The PCT Volume 9: Signs of the Times

[Brad Young]

We had a fabulous trip, including some great hiking on the PCT. I had thought we might get to a point 10 miles past Interstate 15/Cajon Pass before we hit too much snow to continue. We got within 5 miles of that point before trail conditions and worsening weather made us stop.

Up early on Saturday for the 6 1/2 hour drive and then a day's hiking. Vicki dropped us off at the Bowen Ranch trailhead, a mile and a half by trail above Deep Creek at Deep Creek Hot Springs. She then went to camp where she met her sister (who'd come up for the day) and set up our stuff. We started hiking at 3:15 in the afternoon:





Our "new" pup, Charlotte, has grown a bit since our Thanksgiving trip. So we hiked with two dogs, the consummate veteran and the rookie:





Last time, hiking out, we had a now famous ("family famous") incident with a naked man hiking in to the hot springs while we were hiking out. Well, it seems that this is a common way to hike here. This trip we hadn't even hiked to the canyon rim when we ran into our first naked hiker (this one subtly slipped on shorts as soon as he saw the girls). We ran into one more on the way down. Then, when we arrived at the creek crossing, many of the over 50 people at and around the hot springs were also naked. Oh well, my girls are used to real life and took this in stride as no big deal.

I'd been worried about the creek crossing. Deep Creek is a large water-flow, and I'd played out in my mind how we'd get across to the PCT side of it. Not to worry, the spot's popularity played in our favor. A long rope and a small plastic blow-up raft, combined with friendly and helpful hot spring users gave us an easy way to get the girls across. I was a little too big for the raft, so I waded across chest-deep water with the pack. After depositing the pack I then had to re-cross to get Charlotte. She hadn't yet learned to swim and now all "her" people were across the creek. With her yelping bloody murder and tens of people around, I hustled back over. She wouldn't voluntarily start swimming, so, by the scruff of her neck I grabbed her and got her started. She sure wasn't the smooth, practiced swimmer that Madeleine is (but then neither was Missy when she first learned). But she made it. Here I am most of the way across:





Then we continued down Deep Creek. From the hot springs it was 6.2 miles to a crossing at Highway 173, which in turn would put us only 2 miles from camp at Forks of the Mojave County Park. There was a further crossing of the creek a few miles lower, but the map showed a footbridge there. I was concerned that maybe it had washed out in the heavy winter. Not to worry though, it was built with huge water flows in mind:











Deep Creek and the Mojave River meet about 4 miles south of the town of Hesperia. Two humungous debris dams "protect" the town and other areas downstream. The dams are surprisingly large for two rivers that are sometimes dry and which, combined at Springtime, have the flow of a normal sized river (federal government "overkill?"). The trail continues over the spillway and then across the base of the dams:







Photos from the first day end here, although the adventure certainly didn't. The trail below the dam was somewhat obliterated by high winter water. After several false leads near the end of the dams, we finally located the trail, through brush and then back across the creek. By now the sun was below the horizon. The creek looked deep and was swift and there was no way across but wading. On went the Tevas and I started across. Within two steps I was waist-deep and within two more I was in fast water up to my armpits. And cold too, all this was fresh snow-melt. I made it across and stripped off some clothes. I then returned to the creek and waded back to waist deep water. Now it was the girl's turn. The water was (obviously) over Tricia's head, and I was standing there in ice water with the sun down, freezing. So Katie knew she had to be careful and quick. She moved with "T," 20 feet up-river and told her sister to hold her hand tightly. They took two steps into quickly deepening water, and started getting swept away by the current. What to do? No problem for my brave young ladies - they pushed off from the far shore and started swimming for it. They quickly made my shore where I grabbed them (which wasn't really necessary - they had the situation in hand -  but I wasn't messing around). With the girls across we went quickly over to the pack to strip off icy clothes and put on dry stuff.  But dry clothes can only do so much and we were all still pretty chilly. Meanwhile Madeleine had casually swum across, but Charlotte was again near panic with her people across the creek from her. Not looking forward to more immersion in ice-water I tried to call her across, but she was too unsure to commit. Before re-crossing I tried walking away while calling her. That did it, as brave as her sisters, "Charlie" jumped in and paddled across (again though, an awkward swimmer). With everyone across, but still very cold, we got moving quickly. After only another half a mile we hit Highway 173 where Vic and Aunt Kaaren were waiting. We crossed the highway (to insure overlap with the next day's hike) then jumped into the car, turned the heater up to "high" and drove off to camp. Kaaren had brought dinner out with her, so with a roaring fire we rested and readied for bed. A great day.

Next up: a long, warm day, with our (seemingly mandatory) rattlesnake encounter.

[Brad Young]

We'd checked out Forks of the Mojave County Park at Thanksgiving. It's a nice park and perfectly situated as a place to stay for a few day's hiking on the PCT. But we noticed the trees right away; the place can be windy:





Vicki had made camp among the junipers. Although the campground had a Boy Scout troop and maybe 20 other campers on Saturday night, by Monday we literally had the whole campground to ourselves.

We slept late Sunday. With only a 15 mile hike planned we knew we'd be fine for time:





Then, off to our start point:





The first part of this day's trail ascended a few hundred feet onto the side of a ridge and then did a slow half-circle around the Mojave River Valley, along Highway 173 (and around camp). We crossed a few minor water flows and one significant creek. We encountered a very large rattlesnake on the left of the trail. It rattled as Katie passed it; Tricia, startled, looked right and then leaned toward it, so I screamed "run," which had the desired effect - she hustled out of the way. By the time I could fish out the camera, the old timer (he was quite large) had moved up and under a rock:









By this point we were getting great views of the Angeles National Forest and Mount Baldy, which were still 20 miles away across I-15:





Since I had a cold and was a little low on energy, Katie took a turn hauling the pack:





We saw a Horned Toad, which we always consider a sign of good luck:





About nine miles into the hike we reached the dam which creates Silverwood Lake. The trail then turns onto and goes along the highway for almost a mile (wilderness this is not!):









Vicki met us for lunch. We used the car for shade on the shoulder of the highway:







After lunch we did just under 4 more miles up to and then around Silverwood Lake. Again, a heavily used area. The PCT is on paved roads and bike paths for the last half mile of this section:







The campground has showers. We finished 15.4 miles early enough that the girls used the opportunity to take them (they're also voracious readers and grab their books at every opportunity, even while they're letting their hair dry):







Two days, and we'd hiked 21.5 miles. One more day to I-15 and the end of the PCT's Section "C."

[Brad Young]

Day three started at the offramp on Highway 138. Up Cleghorn Canyon to Little Horsethief Canyon and then down to I-15. Warm hiking. And great signs:











Lunch on the creek was warm and shade free:







One for the Mud's:





The trail down to I-15 has some very, very steep terrain. The trail comes right up to the tops of sections where pure mud drops off almost vertically for 100 feet or more:









This is also definitely not wilderness (Tricia and I are on the tread of the PCT here):





Close to I-15 the trail becomes even less wilderness:





Until finally, at the freeway is a PCT milage sign for the starving through-hiker:





The trail goes under the freeway to start Section "D." We hiked to the start of the culvert to make sure of overlap. And found a unique sign indicating the path of the PCT:







That ended the day with another 13.6 miles done.

[Brad Young]

We had planned to take a rest day Tuesday, drive to the San Diego County high point and then do some reconnaissance of our remaining PCT milage. But the high point was closed (we called ahead), so we did the recon and then a short day's hiking. Under the culvert:





Then another culvert under the railroad tracks and then over more railroad tracks:









Finally into clear terrain and a few more miles to a dirt road stopping point. This day I wore a shirt that a client had given me:





This area of hiking is through what are called the Mormon Rocks. There is huge amount of sandstone here, from slabby to overhanging. The rock itself is softer than Pinns rock, but it is also filled with cobblestones and holes that might allow climbing. I've heard of established routes here, but never found any:





We finished a little lower in elevation than I wanted to, but the sign on the trail across the dirt road from where we stopped indicated that the trail was temporarily closed due to the damage caused by the Station Fire followed by a heavy winter (and we ran into a trail crew there too who'd spent that day and many prior days working on that part of the trail - they asked us not to come back the following day). Also, on our recon we'd seen heavy snow starting at 7,000 feet. About five miles or so from where we stopped we'd hit that elevation and, with it, too much snow for hiking. So we stopped at this point for this trip. The next day, after a leisurely morning we drove off for more recon and, eventually the coast. As we drove past our stopping point the weather was turning to snow. We took the 41 miles of new trail we'd hiked gratefully and kept moving.





We spent the rest of the week off on the coast. Katie is only a high school freshman, but she really wanted to see some university campuses (totally her idea, but, OK). So we toured a few. UCSB was a 30 year visit back in time for me. She loved it (and so did I, although I was a little shocked at how many of the male students were blatantly "checking out" my 14 year old daughter). We also saw Cal Poly SLO and UCSC. Rain kept us from getting the Monterey County High Point and from climbing Friday at Pinns. We visited two sets of friends in La Honda instead and split for home Saturday afternoon.

[Uncle Stinky]

Very Nice looks like you and the girls are having quite a time!!!

[mungeclimber]

despite the warmth, it sounds like it was really productive.

[MUCCI]

Nice!  Taking it down!

I like the river crossing pic, and the horny toad rules!

thanks for the blow by blow.

Mucci

[Brad Young]

In the river crossing pic, as an example, the guy (with long hair) directly behind me is crossing with no clothes on. The hot springs there are large and they have several "tubs," but with that many people it doesn't seem like it would be very pleasant.

We're now 349.9 miles from the Mexican border, which is over 1/8th of the whole trail. We make progress, which is in itself fun. But truly on this one it is the journey that I'm enjoying.

And the warmth was very nice. Especially so in hindsight since it is snowing here right now.

[Brad Young]

And, in case I was too subtle, the sign just before I-15 that says "McDonalds - .4" means just that: there is a McDonalds restaurant less than half a mile up the freeway (we didn't eat there).

[mynameismud]

Cool and thank you for posting.  The hankie is having some good use and some good travels.  Guess we should get you a couple more.