Gains & Losses

After we departed Guffy campground in the morning, we began making our way towards the largest thing in site -Mt. Baden-Powell. With a misunderstanding around our re-supply in Wrightwood, we had limited time and food to reach our next way point in Agua Dulce 90 miles away. We made 10 miles before reaching the trail head to summit, crowded with Sunday hikers from the city. The next four miles reminded us a lot of Washington, as we switch backed up to the exposed summit at 9400ft. From here we stood on the dividing line of weather patterns; to the South lies Los Angeles beneath a thick blanket of clouds, to the North, the Mojave. We also met the Wally Waldron tree here, the oldest Limber pine in the area, at 1500 years of age. After enjoying a picnic on the summit, we made the last 6 miles of a 20 mile day to little Jimmy spring, flowing fast with fresh water.

As we continued to make our way west through the mountains, we weaved around highway 2, crossing it over half a dozen times. As we continued to push 20 mile days, we quickly found ourselves in the charred landscape of the the Station fire, one of the largest is Southern California's recorded history. Following the fire came a resurgence of the endemic Poodle-dog bush, known for causing severe skin irritations that can last weeks. For this reason we road walked 14 miles, taking advantage of the extra clearance. We spent the night near a memorial for two fire-fighters killed in blaze. From here one could begin to see the magnitude of that which was burned 7 years ago. Nearby we found the abandoned Little Gleason Forestry Plantation. Only concrete and metal remained, everything else disintegrated in the fire. After a quick morning exploration of the grounds, we made another 20 miles for the fourth consecutive day, a little sore and exhausted by the time we reached the low desert and the Santa Clara "River."

After being scalped at the Acton KOA for a few refreshments, we made 10 more miles to something we've long dreamed of -Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce. Along the way we passed through Vasquez rocks, where Captain Kirk fights the infamous Gorn. Upon our arrival in heaven, we were met with an introduction of the grounds, including the complementary laundry service complete with "Loaner" clothes, the certified post office being run out of the garage, the organized shuttles to the local REI, showers, Epson salt foot baths, computer lab and camping. We couldn't have dreamed up anything better. Everything is highly organized, despite the chaos that thru-hikers bring day in and day out. We pitched our tarp between the chickens and horses, enjoying the company of animals. We will enjoy a zero here, as the company and resources are a true treat.

Over the last 112 miles we have climbed and declined over 27,000ft, making for a net change of 500. Welcome to the desert.

Stump & Mandalynn

Flowing Water

Leaving Big Bear, we were gifted with cool temperatures, clear skies, and the shade of pines and juniper. Though it dropped below freezing at night, it made for efficient hiking during the day despite slow mornings. As we made the slow and familiar descent back to the desert, we came across a great surprise -flowing water! As we weaved around the banks of Holocomb Creek, it slowly grew in size as numerous tributaries made their contribution. By lunch we hiked 13 miles and were basking in the shade adjacent to the stream, enjoying the forgotten sound of moving water. We soaked our tired feet and washed our dirty faces before grudgingly leaving the best lunch spot to date. We followed the creek a few more miles before the trail diverged to the south, but we were not upset as we were destined for something greater -Deep Creek. As the light began to fade, we set up camp along the sandy banks of this "Large" and bountiful river, just shy of a 20 mile day.

The next day held even greater surprises, with rumors of hot springs not too far ahead. We hiked an ambitious 9 miles through the desert heat before arriving at an unmarked crossroads. Uncertain if the springs lay at the bottom of this steep canyon trail, we took our chances and shuffled down. With no one in sight, we thought we'd taken a wrong turn, but the trail was true. When we got to the bottom we found our personal hot spring waiting for us. A real treat, even in the heat, we bounced between the hot and cold waters steeped with lithium all afternoon. After the heat of the day passed, we hiked out and down the trail, only to find the "True" Deep Creek hot springs just a mile further. Packed with city folks, hikers, pets and trash, we viewed the party from afar and continued hiking. Shortly after, we ran into our first rattlesnake sunning himself in the trail. After patiently waiting for a few minutes, he granted us safe passage and moved to the side of the trail, never issuing his unmistakable warning.

From here we made our way to the Silverwood lake, where we spent another afternoon swimming in cold water. I developed a migrane here and we were forced to make camp early despite only hiking 12 miles. Eager to make up for lost time, we left very early the next morning headed towards I-15 through Cajon pass. Determined to beat the heat, we broke personal records hiking 17 miles before 12:30. As temperatures rose into the 90's, we staggered into the McDonalds at Cajon pass not knowing what to expect. As we walked in, we found hikers crammed into every corner, backpacks wrapping around every table. A few families taking a lunch break from the interstate were scattered about, serving as entertainment as they tried to make sense of the highly pungent scene before them. We used up the gift card Mandalynn had recieved at Ziggy and the Bears' then vowed to never eat fast food again. We waited out the heat of the day with other hikers in the shade of a gas station -hit with a wave of culture as humans driving to Las Vegas stopped for gas. Here a 5ft long gopher snake paid us a visit, though shortly after introductions were made, a local helped to relocate him to the creek nearby, away from the road.


As the sun fell we continued hiking into the dark, finishing with a 24 mile day. Unknowingly we spent the night right over the San Andres fault, dreaming of earthquakes. We were hiking again by 4:30 the next morning, making the slow 5000ft ascent up into the mountains around Old Baldy. Here we ran into our second rattlesnake, and as Mandalynn almost stepped on him before taking notice, it was hissing and rattling by the time we'd backed up to give it space. Eventually it allowed us to pass on its own accord, and we appologized for disturbing its rest. That afternoon we arrived at Guffy campground, the end of another 20 mile dry stretch. We were well recieved as a group of long distance trail runners allowed us to share their site. We enjoyed our second fire in over 3 weeks despite the relentless wind at 8000ft. As we needed to resupply in Wrightwood located in the valley down below, our new friend David let us drive his Jeep down the mountain to the post office and grocery store. As we pulled into town, hikers we knew from the trail gave us puzzled looks as we showed off our new ride. Driving around seemed quite strange, but zipping up and down the rough mountain roads was good fun. After we returned, Olga treated us to homemade soup and salsa. Presented with such hospitality, we could not refuse though the soup was filled with catfish, octopus and shrimp, things we do not normally consume. Nonetheless, it was very delicious, especially as it was the first bit of true home cooking that we've had since our departure. Refreshed from our zero day at Guffy camp, tomorrow we will summit Mt. Baden-Powell...

Cheers from the trail!
Stump & Mandalynn

The Joy's of Spring

Leaving Warner Springs, we were excited to climb in elevation up into the mountains, enjoying some cooler temperatures as we hiked. After a good day of 15 miles, we found ourselves high in a boulder canyon, reminiscent of the Dragoon mountains of southern Arizona. We did not bother setting up the tarp, and as we fell asleep, we watched as clouds crashing into the mountain top were forced higher into the air, taking on new forms and merging with larger masses. Surely this was one of nature's finer lullabies. Unfortunately, we did not consider the consequences of sleeping at 5000ft without a tarp. By the very early morning, we found ourselves in the heart of the clouds, and everything, including our sleeping bag, was quite wet. Quickly we wiped down our sleeping bag, and laid the tarp over it to reduce it's exposure to moisture. This at least allowed us to stay warm until first light, at which point we quickly broke camp and made a couple of miles to our next water source, a storage tank at the residence of a local trail angel named Mike. Here we took relief from the freezing cloud, drank real coffee, and listened to the Eagles. After regaining our motivation, we hiked out of the cloud down into the Anza Borrego desert. Beautiful but very dry, this area has been taken over by pot farmers, primarily funded by cartels. While they were not friendly to thru-hikers, a local named Mary and her counterpart Carl, helped to establish an oasis at mile 145. Supplied with cold soda, shade, picnic tables, BBQ and a free library exchange, it seemed too good to be true.

Later that afternoon, we arrived at Paradise Valley Cafe on hwy 74. We enjoyed our first meal off the trail, especially once the hail began to fly and the thunder roared overhead. By late afternoon the temperature was dropping fast, though the storm was begginning to dissipate. The cafe kindly allowed us to camp their back patio for the night, and even left their bathroom unlocked for us. Despite the hospitality, sleeping on a cold concrete slab wasn't terribly comfortable, and were woken up many times by a man rebuilding his engine with a sledge hammer in the parking lot during the wee hours of the morning.

While most hikers hitch-hicked from the cafe to Idyllwild around the first fire closure, we decided to hike another 16 miles through the San Bernadino forest before hitting the hwy again, and hitching the remainder of the alternate back to Idyllwild. The town was extremely kind to us, giving thru-hikers a discount at many of the loal shops. We enjoyed some fresh avocados and coconut water before making our home for the night at the local campground.

With more snow and wind in the forcast, we opted to take the low road up the San Jacinto mountains, known as the Black Mtn. Rd alternate; this route topped off at 7500ft in place of the 9000ft that the PCT climbed to. Starting at 5300ft, we climbed 7 miles before rejoining the PCT at mile 191, at which point we began our 6200ft descent down to the desert floor and the I-10 corridor. We spent the night just below the ridgeline on the north face, hidden in a wind shadow behind some large boulders, positioned to make our descent at  first light. With tbe storm at our backs, we raced down the mountain and across the wind tunnel that is El Cabazon. There is a reason they have installed a wind farm here. After 17 miles we arrived at Ziggy and the Bears', a local couple of trail angels. We were recieved with cold Gatoraide, and a ceremonial mugshot. As Mandalynn was the 800th visitor this year, she was awarded a $10 gift card to the McDonalds at el Cajon pass. We slept on the back porch, sardined with 30 other hikers taking relief from the wind.

As next 55 miles of trail are closed due to a wildfire back in 2014, from here we caught a ride with Stump's cousin Barry, who generously drove us all the way to Big Bear. As it turns out, it was his daughter's birthday, who resides there, so upon our arrival, we enjoyed a celebratory dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. Clean, fed, and resupplied with food, we will hike back to the trail this afternoon, positioning ourselves for a good day of hiking tommorrow.

Cheers from the trail!
Stump & Mandalynn