We awoke and hit trail by 6AM, there was a decent climb right out of camp but before I knew it I was above the wind farm and on my way into the Whitewater Preserve. We were treated with our first big river of the journey and some great final views of San Jacinto, where we had come from. Eventually the trail made its way down to Mission Creek and the next 12 miles of trail would work its way up the creek from 3,000’ in elevation to the spring at the top near 8,000’.

On the morning of the 24th we finally finished the ascent to Mission Spring at just over 8,000’ of elevation. The desert scrub had changed to pine forest, its was a beautiful treat and I was happy to be back in the good mountains. We would spend the rest of the day collecting friends who were in front of and behind us.

We found Naners again, re-hiking a section with a friend of his and we had a really solid group to camp with that night. The next day we would find ourselves wandering into Big Bear for packages, pizza and resupply. Our friends Ariel and Romeo offered us an awesome place to stay so we enjoyed a pool, showers and terrific company.
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On the 26th we found our way back out to the trail. It was an easy 9 miles to camp and it was a weird feeling going back out. It seemed that our bubble had popped in Big Bear. We were leaving friends behind to zero and other friends had already moved ahead and even more so, others were getting off the trail to head north and skip the Mojave. It was a weird evening thinking about the coming weeks but I was excited to enjoy the mountains before we hit the bad desert heat.

The next morning it was cold but we had a long 26 mile day ahead of us to pass mile 300. It was rolling hills and pine forest for the first half of the day as we finally hit water and the hills began to turn to desert scrub. I could see Mt. Baden-Powell in the distance challenging me to come climb it’s slopes, we’d be there in 3 short days after hitting Cajon Pass, it would be a tough climb but for now I’d enjoy a night in the hills with the sound of Deep Creek running in the canyon below.

The following day we hit the Deep Creek Hot Spring by 9AM and enjoyed a quick soak of the sore muscles. By 11AM we had hit the Mojave River Dam and by noon we were 18 miles into the day enjoying a nice siesta under a tree. We met new friends and ran into our first hiker bailing out from the trail. By 5PM we had covered 26 miles and were hanging out by Silverwood Lake. It was a good day and a nice feeling to be just 15 miles from I-15 at a beautiful spot by water.

I’d wake up early the next day, watch a beautiful sunrise and walk those few miles to the next landmark of my journey north. I’d enjoy McDonald’s, Subway and a bed at the Cajon Pass Inn all while knowing the climb out of Cajon Pass to the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell was ahead of me. All while knowing it would probably be in the top 5, if not the number one, hardest days of the entire PCT for me.

As the cafe closed we found our way back to the trailhead to hike a few more miles for the day. On one side of the highway, south of us, was Anza-Borego State Park, on the other, to the north, was San Bernardino National Forest. I was stoked to be heading up into non-desert mountains. It had taken us 6 days to traverse the length of Anza-Borego and I can safely say it’s somewhere I will probably never return to unless I’m in a car.

We awoke early on the 19th after cowboy camping for the first time. We knew the day was going to be a big uphill slog, but I was excited to be heading up into the alpine for the first time on this trip. We worked our way upward and all the while I could see the pines getting closer as we neared 6,500’ in elevation. The trail crossed through burn zones and the wind was whipping up the western slopes. It was a slow and steady day uphill and the views kept getting better and better. As we neared Idyllwild we found a spot to camp down in the pines sheltered from the wind. The next day would be a “Nero” into Idyllwild and enjoy a much deserved break from hiking.

Idyllwild was a beautiful mountain town with a great PCT support community. People were excited to talk to us, invite us in and give us rides. I drank a lot, ate a lot and had a lot of fun. In the evening we got dinner at the brewery and then enjoyed a little party one of the trail angels who had been following us was throwing. It was a nice break from the monotony of hiking and a welcome moment to absorb what all we had done so far.

Friday morning we left town and headed back up into the mountains with heavy bags full of supplies for the 5 day trip to Big Bear. We covered 11 miles to Fuller Ridge, over beautiful mountain terrain, getting water from our first pristine mountain spring and enjoying some awesome views before the clouds and cold began to envelop us at 8,000’. It would be a cold breezy night.

On Saturday we awoke early to a bitterly cold morning, it was the type where it was hard to get yourself out of bed. Eventually, after a mental war with myself, I got food, packed up and got to walking. The day would be an easy, but grueling one, 19 miles down 5,000’ in elevation to I-10. I never thought I would say this, but I don’t want to go downhill for a few days after that. The thumping, constant dropping and never ending slog were rough on the knees and the head. I put my head down and trudged through. Luckily, I found all the good things at the bottom, water, two trail angles with snacks and my buddy Alex who had taken his Saturday to come out for a visit. It was a good day and set the tone for more days ahead. We had come 200 miles in 12 days on foot, we were crushing our expectations and we were having a hell of a time doing it.

I’ve met dozens of awesome new people. Out of everyone, I think Naners and Cave Man are my favorites, they’ve got great attitudes and are fun to be around. Unfortunately Naners’ goal is to be close to the Washington state line about two weeks ahead of us so we probably won’t get to hang around each other long. You never know though, the trail has a funny way of bringing people together.

This first week on trail has been difficult, not gonna lie. The desert heat kicked my ass, the pace kicked my ass, the weight kicked my ass. What I knew going into this was that all that was somewhat inevitable. When you’re doing a thru-hike you’re trying to get your “trail legs” in the first few weeks. You have to go through aches and pains, you get blisters, you figure out the stuff in your pack you thought you want but really don’t. All these adjustments are you trying to get ready for the greater adventure ahead and you have to take it day by day. This happens to everyone on every backpacking trip, most people just go home after a few days or a week or two so their body dosen’t physically change. When you’re thru-hiking, it’s a whole process.

A month ago I thought the trail would fly by, but now that I’m in it, I realize it’s going to be a long, exciting ride and I better get walking.