PCT: CA Section C - Highway 10 to Highway 15 (Cajon Pass)
Day 18 - 5/24/25 - Mission Creek
Distance: 12 miles
Weather: sunny, windy, hot
End Location: in a tent down by the river
Lessons Learned: zip up your jacket when making food
Left the white water preserve at 8:30 a.m.
Made it 2 miles to the river crossing at 10 a.m.
Washed off, ate snacks, filled up water - next water in 6 miles
I like listening to Khruangbin in the desert
Thought about their concert in Miami I went to just before leaving
For some reason I developed an Eastern European accent during the concert and these girls asked where I was from
We debated and settled on Estonia
“Ah, that accent, I’d know it anywhere” 😂
Evan finds the third room 🤌
Put on playlist “diner set” a setlist someone wrote in the window above a jukebox at a diner after I went foraging last in Oregon - really amazing deep tracks
Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind” is the first song, perfect for this windy day
Views of Mounts San Gorgino and San Jacinto and the White River
Had lunch at noon, tuna BBQ chips, Skittles, Starburst, and peanut butter crackers
Put on audiobook, finished 1 already, now onto Obama’s “The Promise Land”
I was feeling great and hiked nearly 9 miles in 5 hours but then felt pain in my left arch on descent down to Mission Creek, nothing new but the acuity of it bothered me
I changed my walking motion to compensate and got to the creek and elevated my feet
I think it was just the downhill because my foot felt better but I went 1 mile further and stopped for a break under the shade of a tree
Listening to my body, I took my shoes off and lay down
It felt great listening to the creek sputter and wind whisper and to just relax in the hottest part of the day
Napped until 4 (set alarm)
Hiked for 2 and a half more hours, made it 3 miles, slow going since I was going up a washed out trail, basically a dried river bed, there was a big flood in 2024
Washed off in the river, set up camp, made dinner and tea
Dropped phone in ramen lol
Zip up your jacket when making food (lesson learned…)
Yogi tea bag wisdom:
- Every neighbor can be your teacher (hopefully not an animal visitor)
- Let your need be to help those in need.
Finished ramen, chicken, M&Ms, and Snickers.
Phone seems okay
Brushed my teeth, went to bed.
I didn’t make it very far, but the river rocks were hurting my arches, and I was proud because I didn’t use Mio caffeine for energy in the afternoon.
Good day, scenic views, tedious hike.
Day 19 - 5/25/25 - Washed Out
Woke up at 5 a.m. to an alarm going off, went back to bed until 7 a.m.
Packed up and left at 8 a.m.
“Ordinary Guy” by Toro y Moi was stuck in my head, so I played it.
Hiked through a washed-out river for 4 miles.
It says, “Go straight?” I thought , “It can’t mean that, Michael” 😂
Finally on the trail again, hiked another 3 miles.
Stopped in a shady grove of oak trees for lunch (tuna with chips).
Rolled out my feet with a corkball.
Saw Cody and Rick (a father-son duo that has done a section of the PCT every year).
Started hiking again at 1:15 p.m.
Lots of elevation (~1300ft) after lunch; the goal is to hike 8 more miles to a dirt road tent spot with a nice sunset view (dry camp, so I will carry water from Mission Spring).
The climb whooped my ass.
Made it to Mission Creek Spring and the campground around 3:45 p.m., saw Cody and Rick again, talked about meeting up in Big Bear on Wednesday, exchanged info.
Filled up my water, left at 4:15 p.m.
Carried 5 liters, 16 miles to the next water, 5 miles to camp.
I read some comments on FarOut saying there was a great camp spot at mile 245.5 with a great view of the sunset (I’m a sucker for a good sunset).
The evening hike was tough (incline with a lot of water weight) but amazing, golden views of the valley and peaks, and such an accidentally incredible time to do it.
I started the day at around 4000 ft and ended at 8290, covering 16 miles.
For what might’ve been my first time, I got to camp earlier (6:45 p.m.) than I anticipated (7 p.m.).
Or maybe I’m just getting more realistic with my expectations.
I felt generally dialed - with the hike, my energy, the camp systems, everything 🔒
I had camp set up by 7:15 p.m., grabbed my food bag, and went over to a wonderful spot to watch the sunset.
I boiled some water for ramen with tuna and bedtime tea with collagen.
As I enjoyed my meal, I watched the sunset and tears came to my eyes.
But that might’ve been because of the spiciness of the ramen 😂
Either way, it was beautiful and I felt resoundingly grateful to be out in nature and to have the opportunity to hike the PCT.
The Yogi Tea Bag wisdom said it best:
“The unknown is where all outcomes are possible; enter it with grace.”
Damn… lesson learned… what a serendipitous way to commemorate the day.
Today was easily my favorite day so far. My body felt good, my will felt strong, and my appreciation for the beauty I’m immersed in was immense.
After dinner, I retreated to my tent, tiger-baled and massaged my legs and muscles, turned on my music, and read my book (“What the Dog Saw”).
The life of a Smurf is a blissful one 😌
Being a clear night, I even took a moment to look at the stars before bed, beautiful.
Day 20 - 5/26/25 - to Big Bear
Distance: 21 miles
Weather: sunny, clear
End Location: Big Bear
Lessons Learned: you don’t know you’re capable of until you try.
Woke up at 6 a.m., left at 7:25 a.m.
Very cold in the morning, going to try hiking in my new OR pants; from this point, I’ve just been wearing them to bed.
Made a deposit at Coon Creek Cabin around 8 a.m.
Switched into chubbies because I thought I was chafing; it was just ingrown hairs.
Hiked 11 miles to Arrastre Camp, listening to music in the morning and switching to an audiobook later.
It was a nice hike, with a slight incline and decline, repeating twice, through tall redwood forests, the smell of pine wafting as the sun heated the wood.
After I put down my stuff at a picnic table, I went over to the water faucet… dry.
Hiked another 0.5 miles to a spring up ahead.
Filled up my water and had lunch, tuna and BBQ chips.
Another PCT hiker was there, Kyle; he had a funny conversation about food and camping meals - we’ve both been eating a lot of tuna and ramen.
His group is going 10 miles to Big Bear Hostel tonight, and he invited me to join them; if I can go that far, I might - exchanged info.
The original goal was 8 miles to the campsite and hitch into town in the morning, but laundry and a big complimentary breakfast sound pretty good too.
The junipers and sagebrush reminded me of the high desert terrain near Bend, OR.
Decided I would hike to the junction and hitch into Big Bear - making it a 21-mile day.
You don’t know what you’re capable of until you try (lesson learned).
Pass 10% marked, yahoo!
Saw Bernie setting up camp 1 mile from the road; he’s going into town tomorrow.
Trail magic, grabbed some chips ahoy and Dr Pepper; I saw a day hiker getting into his car at the trailhead, so I ran over hoping for a hitch.
Super cool dude named Grant agreed to give me a ride.
He just moved to Big Bear less than a year ago, training for a big race along the PCT (53k).
Arrived at the hostel, but it seemed dead; no one was there. I texted Kyle and went to the village for dinner.
Went to Fire Burger and Brew, and they did indeed have fire burgers and brews.
Got the “House of the Rising Son Burger” - came with avocado and fried egg - and a blood orange squeeze IPA.
Looked for possible lodging, found a nice spot for $65 with a jacuzzi bathtub.
Kyle texted back; they were at a different hostel and said I could join, but my mind was already set on the jacuzzi.
The lodge was a 1.2-mile walk.
Grabbed a dipped ice cream sandwich with sprinkles and Oreo crumbs for the walk and a rocky road caramel apple for the room.
About halfway, I passed Black Forest Lodge; they had a hot tub, and the rate was similar ($85) but with free breakfast, so I settled for that.
Nice front desk girl with a mutual passion for adventure, Heather, checked me in.
Showered, washed off clothes, and went down to the hot tub.
Relaxed and drank wine.
Watched an old-time movie and went to bed.
Happy Memorial Day 😌
Day 21 - 5/27/25 - Zero Day in Big Bear
Woke up earlier than the alarm, at 7:00 a.m.
Turned on the fireplace to finish drying socks.
Went to the complimentary breakfast at 8 a.m.
Coffee with half a hot cocoa packet, oatmeal with the other half of the hot cocoa packet, 1 banana, 1 bagel with cream cheese, 2 pastries.
Talked with the front desk lady, today it was a girl named Gina, very kind.
Told me some good local spots to check out, gave me a hiker box, and 3 croissants for the road that she was going to toss anyways.
Organized gear, showered again.
Took the bus to the grocery store, a lovely way to see the town.
The golf course and zoo enticed me, but I resisted.
Shopped hungry so bought way too much.
Got gnocchi and pasta packets, mac and cheese and buffalo packets, and a whole lot of chicken and tuna - going to try making some gourmet backpacking meals rather than just relying on ramen and instant potatoes, which I like, just want something different.
Also got honey buns, Twinkies, sour patch kids, summer sausage, cheddar cheese, tortillas, southwest salad, dried parsley, dried basil, and avocados.
Went to Jersey Mike’s after for a sandwich.
Waited for another hiker to give him an extra part of my water filter that he needed but was too cold inside.
Left it on a light post, think he got it😂
Took the bus to the ITH Hostel.
Set up the tent at the campsite underneath the volleyball net.
Hung socks on the net to dry.
While organizing groceries, Hannah walked up.
She had just gotten into town, was spent after her hike.
Gave her an avocado and some honey buns.
I also ate a lot of the extra food, a honey bun, croissant, and a Twinkie.
Took some vitamins.
Grabbed a beer and Gatorade at the gas station.
Sat on the porch and read my Kindle.
Heard someone playing beautiful classical guitar lullabies so followed the music inside.
The music came from an Israeli guy nicknamed “Rattlesnake.”
He had killed a stubborn rattlesnake on day 1 and wore the rattle around his neck.
Frizz, Hannah, and I sat in the living room and chatted while he played.
Frizz is from Battleground, WA, and we talked about Portland and the surrounding area. We also discussed painting - he brought a lightweight watercolor set to paint vistas he saw along the trail and gave the best ones out to people.
Amanda, who runs the hostel, and her friend Dana joined the conversation.
Talks of music, Puscifer, King Gizzard, Tool.
Dana walked outside and played guitar with Rattlesnake.
Dr. Nick, a nice gal from Mexico, Amanda, and I got stuck on the pronunciations and provocations of the word “Tumultuous.”
I went outside when I heard “La Vie En Rosé” being sung in Italian. It reminded me of the Lady Gaga version - “would anyone like some French Toast?”
Dana is an incredible musician and artist.
She painted the same lake in Joshua Tree 20 times to practice painting water.
She sang and played guitar for “Diamonds in Rust,” - which almost brought me to tears - “Blowing in the Wind,” “Tennessee Whiskey,” and a few other amazing renditions.
Also played one of her originals: Highway 62.
Her album is called “Desert Mermaid” and can be found on YouTube.
Mother Hips is her brother’s band. They tour with Phish.
After a while, I got hungry and made gnocchi with red sauce and a chicken packet and cheese, the Southwest Salad with chicken, and guacamole.
The hostel had various spices, and it felt good to actually cook again with a glass of red in my hand.
I had plenty left over, so I invited the rest of the guests to help finish the gnocchi.
I had a Twinkie for dessert.
Then I played pool and chess with Rattlesnake.
I was a good competitor in pool, but he beat me terribly in chess - I blame it on being a little tipsy.
Wished everyone goodnight, brushed my teeth, and went to bed around 10 p.m.
A lovely zero, lovely people, and a terrific first hostel experience.
Back to the trail tomorrow.
Day 22 - 5/28/25 - Cougar Crest to Holcomb Creek
Distance: 17.5 miles
Weather: cloudy, cool
End Location: Holcomb Creek
Lessons Learned: you can still chef it up in the woods
Woke up around 6:30 a.m., just before my alarm.
Caught up on current events, edited blog.
Went into the hostel around 7 a.m., Adrian was making coffee for the house.
Preheated the oven to 350° to reheat the cinnamon rolls bought on sale yesterday at the store.
Sprinkled coconut, cloves, and salt on the rolls found in the cupboards, put the rolls in the oven.
Used the leftover guacamole to make avocado toast and fried two eggs.
After I was done with the eggs, I pulled the cinnamon rolls out and feasted.
I had 2 rolls, the avocado toast with 2 eggs, a banana, an apple, and another cup of coffee.
People started coming in and offered them the rest of the cinnamon rolls (about 4 left).
Hung out with Frizz, Rattlesnake, Hannah, Dr. Nick, and Pachouli.
Talked with Rattlesnake about jazz on the front porch (Bill Withers, Bill Evans, Snarky Puppy) and downloaded some new music for the next section of the hike.
Texted Tiana for a ride (her number was on the board at the hostel) and she picked me and Rattlesnake up around 11 a.m. in her white truck.
She gives rides based on donations and stories because she likes meeting hikers.
As she dropped me off at Cougar Crest, I sent her a Venmo.
“Can I have a hug?” She asked me and Rattlesnake.
“Of course!” I smiled and obliged.
Such a sweet lady 😌
Then she and Rattlesnake drove away towards Highway 18, where he was resuming his trail.
Hiked Cougar’s Crest 2.5 miles, 1000ft elevation in an hour, felt great after my day off.
Saw Cody and Rick again, going down the trail to Big Bear, probably the last time I’d see them, had a nice chat.
Resumed the PCT trail around 12:30.
There are many paths in life, those on the same one as you will appear more often.
Around 2 p.m., I saw a black rattlesnake on the side of the trail, no danger, just beauty.
“There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. There are many people you know a lot, but aren’t very wise” - Ram Dass
Reminded me of knowledge vs. experience.
Does experience lead to wisdom faster?
I saw progress in the maple blossoms since Mt. Laguna, the seasons are shifting.
By 4 p.m., I had hiked 10 miles and took a late lunch break.
I ate some summer sausage and cheddar cheese, a jalapeño tuna burrito with avocado and parsley, a croissant with butter, a Twinkie, and a few apricots.
Just trying to decrease the weight of my food bag 🫡
Food coma, had to lie on a rock for a few minutes.
Start hiking again at 4:45 p.m. Goal was 5 miles to Holcomb Creek and find a tent site with water access.
I ate way too much and felt nauseous during the first part of the hike. I chugged water and felt better.
Hiked 6 miles to the lower (and accessible portion) of Holcomb Creek.
Found a really great tent spot around 7:20 p.m. and set up camp.
Only downside was the mosquitoes. I hid in the tent and set up a sleeping pad while the sun went down.
After it got too cold for most mosquitoes, I went down to the creek for a skinny dip, cleaned myself off, changed into my camp clothes, and felt refreshed.
Then I made dinner, tried out the new Buffalo Mac and Cheese recipe I came up with: Kraft Mac and Cheese, Buffalo Chicken packet, and buffalo ranch dip packet, cheddar cheese, and a butter packet.
Probably the best camp meal I’ve had so far, but was spicy. I scarfed it down.
I guess you can still chef it up in the woods (lesson learned).
Retreated to the tent for tiger balm and Voltaren (found in the hiker box at the hostel) leg massage.
Listened to music (FKJ playlist) and read a new book on my Kindle, “Sometimes a Great Notion” by Ken Kesey.
Went to bed around 10 p.m.
Slept great.
Day 23 - 5/29/25 - Lake Arrowhead and Deep Creek
Distance: 14 miles
Weather: sunny, hot
End Location: Deep Creek
Lessons Learned: if you find a spot you like, enjoy it
Woke up around 6 a.m. with the sun poking in the tent
Packed up, made breakfast and coffee
As I watched the ants gather resources around me, I realized that ants aren’t so different than humans, just smaller but with a similar tenacity
Carpenter bees already in the office
Started hike around 8:15 a.m. wearing the OR pants due to mosquitoes
Felt nice, I like the vent feature on the knee
Around 9 a.m., switched to my Patagonia baggies to preserve the freshness of the pants (and because it was getting hot)
Straight up Donald Duckin’ in the woods🦆😂
Put on sunscreen and my 90s hip-hop playlist, “Whose world is this? The world is yours”
Made it to Deep Creek around 11:30 a.m., went up to Splinters Creek to use the pit toilets, both locked but no one in them… dug a hole.
Went back down to the creek to fill up water and found a beautiful, sunny beach
I filled up water and grabbed the rest of my stuff to have lunch down there (way less mosquitoes somehow)
Went in the creek with my shorts and sun shirt on and washed off - cold and refreshing
I took my shirt off to dry in the sun and tried to even out my tan
When I sat down on a rock, I noticed half a joint preserved in a tube literally right next to my right hand
Now usually I believe that if the universe blatantly gives you something, you take it, but I decided not to smoke it because I would never leave this amazing spot
Ate lunch, tuna with BBQ chips (the usual)
But added mayo, basil, and parsley - made it way tastier
Then ate some sausage but added mustard to each bite
And finished with a Twinkie for dessert but dipped it in orange marmalade
The tastiness of meals is definitely making progress
If you find a spot you like, enjoy it (Lesson learned)
I left around 1 p.m., but seriously, I could’ve stayed here all day.
Hiked 2 miles towards Lake Arrowhead where I have a resupply box waiting for me but got picked up by a nice woman, Hailey, in a RAV4.
She took me to the post office, luckily my package was still there, they were going to send it back to the sender soon.
Went to Lake Arrowhead Pizza across the street and got 2 slices of pizza and a blonde ale.
The waitress told me she’d rather be working on her tan:
She wants to work on her tan
rather than work;
She wants to be on the lake
rather than take
orders at the bar
for pizzas by the slice
Sorted out resupply and sent the rest to Wrightwood, about a week out.
Got it almost immediately outside the post office, funny guy but I forgot his name, took it all the way up Hook Creek.
Probably the most efficient resupply yet.
When we got to the end of the road, another hiker, Skunk, was just walking up and we swapped out.
She only had 30 mins to make it to the post office so the timing was incredible.
Wish me luck had been that good🤣
Started hiking at 4:30 p.m.
Met Skybird, Trail Spice, and Rox.
Saw Ellie, Tasha, and 360 on the way to the Malt Shop.
Resumed the trail at 5:15 p.m.
Hiked 3 miles along Deep Creek.
Thought about animals and humans.
Humans are the only animals that think life can be better after death.
Because of religion?
Why do we need death to be better than life?
The only thing that lives on for certain after death is the memory of that being.
Made it camp around 6 p.m., another hiker, “Cheerleader” was on the other side of Deep Creek.
Looked for a spot on the side I was on to avoid disturbing his privacy, but there were no flat spots.
Crossed the creek and set up camp on the beach.
He went to bed early to wake up early (4:45 a.m.), so we didn’t talk much.
And the mosquitoes were coming out, not great.
Set up camp, jumped in the river with clothes on to wash off, and made dinner.
Tonight I was trying out my new recipe for “Trail Gnocchi,” and my god was it delicious.
Recipe: gnocchi boil with water and lemonade, pasta packet, 4 packets of ketchup (snagged from the pizza place), 2 butter packets, white cheddar, basil, and parsley, and a chicken packet.
I poured some of the boiled water into my Nalgene to make tea (bad idea with the excess starch)
Yogi tea wisdom: “Breathe in peace,
and breathe out blessings to all.”
Read my Kindle and went to bed.
The sound of the creek and crickets lulled me to sleep as a crescent moon shone lightly through my tent.
Day 24 - 5/30/25- Hot Springs and Grass Valley Creek
Distance: 16 miles
Weather: sunny, hot
End Location: Grass Valley Creek
Lessons Learned:
Wake-up call from cheerleader at 5 a.m. - he didn’t realize I was joking the night before 😂
Went back to sleep until 7 a.m.
Packed up, ate breakfast, crossed river at 8:15 a.m.
Talked with Skybird (triple crowner) until 9 a.m., she’s from Portland, has already done trail SOBO
Left at 9:05 a.m., 6 miles to hot springs
“No vehicles”
“But I’m a machine?” 🤔
Butterflies and hummingbirds
Stomach felt a little weird, think I put too much coffee powder in my morning brew
Pretty hot out, put on my desert hat, wish the wake-up call would’ve stuck🤣
10 a.m. breeze started blowing, thank god
All life is sacred, to think any form is more important is wrong
Except for mosquitoes…
Threw on Kill Tony Podcast I downloaded in town, with Antonio Brown
Took a break to eat granola, Austrian hiker “Doc” / Uilie passed me, cute gal with orange hair
“Tyler Perry got rights to Schindler’s List, black and white, now just black” 🤣
Made it to Hot Springs at 12:30 p.m.
It was a beautiful oasis, Deep Creek intersected with natural hot springs flowing out of the rock walls surrounding it
When I got there I made lunch, tuna burrito with BBQ chips with mayo and parsley, a bag of sour patch kids and some banana chips with nuts
After lunch, I took my vitamins and went swimming
Although clothing was optional, I jumped in with my shirt and shorts on to clean them off
Pretty quickly, I took my shirt off and rang it out but kept my shorts on
It was a hot day, almost 95°, so I rotated between the hot springs and cold creek, putting on sunscreen so I wouldn’t fry.
There was even a slack line set up there
But I didn’t go on it to reduce the risk of injury.
I jumped off an adjacent rock where I knew the water was deep enough and floated around in the water, pleased to have relief from the hot temps.
Ellie, 360, and Tasha all arrived and joined me in the cold water.
I probably did 5 cycles between hot and cold pools and even cleaned up some trash floating in the creek.
Finally, I took a dip in the cold water.
Once the sun dried my shorts sufficiently, I started hiking again.
Leaving at 3:20 p.m., my goal was to hike 10 more miles to Grass Valley Creek, or for as long as light would allow.
By 5:30 p.m., I had made it to 6 miles to Mojave River Forks Dam at 5:30 p.m.
Dam!
At the river crossing, I filled up 2 L of water, enough to dry camp if I needed to
Saw 360 and Ellie.
Ellie accidentally stepped right into the creek.🤣
I left the creek crossing at 6 p.m.
With a beautiful golden hour, I put on my sentimental country playlist (Chris Stapleton, JJ Grey and Mofro, Marcus King Band) and hiked as fast as I could.
The elevation gain crippled my breathing and rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey”, but reminded me of my lacrosse days. Our coach made us sing Free Bird (even the guitar solo) while we ran laps around the field for conditioning.
Maybe this would help condition me for the Sierra Nevada 😂
“The Sun is Shining Down” by JJ Grey and Mofro came on and really put me in my feels.
What am I running from?
What am I trying to find?
What memory do I want to leave behind for the world to remember?
I pondered these questions…
Then I got hungry and thought of new recipe ideas I could try out:
Thanksgiving Dinner
Stuffing Mix Packet
Chicken packet
Gravy packet
Dried green beans / green bean chips
And dried Cara berries
Trail Sushi
(would have to be 1st night meal)
Tuna packet or salmon packet
Mix it with mayo and sriracha
Sushi rice
Avocado
Cucumber
Soybeans (might just do instead of cucumber)
Seaweed sheets (might get crushed)
Soy sauce packets
Wasabi packet
Bamboo rolling sheet (might just be nice as a plate)
Might be best just to make it poke style…
Easter Ham / Ham Sliders
Spam packet or pulled pork packet
Au gratin potatoes or mashed potatoes
Hawaiian rolls
BBQ sauce packet / mayo packet
I hiked as the sun set behind the Mojave desert and made it to Grass Valley Creek around 8 p.m.
There was just enough light out to set up camp without a headlamp.
Ellie pulled up to camp and set up.
I changed into my camp outfit and made Buffalo Mac and Cheese.
Unfortunately, I used too much water this time and it was more of a soup, but chowed it down anyways (note to self).
The rest of Ellie’s group settled for an earlier site.
I retreated to my tent and read some of my book and heard some animals roaming around outside, likely just a gopher or ground squirrel, but still slightly concerning.
I went to bed around 10 p.m.
Day 25 - 5/31/25 - Silverwood Lake and Pizza
Distance: 17 miles
Weather: sunny, hot
End Location: dry creek at mile 335
Lessons Learned:
Slept great despite animals scurrying around.
Woke up at 6 a.m.
Breakfast: honeybun and protein bar.
Started the day with a wet T-shirt contest with myself.
I won.
Harvested some lamb’s ear for emergency TP.
Left at 7:45 a.m.
Champagne Supernova stuck in my head, so I played it, fire.
Stuck with the theme and played my Oasis playlist (Oasis, Kooks, Arctic Monkeys).
Saw a lot of wildlife: horned lizards, a baby rattlesnake in a really bad spot on the trail, looked like he might’ve been stepped on - moved him out of the way.
Stopped for a break around 9:15 a.m.
Rooster crowing on a nearby farm.
Took a break under a bridge beneath the levy at 10:15 a.m.
Heard boat and jet ski motors enjoying their Saturday.
Put on a desert hat, 4.3 more miles to Cleghorn Picnic Area where I plan on having lunch, possible pizza delivery.
A group of motorcycles passed by as I walked next to the road.
I imagined today would be a nice day for riding.
Broke through the hills around 11 a.m. and saw the beautiful sight of a windy Silverwood Lake.
Got to Cleghorn Picnic Area at 12:15 p.m.
Devoured lunch, filled up my water bottle.
Took vitamins.
Ellie walked up, we talked about how hot the last section was.
I told her I saw comments that they deliver pizza here.
We agreed to call in a delivery.
At 1:30 p.m., we ordered an XL Hawaiian pizza, a 2-liter of coke, and 2 beers.
They said it would take an hour and a half.
Went into the water and just hung out while we waited.
At 3pm I got a call from the delivery driver.
Took some figuring out, but finally got him to come down to the boat ramp at Silverwood Rec Area.
Devoured pizza and sipped beer.
360 pulled up just in time and took a load off.
Hung out a bit longer and left the park at 4:30 p.m.
Hiked until sunset, covered 7.5 miles.
Saw some familiar hikers at a campsite: Ullie, Matt, Skunk, and Danny.
Said there were plenty of spots, so I set up.
The guys all had tents, but the girls were more badass than us, and we were just cowboy camping😂
Made ramen since dry camping, ate with Skunk and Ullie while they got ready for bed.
Ullie also brought her Kindle, reading a German romance novel.
Went to bed around 9:15 p.m.
Windy, tent flapping woke me up a bit.
Day 26 - 06/01/25 - Cajon’s Pass and McDonald’s
Distance: 7 miles
Weather: cloudy and windy
End Location: McDonald’s
Lessons Learned: McGriddles are always amazing
Woke up around 5:30 a.m. from the
shuffling of other campers and a barrage of bird noises.
Had breakfast with Danny.
Everyone else left before 6 a.m.
Listened to a Mk.Gee song that was stuck in his head. Lovely.
Danny’s from SLC. He used to produce music. I really like Mk.Gee.
He left, and I went and used the Lambs Ear. It was amazing. Honestly, better than TP.
Left at 6:45 a.m., 6.5 miles to McDonald’s.
Earliest start in a while.
Happy June!
Cloudy weather with wind. It was a lovely start to the day.
Actually, the wind is a little too strong. It almost blew me over on the ridgeline.
Train horns and power lines.
Music energizes the soul.
Can hear the electricity travel across the lines as I passed by them.
Ironically, the band Electric Guest came on as I passed under the power lines.
Listened to Kill Tony, then Jordan Jesse Go (didn’t love it).
8:30 a.m., break, granola, and put on a windbreaker.
Put on a philosophy podcast about Chaim’s take on Kafka.
Chamu, Chlament, judge penitentiary strategy, self-deprecating to judge others.
Compassion is the only real answer.
Chlamant is not as good as he really believes.
Kafka’s “The Trial” takes on modern politics controlling the individual lives of society.
Passed a group of Asian hikers.
“PCT walker? What day?” The one with a camera asked me.
“Yes, day 25!”
I smiled as he took my picture.
Kafka’s hope in a strange form:
“Don’t worry, there’s hope out there, just not for us.”
A glimmer of hope is enough.
Or
Hope traps us in an infinite search for grace.
Adorno’s take on Kafka, a literal take:
The soothing facade of repressive reason.
Using rationale to overcoordinate people’s lives to where they feel alienated (flurry of laws).
Too many rules, own Kafka novels of our own creations.
Social media, diets, etc.
Why do we feel the need to make rules for ourselves?
Saw Matt at the intersection for McDonald’s, leaving.
Arrived at McDonald’s at 9:30 a.m.
Ordered a McGriddle meal with a chocolate shake and hash browns, 2 Chicken Biscuits, and an iced caramel latte.
Filled up my water and scavenged some jam packets for the road.
Chowed down on the food.
Posted blog, end of Section C.
Plan is to hike 10 more miles and go into Wrightwood tomorrow for a near-o.
See ya at the end of section D 👋🏼😁
