Mile 362.1 to Mile 369.3 and Wrightwood

I woke up before the sun... I sat in my tent really glad that we got the entire climb done yesterday and today would be a super relaxing 8 miles of hiking ... I texted Charlie that I was going to be at my pickup spot a day early... and he said he would be able to pick me up in the afternoon.

I watched an amazing sunrise from above the clouds... and Nathan and Jenny and Eric began to stir. I really enjoyed catching up with Jenny and Eric in the morning... they are a young couple hiking together from Santa Cruz and are just two people that exude a happy, laid back aura that is contagious - an aura that stuck with me all day hiking today...

They were heading down a side trail to the town of Wrightwood called the Acorn Trail for a zero, so were only hiking 1.7 PCT miles today... Nathan had to wait for his dad, who had camped at our intended spot 5.5 miles back... and they were also heading into town for a hotel down the Acorn Trail. I wanted to get some more trail miles in since Charlie couldn’t come get me until late afternoon and I knew I was taking at least three zeros at home (1- I was a day early, 2-vaccine day, 3-I wanted to wait 24 hours after vaccine before getting back on trail in case of side effects).... so my goal for the day was 8 miles up at the hwy 2 crossing, where I planned to hitch into Wrightwood and wait for Charlie. Guthooks (our trail app) said it was an easy hitch to town from there.... Nathan and I have come to regularly say Guthooks lies on trail... mainly in terms of elevation... looks all downhill today we say in the morning... first uphill of that day... one of us will say Guthooks lies.... you can order pizza delivery... Guthooks lies... it’s an ongoing joke because the app really is super helpful.... but on this day and the easy hitch... I will come to find out once again... guthooks lies...;)

Jenny, Eric and I realized as they were setting off that we three had been on trail for a month! We spent a minute celebrating that fact and they set off. I was shortly behind and even though I was tempted to follow them down the side trail.... I was really happy that I didn’t.

It was a beautiful morning of hiking... mostly above the clouds... amazing views... cool breeze.... slow pace... just incredibly peaceful and it provided for some really good time to reflect on things. The entire 8 miles was quite amazing in terms of hiking and self talk. The real world was moving forward though...

About mid morning, I looked at my phone and saw a text from the California Dept of Health... the J&J vaccine was being put on pause.... crud... should I even go home now I thought? I didn’t have a strong enough signal to get a phone call through for some reason, but was able to do some delayed texting... I asked Charlie to see if he could call and find out what options I had and whether I should just keep going....

I kept walking and while waiting for a signal... I decided even if it had to be a two shot vaccine I should go ahead and go home and get it, if possible... and this was probably the last time I would be able to go home for a while... I was getting out of the radius for round trip pickups by Charlie... with about two miles to go my phone must of blinked in to some service because I had a text from Charlie saying I could get the moderna shot the next morning at 9.... I told him I would take it and see him at 4 in Wrightwood...

I got to the hwy... the easy hitch spot... and waited for cars to pass... and waited... an hour passed and not a single car hard driven by... one motorcyclist has stopped and said he would have given me a ride, but didn’t have an extra helmet.... no worries I said... there was a number of a guy named Murphy who gave rides in Guthooks... as he drove off... I grabbed my phone and decided to try Murphy... and that is when I noticed I didn’t have a signal... uhoh.... I tried walking up and down the road a bit but nothing....

Twinkle Toes, the only other hiker I had passed that day (well she is super fast and passed me... but apparently at some point took a lunch break hidden and I had passed her)... came skipping down the trail... and even though she was hiking on... stopped to see why I hadn’t headed to town yet.... hearing my dilemma, she tried her phone, which was TMobile and she had some bars... (verizon needs to get with it).... she tried Murphy - no answer... she tried uber... no luck.... not wanting to hold her up... I said thanks for trying ... surely someone will drive by at some point - or I can satellite message Charlie to just pick me up here....as she was walking away... I remembered someone saying the hardware store in Wrightwood was super hiker friendly... I ran after her and asked her to try calling them... we got through and Mark, who answered the phone, had trail angel, Carol on her way to come get me.

I profusely thanked Twinkle for her help and Carol, trail angel extraordinarie was there within minutes... she also maintains the water cache at inspiration point and works at the ski resort i had passed by on trail earlier... she immediately began talking about how she normally picks hikers up in her pickup, but that her clutch was going out in that... she talked about it the five minute drive back to town.... as I was getting out of the car... she turns to me and says... wait I was talking about my car problems the whole time and didn’t get your trail name... when I said actually it’s clutch... she busted out laughing...;)

I went into the hardware store and thanked Mark for his help... where he presented me with a PCT pin that they give hikers.... and directed me to the Grizzly Cafe for some lunch. The cafe was quaint and the service extremely kind... the salt and pepper shaker holder kept me smiling as I ate....

I ventured over to a shady spot after lunch to wait for Charlie... Judy walked by and said she was getting off trail for good and flying home tomorrow.... I felt bad for her as she seemed disappointed to have come so far and have to give up....we exchanged numbers and I told her if she tries again next year to call me for any needs in Southern California....

By evening... I was home again.... trying to figure out how to possibly get back in 4 weeks for my second shot, since Charlie would then be in Georgia for Connor’s college graduation - (thanks to my friend Toni Momberger for offering to help out with our dilemma)....