PCT Progress Report I: The Desert

Seven hundred miles of Pacific Crest Trail and the California desert are now behind me.

I now sit at the legendary Kennedy Meadows with the Sierra, and a state of perpetual highness awaits me in the distance.

But before we discuss my entry into bear country, let’s look back at some of the highlights from the first forty days on the trail.

Statistics

• Days since Mexico: 40
• Miles hiked: 700
• Days camped: 28
• Days camped alone: 5
• Zero days: 6
• Near-o days: 3
• Days slept off the trail: 12
• Miles per day: 19.36
• Miles per day (including zero days): 16.46
• Longest day: 33

The Trail

Although the desert does not typically coincide with the image of a mountainous landscape, the first 700 miles of the PCT are far from flat (generally, if you are not going either up or down, chances are you have wandered off-trail).

Water sources are few and far between; I carried as many as six liters at a time. The much-needed water caches provided by various trail angels are necessary for keeping hikers alive in this stretch (but do not catch yourself relying on them).

After two solo night hikes and a two-hour stint of being lost in the daylight, I have decided never to solo night hike again. I have also realized that despite my love for hiking solo, I do not enjoy camping this way (the boogieman is out there). I hope the desert has adequately prepared me for the Sierra.

Trail Towns

My stops since the border have included the following:

• Mount Laguna (on-trail, brief stop for snacks)
• Warner Springs (one night at trail angel house and resupply box pickup)
• Idyllwild (two nights, one zero day, and small resupply from market)
• Ziggy and The Bear’s (on night at trail angel house in Cabazon and resupply box pickup)
• Big Bear (hitch to town, one night, no resupply)
• Wrightwood (two nights, one zero, driven to Victorville, resupply at supermarket)
• Agua Dulce (three nights, two zeros, driven to Palmdale, resupply at supermarket)
• Hiker Town (on-trail, brief stop, no resupply)
• Mojave (hitch to town, two nights, one zero, resupply at supermarket)
• Lake Isabella (difficult hitch to town, one night, resupply at supermarket)
• Kennedy Meadows (two nights, one zero, resupply box pickup)

Wildlife

Animals in the desert are more abundant than you may think (although mammals are few and far between). My one regret is that I never had the fortune enough to encounter the mystical Gopherus agassizii or desert tortoise.

However, I have seen three total bears (two caged grizzlies and a wild black bear), a tiger (yes, a tiger), a bobcat, a fox, countless rattlesnakes (among other less-intimidating snakes), deer, cows (huge and horrifying they are), a scorpion (yes, only one), frogs, kangaroo mice, jackrabbits, lizards, horny toads, horrifying flying insects, coyotes, skunks, squirrels, and more.

Gear

With a few exceptions, most of my gear has held up well until this point. The socks provided to me by KEEN have proven to be worthless after only one hundred and eighty miles. More on this here.

My tent has proven quite spectacular, as have my sleeping bag and sleeping pad (yet the bag has become quite smelly – with no wash in sight). My backpack (Osprey Atmos 65) was swapped out at REI after the two zippers on the front broke within a week of starting down the trail.

Literally pounds of unused gear, including extra electronics, batteries, medical supplies, camera mounts, clothing, cleaning supplies, and my compass, have been sent home.

My sandals have been swapped out for Crocs, and my shoes are now too small for my swollen feet (a half-size larger will fit perfectly).

Reflections

There is something to be said about the desert portion of the PCT, and it is something that many people would only subject themselves to once (although, looking back, the desert was quite exciting, that could be the heat stroke talking).

The trail has already become a mental struggle, but I am sure that after climbing my first ten thousand-foot peak tomorrow, the Sierra will remind my body that I am still green in the eyes of the mighty PCT.

PCT Progress Reports: Sierra, Northern California, Oregon, Washington