PCT: Final Exam in the Desert

I stepped off the bus with 13 other hikers in the predawn light. We had all ridden the 4:30 am bus out of Tehachipi. We stood silently by the highway until the bus drove away and then in groups and singles hiked toward the trail. Our headlights created funny shapes in the rock walls in front of us. I wondered what the cars saw as they drove under the overpass on state route 58. I enjoyed the cool morning air while I could. A heatwave was forecasted for Southern California for the next three days. This 135 mile stretch to Kennedy Meadows South was the last of the desert section but also had the longest water carries of the trail so far. My pack was loaded with 6 days of food and 3.5 liters of water – it was the heaviest my pack had been on any hike. To top it off this last section began with a 6-mile 2400 ft climb. 

This feels like a sadistic final exam, I said to myself. 

The line of hikers spread out as we hit the climb. We hadn’t done much serious climbing on the trail until around mile 400 after leaving Wrightwood. That day included a 2700 ft climb in 4.5 miles up Mt Baden-Powell.  This next stretch included the most elevation gain and loss yet.

Hikers walking toward daylight

The day grew warmer as I climbed; surprisingly I felt strong and reached the high point with no breaks.  Could I have finally gotten my trail legs??

Don’t jinx it, I told myself. Could be a fluke.

A long, hot 16 miles later I gulped cold water filtered from a piped stream. Lots of hikers were resting in the shade waiting out the heat of the day. I loaded up on water to get to the next source 20 miles away and took off.  The heat was tough but as long as I kept drinking water I seemed to be hiking ok.  After 28 miles I found a campsite near a weather tower – I was almost 600 miles in. 

I laid in my tent and thought of my other long hikes and how they started. Dare I say it but the PCT has had the most pleasant start to a thruhike yet. 

If the AT is a spiteful mean girl, the CDT an indifferent love interest, the PCT is a Mr. Miyagi intent on developing thruhikers with patience and community.

Early trail has bite sized sections with helpful resources 

The first 100 miles of trail has resupply stops every 20-30 miles. You don’t have to carry more than two days of food (depending on your daily mileage) until after Big Bear near mile 266.  If you’re new to thruhiking this helps ease you into daily hiking without overburdening your pack. 

Outfitters are stationed intermittently in the bigger trail towns to help with gear refinement.  Hiker boxes in Julian where Two Foot Adventures operates are full of the detritus of discarded hiker gear that is too old, too heavy or unnecessary. 

Along with the frequent resupply stops and outfitter support the trail route seems to help ease a person into the hike. The trail doesn’t start out aggressively- early it’s a good mix of flat and rolling terrain that eventually starts to get steeper after Wrightwood. This is a function of the geography but by the time you get to Tehachapi you’ve had hiking time on different types of desert terrain.

One super huge caveat- I think early season hikers face more hardship sooner in the hike because of snow and weather. The Apache Peak section near Mt San Jacinto had me stepping very deliberately on the narrow trail and I studiously avoided looking at the very steep, very long drop offs. This must have been nerve wracking with snow.

The desert showdown continued the next day. I hiked early again to get the bulk of miles in before the heat became unbearable. More climbing to start but I was rewarded with a lovely wooded area at the top.

Desert chaparral still lined the trail but so did oak and fir trees.  It didn’t last long and soon I was plunging down to exposed trail and rolling hills again. The heat was tough – I felt scorched in the open desert and wished I had stayed in the shade longer. I was grateful to hit a water cache and the trail angel responsible for the cache was there in person. 

Here’s another reason why this trail seems so welcoming.

The trail angel support network is unparalleled 

The term trail angel refers to a person who helps out hikers in small, but meaningful ways. This could include rides to and from a trailhead or providing trail magic which is usually unscheduled food or drink on trail. PCT trail angels are a whole new level. Each resupply town has its own trail angel facebook page where a hiker can ask for help, advice and even lodging. A lot of the towns in the desert section are a bit far from the trail but  trail angels make them as accessible as towns on the AT.

In Warner Springs trail angel volunteers run the hiker support center out of the community center. There hikers can shower, pail-wash clothes, charge electronics and buy supplies. 

Trail angels also know a lot about what’s happening on trail.  The man at the water cache  told me that trail angels had helped over 100 hikers in the last two days who had asked for assistance because of the excessive heat- a few went to the ER but many just wanted to get off trail.  

I have benefited from these wonderful people as well. I pay attention to the trail angel facebook pages to learn about conditions on trail especially as I get closer to the Sierra. I’ve gotten rides into town from two trail angels.  Sometimes it feels a little like handholding but I’m grateful for the support.

I thanked the gentleman for the water (and a slice of pizza he was trying to get rid of) and continued to my campsite. This time I was in a low valley dotted with Joshua trees. I tucked into a grove after a 26 mile day.

The next day included more climbing over foothills under a blazing sun. More scratchy desert plants swiping at my legs. The defining feature of the trail that day was how sandy it was – like a beach but without the cool umbrellas and and margs.  For every one step I slid back three steps. The tread on my shoes was gone so that didn’t help. 

 The next day the mountains seemed to be larger and jagged and rockier. I  filled up water from two flowing streams. A thunderstorm stayed to the northeast – intermittent clouds and breeze keeping me cooler than I’d been in days. The high Sierras feel closer than ever. My mind cycles through a litany of questions the closer I get to Kennedy Meadows. 

Will Mt Whitney be safe to climb?

Do I remember how to use my ice axe? How much postholing will I do? 

Will I be able to handle the high altitude?

Will I slip on the snow chute near Forester Pass?

I slept that night on a sloped campsite on a saddle. The next morning was chilly but I barely registered the temperature. I hiked quickly eager now to finish the desert. Had one last climb in the desert up to 8000 ft and then the trail wove through a desert meadow with groves of fir trees. 

Found a camp site next to the South Fork Kern River. Soaked my sore legs and feet in the cold water while a gentle breeze blew. The desert was coming to a close. In the coming days I’d be complaining of cold, wet feet after crossing multiple streams and rivers.

I hiked through the Kennedy Meadows early the next morning – the rolling green meadows sparkled with morning dew. Jagged peaks rose behind them. It was like a fairytale and so different from the desert trek. I walked a mile off trail to the Kennedy Meadows General Store where hikers could camp, shower and do laundry. Hikers were already up and arrayed on the patio. As is tradition the hikers cheered me as I walked toward the store. I pumped my arms in the air. I had passed the desert test.