On Trail – Page 3 – Mexico to Canada 2023 (and beyond)

Longest day so far

April 28, 2023April 30, 2023Ian

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Just ate an entire bag of chocolate chip cookies. Hiker hunger already?

I got packed up and ate the rest of my bbq sandwich for breakfast in my motel room in Mt Laguna and got on trail around 9am. I figured the bubble I was with the day before had started way earlier and wondered if I would see them again.

After a couple of miles, I ran into Christina and Nick (sister and brother from Southern California) admiring a view. I joined them and looked out and saw a snow capped mountain. Holy shit, it was San Jacinto! The first 10,000 foot peak of the trail that we are due to traverse in a couple of weeks. I couldn’t believe we could see it this early.

This would be one of many vast desert views we would have today.

We hiked 11 miles to Pioneer Mail Picnic Area, which was our first water source. At first, it was…not ideal.

Then we read the sign that said to use the top faucet and it ran clear. We still filtered it of course.

We also passed the 50 mile mark! First big milestone and definitely the longest I’ve ever hiked.

We ate lunch and the bubble from yesterday slowly trickled in behind us. They had stayed up too late partying last night and got an even later start than me! I also discovered that peanut butter and jelly tortillas are DELICIOUS.

The spacing of water sources and campsites in this section is not great, so we had to have either a big day today or tomorrow to get to Julian on Saturday. We chose to push today, though my blister on my heel definitely isn’t happy and I had to do more surgery tonight. I’m going to let it air out overnight and see if it heals a bit.

We have another 13 or so tomorrow to get us close to Scissors Crossing, where we make our first hitch into Julian on Saturday morning.

Rattlesnakes and Mount Laguna

April 27, 2023July 14, 2023Ian

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

I spent a ton of time writing this originally the other night and wordpress deleted it. So I’m going to do my best to recreate it.

14 miles today. We woke up early and hit the trail after a restful, though windy night. I hiked with Postman and Forerunner (couple from Washington) for the first part of the day and watched the light come down on the mountains and do away with the shadows.

A couple of miles in, we came across our first rattlesnake on the side of a hill.

Rattlesnake!

At least he rattled, unlike the ones I’ve come across in Texas.

Right as we got to the unexploded military ordnance area 😐, we met up with about 5 other hikers and formed a little bubble. We ate lunch together and hiked the rest of the day all the way to Mount Laguna.

Once we hit about 6000 feet, pine trees started to appear. That smell is one of my favorite things. Reminds me of the Sierra.

About a mile before the turnoff for the lodge and campgrounds, I realized I had gotten my first blister. It was on the outside of my left heel, which I had already pre-taped as a preventative measure, though it’s not an exact science.

I lanced it through the tape with a sterilized needle, though I’m sure my wife wouldn’t advise that.

Most of the hikers split a campsite, but my lovely wife had booked me a room for the night at the lodge (motel room really, but hell, I’ll take it!). I checked in and got my first resupply box as well! I was also given a bucket and detergent to wash my clothes in, with explicit instructions to dump the dirty water outside and not down the drain.

Once I had dropped my stuff in my room (including a bag of Epsom salt for a soak later), I went out to the saloon to meet my hiker friends for some drinks and food!

There were some sweet pups there too. I miss mine.

I had a couple of beers, but retired to my room early with my pulled pork bbq sandwich and fries. I ate most of it and left the rest for breakfast. Then it was laundry and bath time.

This is the bucket after only 3 days of hiking.

Tomorrow is back into the woods!

Waterfalls in the desert

April 26, 2023Ian

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Today was so much better. I woke up around 6:30 and broke camp and immediately climbed 1000 feet out of Hauser Canyon up to Lake Morena. There’s a campground there with a civilized toilet and a malt shop where I hung with some other hikers and got a late breakfast of a turkey sandwich. I’m still not super hungry, but ate half of it then and half tonight for dinner.

I then hiked on and soon met up with a couple from Washington who are around my age and did the northern half of the PCT last year and are finishing it up this year. They were so great to talk to about my bad first day and helped calm my fears immensely.

I used my umbrella most of the day. Today was a long, HOT hike of 13.6 miles with a big climb at the end, but had an amazing payoff.

Just below our campsite tonight, down a pretty steep path, is a waterfall and pool that we bathed and swam in for easily a half hour.

I’ll try to remember to upload the video tomorrow in Mt Laguna where I should have wifi, but here’s some pics.

I’m now in my tent up on the ridge above Interstate 8, listening to the frogs and insects chirping away. It’s a clear, beautiful night and I’m glad today was a different experience entirely.

14 miles (uphill) to Mt. Laguna tomorrow where my lovely wife booked me a cabin! I get to sleep in a real bed only 3 days in!

Goodnight from mile 28.6!

Well that kicked my ass

April 25, 2023Ian

Monday, April 24, 2023

This post is going to start rough, but it gets better at the end.

I am camped in Hauser Canyon right now with a bunch of other hikers. Honestly, I feel sick.

I don’t know if I’m having an anxiety attack or what, but this isn’t fun on day one. I was recently diagnosed with obsessive compulsive personality disorder and I think it is rearing it’s ugly head right now.

I don’t want to worry anyone with this post, but basically I’ve been sick to my stomach since lunch, save the last 3–4 miles where I hiked down to the canyon with a really nice couple from the Netherlands.

I forced myself to eat a bit of a freeze dried dinner, but a lot of it is left in my trash bag for now.

I’m now back in my tent and feeling a lot better after some meditation, talking to my amazing wife on my sat beacon, and holding my little stuffed Biffer that I brought along.

What a crazy day. I’m going to hike up to Morena in the morning (5 miles away, the first two being straight up) and see how I feel. Might spend the night there. Not sure.

Pics from today:

I finally calmed down and got some decent sleep. Not great, but decent. I woke up around 6:30, broke camp, stretched, and headed up the 1000 foot climb out of the canyon. This actually went ok and had some great views.

I’m now at Lake Morena at the malt shop with a bunch of other stinky hikers, waiting on a turkey sandwich for breakfast. I still am not hungry, but I’m going to try and get some calories.

Hoping to get to Cibbets campground tonight, but that’s about 13 more miles, so I may end up calling it a bit earlier.