky bushes on both sides. The only part of me not covered is my fingertips and the triangle on my wrist where I got a small sunburn and blister. I always enjoy walking among the trees and am happy when we see the little stone cabin. It has a few untold stories of its own and I peek inside.

nature’s art

It was built years ago as an emergency shelter by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The windows are covered in stickers, the bunk beds and walls are signed, and there are ladders and a rescue stretcher in the ceiling. This also means we are close to the top, where there is no clear path over the boulders, by 1230pm. Our group is complete again a half-hour later and I enjoy some Whoppers from two thru-hikers in blue shirts after putting my jacket on and taking some obligatory summit photos.

stone cabin

We stay for an hour, snacking, and relishing in our accomplishment. Other hikers come and go. I forgot to mention or touch the snow on the way up, so I make a point to do so on the return. There are two vault toilets at Little Round Valley Campground and I’m told they’re full of trash, but the nice thing about being out here is that I have a permit to poop in the woods, so I will do just that. I’m not sure of others’ trail lingo, but I let whoever I’m hiking with know that I need to “find a tree.”

Gert, Trailer Park, Rachel, Ravi

We get back to camp over two hours later and the feast begins. Rachel pulls out the freeze-dried brownies I gave her and Ravi pokes a hole in the bag in an attempt to help her open them. I let him know it’s not perforated so he then cuts through the oxygen absorber. Trailer Park takes the package to remove as much of the “Don’t Eat!” as possible, and all of us but Ravi will eat around the tainted ones.

back to camp break

Gert carried Caleb’s and my tent to the camp to save me weight and let me use his pad pump to conserve my energy. I cut my nails, something I have to do more frequently out here, then filtered water so I can have 3.5L to carry tomorrow and have a half liter with breakfast. I climb in the tent at 530 and am asleep when I rollover to the sound of my door zipper.

the hills have views

“Can I help you?!” as Caleb pokes his head in. He took two hours to hike up to kiss me goodnight (a sweet, very Caleb thing to do) and also spook some of my campmates. Rachel kept an eye on him and Gert poked his head out to check on the commotion. Ravi thought he was being told to wake up already, but Trailer Park was out or has better earplugs than the others. I have no trouble going back to sleep before the sun sets.

PS: the snow plant is mostly found in the conifer forests of California after a snow melt. Its scientific name means bloody flesh-like thing and it’s a parasite of fungi in the soil, no sun required.

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Day Eleven – X-rays in San Jacinto

Posted on June 4, 2025 by TheJessicaness

I wake from a dream that Ravi is sleeping on the floor too. Later, Gert will suggest that perhaps it is a premonition. Caleb will cover me with the blanket and turn the air off, so I can sleep longer and wake more comfortably. There is supposed to be a continental breakfast delivery but it will never come (and no one asked why).

We have some coffee and conversation with Trailer Park, the only one who wakes as early as Caleb, before setting off for Urgent Care in San Jacinto. Caleb’s foot is swollen and has been hurting, and he wants to rule out broken bones before deciding what to do next. It’s a good thing we left later than planned, as we waited 13 minutes for them to open while I ate a donut from yesterday.

The doctor recommends ice and elevation and tells us that we have to get an X-ray at their clinic or an imaging center across the parking lot. An hour later, we’re leaving there with messed up paperwork, which will confuse the pharmacy later. While in line for an X-ray, a Karen loses her shit that she’s been there for 45 minutes (without checking in). I only have to wait 15 before we’re told that we need pre-authorization.

We drive to the pharmacy, and that’s a two-hour wait, so while Caleb is on the phone explaining the situation, again, I drive to the ER, and Caleb is seen 100 minutes later. I will go outside and finish my lunch from yesterday. Caleb is told it’s one to four hours to wait for results and I’m told it’s two days if we leave and have to go to their records department. I go back to the pharmacy.

In line there, a woman wants her meds transferred to another pharmacy and there’s confusion as to whether her anti-seizure meds are a controlled substance or not (if so, her doctor would have to call). Perhaps the bullet-proof glass could have a microphone on either side to make these transactions easier between staff and customers. They want a $30+ copay for Ibuprofen, which we already have, along with some cream that I’m not paying for.

I pick up Caleb and it turns out his foot has had a stress reaction to all the fun he is having. This means his bones are weakened in a few spots but not yet fractured and we want to keep it that way, so Caleb will take a break but can assist his fellow hikers while he rests. It can take 2-6 weeks to heal, depending on the severity and the location. Back in town, we check out the gear store, Nomad Ventures, and get more electrolytes.

treats from Jessi (thanks for the resupply)

Caleb and my dad think I don’t drink enough water. They would probably still agree on the trail, but I can see the salt lines in the sweat of others and I drink a minimum of two liters a day along with water added to meals and other drink mixes to prevent my natural state of dehydration from getting out of control. We see Gert on our way to the room and let him know we’ll be back soon.

We say hi to Trailer Park in the room and knock on Ravi’s door, who arrives while we are gone, but there is no answer. We emptied a few boxes of our resupply food into cheap trash bags because the few shops we stopped at, with durable ones in use, weren’t handing them out. This helps us go through what we have and donate some freeze-dried Skittles to our tramily (trail family) and a hiker box.

an owl sticker (thanks Rachel)

It’s too late in the afternoon for a non-hiking day coffee, but Gert has a beautiful blue-colored drink from Pure Bean Coffee Roasters that we want to try too. It’s a smoothie called Berry Blast and I finish mine first as we plan our route to Big Bear. We’ll move from the cool shade to a sunny corner, and once we’re warmed up again, we can return to the room.

Soon there are six: Caleb, Gert, Rachel, Trailer Park, Ravi, and myself. Caleb takes them to the store for microwave food options (junk not available otherwise) for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. Upon their return, we celebrate the trail bringing us together and talk about the summit of Mount San Jacinto, 10,834 ft, over beers and ice cream until hiker midnight (9pm).

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Day Ten – Meeting the Mayor of Idyllwild

Posted on June 3, 2025 by TheJessicaness

My bladder wakes me in the night and unfamiliar voices make me stir hours later but don’t bother me enough to even open the tent door as they seem to fade into the distance. When I finally get off my super loud but small and lightweight sleeping pad, Caleb has already repacked the car. I’ll take Gert and Rachel to Amelia’s Cafe so we can get gear and people where they need to be.

When I returned to PVC, I saw Ravi, who was hiking with Kaito yesterday, and they were now getting breakfast. I’ll sip on Caleb’s coffee while he loads the rest of our stuff back into the car. We take Trailer Park back on the precarious dirt road, but now, knowing the conditions, drop him off sooner for his planned hike into Idyllwild. Caleb and I will join the other two for a second breakfast.

I drive up to Idyllwild Bunkhouse, recommended by the woman at the cafe as hiker-friendly. The other choices were Silver Pines Lodge or the campground between the two – at least that’s where hikers were staying, that we had met. The receptionist showed me into various rooms because even though the loft beds looked cool online, they left headroom to be desired, and are at the top of a ladder.

Jess, Rachel, Max III, Gert, Caleb

I chose the room with one queen and two twin beds and I’m able to check in early (because hikers also leave earlier than other guests). The three of them make it to the lodge as I’m parking in our numbered spot. Rachel and I shower first, so I volunteer us to do laundry. There’s a place half a mile from here that has bins of clothes hikers can wear while they wash, but we don’t use them (for funny pictures) but chat on the bench instead.

Caleb asks when we’re coming back as Gert is getting hungry. We parked downtown and walked to Idyllwild Pizza Co. where I used the name Susan for my order since a Jessica was in front of us. I’ll take the guys back to the room for a nap while Rachel stays in town to socialize at the library (a great place for thru-hikers) with Heidi and Jonny, and I sit outside, next to an outlet, and write. The mayor of Idyllwild will be at Wooley’s at 4pm.

This is probably his daily schedule but Rachel was able to call earlier and confirm. As excited as she was, she wasn’t in the crowd when we arrived. People gather in groups to get their picture taken with Max III in the back of his van, as of 2022, following his predecessors, the first being elected in 2011. As a good boy, he’s happy for the attention and treats, something thru-hikers have in common with dogs.

Gert and I each get a lavender honey cone at Icecream & Jerky while the others get fruit flavors and chunks in theirs. There are three ice cream shops from one viewpoint, so this town really knows its audience. Especially with Nomad Ventures where a hiker would be able to get everything they need to start a long-distance trail. We only had a chance to glance at the stickers, though, before they told us they were closing.

I get a message from Trailer Park about his bloody chainsaw (difficulty getting a hitch into town) and asking for a ride. I’ll see him outside Lake Hemet Market and though I know his knee is bothering him, I didn’t think to ask where he detoured off the trail about halfway through to Idyllwild, but he hiked about six miles to the highway to avoid the upcoming 15 he still had ahead. I’ll take him to the room after a pit stop for drinks to freshen up for dinner at Lumber Mill.

The five of us are joined by Graham, a lone hiker about a day or two ahead of us. Zero days (no trail miles for recovery) and long water carries have a way of pacing people in the desert. I get corn nuggets for the table to try. It’s neat traveling with people in different age ranges from various states and countries as we introduce each other to things familiar to ourselves.

Rachel and I debate going out in the rain with our socks and sandals on (gotta keep the toes warm while still letting our feet breathe) and I figure there is more than this gentle spattering of water ahead on the trail and get going to the car. Back in the room, there is the choice of beer, chai tea from Gert, or coffee options (a favorite). Once the last sip is taken, Trailer Park sets up on the floor, and the lights are off.

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Day Nine – Eagle Rock to Paradise Valley Cafe

Posted on June 2, 2025 by TheJessicaness
Eagle Rock

We are three miles from Eagle Rock, a popular waypoint on the PCT around mile 106 when we wake. We get to pass under shade, by cows, and through a meadow. We climb over our first downed tree, listen to the creek, and close the gates behind us as we go. Sometimes Caleb can’t hear me, but has no problem with the baby kangaroo mouse yelling for its mom.

part of the trail

The epic game of hide-and-seek will be over on our return. We approached the eagle from behind and walked around until we got the angle right. We could have taken more celebratory photos, but we were happy enough to be back on the trail. We take a side route (versus road-walking) on the California Trail to get to the post office for our first resupply box that came with a dead ladybug.

one of many gates

The woman points us to a hiker box, a sign of a PCT-friendly business, but we are not in need of what’s inside especially the wrong-sized shoes. We see that Gert signed the hiker log two days ago so we are not far behind our trail family. We are putting our bags on for the one-mile return to the car when a woman pulls in and tells us to get in her car. She was that direct.

trail to the post office

We move some things around and climb in. She comes out with a stack of boxes and lets us know she’s on the way to the Community Center to start her volunteer shift to help hikers. We saw a guy at a picnic table nearby so we picked him up too. We see that Rachel and Ravi signed the logbook and that we are at mile 109.5. We skipped 29 trail miles driving here and will skip another 42 miles to make it to Paradise Valley Cafe (PVC).

map of PCT Class 2025

Imagine their surprise when Gert and Rachel see us, especially after just sending them a picture of the hiker log from Warner Springs. They are eating lunch with Trailer Park, a hippie who looks like Forrest Gump after his long run. The cafe is out of coffee ice cream, but they do have our package amongst a stack of others and ask to see ID, which I appreciate.

hiker box at PVC

We agree to meet them on the trail for some reunion drinks, mostly electrolyte types after they hike another six miles. We drive to Sunshine Market in Anza and then to Hialeah Way, which connects to Pimlico Dr., which appears to intersect with the PCT. Upon closer inspection of the map (and being out there) we realize the Canyon/Forest Service “Road” is a washout (in both senses of the word – unsuccessful event and destroyed road).

dinner after dark

There is a sign warning off trespassers, so we try another route, but it’s all driveways and locked gates, so we return to drive by a ranch and a few houses and then proceed to scratch our car as we climb too close to bushes over rocks and ruts. We yelled for them but they misunderstood where we were in relation to them. This led to more miles hiked for the day than any of us had planned.

our room for the night

We return to PVC in two trips for dinner and coffee (I’m too tired for it to keep me up tonight) as we stay up past hiker bedtime exchanging every major injury (broken bones, massive burns, lengthy scars, missing parts, and surgeries) story and then setting up our tents or cowboy camping.

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Day Eight – Traffic is Poo

Posted on June 1, 2025 by TheJessicaness
sunset

I spent the majority of the hours between 5am and 8pm driving us from Pocatello, ID to Warner Springs, CA, where we will pick up our resupply box and get back on the trail at our leisure. The traffic near Los Angeles is still the worst. We walk 50ft to the trailhead and find camp in the dark after driving 1,278 miles in 30 hours.

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