desert
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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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A 40-miler on the aqua duct and zeroing through a heat wave
Agua Dulce – Tehatchapi. Mile 465 – 566. Day 23 – 26. From Agua Dulce the trail returns to moderate elevations in rolling hills with shrubs and small groves of trees. This is a part of the trail where hikers… 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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Day one on the Pacific Crest Trail!
Campo – ~Lake Morena. Mile 0 – 22. Day 1. It’s official! As of this morning, I am thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Today was the first day of my 2650-mile journey which will take me from the Mexican border… Continue reading
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Practice Trip 2: walking in circles with 15 pounds of water, playing desert make-believe
One of the more daunting aspects of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is the long water carries in the desert. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) begins with ~700 miles through the desert in Southern California. Water is scarce. Sources may… Continue reading
Adventures with Val 