On my thirteenth day on the PCT, I hiked ten miles from my camp above Lost Valley to the saddle on the east side of Combs Peak, which was the highest point on this short forty mile section of trail between Highway 79 and 74.
From PCT mile 120.9 to 129.2 Total: 8.3 miles 4/12
I woke up at first light, as I was in no rush. I was still on a short hiking schedule to give my blisters time to heal. Plus, there was no need to hurry because just beyond Highway 74 was San Jacinto Peak, and there were still tons of unmelted snow up there, mainly above 7000 feet elevation. Most thru-hikers were taking an alternate route to Idyllwild, then flipping ahead to various places, with many others getting hours-long rides and flopping south from Walker Pass. These folks were hoping that the snow would melt by the time they reached the SoCal mountains. I doubted that this would work, but it was better than the expense of a motel, or flying back home to Europe or wherever. My plan was to head home in three days, at Highway 74, then flip ahead to Acton. The Sierra would be socked in until late August, so I would reassess things after I made it to Walker Pass, by waiting at home until the SoCal snow melted enough. I was truly lucky to live in San Diego.
As I hiked out, it was obvious that some weather was on the way. There were plenty of clouds in the sky. The high ones were slow and the low ones scudded along. There was a decent breeze, and it was excellent hiking weather at the moment. Tonight would be the true test.
The trail climbed a bit initially, but that was fine by me. After an hour or so I came upon Bubbles, who was up on a high ridge, talking on her phone. I nodded as I walked on by, then found a spot with cell signal and called Vicki. It was lonely out here without her. We had hiked this part before, back in 2015, and I was heading for the same spot on Combs Peak where we stayed last time. She remembered the great views from up there. Then I hiked onward, and left Bubbled in the dust. I never saw David, and that was just as well. I was in the mood to hike, not chat.
All the high clouds made for good photos, and I took far too many of them, as usual. This was good, as the mountains around here weren’t exactly towering majestically, and the chaparral wasn’t particularly desert-like. Just the same, it was a beautiful day, and soon I came into sight of the saddle where the PCT crossed Lost Valley Road.
Just ahead, near the road, was Mike’s Place, a known Hiker Oasis with a dependable water supply. They were super hiker-friendly, and the place tended to become quite the party spot during prime hiking season. I’m not much of a partier, and I already had enough water, so I wasn’t sure whether I would bother to stop by. I’d been there before, after all. As I drew near, I saw a car parked up at the junction just beyond Mike’s Place. They had the rear hatch open and people were hanging out. Interesting. I decided to head there instead, and continued down the trail.
There were some former thru hikers hanging out, dispensing Trail Magic to all. Nice! It was still early in the day, so I put down my backpack and hung out for a while. We had a fun time, talking about what a crazy year 2023 was turning out to be, and what to expect on the trail ahead. A few other hikers stopped by. I drank a soda, but they also had some beer and snacks. Good folks, and the PCT can’t help but breed more of them. It’s all about the experience, and the comradery of the trail, and being a Trail Angel helps you reconnect with that spirit. Good times.
I only had two more miles to hike, and all of it was uphill. It was hot, and I remember how Vicki and I waited at Mike’s place until it got cooler in the afternoon before heading out. But it wasn’t bad this time. There was quite a breeze building, and the hiking was cooler because of it.
Before I knew it, I was up on the saddle. Once again, the views were excellent. San Jacinto Peak was off to the north, and it was obviously coated in snow. I had no desire to experience that icy world, and had no ice axe or Microspikes with me anyway. I’ve done enough camping on top of snow to last me a lifetime. There is a reason that I moved to San Diego, after all.
I wandered around on the saddle for a while. There were several good camping spots up there, and, since I was the first arrival, I got to pick the best one. I wasn’t too worried about company, as Mike’s Place got most of the folks out of Warner Springs. Plus, only a fool would camp up here with a storm brewing. Sad but true. And this fool chose a cozy spot in the lee of some bushes, hoping to block some wind later on.
I was up at 6000 feet elevation, and the air was cool. It got cooler as the afternoon wore on. It was early, so I mostly hung out in the tent with my down jacket on and my legs inside the sleeping bag. I read my book and relaxed. Every so often I got up to check out the views and the weather, because my muscles got stiff from being cooped up inside a small tent. The conditions were getting interesting, as I was at roughly the same elevation as the lower cumulus clouds. Sometimes I was inside a cloud, all cold and clammy, while at other times the sun was shining. The breeze was out of the west, and I was on the east of the mountain, so it came and went, gusting erratically. It promised to be a memorable night.
I had good cell signal up there, so I texted out some pretty pictures to friends and family. I called Vicki another time, to let her know about the weather. We’ve been inside clouds before, so she understood these conditions. I cooked and ate my same-old chicken ramen dinner with added freeze-dried chicken, and I munched on some salty chips. Life was good inside my sturdy tent, and I fell asleep wondering what the morning’s weather would be like.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
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