Miles hiked: 0 PCT, 17.1 (re-route)
Camped at: Mt. San Jacinto State Park
Hikers I camped with: 20 +
Total up/down: unknown
Steps: 55,153
I'm not sure why I have put off writing this blog.
I am talking to you from the future...
My thermarest survived!
Now to maneuver my way back to Idyllwild.
I was up and out of camp before everyone, I wanted a headstart. It wasn't long till everyone caught up, dang it. Except for Andrea, she was still back at camp, she enjoys a slower paced morning. We all walked together and came out at a road. Looking at our direction we had to go west. It took a second and a bit of laughter but we headed down the road in the right direction and I left a arrow in the sand just in case others were just as confused. From the signs we are passing, it appears we are in a girl scout camp area. There are gated drives every so often but we continue down the road. Everyone walks over to one of the gates and continues down a dirt road. I'm confused. My re route directions just say to continue forward to the hwy. But they are following half miles notes and this is the way he says to go. I am a little apprehensive but follow. They all get ahead of me but I soon realize from my maps that this road comes out at the hwy as well, just a bit farther down the hwy. When I get down near the road I look at my maps and realize there is a dirt road on this side of the hwy that follows it for a mile or so. I decide to take that route. I believe the others have walked down to the hwy, crossed it and are walking on a fire road on the other side of the hwy.
I here gun shots.
Lots of them.
I realize a shooting range must be near and continue. As I continue down this dirt road I realize it is the road to the range and am passed by a motorcycle and a couple trucks. One guys smiles and tells me "your almost there" as he passes, I laugh. The road then curved around and met up with the hwy. I think about crossing it and finding the fire road, but look at the hwy with its 15 foot shoulder and just decide to walk it. It's 3 Miles to the camp ground, it's a nice day out, and this is a pretty direct path. When I get 1 mile from the campgrounds the fire road ends and merges with the hwy and a hiker joins the road walk. He is my age but I can tell right away he is fast so we say our introductions, then good byes, then get back to hiking and away he goes.
A 1/4 mile before the Durkey campground there is the campground and when I get closer I realize hikers are sitting on a deck of a building close to the road. I dream of having a burger and a bear there since it's close to lunch time. I walk up and no one is eating a burger, I'm sad. It's a newly opened convenience store so I go in and buy a prepackaged ham and cheese sandwich and a gatorade. Close enough. Right?
When I get outside everyone (all the people that passed me today) are putting on their packs and continuing. I hate being last. I sit down and strike up a conversation with a couple, they are surprised to hear what I am doing so we talk for a good half hour or so. I gave them my blog info so if you are reading this hello :)
As I'm about to leave a see a hiker coming up the road and I wonder if it is Andrea, so I decide to wait and am happy to see that it is. We continue to the campground and near the bathrooms we run into 2 more female hikers. They are not going into idyllwild so they load up on water. They are taking a branch off trail that will take them up san jacinto. Andrea decides that she wants to do that as well and starts figuring out how much water she will need to carry (It's a lot). I have to go back to idyllwild, I realized last night that I left my charger and battery pack plugged in at the coffee shop and they have set it aside for me.
I head to campsite 64 where the is a bike path that I will walk for awhile. This path follow along the hwy down hill a bit, it is tree covered and not a bad path. My next goal is a fire road that branches off the trail, heads east for a bit then swings back around north. This trail will take me into the south end of idyllwild, I'm almost done.
So this is where my day turns to crap.
This road is about 20 feet wide and goes up the ridge of foothills it's a curvy path and is constantly going up. The road is a fine white granite gravel and there is zero shade. The only plant life are small bushes on the edge. Around every bend there is more road going up. I'm getting tired fast and it's the time of day when the Temps are the hottest. My feet are hot from the hot road so sit in the middle of the road and change my socks and realize I'm going to get blisters on the bottom of my feet. I tape them and continue on. Finally the road starts going downhill but I know I have at least one new blister. My feet are on fire.
A snake crosses the road right in front of me. Not even pausing to notice me.
The trail starts going uphill gradually again but now I am in a burned section. Leaving the road is forbidden. Two day hikers come up from behind me and start chatting. The women is doing sections of the pct every year with her family and they are skipping this part of the re route so she has come with a friend to do it without them. She gives me a bag of doritos and asks me if I want a ride to idyllwild. I tell her I'm determined to finish and pass them again when they are getting in their car. I wish I was in that car.
My feet are so sore to walk on. I slow and start to hobble. I wish I had taken the ride.
I am now hiking through what looks like an old campground, it was burnt in the fire and hasn't reopened. I'm almost to town.
I step out onto the road and am relieved that I'm in idyllwild. I did it! I'm exhausted. I want my charger, some vodka, my tent and sleep. I want to be done for the day. I walk long roads through residential part of town. The homes are far apart and the roads are much longer than they looked on my map! I am walking a very slow pace and at this point hoping someone takes pity on me and offers me a ride. No one does. I should of stuck out my thumb but instead I just bite my lip and wince the rest of the way.
I get to the town center and walk into the coffee shop for my phone. The trail angel that drove us to the trail is singing and playing guitar. I wait for him to finish and go say hi. He is surprised to see me, he thought it would take us longer, I tell him I'm the last one into town and say my goodbyes.
I head to the liquor store.
I buy a small bottle and head to the campground. Everyone else passes me, they are heading for pizza, I consider it but head to a burger place and get a burger to go.
I set up near everyone I did the re route with and talk to the couple camping next to us. I'm sorry I forgot your names! I dive in my tent and eat and drink then head to bed. The people from next store are headed to town for dinner and offer to bring something back for me but I have a full belly and just want to sleep. So I decline. I meet the most amazing, generous people on this trail!
Everyone comes back but I stay in my tent. I'm exhausted and a bit in a mood. It was a rough day and I feel like the trail won.
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