Henning was here!

I hiked until mile 1330 (Hwy 36 to Chester, past the midpoint) where the trail was closed due to the Park Fire. Instead of skipping ahead I decided to stop there for this year, and hike the Northern half of the trail in 2025, earlier in the year with hopefully less wildfires. I will update the blog (sections I-M) hopefully soon.

Crabtree Meadows => Tuolumne Meadows

Start	761	mile
End	942	mile
Distance	181	miles
Maximum Elevation	13136	ft
Elevation Gain	32706	ft
Elevation Loss	-34438	ft

This section is very long and has a lot of highlights, so the report will be, too. In the moment I only made it to Mammoth Lakes; therefore a little update must follow, but probably only when I will have reached South Lake Tahoe.

I did the section in multiple stretches:

• continue section G until Vidette Meadow and leave there via Kearsarge Pass, with a stay in Bishop
• the stretch over Glen Pass, Pinchot Pass and Mather Pass, but in the inverse direction; after that again a stay in Bishop
• over Selden Pass and Silver Pass to Mammoth Lakes
• after the stay in Mammoth Lakes over Donohue Pass to Tuolumne Meadows and continue into section I until Sonora Pass

2024-6-14 until 6-17

After a very long sleep I started from Crabtree Meadows to Forester Pass. This pass is the highest on the trail, around 4000 m asl, though lower than Mt Whitney. One should cross it in the morning when the snow is still frozen. So the task was set: hike as close as possible to the pass.

The trail crosses several creeks which may have high water; but all three major ones, Wallace, Wright and Tyndall, were mostly harmless, either no more than knee-deep with strong flow, or flowing slower when deeper.

Between these creeks there is a beautiful elevated plane called Bighorn Plateau, completely surrounded by mountains in the distance.

It also offers a good view on Mt Whitney (in the center):

The trail to Forester Pass dips into a little valley and then winds up to the Diamond Mesa, my destination for the night.

The pass is the cut into the mountain range; most of the way up goes via switchbacks blasted into the rock in the 1930s. Luckily, they are nearly free of snow.

I set up my tent close to the frozen lake where the first tentsite, though a bit wet, was just snow-free. The next morning started in the tent with a hot chocolate and a view on the pass:

The ascent itself was easier than assumed; I had started around 6:15 and was on the top 90 min later. In the lower and less steep part we had to shortcut some of the switchbacks through snow, but with a very good boot track. I did not use my crampons there.

Also the infamous chute was nearly free of snow:

But it was very cold at the pass, and because of the snow on the north side we did not stay for a long time.

The north side is not steep, it was easy walking, but I used my crampons here, more for comfort than for safety. About 1 mile of snow until the trail reappeared, still with some snow patches here and there.

When I had arrived in an area with first trees and not just rocks, it was time for an early lunch.

In the afternoon I followed the PCT until the junction to the Bullfrog Lake trail, where I went eastward to approach the Kearsarge Pass. Not far from the pass I set up my tent at the Kearsarge Lake.

At the Bullfrog Lake some deer stayed very quiet when I passed.

The next morning over Kearsarge Pass to the Onion Valley campground. While it was easy to get a hitch down from there to the little town of Independence, the way further to Bishop was difficult. There is a bus line, with just 2 runs per day, but not on weekends (it was Sunday). Finally, together with two other German hikers whom I had met down there, the lady from the gas station shop who lives in Bishop took us along. So it was late afternoon until I arrived there.

Close to the parking lot a ranger had checked my permit:

Bishop is a town of 5000 residents, and like all the area, with a lot of motels and restaurants.

You need a gun or some ammo? – no problem:

But there are also shops for hiking gear where I bought some repair stuff. I stayed at the Quality Inn and had a “zero day”, arriving on Sunday and leaving on Tuesday.

2024-6-18 until 6-24

The next stretch would normally enter via Kearsarge Pass back to the PCT and then go northbound via Glen, Pinchot and Mather Pass and further via Muir, Selden and Silver Pass to Red’s Meadow or Mammoth Lakes. But because of a bridge completely destroyed by the huge amount of snow in 2023, and only rebuilt during this summer, the PCTA recommends a detour around Muir Pass via Bishop Pass to South Lake Bishop, then to North Lake Bishop and reenter the PCT via Piute Pass. This alternate route allows another stay in Bishop if you leave between the two lakes.

I modified this path further in doing the first stretch between Kearsarge and Bishop Pass southbound instead of northbound, which allowed me to meet a lot of people on trail again, and have the more sketchy northern slopes of the passes in the morning and in ascent instead of descent. Thus I entered via Bishop Pass, then crossed Mather, Pinchot and Glen Pass on the PCT, and left another time via Kearsarge Pass.

The trail over Bishop Pass was new to me, and is quite scenic. In spite of its altitude of 3600 m there were no difficult snow crossings.

The pass itself is quite flat.

More warnings about damaged bridges.

The west side had more snow, but easy hiking nevertheless. On the way down I found one of the snow sensors which give us information about the remaining snow, but – more important – allow a forecast of the water supply in the LA area in the coming summer. It is solar powered with a battery in the ground under the rocks.

I set up my tent close to a lake still on the Bishop Pass trail.

Next morning I reached the bridge which is closed for livestock but still good enough for humans, and soon after rejoined the PCT.

A big waterslide directly before the junction:

More warnings because of the bridge outage around 22 miles north of the junction:

No, not this one, on my way southbound – it looked such already five years ago when I crossed it on my JMT hike.

I continued to come as close as possible to Mather Pass, and set up my tent about 4 miles north of it.

The next morning these 4 miles needed quite some time, but I was still early enough to have hard snow on the pass. The sun touches the snow here only around 8 h, and it stays hard until 10 h when I was on top of the pass. The top part is more a rock scramble than snow, but below is a steep snow section.

I used my crampons and the ice axe.

A view down and back on the boot track from where the rock scramble started:

The south side is easy again, with much less snow and not much on the trail.

This is home-turf for marmots:

Between the passes a lot of water, either directly on trail or creeks to be forded.

The next pass, Pinchot, does typically have less snow and is therefore easier to cross. All three – Mather, Pinchot, and Glen – are around 3600 m high.

So I did not have to care too much to be there early enough, and it was an easy walk up and down there.

In the winter, the High Sierra is a dangerous terrain:

Five years ago, and no sign of the body nor gear.

Next day, next pass – but between Pinchot and Glen there is a larger gap and quite some elevation change.

The suspension bridge helps to cross Rock Creek at the lowest point.

It was a long day, in order to come as close as possible to Glen Pass, but I had to stop 4 miles before, already hiking with the head lamp.

The trail was partially destroyed by a snow avalanche in the spring of 2023; therefore also no mile marker 800, which should have been there. In addition, a lot of mosquitos didn’t make it a nice afternoon; luckily I had some DEET spray with me.

The next morning I could approach the pass only later than desired, and it had quite some snow left. The snow started to get a bit slushy already, but I still felt safe with crampons and ice axe.

The lower part was a snowy boot track, but not steep; then one could follow the trail switchbacks with some rock scramble to shortcut snow covered areas, but also a short and steep (>45 deg) ascent through snow. Those who went northbound did this section climbing down backwards.

The last part was a traverse across the snow-covered slope, with a boot track that was more like a ditch, and very safe.

Nevertheless I was happy when this pass was done.

The second challenge of the day was to reach the Onion Valley campground over Kearsarge Pass still the same day. Another pass in the late afternoon.

I made it down around 19 h, hoping for a hitch to Bishop, together with nearly 10 other hikers. Only two cars still left; nice people who would take us all down to Independence, but both would continue to Lone Pine (southbound) instead of Bishop (northbound). With my experience from a week ago, I let the others leave and stayed the night at the campground. This was the right decision; I had a nice evening with another hiker who wanted to start from there the next morning, and a car camper interested in the PCT; and the next morning I got a hitch directly to Bishop within 5 minutes.

Back to Bishop I stayed the first night in the same hotel, but chose for the second one the Hostel California – kind of a reminiscence to the late 1960s. Weed-friendly, of course.

But Bishop has also a small public park,

more slightly strange hostels where you can stay e. g. in an Airstream caravan,

and a “world famous” bakery founded by a family from the Netherlands. Anything else than the sweet slushy factory bread is here a fancy (and expensive) product.

They offer a wide variety of bread; I tested a sandwich with the “original shepherd bread” which was okay-ish, but not more.

The fact that I had smuggled a beer can to their outdoor seating area may be a federal crime, at least…

In the evening in a Mexican restaurant, with a “German” beer (= Pilsener) called Bohemia and brewed in Mexico.

The next morning I still stayed in the hostel, then had a burger for an early lunch, and at noon together with the driver, 4 other hikers and two dogs went in a Jeep to the Piute Pass trailhead, to continue my journey north.

2024-6-25 until 7-2

From the trailhead on the North Lake until the PCT junction it is 17 miles; much more than what I can hike on an afternoon. So I rejoined the PCT only the next day.

Again a lot of mosquitos, and later in the afternoon dark clouds came in, and a slight thunderstorm started. I only got rained on, but was smart enough to set up my tent early and not continue further. It was the only rain in these weeks on trail; while it got hazy in the afternoon in the coming days.

I crossed the pass the next morning, very easy, but quite some snow fields and a lot of water on the west side, similar to Bishop Pass.

Finally I made it back to the PCT and started direction Selden Pass the next morning.

Water and mosquitos continued, otherwise it is a beautiful walk.

The south side of the pass has several lakes at various steps, until you hit the highest point. But the real highlight is Marie Lake on the other side:

I continued another 2 miles and then found a quiet tent spot at a small lake.

The plan was to cross Silver Pass the next day, but the mosquito situation had really escalated around Selden Pass, and my small DEET bottle wouldn’t last very long anymore.

Therefore, when I reached the junction to the Bear Ridge Trail in the afternoon, knowing that it was 6.5 miles to Vermillion Valley Resort on this side trail, I decided to go there for the night. I should be able to make it early enough for a dinner, and hopefully their store would have mosquito repellent.

Lake Edison, a reservoir, was nearly full, different from two years ago.

And I made it in time!

It wasn’t only pizza and beer, but in the store I found the urgently needed DEET.

The next morning I took the ferry – could only get a seat on the 2nd run at 10:30 h – back to the other end of Lake Edison, so that I had to walk only 1.3 miles to the trail and could reach Silver Pass the same day.

After 30 minutes we landed.

With a start close to noon on the PCT I crossed Silver Pass in the late afternoon, and walked another few miles to a tentsite, again close to a lake.

From there I was far enough to approach the junction to the Horseshoe Lake and then Mammoth Lakes, my next town stop, until the next evening.

Beautiful lakes again, and then the mile marker 900:

After a nice evening with some other hikers on a bigger campsite I reached Horseshoe Lake, and then went with the free shuttle bus down to the town of Mammoth Lakes.

2024-7-3 until 7-?

Stretch from Mammoth Lakes to Tuolumne Meadows – to be continued …

Preliminary Update:

I hiked until mile 1330 (Hwy 36 to Chester, past the midpoint) where the trail was closed due to the Park Fire. Instead of skipping ahead I decided to stop there for this year, and hike the Northern half of the trail in 2025, earlier in the year with hopefully less wildfires.

I will update the blog (sections I-M) during the winter.

Walker Pass => Crabtree Meadows

Start	646	mile
End	761	mile
Distance	115	miles
Maximum Elevation	11515	ft
Elevation Gain	20414	ft
Elevation Loss	-15364	ft

2024-6-3 until 2024-6-6

After a full zero day in Ridgecrest, mainly attributed to the problem with my Verizon phone plan, I restarted early on monday for the long climb from Walker Pass, together with 81 year old Al and Indie.

We didn’t really hike together but often met on the trail, sometimes camped at the same places.

Water wasn’t so scarce anymore that caches were needed, but people prefered to camp close to a creek. Not many trees yet. But a strange looking toad crossed my way.

The next destination was Kennedy Meadows at mile 703, the gate to the Sierra, last station for resupply, shower and laundry before the high mountains. I did not see a 700 mile marker, but didn’t miss it so close to the next important destination.

It is tradition to welcome every new hiker who arrives here at the General Store (with food place) by ringing a bell and then applauding to the achievement.

But the burger and beer may be more important…

In addition to the General Store, there is another place about 3 miles down the road, with restaurant, big camp site, shower and laundry, and a very well stocked outfitter. Everything looks provisional but it is a good place to stay.

The people at Grumpy Bear’s Retreat are not grumpy but do their best to make all hikers happy.

Camping, shower, laundry, package handling and storage are free.

It was a good idea to start with a banana split.

I received a big package which did not only contain food but also my bear canister and the crampons which I had sent back after Mount Baden-Powell but would need again in the coming weeks. On the left is a new stuff sack for my tent which a friend had made for me.

And new shoes! – pair #2 has now served for 430 miles and was clearly at the end of its lifetime. While until now I had used two sets of Altra Lone Peak 4 which I had still stocked since the pandemic, the new pair is Topo Terraventure 3 which I prefer, especially for the more rocky terrain of the Sierra.

If I would have needed to buy gear on site there is an excellent outfitter run by Jackie, an experienced thruhiker – it is just unbelievable how much and well selected gear you find in this container.

I stayed a full day at Kennedy Meadows and left Saturday morning at 5:30 for the next stretch, into the High Sierra.

2024-6-8 until 2024-6-13

This is the finest trail register I have seen, installed and operated directly by the PCTA.

The first creek is still spanned by a bridge; the melting snow generates a big amount of water. The snowy mountains are already visible.

The landscape changes its character more and more.

The red snow plant looks as if someone had put in a red plastic flower.

In the evening of the third day I reached Chicken Spring Lake at mile 752. One more day, and I would be at Crabtree Meadows, the starting point for the climb up to Mount Whitney.

But it was very windy, and I could not sleep well after the long hiking day. So I decided the next morning to spend an extra day, hiked only until 2.5 miles before Crabtree Meadows, and slept in to fully recover for the upcoming nightly summit.

I arrived in Crabtree Meadows the next morning; quite a lot of tents all around. I tried to sleep a bit in the early afternoon.

One highlight is a privy on the meadow

If you think it is crude – two years before, in 2022, when I was here last time, it looked like this:

In Ridgecrest I had already applied for and printed out a permit from Inyo National Forest in addition to my PCTA long distance permit, which allows me to camp outside the PCT “corridor”. So I started my summit hike in the evening, in order to reach a place 4 miles in and 1000 ft higher, which is nearly half the distance and more than a quarter of the elevation gain to the summit.

It was a beautiful hike in the evening, and quite warm though above 10000 ft / 3000 m. The first marmots could be seen:

I met the ranger coming down from an inspection tour, and he checked my permit; so it was good that I had the right one. Then I reached Guitar Lake with some tents from local hikers, and continued another 15 minutes to a little pond a bit higher which still offered snow-free campsites and water.

I had left my tent, most gear and food at Crabtree Meadows and just “cowboy-camped” there under the open sky. Even at midnight and at 3500 m elevation it was still +8° C.

The real summit push began for me at 0:40 h; those who went up from Crabtree Meadows had to start around midnight and hike faster.

It was not always easy to follow the trail and/or boot track in the snow at the light of the headlamp, but when the switchbacks started, one could not go wrong anymore. I reached the trail junction – still 1.9 miles and 1200 ft elevation gain – around 3 in the morning.

Another two hours in the thin air, with a short break when the battery of the headlamp was nearly empty so that I had to connect it permanently to the powerbank, and I was close to the summit. Two other hikers had passed me then, but most were still behind me.

Around 5:10 I reached the summit.

Now we could observe the sunrise from the highest point on the North American continent south of Alaska, 4421 m asl.

Around sunrise more hikers arrived so that we were nearly 10 people up there.

And everyone wanted to have THE photo:

I stayed up for nearly two hours – it is the only place with cellphone service within days of hiking. The down quilt helped me not to cool down too much – temperature now was just a bit above freezing, with quite some wind.

More panoramic views, and then the descent began.

After arrival at Crabtree Meadows I was so tired that I slept the afternoon and the following night, more than 12 hours.

The next challenge already waited, Forester Pass, 4000 m asl.

Hwy 58 => Walker Pass

Start	560	mile
End	646	mile
Distance	86	miles
Maximum Elevation	7001	ft
Elevation Gain	14382	ft
Elevation Loss	-12971	ft

2024-5-26 until 6-2

The last part of the “desert” was again dry and windy. While officially the Sierra part of the PCT starts in Kennedy Meadows (South) at mile 702, the preceding 50 miles are kind of a transitional region.

The long freight train has containers with “Amazon Prime” logo.

While there are only few tentsites marked in the FarOut app I was always able to find a suitable spot, even when hiking late in the cooler evening hours. Temperature was rising so that one may have a rest in the afternoon. This spot was a bit off trail, wind protected, with a great view, morning sun and cellphone service.

The mile marker 600 will not win a beauty contest:

If you have forgotten the 10 commandments: here you get help…

This picture illustrates one of the problems of the trail: missing maintenance. A trail register and two benches, all rotten.

Stretches with just brush do not offer wind protection; and while the wind helps to fight the heat of the day it can become dangerous in the night.

Hikers here depend on water caches stocked and refilled every year by several individuals; otherwise one would have to hike through 40 miles without a water source.

This is the cache at mile 617; it even includes a plan what to do in case of emergency if no water is left. These bottles contains 5 gallons (18.5 l) – each hiker will refill 4-6 l, and at 25-30 hikers passing a day, it means 6-9 bottles per day, so the cache must be restocked at least once per week with a metric ton of water.

A trail register when I have passed. Chef (cook) and Valentina are from Germany, too, and travel afoot for 1-2 years, as long as their savings will last.

Between mile 617 and 632 there is more dry land. A rabbit searching shadow in the morning.

Sometimes the trail signs are so overloaded with symbols that you do not easily find the PCT one. They also are abused as gun targets.

Lizards are nearly omnipresent in the South – this one was especially patient and allowed me a nice shot.

The next water cache at mile 632.

I stayed there until 5:30 pm and then started to climb the next hillside – after a good hour found this nice tent spot still on the slope, but wind protected and with a great view.

While I would have had enough food to walk through until Kennedy Meadows I decided I wanted to have a town day in Ridgecest, off Walker Pass at mile 653.

Like on other places there is no cell phone service at the road crossing which makes it difficult to call someone for transportation, but I was lucky that one of the trail angels was already there, waiting for another group which never showed up. Scott (in front of the car) also regularly restocks the water caches.

In the end we were 4 persons, another Henning from Germany, and these two hiking companions, Indie and Al, shown in the picture. Guess the age of the hiker? – Al is 81 years old, and has started the same day as I did, just a few hours later!

My stay in Ridgecrest was nice, while daytime temperatures went up to 37 deg C. In the morning my phone (plan) stopped working! Verizon is such a BS – you cannot pay with non-US credit cards, the app that allows you to check the balance (only prepaid possible for 6 months) is not available to European Android users – in the end I had to walk to a Verizon store and pay a replenishment in cash to reactivate the phone. So stayed a second day in town – my first full “zero day” (no trail miles).

Agua Dulce => Hwy 58

Start	447	mile
End	560	mile
Distance	113	miles
Maximum Elevation	6309	ft
Elevation Gain	16921	ft
Elevation Loss	-15648	ft

2024-05-18 until 05-22

After Agua Dulce the trail was not bad, while one had to use the available water sources, e. g. a fire station in Green Valley. It was a constant up and down from valley to hill to valley. In a distance, one could see the dry Mojave desert.

Tent spots sometimes were difficult to find when you arrive later in the evening; here I had to pitch the tent in a narrower than usual version (a “skinny pitch”) in order to fit somehow beside the trail. Other hikers were “cowboy camping” (without tent) to save space.

An interesting water collection system: the roof creates shade for the underground container and at the same time collects the rain in early spring. Probably this water cache is not intended for PCT hikers, being off trail; but it helps to fill the water bottles, especially as it is located close to a nice camp site.

And the next mile marker:

At mile 517 there is a strange collection of buildings; the owners call it “Hikertown”, located directly at the intersection with a road, and where the Mojave stretch begins.

Richard, the owner, is a quaint person, the sheds are notorious for dirt and mice and spiders, so I prefered to stay in my tent. When I arrived a film crew did shots for a commercial paid by Arrowhead, a company selling bottled water – obviously they did not know that hikers prefer the SmartWater bottles from the competitor Glaceau because of the thread of the cap which is compatible with a popular water filter. And noone cares about the content of the bottles…

They paid for food and beverages – I would guess that most of the money went into Richard’s pockets but our stay at the site was free for these two days, and you could also get free showers, food and beer (no sodas, other than announced). Lots of hikers present, because of that.

2024-5-23 until 5-26

The next stretch was 17 miles without water, walking along the Los Angeles Aquaeduct which supplies the big city with water from the Sierra. The water flows below your feet, but no access to it!

Like nearly all of us, I started in the evening and did it as a night hike, arriving at the next creek around 4 am. The last 2 miles became more and more windy, and my tent, though set up in the ditch of the creek, could not withstand the storm; there were no rocks big enough to fix the pegs in the loose ground. I left after only 2.5 h of sleep and felt lucky that nothing got lost or damaged.

This wind would become a steady companion in the next two weeks; the wind park, started in the 1980s, extends over tens of miles to the north; but the wind turbines are small compared to those built nowadays, and though 3400 in total, they just have 0.7 GW combined power (to compare: Germany has installed 58 GW of wind turbines).

A nice campsite a day later, with chairs, water, and more items.

This is the caretaker whom I met in the morning when he came to refill everything. His brother had started this place 30 years ago, and after his death last year he continues his work. Props to him!

From mile 549 it is just 9 miles to the first and 17 miles to the second road crossing (Hwy 58) to access the town of Tehachapi. I took the first opportunity to arrive early on Friday afternoon before the Post Office closes, because I wanted pick up two packages; but I had to return on Saturday for one of them. It was the Memorial Day weekend (Monday is a holiday), and I wanted to be safe.

More drought and more wind (and wind turbines):

After 8 weeks it was time to visit a barber shop for a haircut:

Tehachapi has a nice little railway museum

and a “German Bakery” (Kohnen) – while the food does not look very German…

I restarted late on Saturday afternoon and was lucky to find after 3.5 miles the last tent spot left which is protected from the wind.

On Sunday morning I completed the remaining 4.5 miles until Highway 58.

Cajon Pass => Agua Dulce

Start	336	mile
End	447	mile
Distance	111	miles
Maximum Elevation	9268	ft
Elevation Gain	21339	ft
Elevation Loss	-21892	ft

2024-5-7 until 5-14

Next afternoon the journey north continued; uphill again and over the clouds.

Water became a scarce ressource again, but trail angels help with a water cache.

In a distance we can already see the next challenge: the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains including Mount Baden-Powell, named after the founder of the boy scout movement.

Before I came closer to its summit, another resupply had to be collected in Wrightwood. When I had selected my resupply locations from several lists of other hikers Wrightwood seemed to be a good choice because it is only 2.5 miles off trail. But I had forgotton to check the difference in elevation, and so I had to hike the 2200 ft elevation difference of the Acorn trail up and down. Later, I found one could also get picked up a few miles further direct from the trail at Inspiration Point…

It has banks with shades and a wonderful view on Mount Baden-Powell; but was quite windy.

Receiving a resupply package is a bit like Christmas; and the people at the Mountain Hardware store where I had sent it were exceptionally friendly and helpful. It is an interesting combination of a hardware store and a sports gear shop, has a PCT hiker area where this photo was taken, trail register, hiker boxes, and helps with whatever you need. The store is located directly aside of the Post Office.

First patches of snow showed up – also the Acorn trail had been partially snow covered on the first half mile – but again, to find enough water is the bigger challenge. Luckily there is a ski area with two water reservoirs for artificial snow.

Some more miles, and the trail went down to Vincent Gap, the trailhead for Baden-Powell.

Now it was already afternoon, summit would be the next day, but where to stay overnight? – there is a tentsite at the parking lot, but it was tempting to go up already as far as possible.

The ascent on the steep slope in switchbacks did not allow to set up tents beside the trail, but the FarOut app promised a place just 700 ft below the summit; comments said that there was one good and 3-4 acceptable tent spots there, partially on snow. I dared to walk up in the snow, following the boot track to the summit, though it was already evening.

And I was the only one this night, and had the perfect spot! Everywhere around was covered with snow and was slanted terrain.

So I could sleep longer and start the next morning only at 8 am to reach the summit before 10 am.

A Badener on Mount Baden-Powell…

The crampons were very helpful at the 45 degree slopes, and I also used the ice axe once for self arrest.

The rest of the day the path continued over several smaller hills with enough snow coverage until the snow finally disappeared in the evening.

The PCT then follows the Angeles Scenic Byway (Hwy 2), including some roadwalk there; if you want to avoid the climb on Baden-Powell one could have road-walked the whole distance.

20 miles further, and a new milestone:

No more snow, enough water from streams, and a good trail with enough camp sites allowed a nice progress.

From mile 418 I went to Palmdale for a town day; but just before the road crossing a trail angel had put a cooler with ice and cans of soda – what a nice surprise! – especially as I had to climb up the trail again to call an Uber because the road had no cell service.

2024-5-15 until 5-17

And when I came back the next day around noon: even more trail magic directly at the parking lot.

My next resupply point was the Acton RV camp at mile 444; the trail was good, with a nice camp site.

The camp itself was not especially beautiful, embedded between a road with trucks and a train line with freight trains; other hikers stayed with their tents on the plot of the 49er saloon in nearby Acton town.

A tipi on the RV camp.

On the way down to the camp a snake was stretched out o a dirt road and was completely relaxed when I passed. I took it for a rattler first, but it seems to be a gopher snake.

The next day was the short walk to Agua Dulce, a real trail town where the PCT went through on a length of 2 miles. We could set up our tents directly aside of the Mexican restaurant “Maria Bonita”, after having dinner there.

Before we went through a tunnel below I-14

and then passed Vasquez Rocks, a scenic rock formation which Hollywood had used in several movies, among others Star Trek, because it is located so conveniently.

I-10 => Cajon Pass

Start	207	mile
End	336	mile
Distance	129	miles
Maximum Elevation	8756	ft
Elevation Gain	18837	ft
Elevation Loss	-17167	ft

2024-4-25 until 4-30

After a day in Banning/Beaumont – they have a public transport system with buses, free for seniors – I started late in the afternoon back on trail. Just hiked on about a mile and found a tent spot in a ditch, well protected from the strong winds; the wind farm is there for a reason.

The next morning the real hike into the San Bernardino mountains began, passing more wind turbines, to the Whitewater Preserve Ranger Station. The ranger told us that the night before gusts had reached 75 mph, and a tree in the area of the station had been thrown down. So we selected the best protected location for our tents.

I had to replace the tip of one of my trekking poles – hot water to soften the plastic and a pair of pliers, borrowed from the ranger, did the job.

The following days got tough. Mission Creek, this little stream just ankle deep and 6 ft wide now, had washed out and destroyed the trail completely for 10 miles. We had to find a path through the large boulder fields, cross the creek 50 times, always checking for footprints where other hikers had walked.

This rattlesnake did not like me when I passed by.

Then the trail, now higher than the creek, reappeared and was quite useable for a few miles, with just one more short but severe wash- out.

A view back on the snowy San Jacinto mountains

before the snow began again on our trail, too – only quite short patches, but a lot of them!

Water caches helped on the remaining stretch down to Big Bear, and I was lucky to get a free ride into the town immediately when I had arrived at the highway, including a stop-over at the Post Office to collect two packages, one with a new pair of shoes.

The last picture shows the “hiker box” with items you can grab if you need, or put in items yourself you don’t need anymore.

New vs old shoes – both Altra Lone Peak 4.

2024-5-1 until 5-7

After Big Bear the trail got better, with more views on the lake and only few snowy sections. Much less hikers than before – I learned later that there was a norovirus outbreak just before Big Bear, which hadn’t affected me. So plenty of tentspace for the remaing few.

Lots of lizards everywhere – and another snake blocks the way and is not easy to chase away.

Mile 300:

And hot springs for a relaxing bath on the way to the next stop, Cajon Pass. (No pictures, it is “clothing optional”).

Cajon Pass is known for it’s McDonalds just 0.4 miles off trail.

And it is the endpoint of section C.

I stayed a night in the Cajon Pass Inn before starting section D.

“Blitzer” is a new English word?

Warner Springs => I-10

Start	107	mile
End	207	mile
Distance	100	miles
Maximum Elevation	9071	ft
Elevation Gain	15817	ft
Elevation Loss	-17533	ft

2024-4-15 until 4-18

Not much water on this part of the trail.

In a distance, the snowy mountains of the San Jacinto range and San Gorgonio mountain.

“Mike’s Place” offers tent sites and water, among other strange artifacts.

Paradise Valley Cafe is just 0.8 miles from the trail at mile 152.

From there it is a short trip to the town Idyllwild.

2024-4-18 until 4-24

After a night, shower and laundry back to PVC and on trail. Then the hard part through the snowy San Jacinto Mountains follows.

This collection of blowdowns is the trail!

Then the snow starts – two days with crampons.

Finally a better trail again down to the Interstate 10 highway.

And mile 200!

This time an Uber brought us four hikers to the In-N-Out Burger in Cabazon and then further to Banning for a town stay.

Mexican Border => Warner Springs

Start	0	mile
End	107	mile
Distance	107	miles
Maximum Elevation	6056	ft
Elevation Gain	13820	ft
Elevation Loss	-13718	ft

2024-04-06

First day of the hike – we started at noon from the Southern Monument.

2024-04-07 until 04-15

The “desert” is not always desert-like:

Water can become a problem:

Hitchhiking is the way to get from A to B:

The first trail town is Julian – as a PCT hiker you get a free apple pie with ice cream.

A water cache close to the trail, stocked by a “trail angel”.

Mile 100 reached!

A small resupply at Ranchita with its “White Sasquatch”, and soon after Eagle Rock.

Then a few miles to Warner Springs where a resupply package waited for me at the Post Office.

In 2024 I try to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Hopefully, I will start on 2024-04-06 around noon from the Southern Monument at the Californian border to Mexico near Campo for a 6 month adventure through National Forests, National Parks and Wilderniss areas, aiming for Canada. About 10,000 hikers could already complete this task, but more have failed – so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Its 2650 miles are split into 29 sections which will form the structure for my short reports. I will try to publish one page per section, i. e. per week, while some may be belated due to my available time and cellular or wifi service. At least one photo per day!

Resources for more information:
Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA)
Snow report for critical parts of the trail

You can follow me online and send me messages via inReach satellite communication on this site (password protected).