The PCT Volume 10: Is Section "D" For "Detours?"

[Brad Young]

The girls and I spent last week back on the PCT. In our spring break effort we finished Section "C" and then just got started on Section "D" before a closed section of trail and weather shut us down. So, this trip we started where we left off. We got some great hiking in, but more closed trails/detours were frustrating and, eventually we stopped a little early hoping that, by Thanksgiving, the detour where we stopped will be reopened.

We went down to Cajon via Sonora Pass, since the drive is so much nicer. On the way we stopped for a few hours of cragging in the Alabama Hills. I led Shark's Fin Arete (with Lone Pine Peak, and, almost, Mount Whitney in the background):





Tricia tried to follow, but, especially with this route, 5.7 isn't 5.7 if you're only 4'7".





Then the girls bouldered and scrambled for a while:







We stayed in a motel in Cajon so we could get an early start the next morning. "Early" in this case means early: we woke up at 4:00 AM. We did this so we could beat what I thought would be serious heat in a climb to over 8,000 feet at Blue Ridge. We started hiking at the very first light of dawn and got a lot of elevation done by the time the sun was on us.

As we transitioned from desert to forest, we saw huge Yuccas in bloom:





Once we got up high enough, with the sun out, there wasn't a lot of purpose to hurrying. So we ate some food and the girls napped:







The fire near this part of the PCT wasn't the worst of last autumn's southern California burns (the worst one was farther west; it was this latter one that caused us to stop hiking for this trip). But it was bad enough:





As with most things in nature, burned land eventually renews: flowers fast, big trees in our grandchildren's lifetimes:







As we got higher and higher, we got onto Blue Ridge, which runs east-west across a good chunk of the San Gabriels. The pine forest was nicer and cooler, and, since it was indeed as hot as I thought it would be, and since I didn't bring quite enough water for three people and two dogs, we used the shade to rest and regroup:





After dropping us off Vicki drove around through Wrightwood to Guffy camp, three miles from our end point for the day. We finished at 8,200 feet with incredible views north to, and past, Victorville almost to Ridgecrest:






Guffy Camp is one of the nicer camps we've ever stayed in. To use a word the PCT guidebook authors are fond of, the camp is extremely "viewful." We could see an almost 180 degree span to the north, and from our tent we could see huge amounts of the San Gabriel range and clear down into the Los Angeles basin.









We finished 13.2 miles and drove 3 miles back to camp by 1:00 P.M. Then the girls napped, and, since we'd started so dam early, we let them watch Phantom of the Opera (courtesy of Apple):







And we just hung out enjoying the views, breathing the mountain air and playing with the dogs:







We had a perfect sunset:





That's it through the first day. Next up, a gravy day of easy hiking and awe inspiring views in all directions.

[skully]

Sweet! That's some good stuff, Brad.

Hmmmm, "viewful", huh? 
Well, I guess ya gotta call them as ya see 'em........

[Brad Young]

Yeah, "viewful." I guess when you've got to describe 200 places with great views in 2650 miles, you start using every different phrase you can think of. It's like that with climbing guidebooks too: How many ways can you describe the climbs that are "classic?"

And our second day's hike was superbly viewful. Blue Ridge runs about 15 miles east-to-west, north of Mount Baldy. The trail was gently up and down, with more down than up. And, since our campsite was 80 feet from the actual PCT, this morning's hike, three miles, was pack-less:





And the views:







In that second shot, we're looking southeast at Mount San Gorgonio and Mount San Jacinto. Vicki hiked the first while with us and then drove back to meet us at camp (the trail and Blue Ridge Road are close and parallel in this three miles):







We had lunch in camp and then continued. I took one shot for the Stroms:





The PCT goes right under the Mountain High West ski resort:





Just before it crosses Highway 2, the view opens up to the northwest. The Tehachapi Mountains come into view for the first time. These are over 150 miles away (measured hiking on the PCT):





We stopped at the Visitor's Center near Highway 2. Vicki actually met us there with food and drinks. A sign there tells us how much we've done. And how much we have yet to do. Katie's face in this shot may be sending me a message?







We finished this day at Vincent Gap, on Highway 2. The next bit of the trail is up Mount Baden-Powell in four miles of switchbacks. But first a diversion since we're already east of Highway 2, that is, out near the northern approaches to Mount Baldy (the Los Angeles County highpoint).

[Brad Young]

The girls and I are also trying to get to the highest point of all 58 California Counties. Since we were so close to the north side of Mount Baldy and we were going to be moving west with the PCT, we decided to go for the summit from the north on our fourth day. This approach is shorter (10 miles round trip) and has less elevation gain than the "normal" way up Baldy from the southeast. But, unbeknownst to me, the route from the north is also class 2 plus, plus. The girls are used to rough terrain though and they did just fine. On the way we summitted two of the other highest peaks in the San Gabriels, Pine Mountain and Dawson Peak:





On top of Dawson Peak we texted Steve (he of the same last name). He (retroactively) granted us permission to be there. Here's the summit of "his" peak:





Then we summitted Baldy (also known as Mount San Antonio):







On the descent we used long ribs of snow to learn to glissade. The girls had a ball. Tricia glissaded mostly sitting down, while Katie mostly glissaded on her feet:





Although only 10 miles, this was a fairly rugged day. Since we were moving camp to the west anyway, we decided to go into town, stay at a lodge, shower and eat out. And then we took the next day for rest and reconnaissance. After that we resumed hiking the PCT. Our third day on the trail started with a four mile, 2600 foot gain set of switchbacks up Mount Baden-Powell, another of the highest peaks in the San Gabriels. But the trail grade is gentle, so it was actually much easier than was Baldy:





The PCT diverges from the Baden-Powell trail 1/10th of a mile from the summit. This seemed silly to us, so we "diverged" ourselves and grabbed the summit. BTW, the point of divergence is the highest point on the PCT between the Mexican border and the Sierra Nevada.









From the summit we returned to the PCT and then continued along a string of peaks, heading first on the left of one, then on the right of another. This continued until we finally descended to Islip Saddle and Highway 2 after 12 miles.





Vicki was, of course, waiting for us:





From Islip we continued another 3.8 miles to get to a good start point for the next day's hike, Eagle's Roost. But this short hike gained and then immediately lost nearly 800 feet of elevation in order to avoid a huge set of cliffs and broken, steep areas (Highway 2 goes through two tunnels here for the same reason). The next day (our last for this trip) brought as far as we could go without detouring for the burned areas and hiking almost 50 miles of "non-PCT" on public roads. It was also the single hardest day on the trail so far for me; not physically hard, but I had to overcome a significant emotional struggle involving "purity."

[Brad Young]

The difficulty I had with the next day's hike started with this sign:





Those of you who know me know that I tend to be fairly pure on issues of "style." There is no doing part of a climbing route and calling it done. And no hangs or falls on a climb either, or you haven't "done" it. Although I didn't know it before we got there, this section of the PCT is the approach trail to Williamson Rock, the well known climbing destination that has been closed now for what, six years? For habitat protection. And, along with Williamson Rock, a 3.8 mile section of the PCT is also closed to all access. So, what is a purist to do? Should I say: "We hiked all the way from Mexico to Canada, oh, except for that 3.8 miles in southern California?"

The answer came from my wife Vicki. Those of you who know me probably know her as well. She's pretty sensible and has a practical view of things. Knowing of my dilemma, she said (essentially): "In 2600 miles of trail there are bound to be issues like this now and then. You've got to hike the trail as it exists when you're hiking it. Right now the trail is along Highway 2 and the side trail. That is the PCT." This made sense. I got over it. We hiked Highway 2, passed through our campground, hit the side trail and then met up with the old PCT. (This had the added advantage that we got to hike in Tevas.)





For obvious reasons dogs weren't invited to hike with us along the highway. Charlotte watched intently as we left:





Arriving back in our campground the (new) PCT passed 25 feet from our campsite:





The rest of the hike was fairly straightforward. We met Vicki at another highway crossing so we hiked with a very light pack.













We finished at Three Points. This is 404.5 miles from the Mexican border. Our hope is that the PCT will be opened at least to the Angeles Forest Highway by the time we go down again at Thanksgiving. If at least this much is opened we'll be able to cut the road hiking/detour by 2/3 and then get back to it in Section "E."





Finally, a bit of PCT humor:

[mynameismud]

Nice trip, unfortunately it seems some of your photos have been censored by flicker.  This did not allow me to live vicariously as much as I would prefer.

How much of the PCT have you done so far?

[Brad Young]

Yep, good call. I just realized why they're censored. I'll fix it, but it'll take a while. Check again in the morning.

[Brad Young]

OK, Mud, that should be fixed. If you're still logged on would you check it for me and post up?

Oh, and we're 404.5 miles by trail from the Mexican border. Out of a total of 2650 miles.

[mungeclimber]

generally, how often is the trail 'hard to find'?

[Brad Young]

It's a great trail, very, very well travelled. For example, each April a few hundred "through-hikers" set out from the south meaning to hike in one season through to Canada. And there are people called "trail angels" who maintain certain parts of the trail. And the Pacific Crest Trail Association does a lot of work too, as do the Forest Service and Park Service and other government organizations. So, almost always the tread is quite good and easy to find.

Most climbers might not be so aware of how popular and well known this trail is. But it is both.

[skully]

Whoa. Ya'll DO get around.
Looks like Flickr still hates your pics, though.
Thanks, though. Looks fabulous out there.
I like your "three points".

[Brad Young]

OK, photos fixed. Lesson learned: Don't screw with the way you download photos to Flickr!

[mynameismud]

My vicariousness is much better.  Thank you.  The ending Sunset picture is a nice touch.

That is a lot of miles. 

I am having a difficult time imagining Trish at close to 5'.

[Brad Young]

Ah, got my 2010 Father's Day coffee mug. Here's the photo from it (the photo also appears in this report, above):