California
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Hitchhiking 50 miles for a sandwich and the end of the desert!
Tehatchapi to ~Kennedy Meadows. Mile 566 – 705. Days 27 – 32. Past Tehachapi, the trail feels like the desert, with rolling hills covered in Joshua trees and long dry sections where hikers must carry lots of heavy water. As… Continue reading
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Tons of Trail Magic and Trekking from Toilet to Toilet
Wrightwood – ~Agua Dulce. Mile 374 -465. Days 19 – 22. After Wrightwood, the trail climbs steeply up to the 9,000+ foot summit of Mt. Baden Powell. From there, the trail works through pine forested ridges in the San Gabriel… Continue reading
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Hiking for hot springs and hamburgers
Big Bear – Wrightwood. Mile 266 – 363. Days 15 – 18. After Big Bear, the trail gradually descends from the San Gorgonio Range. As the trail makes its way out of the mountains, it follows Deep Creek, home of… Continue reading
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All the Extremes on the PCT: high to low, cold to hot, cruising to rockhopping
Idyllwild – Big Bear. Mile 179 – 266. Days 10 – 14. After Saddle Junction, the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) continues cresting the dramatic spine of the San Jacinto range, then descends ~7,000 feet to Interstate Highway 10 near Cabazon.… Continue reading
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6-hour lunch breaks and going up into the mountains
Warner Springs – Idyllwild. Miles 109 – 179. Days 6 – 9. The trail between Warner Springs and Idyllwild gradually gains elevation. It climbs out of the chaparral to larger mountains with pine forests, gaining 5,000 feet of elevation over… Continue reading
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Lessons learned on my first hot days and reaching mile 100!
Mount Laguna – ~Warner Springs. Mile 41 – 109. Days 3 – 5. The section of the PCT between Mount Laguna and Warner Springs features long walks across treeless chaparral ridges. It is breathtakingly beautiful on a cool day but… Continue reading
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Day 2: Easy walking and my first resupply stop on the PCT
~Lake Morena – Mount Laguna. Mile 22 – 41. Day 2. I camped with a few other Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hikers last night. It was a bit chilly overnight but I kept warm enough. This morning, I stayed in… Continue reading
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My exciting plans for 2025
This week, I have an exciting announcement to share: I’m planning to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail this year! I’ve been dying to share my plans but held off while I waited to get my permit figured out. Now with… Continue reading
Adventures with Val 