During my ninth day on the PCT I hiked another ten miles through the San Felipe Hills, within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
From PCT mile 86.6 to 96.5 Total: 9.9 miles 4/8
I woke up at first light and began getting ready. My tent had stayed dry in the night, thanks to the desert’s low humidity air, and it wasn’t particularly cold or windy. I cooked up some oatmeal and also drank a batch of protein powder mix, which I drank more as a necessity than as a treat, as it always came out lumpy. Maybe I need to improve my mixing technique.
I got my gear together and started hiking. My blisters were mostly healed by now, but I was still sticking to my self-imposed ten mile per day limit. That meant an easy day of hiking on a very cruisey trail. I knew what to expect as Vicki and I hiked it ten years earlier, back in the Spring of 2013. The trail ascends and descends very gradually in this mountain range, making it easy to hike.
It was obvious along the way that 2023 was a great year for rain in California. There were wildflowers all along the trail, and the hills had a general tinge of green rather than a dried-up brown. Except when they were blue or yellow due to profuse blooms of flowers. This is the best time to visit the desert.
Two hours later, I arrived at the fabled Third Gate Water Cache, which was the only way for normal newbie PCT hikers to survive this waterless 24 mile long section of trail through the San Felipe Hills. I took the next photo on purpose, because it is the same view as you see on the PCT Water Report website. I love this sign, in all its homey handmade simplicity.
Back in 2013, the water jugs of the cache were much closer to the trail than they are now. Back then, I had heard that they were delivered by horseback, but not any more. There were simply too many hikers now! I headed down the trail and discovered several pallets of water jugs! The Trail Angels who supply the water asked that hikers only take three liters, and I complied. I still had extra water from yesterday, so it was all good. I left a donation to help offset the cost of the brand-new jugs. Many other caches on the trail use tap or well water and reuse the water bottles, but this one cost real money. And I was very thankful for it on my ten-mile-per-day regimen.
After that, I only had six more miles to go. Or so I hoped. The Far Out Guides phone mapping app is currently the go-to source for all things PCT, and it claimed that there was a campsite at mile 96.5 with room for several tents. I certainly hoped so.
Meanwhile, the hiking continued. At first the trail stayed along the western side of the hills, with a fine view down into the San Felipe Valley. Cars and trucks with campers and ATV’s in tow were busy moving along on Highway S-2 but from up here they weren’t loud at all. Across the valley was Volcan Mountain, which Vicki and I dayhiked back in 2017 from the Julian (west) side. I remember looking east to the San Felipe Hills, trying to find our camping spot near the water cache.
Eventually, however, the PCT climbed up and over the long north-south ridge of the hills and traversed along the eastern slope. This time, the town of Ranchita came into view, where Highway s-22 made its way east to the desert town of Borrego Springs.
Before I knew it, the campsite drew near. i kept my phone and map ready because the user-comments mentioned that the flat spots were up above the trail, and I didn’t want to miss it. And I didn’t. I set up my tent next to some low chaparral bushes to get some afternoon shade, just like I did yesterday.
A few minutes later, Nicole and David arrived. I had met Nicole yesterday when she camped in the same general area as I did. She seemed to know David from earlier on the trail. I welcomed them to my humble abode, and they found two (slightly less) decent spots nearby. We hung out in the late afternoon and talked about the trail. Nicole and I compared Blister Stories. Hers were much more dramatic than mine, and it was apparently an Ongoing Saga. She took off her hiking shoes and socks to reveal feet that were largely covered in tape! She had blisters on top of blisters. I have a feeling that every step was an agony for her. Plus, she was getting worried that some of them might be infected. Oh boy. Damaged feet were a prime reason for people quitting their Thru Hikes. I told her that she might want to rest for a few days, and maybe try out a different brand or size of shoe. She didn’t want to hear this, of course. Meanwhile, she said that someone tried to give her a new trail name: Blister Girl. She was not amused.
I had already decided on my own new trail name: Bigfoot. I got tired of Long John Silver, which Vicki gave me years ago. It was too much of a mouthful, even though I was long, and tall, and my hair was silver. “Bigfoot” was actually an older trail name, from the 90’s when my sons were in Boy Scouts. I used to take all the photos on camping trips (with a film camera) and, therefore, was never present in any photos. One of the other adults finally brought a camera on a camping trip, and when he showed up at the next troop meeting he pulled out a photo of me and exclaimed to everyone “Look! A Bigfoot Sighting!” And thus my trail name was born. Thank goodness it had nothing to do with blisters. Or hairy dudes with gigantic feet.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
<< Back to Day 8 Onward to Day 10 >> 
hikingtales.com 