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Click "Play" below to listen to the Day 8 audio journal.
June 1, 2015
Day: 8 Daily Miles: 44.25 Total Miles: 372.5 Hours Hiking: 16.3
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| Hiking down to Cajon Pass along a scenic cliff. |
June 1st, I made it 44.25 miles to point 0431080 E 3804754 N UTM. Looking at the GPS here, its kind of disheartening as this is of course day 9 when I'm recording this, the next day, and from my current spot [literally where I am walking], which I have hiked about 32 miles today to get to, where I spent the night on day 8, is only 13 miles away....lets just say the trail is not, very...ummm....straightforward.. (laughs disparagingly) ... and I've had lots of hills (holding back the fury of dumb trail placement!!!)... Anywho, so yeah, the first day of June...I woke up at the Cleghorn Picnic area, next to Silverwood Lake and it was a pretty nice sleep, I slept at the picnic area, obviously, underneath the oak trees on some really good leaves and stuff...I got up a little early, left at about 5:14 am...it's a resupply day and I had 13 miles to get to Cajon Pass, which was actually fairly easy. The sun was not hot, there was a breeze, a little fog in the distance...the hills are pretty east. I met 3 other people on the way, one girl was hiking pretty quick, obviously, she wanted to get to town too, so it took a while to catch her, then she wasn't very far behind me as we arrived. I went straight up to the Best Western, stopped by Del Taco first, getting a few tacos because they server their regular menu all day long.
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| Nearing the top of the BIG climb passed Cajon Pass, near Guffy campground. |
I got my package at the Best Western, it was really easy, they are really friendly, the guy covering the front desk, he was really nice, saying "do you need anything, yeah just take over a table, whatever, you can have left over breakfast, you can have whatever is still out"... he was just generally nice....that was good [breakfast]. I was talking to him and there were a couple other hikers making arrangements while eating breakfast....I was just talking about the speed hike and blah blah blah, while packing up everything, which didn't take altogether too long. It was a four day box, so lots of stuff strewn about, but all in all, I thin it took about an hour or so to really get the most of it packed and everything set. I waited around to let my phone charge a bit, because the lightweight charger I have actually charges very slowly, so my phone hasn't been full of charge, because there's not enough time while I resupply to charge it up all the way, so it's only about 40% every time I leave town. I got everything packed, I went back to Del Taco and got 4 more tacos and a burrito for the way out. I swung by McDonald's because they finally had their not-breakfast menu, which is disgusting. I got a couple hamburgers as well, that's where all rest of the hikers were...there were probably 8 hikers in there, taking over tables...just chowin' down. The girl that I had hiked with earlier was there too...I chatted a little bit, filled up one of my water bottles with some soda and took off at about 11:30 am. So, it was right around a 2.5 hour resupply. A little longer than I wanted, but that is usually what happens when people start talking to you...because it was so early in the day, I didn't get a room, so I didn't get a shower or wash laundry or shave or anything like that...which is OK. Only 3 days before I was at Ziggy and the Bear and got a shower and at least rinsed my clothes out....
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| Sunset with Baden-Powell silhouetted. |
It was hot. Not super duper hot, but I had to carry all 4 liters of water out of there because the next water was...a ways... I think it was 26 miles or so....so it was quite a hump to get all of my new weight [food!] plus all my water...it was probably around 30lbs. Up over the first little set of hills, then start the massive climb from about 4,000 ft up to about 8,000 ft over about 15 miles. It was one of those...it hurts to start, but once you start, you just keep your head down and try and zone out, and know that you HAVE to do this, otherwise, you're not going to make it. It get's done...eventually. Of course I took breaks here and there, just stop in the shade of a tree...if there was some...lean on my trekking poles....pant a bit, get my breath under control...and then keep goin'. Nearing the top, it got a little more difficult. I got more out of breath, my legs were feeling it, definitely. At least there are more trees by then, there is a nice cool breeze and of course you're up high, so its even cooler than down in the valley....Yeah, I made it up to Guffy [campground] at about, ohh I want to say... 5:30-6:00 pm and from there it's another 6-7 miles to the Highway [Angels Crest, Hwy 2] and then a little bit passed that is where you get water at the Grassy Hollow Campground. There was a BEAUTIFUL sunset...all of the ridgelines - the trees stand out [silhouette] on them, being back-lit by this really beautiful - yellow, orange, pink with clouds sunset. You could see Baden-Powell silhouetted as well. That view made me happy.
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| The setting sun just got better and better up near Wrightwood Ski area. |
Once you're on top, you're just like "the hard part is over!" even though, you know you still have to climb Baden-Powell the next day....which is another 4,000 ft. But, it's the little triumphs that make you happy. I got to the road [Hwy 2], where a Jeep had dropped off 4 hikers, I'm assuming from Wrightwood, and they started off a little behind me. But, by that time, the sun had set and I was hiking in the dark. I knew I needed to get a little further.... the previous day I had done 50 [miles], so I wanted to at least make it passed 42, so that the days wouldn't just equal out to 46 [mile average], so I would have a few miles extra...and I did, I made it to 44.25 and I found a nice little spot, in the dark, right at a saddle, which was windy...which is good and bad. I don't mind wind at night because it keeps me cooler, so I typically sleep really hot, especially in the desert, especially if my legs are working really hard..so it helps keep me not sweaty and gross at night, and sleep better. I slept pretty well actually, nice soft down of pine needles...the other people who were night hiking passed me by as I was eating dinner...then I went to sleep.
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| Sunset death throes... |
It's a good feeling when you get to town "Yay, I'm happy!" and then, you know you have this huge climb...and then it's kinda of a drag... I mean most people do like a 13 into town, and then they will do like a 2 or 3 or 4 out...and that's their day. They had a great time in town and they'll tackle the big giant hill in the morning, or for most of the next day, whereas I hit it at 1:00 pm, in the middle of the heat, just sweat pouring off of me...but, you can't choose these things, it's just if it's in front of you and that's the day, you have to do it. So, I did. For the most part, it was a good day. I definitely was relieved when I got on top, and felt really happy that I had actually had almost made the 46 with the 2.5 hour resupply, that was pretty good. I did stop a little late, about 9:15 pm, but I wanted to get those little extra miles in. Hopefully I'll get to sleep in....one of these days...when I can stop at 8:30 pm and go to bed at 9:00 pm, and get that extra 8th hour of sleep that I haven't been getting lately. But, for the most part, I've been feeling pretty awake during the days, so at least it's not really catching up to me, or at least not that I've seen. (sarcastically) I can't wait to start the morning off with a 4,000 ft climb.....yay.... No, not really, it's going to be awful...but pretty...I have never hiked it in the early morning light, so, there's a silver lining to everything.
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| The final descent down to Cajon Pass. Later that day, was was up on top those mountains. |
