13 — San Jacinto Wilderness

Miles 151.8 Idylwild–159.7 San Jacinto (7.9 miles)

—

Rose: feeling clean & starting fresh Thorn: heavy pack Bud: the lighter quilt I had Casey mail to Big Bear Lake and the other swaps I will do which will save me ~2 pounds

—

It was bittersweet leaving Idylwild. We were all ready to get back on trail, but leaving the comfort of shelter from the elements, non-sweaty clothes, diverse food options, and comfy beds was hard. In addition, we had to leave Lucy behind due to injury. She consulted the physiotherapist via video call about the pain in her knees and Achilles; she was advised to skip Mt San Jacinto, so Lucy is going to buy new shoes and meet up with us in Cabazon in 4–5 days.

We met the trail angel Grumpy in front of the gear shop Nomad Adventures at 9:15am. He was so chatty. I tuned out pretty instantly while the others picked up the conversation. We reflected on Grumpy’s stream of consciousness for the rest of the day.

We were on trail by 10am. Our packs feel so heavy today with four liters of water and 4–5 days of food. All my joints feel the additional load. The next 5 days will involve a lot of elevation and long water carries. Though, as ever, I find the grading of the PCT very nice. So far nothing has compared to the endless switchbacks and elevation gain/loss of the Wonderland Trail, Timberline, Windrivers, or Tetons. I’m sure we’ll get there, though, especially when we get to Washington State.

We siestaed early and a little unnecessarily; It wasn’t too hot, and we had only covered four miles. The group wanted to ease back into it though, and I have to admit, the pack weight and sweatiness were more tolerable after our shady siesta.

Near camp I came across two very eager botanists who were examining a newly identified species of manzanita. We talked about citizen science for a few minutes before I hiked on to camp. They stopped by our camp later for a quick chat.

We only covered eight miles today. Tomorrow is nearly 17 miles through a burn from 5–6 years ago. There’s reported to be a lot of blow downs, widow makers, and poodle bush (which can cause a topical allergic reaction). The water will also be heinous: 14 miles if we only stop at one, all 1–2 miles round trip and 500’ elevation loss to get to. We’re planning an early morning not for the heat but for the logistics.