">
Days 11-15
Please DO keep commenting. We see them and we love them! I wish I could just hit “like” so you know we see them. 💕
Day 11
0 // 151.8
We are taking our first zero!!!!
We heard the weather was going to be wet and stormy for the mountains so we were glad to take our zero in Idyllwild now. We stayed with three other people, all of whom hiked farther along the PCT before coming into Idyllwild for their break. They were able to clue us in on the next section.
We did our laundry took showers, rested and talked gear and trails with the others.
We got some good tips from another hiker about how to get enough protein and nutrition in our food, so we have decided to order ourselves some items to be delivered back to Idyllwild on Wednesday. So instead of skipping the spur trails into Idyllwild and hiking past like we intended, we will in fact be returning to Idyllwild on Wednesday.
We created our resupply plan and grocery list and headed into town. It was foggy, wet, and rainy. We ate at the Italian restaurant in town. We had a delicious salad and pizza. Then we went to the outfitters Nomad Ventures. Bob bought a new pair of shoes, foot beds and socks. Then we went to the grocery store and bought a few items for our next stretch.
We’ve had a nice zero day. Clean clothes, showers, water filter back flushed, we should be ready. 👍
Day 12
15.09 // 166.5
I panicked this morning as I realized I lost my prescription sunglasses and my Shokz headphones. I last saw them at Paradise Valley Cafe. I called them as soon as they opened this morning and they did have them!!!! I was SO GRATEFUL! Since we were picking up the trail where we left off, we had arranged to go to PVC this morning anyway. LUCKY LUCKY LUCKY!!!
We had a nice visit this morning with our two hiker house mates over coffee and leftover pizza.
We left around 9:45am, headed to the post office so Bob could mail home his shoes and a couple of other items. We started hiking around 11:15am. It started raining pretty shortly after. We stopped and got out our rain gear. Then within 3 miles, my trekking pole broke. 😖 Bob worked on it for 15 minutes seeing if he could get it to work, but he couldn’t. So we had a slow start. We were hiking in the clouds all day again today. Not much visibility and drizzling. The good thing, it was COOL and not hot and sunny! 😜
We did eventually have a beautiful moment where the clouds parted and we could see the gigantic mountains we were among. It was stunning. It’s surprising to see what we are missing when we are hiking in a cloud.
We only saw two other hikers today. It felt like we had the trail to ourselves. We hiked about 12 miles thinking that is the place we’d stay, but the site there was too small for our tent, so we went in search of the next one. Two miles later we came up with something. There are two other tents somewhere near.
It is cold wet and windy, but we have eaten and are ready to bundle up for bed.
Day 13
10.06 // 176.4
We had a lovely camping spot this morning. Our tent neighbors were gone long before us. We are working on getting faster…. We didn’t leave camp until after 8am. The next 2 1/2 miles where the slowest miles we’ve had on trail so far. It took us over 37 minutes to do each mile. They were up up up!! We are not used to this altitude. The views were great! It was sunny but COOL.
We stopped at a water source. Bob valiantly emptied his pack and took the bottles down the steep trail to the source. It was very difficult and took over an hour to filter 5 liters, then climb back up. He was spent and needed to rest before we could carry on. This is another item we are exploring. Perhaps we should be carrying dirty water and filtering as needed/as we use it, instead of taking up time filtering. Ugh. These efficiency tricks. We see others doing this, and are thinking we need to modify or “normal” backpacking practices into different, more efficient thru-hiking practices.
Once we started hiking again, it was more up up up. We are both disappointed in how slow today to us. We only made ten miles and we were hoping to get 14 to the trail head for San Jacinto so we could hike that tomorrow. Not sure that is in the cards anymore.
Lots of climbing. Lots of traversing steep slopes. Some picture taking and some larger tree obstacles. It all took time.
We stopped to set up camp at 5 PM. The next camp option was 3 miles away, at our rate, 1.5 hrs away. Too long for me.
Day 14
17.35 // 183.5
We broke camp and headed out by 8:30am. I am struggling to eat. Right now morning cold soak oatmeal makes me not want to eat, and that is a problem.
We were hoping we would get farther yesterday so we had a few miles to make up. We hiked less than a mile when we came to a water source. We filtered 2 L total and started hiking again. We had considered hiking the San Jacinto peak, the highest peak in Southern California, but not on the PCT. When it came to the junction, we decided to go ahead and hike it. We started up the peak at 11:30 AM. It took us three hours to hike up and two hours to hike down. Then we came back to the trail and headed north to the Strawberry Junction Camp trail and took Deer Springs trail into Idyllwild, also not PCT miles.
We are back to the house we stayed at Sat/Sun. I am totally exhausted. I have not been eating well. Bob and I are taking a zero tomorrow and hoping to have a package which will have better resupply items.
Bob continues to be a strong hiker through to the end of the day. I run out of juice by the end of the day.
Day 15
0 // 183.5
Zero in Idyllwild.
THAT’S RIGHT. TWO ZEROS IN ONE POST. 🧐
Today we had a nice slow morning (our best kind). We cleaned our gear, made a shopping list and headed in to town. First stop was the post office to see if I succeeded in shipping a package to “General Delivery”. I did not. USPS here no longer has a contract with UPS, so no package at the post office. Another costly rookie mistake.
We shipped our traction devices home (we only needed them yesterday, we’ll have them shipped back to us in the Sierras) along with a cook pot, paper maps, chapters from a guide book, crossword puzzles, all items I am far too tired to touch. Looking to lighten our load by sending home things we don’t need.
We ate at the Red Kettle. I was able to eat a delicious bacon cheeseburger. 😋
While we were sitting there a UPS man delivered to the shop next door. We asked him what happens to a package that is rejected at the post office. He gave us a customer service number to the distribution center for the area. I called that number, spoke directly to a human who tracked down my two boxes, called me back, said they were on a truck in the area and they’d leave them at Idyllwild Inn!!!! I was able to get my packages today!!!!! It seems like a small thing, but those packages are the reason we came back to town and they have healthy supplements to help me with my energy, recovery and caloric intake. WIN WIN WIN!!!
We headed back to Nomad Ventures outfitter, got some backpacker food and supplies, went to the grocery store for more food and dinner tonight, then back to the house for final touches on packing and planning. Back on trail in the morning.
There’s been MANY times I have had low, tired moments. Bob is a patient partner. I’ve called and texted my friends and family, never crying (although that’d be ok), but almost absurdly laughing at my deep discomfort. I am forever grateful for the support Bob and I each have and I appreciate the humans in my life. A sincere and deep thank you to you all.
Happy Trails,
Julie and Bob
@JulieandBobgoforahike
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!
To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.
Comments 13
Hi Julie and Bob! I’m so proud and in awe of you! Julie – give yourself some grace. You are doing something amazing and incredibly challenging. But you are such a strong human inside and out!
Beautiful photos – thank you so much for sharing your experience. You both are so inspiring! Huge hugs and lots of love sending your way!
WOW! Loving that new rockier scenery in and out of the clouds! And that photo of you with the bacon cheeseburger is PRICELESS. LOL! You look soooo happy about it. 🙂 Keep on truckin’! At whatever speed works for you. I love it when you have zero days because you’re taking care of yourselves when you need it. And I can’t believe you got your UPS delivery! That is a total win. There is a package at work we’ve been trying to sort out with UPS here in downtown Mpls and having no luck. You’re out in Idyllwild and did your own physical/manual UPS trekking/tracking and got it! That’s a true victory. Take care!
Julie, I was so relieved to read you got your package! Let us know how you’re handling the eating thing. I get tired of dehydrated backpacking meals after two days. So I can’t imagine the culinary juju you’re having to cook up! Of course, having occasional access to bacon cheeseburgers, pizza and beer must be like heaven! Have you tried protein shakes, like Phil drinks for lunch? They are Instant Breakfast packets, dried milk and protein powder. Hardest part is mixing everything up thoroughly. But it goes down easy and fast.
I used up my best comments on Insta (lol), so here I’ll just say again how amazing you are! Looking forward to more cheeseburger and tiger content. Next time we talk I’ll be more prepared and you can choose your own adventure: (a) hiking puns, (b) regular love and affirmation, (c) tough love, or (d) some of each (obviously it’ll be option a or d; can’t miss those jokes!). LFG!
Juice and Bob, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! This is such an amazing opportunity but also a huge undertaking and YOU ARE DOING IT! I love reading all your posts and find myself checking Insta incessantly for updates. ONE DAY (or one step) AT A TIME! Love you so much and am so proud of you.
Great photos…enjoy yer hike
I’m loving all your updates
That lost post accidentally posted on its own and wouldn’t let me finish! Anyway…. I’m loving all the insta posts and this blog! You two are really out there doing it! The zero days sounds great, too! Take em! 🙂 …. sending all the positive vibes! Looking forward to the next post!
Love Katie T from the home of the pope!
You look so cheerful and hiker-happy in your photos, you couldn’t tell at all that you’re having tired or low moments! Beautiful, love the cloud inversion pics especially, keep on rocking it!
Julie & Bob,
You are amazing. Sending you love & strength.
Happy Mother’s Day to Julie.
Hi Julie and Bob,
I’m really enjoying following your progress! Thank you for sharing the experience with us. You both are doing so well! I was relieved that you were able to locate the stuff you mailed. That’s great! I’ve never done more than several days of backpacking but hope to do more in the future (when I am not working such long hours and when my daughter doesn’t need me so much). It’s good to get the rest days and take the time you need so you can enjoy the journey as much as possible. -Sylvia from Sacramento, CA
Hi, Julie! This is Noel Carlson (Calla’s mom) from way back at TCGIS. This journey is so fun to follow. Way to go, you two! So very impressive.
Hi Julie and Bob! I’ve been enjoying your blog and look forward to every post! I am living vicariously through you and am amazed with your stamina and good humor. Keep going!! You’re both amazing.