On the trail we crafted a list of all the things we wanted to do when in L.A. This included things like airing out our wet tent, condensing our first aid kits, taking out qtips and colloidal silver from every resupply box since we aren’t using them as quickly as we had anticipated, and other odds and ends.
We were ambitious.
Even though we had 2.5 days to do all that we wanted, there wasn’t enough time. Our list didn’t include meals with family and visiting with friends- the things that became more important once we were settled.
The last 2 days were nice but felt like a whirlwind. We both look forward to returning to our simple life on the Pacific Crest Trail.
On the trail there is a limited amount of food choice and as we get closer to our resupply point the options become even more sparse. We did a great job of creating variety in our bars and dinners but there is only so much backpacking appropriate food one can eat. There is something refreshing about that simple way of eating.
In towns and even more so now in L.A., Laurie found herself getting overwhelmed with options. Everything sounded good and knowing that we may not have it for the next 5 months made it feel even more urgent to eat everything in sight.
Needless to say, we both over ate. It is so hard when there is an endless supply of tasty food! We haven’t encountered “hiker hunger” yet but can sense it is coming. At least for the first few days of this next section we will be well prepared with full stomachs and tasty leftovers!
Sunday morning we head back to Wrightwood and back to the PCT. Our friends Josie and Matt will be joining us for a day hike and we look forward to sharing the day with them.
Laurie spent Saturday visiting her mom in Oakland, CA while Andy continued running errands and checking things off the list.
He also made time to nap, a rare treat for us on zero days thus far.
Our packs are packed, leftovers are in ziplocks, and our clothes are clean. We still stink, but at least we’re not dirty. No matter how many times we shower, our arm pits still stink. Oh well. We just have to embrace our new smell.
Tonight we are grateful for airplanes which allow for quick visits with family and readily accessible power outlets.
Miles: 10.7 (6.2 PCT miles + 4.5 miles into Wrightwood)
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We woke up this morning to the sound of wet snow falling on our tent. Neither one of us wanted to get up into the cold and windy morning air.
Eventually we dragged ourselves out of the warmth of our sleeping bags. Motivated by hot showers and home cooked meals we layered up and faced the windy world.
The wind howled around us as we disassembled the tent. We had to work as a team- communicating who was holding what to ensure that nothing flew away.
We were walking by 7:30am. It was still chilly with clouds swirling around us but we could see the sun trying to peek through.
The first 4 miles were uphill. After a brief snow flurry of small little snow balls (not flakes or hail) we quickly warmed up and shed our rain pants, rain jackets and gloves. We walked above the clouds, watching them ebb and flow in the valleys below. The mountains above us were dusted in white.
As we got higher snow clung to shady spots on the trail and trees. The air was crisp with a hint of pine. It was a magical morning!
At 8:40 we challenged ourselves to walk the remaining 3.7 miles to the Acorn Trail junction by 10 am. Laurie, who loves competitions, immediately picked up the pace. She quickly discovered however, that it is very hard to chew, breathe at elevation and walk all at the same time.
We reached the Acorn trail (most direct route to Wrightwood) at 9:57. Success!!
We switched backed down 2,337 ft into Wrightwood. Neither of our knees were super happy with the steady decline but our packs were light and spirits were high.
We walked through neighborhoods on our way into town- picking up for sale brochures and day dreaming about what it would be like to retire in Wrightwood.
We got to town, wander through the hardware store and Wrightwood market. With so many bars in our stomachs neither of us felt very hungry.
We met up with Nemo and gave him some of our leftover food before going out to lunch with Tony and Esmeralda who had driven from LA to come get us.
We split a burger and sweet potato fries and ate again 2 hours later at Andy’s aunt and uncle’s restaurant Mini Kabob. We then came back to Andy’s parents house and ate again with his mom. We can’t let good food go to waste!
We sat on a couch, ate fresh fruit and don’t know where the rest of the day went.
Around 7:30pm we went to Big 5 in search of an Angeles National Forest map to research a few more reroutes. Big 5 was only .8 miles away but the 1.6 miles felt too far to walk. Crazy how we resort to old habits when back in a familiar environment.
We are going to bed later than normal with full bellies and happy hearts. Thank you to our LA family and community for welcoming us back with such open arms.
Tonight we are grateful for good laughs and good friends.
“French fries and ice cream, French fries and ice cream!” Laurie woke up chanting with a smile on her face.
We are happy to report we did not blow away last night and actually slept very well.
Our friend Dave (Nemo) passed us around 8:15pm on a mission for chicken McNuggets and a McFlurry. It is amazing what starts to dominate your thoughts when you have spent 3 weeks in the woods.
We were on the trail by 6:45am powered by thoughts of reaching a milestone (I-15- the end of section C of California and McDonalds!). Oh, and weather is coming in too.
We got to McDonald’s at 8:15am, around the same time a large tour bus pulled in. It’s occupants made a beeline for the McDonalds and took over the bathrooms- “I guess I won’t be washing out my socks and underwear for a while” smiled Laurie.
We found an outlet to charge our phones and Laurie excitingly went to up to order her french fries and ice cream. Unfortunately McDonald’s doesn’t serve french fries or hamburgers until 10:30am- who knew?! I suppose the abstinence from McDonald’s fries will continue for another 15 years!
Laurie did get soft serve and enjoyed every bite!
We bought a new smart water bottle after Andy enthusiastically jammed a whole bunch of dehydrated lemons into one of our other smart water bottles. The lemon water was nice this morning but with the narrow opening we couldn’t get the lemons out.
Andy returned from the Chevron mini mart with a big smile on his face. He bought salt and vinegar Kettle chips and peach rings for Laurie. A true sign of trail love!
We hoisted our packs on our backs and retraced our steps 0.4 miles back to the trail. We proceeded to walk under the I-15 highway (Laurie holding Andy’s hand because it was a little spooky and dark) and out into trees on the other side. We walked under 2 railroad tracks and over 1 more.
We took some fun pictures in one of the tunnels under the train tracks – one of the joys of shorter mileage days.
We then started our climb. Fifteen miles and 4000 ft of elevation gain. The trail was gradual in some sections and steeper in others. We walked on nice wide trails for the most part and a few sections where erosion and rock slides left minimal traces of the trail. We walked on a knife edge up on a ridge and wide gradual fire roads. The only consistency was that we kept gaining elevation.
Once we started moving our aches and pains dissolved and we held a steady clip of 2.5 – 3 mph.
We were cruising along with Laurie in the lead when suddenly she yelped and jumped backwards. Hidden in a bush right next to a trail lay a rattlesnake. Thankfully he warned us of his presence but he was not happy. He continued to stare at us, tongue going in and out as he slithered away.
Not even 2 miles up the trail we saw another snake. This one more docile and sprawled out across the trail sunning itself. Since our encounter near scissors crossing (Mile 77) we have learned that rattle snakes only attack when coiled. This gave Laurie some peace of mind but did not stop her from squealing as she jumped over where the snake lay.
From there Andy took the lead. We decided that during the hottest parts of the day (and what we determined to be peak snake hours) Andy would lead.
An hour later Andy saw another snake. This one was black with a yellow stripe running along it’s side. It slithered away before Andy could get a picture and Laurie could freak out.
We stopped for an hour and a half lunch break to air out our feet. The wind picked up and it became down right cold!
We saddled up our backpacks and powered through the last 5.3 miles to camp. Laurie commented many times how pretty these mountains are. She never thought Los Angeles had mountains, let alone scenic ones.
We were delightfully surprised when we got to camp and found no one else here. Makes sense though. With inclement weather on the horizon most people must have pushed on another 10 miles to Wrightwood.
The forecast calls for a chance of showers tonight, wind gusts up to 35mph and near freezing temps.
We’re happy to be here though. We enjoy sleeping outside.
Laurie is doubly excited and has been looking forward to dinner all day. “Hey Laurie, what are you having for dinner tonight?”
“Macaroni and cheese!!” She’d reply like a gitty 5 year old.
After we ate dinner, we cleaned our dirty feet and watched lightning strike in the distance.
It’s 8:30pm now. We’re cozy in our tent and hoping our 20 degree sleeping bags keep us warm.
Time to brush up, floss and go to bed. Goodnight.
Tonight we are grateful for the warnings of rattlers and comfort food.
afamilyoutside 