Soutbound hike on the Pacific Crest Trail 2022, this is part 5, hiking from Kennedy Meadows to the Mexican border. The desert was a stark contrast to some of the most beautiful areas in the Sierra, it felt like everything was trying to scratch, poke or pierce me, and of course … it snowed in the desert!
Itinerary
11.10.2022 - left Kennedy Meadows in the early morning, easy hiking with some long climbs, found a campsite that could only fit us all if we cowboy camped.
12.10 - beautiful hiking all day, hiking on a ridge just before reaching Waker Pass, hitched into Inyokern to resupply, and out again in the evening, slept at the pass
13.10 - Easy hiking and road walked a bit, got Trail Magic
14.10 - Tough day, felt sluggish and couldn’t keep up, got into camp ½ hour later than Stubb’s and Frisbee
15.10 - Up at 04:30 to get into Tehachapi as soon as possible, going slow again today, long decent down to the highway where we got a ride into Tehachapi, went to the Dogs House Bar, where we all got drunk.
16.10 - Resupplied from Walmart, left Tehachapi in the early afternoon.
17.10 - 2500 feet descend over 8 miles, long and easy, then came the Aqueduct with 16 miles flat stretch in the warmest hours of the day, it wasn’t fun, I got butt chafing!
18.10 - Roadwalk all day, boring but it saved us from 32miles with no water
19.10 - Walked thru a small town In Green Valley, Long climb and descend took us into Agua Dulce, my shoes are totally shredded, and got blisters, slept at Vasquez Rocks!
20.10 - Reached Acton KOA in the morning, had a package and new shoes waiting for me, did laundry ect. went to Acton Town to resupply, camped on the other side of the train tracks, it was noisy but i slept like a baby
21.10 - New shoes are awesome! roadwalk - trail - roadwalk, and NO water, only 2 spigots during the day
22.10 - Hiked up and over Mt. Baden Powell, super windy but I enjoyed being on trail again, hitched into Wrightwood, got awesome trail magic (in town) and found a room at a Trail Angel
23.10 - Resupplied and went to the bar, got tipsy! Hiked out in the afternoon and got to Cajon Pass and had a room for the night
24.10 - Went to the McDonald’s for breakfast, it was so bad! Hiked alone most of the day, Hiking into Deep Creek was super awesome and beautiful
25.10 - Long long ascend up they Deep Creek, and then continued to ascend along Holcomb Creek, then hiked down into Big Bear Lake where we stealth camped
26.10 - Up early and walked to Big Bear city to resupply and get breakfast at Starbucks, then lunch at a small Mexican diner, then roadwalked to Onyx Summit, where we jumped on the trail again, slept in Coon Creek Cabin
27.10 - 25 miles down today, it doesn’t seem too bad, but mix in a very stony trail and my feet were fucked after 28 miles, we were all struggling! saw SpaceX launch, got a hitch to Cabazon, where we met Tapeworm, a friend of Stubb’s and Frisbee, had burgers and beer, drove back to trail and slept right next to the highway and train tracks. Longest day on trail = 36miles
28.10 - Everything hurt! Especially the feet, but we got up! Although later than usual, 20 miles climbing up San Jacinto to the next water! Fuller Ridge in the evening light was stunning, camped at strawberry junction
29.10 & 30.10 - Relaxing in Idyllwild, friends came to visit and we had a good night out.
31.10 - Hiking out of Idyllwild with a hangover, took the road all the way to Paradise Valley Cafe and where the trail crosses the highway, Tapeworm took us to Anza, where we got the best Mexican food ever, cool to see the town out for Halloween
1.11 - Nice day with easy miles, made camp off-trail near Warner springs, it started to rain during the night
2.11 - Damp morning, rain on and off, had a break at the Gas Station in Warner Springs, back on trail, raining, windy and cold as we got to Eagle Rock, road walked to Scissors Crossing and then got a hitch to Julian with a nice lady, very cold in Julian, slept at a Trail Angel’s place, could hear the rain all night.
3.11 - It was hailing in the morning, had breakfast in Julian, and slices of the famous pie’s, hitched back to trail, got motion sickness, but didn’t puke 🤮 Went over Granite Mountain while feeling sick, but I got better and better, went down on a red line to a trailhead and water, slept in a pit-toilet, snow everywhere, very cold and windy outside
4.11 - Stopped in Mt. Laguna for hot coffee and breakfast, then hiked down the mountain in the melting snow, Went all the way to Lake Morena, and the Oak Shores Malt Shop, Slept in the gazebo at the campground
5.11 - Watched the sunrise from a mountain top, easy hiking until Hauser Creek, easy again on the other side, struggling mentally, sagging behind, ran out of water! Met up again around the 1. Mile marker, went to the small general store, and then up to the Mexican border to celebrate, very emotional.
Got a ride to San Diego where my wife would fly in the next evening.