I had the alarm set for 4am this morning and snoozed for a full hour until I saw light starting to creep through the cracks of the hut. I woke up Chris and we both ran up to the peak with a bag of granola and our cameras.

It was extremely cold waiting for the sun to come up. There were some magnificent colours in the sky but after waiting almost an hour we both thought that maybe there was too much cloud cover to see any more. That’s when suddenly this big glowing red ball peeked out of the cloud cover. It was so unexpected and surreal the way it rose out of the clouds, like the world was giving birth to a huge red burning mass. The picture doesn’t quite capture the effect but it was like nothing I’d ever seen before.

After a quick cup of coffee in the hut it was time to pack up and hit the trail again. The walk to the stream was an easy one but after filling up on 5 litres of water to last the next 20 miles my pack was back to it’s regular heavy weight. I felt like a donkey trying to move it up some of the switch backs that followed.

Fuller Ridge had been talked up to be one of the most treacherous parts of the trail. I hadn’t read this myself but Chris had slight anxiety about this track and we had heard there was lots of snow from hikers that had passed that section earlier. We reached the end before realising we’d even gone through it. I guess the snow must have melted pretty quickly. There is a big storm expected to roll in tomorrow so I’m glad we missed it by at least a day.

I could see some of the forest fires that have been reported near the trail burning in the distance. They’re about 15 miles away and blowing in the opposite direction for now so hopefully they won’t affect the trail.

The rest of the day was downhill. I wore both my ankle and knee brace which was lucky because both Chris and I took a few falls on the way down and there were so many rocks to twist my ankles on. I also used some of Igor’s magic cream for my sore shoulders. He wasn’t lying when he said the cream will heat up the skin. It got so hot in fact that I had to pour water down my back to cool off.

The whole way down I could still see the peak we’d come from in the distance. We made it to mile 200 today but my legs had put in such an effort yesterday and today that I couldn’t go much further.

We set up camp in a windy ridge not far beyond the 200 mile mark. My tent does not do well in the wind so I have at least 6 big rocks holding it down tonight. Hopefully this time it will remain upright!

I’m about to fall asleep inside a small hut a few steps from the top of San Jacinto peak at an elevation of 10,800 feet.

After leaving Idyllwild at 3pm Chris and I decided it would be awesome to camp as close to the summit as possible and watch the sunrise; we didn’t expect to reach the top to see the sun set as well.

The climb from Idylwild was straight up for close to 10 miles and with 6 days of food in my pack it was a struggle. If I didn’t have Chris’ feet to follow I don’t think I could have made it, but after hearing about the hut at the top we were both determined to reach there before dark.

The day started with a visit from Dr Sole and coffee and scones with Wendy. She wanted to hit the trail early but I still had a few chores on my list including buying lunch food, cleaning out my tent and re-visiting the post office. Chris and I went back to the Red Kettle for lunch with another hiker called Austin. Once we’d ingested as much food as could possibly fit I asked a lady who was about to get into her car if we could have a lift to the trailhead. Not only did she drive us, she also gave us extra water to take with us when Chris realised he hadn’t filled up before leaving town.

We met a lot of day hikers coming back from the peak who all seemed to think it would take us a lot longer to reach the top, especially from the look of our heavy packs. The climb reminded me slightly of Kilimanjaro, just one foot in front of the other, breathing hard because of altitude and feeling slightly light headed. When we reached the hut we dropped our packs and booked it up the rocks to watch the last bit of sunlight dip beneath the horizon.

There wasn’t another soul up here even though we were told the hut may already be full of hikers. There are two bunk beds inside with sleeping mats and bags on them. I freaked out about bed bugs so I took all the bedding off and replaced it with my own. We then set up both stoves and had a sophisticated dinner on the floor of the hut consisting of chicken and vegetable pasta, carrot cake for dessert and peppermint tea.

I’ve got the alarm set for 4am so we can run up to the peak and watch the sun rise. After that we have a long hot stretch without water so a siesta may be in order. It’s such a novelty to be sleeping in a bed this high up in the wilderness.

If there’s one person on the trail more passionate about telling their story of this adventure than me it’s Chris. He started his blog in early January and has an incredibly emotional story to tell of the events in his life that brought him to the trail. He spent a lot of time in Idyllwild editing the videos he’s been taking along the way. As I haven’t been taking video myself I highly suggest you check out his sight in conjunction with mine to get a real sense of what it’s like to be out here. He’ll be keeping a video journal of the entire experience so take a look: www.ubserious.wordpress.com

I slept no more than an hour last night, partly because the wind was so fierce the sheer noise kept me awake, but also because the bottom of my tent came unpegged and the structure collapsed over my legs. This meant I had to sleep in a fetal position in the middle of the tent to avoid the fly whipping into my sides.

Everyone slept pretty badly but my tent was definitely in the worst shape this morning. It was still so windy that we hit the trail without having breakfast, also because we were extremely low on water and still 2 miles from the next stream.

We still had to climb higher, so much so we crossed one patch of snow. Man the Sierra’s are going to be a challenge, luckily it’s been a low snow year. I’m going to have to acclimatise to the colder weather soon, I was too spoiled by the Melbourne summer this year!

There were seven of us heading down the Devil’s Side Trail into Idyllwild this morning. We were moving at a pace somewhere between a fast walk and a run as our packs were light without any food left and minimal water. The hike back up tomorrow is going to be very tough with 7 days of food and lots of water. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it as I sit by the fire in my cosy cabin.

When we got to the bottom of the trail the other five went ahead and luckily Chris and I were able to get a ride really quickly with a man named Brad. Once in town we hunted down Wendy and the cabin and were suddenly overwhelmed by the sight of a shower and a real bed. As we headed to the Red Kettle for breakfast I realised how much we were struggling with re-entry into the ‘real world’. Crossing the road, deciding what to eat, communicating with non hikers was suddenly more difficult than expected. We were both struck with sensory overload and more than excited by fresh coffee and steak and eggs for breakfast.

Although I was running on very little sleep I still had many tasks to complete after a long, slow breakfast. First stop shower, then laundry, then to the gear store to purchase new tips for my hiking poles, toe socks to stop blisters and more moleskin. Then it was off to the post office. My resupply box was extremely heavy with 7 days of food and I carried it across town to the supermarket and hardware store to buy HEET before remembering that BJ had sent me my special cream from Igor for my sore shoulder. Luckily I went back to the post office because they actually had another package for me from Belinda and Josh. When the lady handed them over I almost got teary. I can tell you that emotions are extremely heightened out here and acts of kindness mean so much when you’re surviving off so little.

I found myself a new t-shirt in the hiker box today which says ‘Wild and Free’, very fitting and perfect for when all my hiking clothes are in the laundry. Chris found himself a pair of shorts but unfortunately they were contaminated with poison oak and he broke out in a huge rash.

When we finally got our laundry back half of my clothes were stuck to his and we lost it after Chris put on his clean pants and my handkerchief and washcloth were attached to his knees.

I bumped into Acid Glasses again at the post office so we all went to get pizza tonight. I went into OCD mode this evening trying to repack my bag with new supplies. Tomorrow morning Dr Sole is popping in for breakfast and then it’ll be back to the trail. I’ve got to say the transition back and forth is still quite a challenge.

It’s 16:47 and I am absolutely beat. I had read in Yogi’s guide that this section of the trail is one of the steepest but I wasn’t quite expecting this. I’m in the San Jacinto Mountains which are absolutely breathtaking, but the hard rocks and incredibly steep trail are killing my feet.

I’ve got terrible signal here which is odd because I feel like I’m on top of the world at the moment. The day started with 30 minutes of snoozing between 4:30 – 5:00am. It was cold outside so I did my usual cooking from inside the tent procedure although this time I set some dry grass on fire and had to cover it with my windshield to put it out. My hair needs a serious wash.

Lots of hikers passed by my site this morning on the way to the spring which I expected. I had to walk the rest of the way down there myself and realised I probably could have made it to the next water source without making the 2 mile detour. Too late!

The trail started climbing early on and I thought that was the steep section they were referring to in Yogi’s book. Oh no, the steep parts were still to come. I met a few new faces on the trail today, The Kid and Acid Glasses who I followed for 2 miles to the next water source. I hadn’t spoken to anyone for what seemed forever so the poor guy got exploded upon with conversation.

We found a shady spot with two wooden chairs and decided to stop for lunch. Acid Glasses had a giant stack of ham and cheese which he planned to eat on one small bagel. He offered me a few slices to lighten the load which tasted fantastic after days of spam and beef jerky. Just as I was about to head down to the water source with my entire pack he suggested just taking my water bottles and filter as I needed to come back up the hill to the exact same place. Good thinking! This guy has done the Appalachian Trail and seems to know a few good ways to conserve energy.

My small toe looks to be getting a little infected and sadly I’m without any neosporin after my pack shake down. I did however get a text from Dr Sole today who said he’ll be in Idyllwild on Friday! Wendy also said she made it there and has a room in her cabin for me tomorrow night. I was hoping to push to get there late tonight but I had no idea the terrain would be like this. I’m still 6 miles from where I hoped to finish up today and I seem to be going at a pace of 1 mph.

Since I started this post I’ve hiked the most excruciating 4 miles with Chris to a campsite 4 miles from Idyllwild. Just as I was in the bushes about to pee I heard “Muk Muk” being called and I ran out to see that he’d finally caught up with me. We had two choices for camping, a site 1.3 miles or one just over 4 miles. In our exuberance we decided on the later and boy did we have to work for it. I was pretty sure I was going to faint or vomit when I got there but we arrived in one piece just as it was getting dark and joined another group of hikers camping 8000 feet above sea level. It’s windy as hell and I’m pretty certain I’m going to be blown over the edge! Could be a restless night!

Exactly one mile east of the trail at Hwy 74 (mile 152) lies a hiker haven called Paradise Cafe. As Tuesday is their one day closed during the week there was a lot of talk as to whether or not it would be open. Luckily I heard from Wendy further up the trail who said the cafe was open until 3pm today. I hadn’t planned to go but after my feet were giving me grief I figured it would be the perfect spot to give them a rest!

I had already popped the blister on my little toe twice last night so this morning I got out the pin and created a hole big enough that wouldn’t heal shut, a tactic passed on from dear Dr Sole.

It was a cold windy morning so I made coffee and breakfast just outside my tent so I could remain in my sleeping bag. I was on the road by 6:30am and only half a mile from the water cache. I only took 3 litres this time which helped a lot once the trail started climbing through the mountains again.

I felt fantastic for the first 7 miles, then my feet really started to ache. I think they were complaining about the 20 mile day yesterday. I usually stop at intervals to take off my shoes and give them a good massage which helps a lot, especially this time before the one mile road walk to the cafe.

I considered hitching but wasn’t really sure what to do. At first I just hoped someone would stop, then I tried facing the traffic and smiling before I got enough courage to stick out my thumb. After three cars sped past I decided to give it up and walk. I hope my attempts improve as the distances to town increase.

I had the Jose Burger which everyone raves about in Yogi’s guide, without jalapeños. It was quite delicious, but that and a lemonade played havoc with my hiker food accustomed stomach, all the more reason to lie in the shade for the afternoon before putting in a few more miles.

I’m currently nestled between a few bushes about half a mile from the next water source on a side trail off the PCT. I have no service at the moment so hopefully I can post this in the morning.

I got a message from Chris this afternoon saying he had called the Paradise Cafe to ask them to leave his resupply box outside as he expected to get there this evening. When I was half a mile heading back to the trail I realised I could pick up the box and take it back to the trail with me to save him the 2 mile walk. When I got back to the cafe I met a guy called White Lightning who immediately said “you must be Muk Muk!” He had been hiking with Chris but sped ahead to try and reach the cafe before it closed. He said not to worry about taking the box as they were going to meet at the cafe, but for my troubles I managed to hitch a ride back to the trail in the back of a van next to a couple of surfboards with a man named Bill.

I had a day hiker follow me for the first 3 miles after the cafe and ask me all sorts of questions about the trail. I had just tried putting two insoles in my shoes and because I was chatting I ignored the pain on the top of my right foot until it had created a painful gash over my big toe. When the other hiker left I got fed up with the pain in my feet, threw down my hiking poles and tore off my shoes. I decided the only way I could keep going was to wear my trusty purple Frocs. As difficult as they were to walk in, especially given the steep rocky incline I was travelling on, they actually felt a lot better and spurred thoughts of new footwear possibilities. I walked over 5 miles in my Frocs before I came to the steep rocky trail down to the Live Oak Spring which I’m camped on now. It’s 22 miles to Idyllwild so I won’t make it tomorrow like I’d hoped but I have plenty of food to keep me going. I even dropped off about four dinners and a few extra bits in the hiker box at the cafe to lighten my load.

I’m so tired from pushing to 20 miles today that I just brushed my teeth in my tent and opted to swallow the toothpaste. I hit snooze until 5:00am this morning and was on the trail at 6:04am. I walked until the sun was almost completely set tonight, some time around 8pm.

The day was so long it almost feels like two. Getting up early was a great move and something I hope to do from here on in as the miles are so much easier without the heat. I arrived at my first water source four miles in, a water tank at Mike’s place. There were a few other hikers there including Flipper who didn’t manage to get to the water last night and had to survive on the splash I gave him the night before. When I went to sign the trail register the woman at the property offered to cook me pancakes but I was keen to push on and make myself a coffee up on the trail.

Last night I heard a whole group of hikers go by at midnight. I saw them all this morning at Mike’s and they were stoked to hear about the offer of pancakes. They had started from Warner Springs at 5pm and made it further than I did in an entire day!

There were more majestic mountain views and wildlife on the trail today including the snake pictured above who was in no hurry to get out of my way, even when I went to prod it with my hiking pole. It finally moved when I threw a stone at it. It was another hot day but my second water source was only 10 miles away so I planned to get there as quickly as possibly and then wait out the heat. Below you can see the trail cut along the mountain on the left.

There were even more hikers at the Tule Spring where a huge water tank fed water down to a small hose. I spent three hours laying in the shade, drinking, eating and even sleeping a little. I had to perform surgery on a new blister on my small toe but all in all the feet are doing well.

I made a great discovery today of how to soak my feet when there’s no rivers or creeks. I just pour a little bit of water into my Frocs (fake Crocs) and give myself a foot bath.

While I was hiking today I thought about all of the comments I’ve been receiving on this blog. It’s honestly one of the best parts of my day when I receive them. Even though I don’t always respond I absolutely love reading them and it makes me feel like I’m not alone out here. They definitely keep me motivated!

After a hearty lunch of spam and cheese I was ready for the last 7 miles. I was determined to get close enough to the next water cache but also find a nice place to camp. Luckily I was able to do both with just enough daylight to set up my tent. The sky looked a lot like it did this morning when I woke up and started hiking… beautiful!

I haven’t looked ahead to tomorrow but because Paradise Cafe is closed on Tuesdays (bummer) I’ll need enough water to go 15 miles. I’m used to carrying way too much so it shouldn’t be a problem. That’s about all I have in me this evening, off to sleep!

It only occurred to me when I started looking for a campsite tonight that it would be my first night camping alone. When I woke up this morning Wendy had already packed up her tent and left. I told her I was going to have a slow morning and she wanted to beat the heat. Smart girl!!

I was up by about 8:30am but by the time I’d cooked up oats and coffee and enjoyed the early morning sun while packing up, it was 9:45am by the time I left camp and already the temperature was getting hot. My feet were feeling pretty good but my lower back and knees started to hurt a little. I guess something will always hurt during this hike. Dr Sole gave me a magic green potion to put on my knees which really helped. I think they use it on horses so it’s pretty heavy duty!

The best part of the day was early on crossing Agua Caliente Creek five times. I found the best spot, took off my shoes and waded in the cool water before filtering enough water to fill my 6 litre capacity. I ate lunch there in the shade before heading on, this is where the walk became very challenging. The extra weight and extreme heat were a bad combination, plus the trail went up, up and up for the next 7 miles. It was a good thing I did take the extra water because a lovely girl I met who was day hiking called Katie had run out on her way back to her car. Then later on while I was at camp I met another hiker ‘Flipper’ who had also run out 3 miles from the next source.

The views were great but I really struggled after four days off the trail. My back wasn’t doing well and at one point I put everything down and just sprawled out on the trail. I stayed in that position until 4pm after only doing about 8 miles. Another mile up I almost stopped to camp except something scurried across the ground and after almost stepping on a snake on the trail today I decided it wasn’t a good spot. This ended up being a good decision as I was able to walk another 4-5 miles before finding a really good place to camp.

While I was making dinner two hikers passed my tent and we chatted briefly. I wasn’t able to catch up to Wendy but didn’t really expect to after at least 4 hikers passed me today. Ah well no rush. I had mac and cheese tonight and if anything, at least my trail appetite is in good shape. I’m planning to make a very early start tomorrow morning. Ill set the alarm for 4:30am and see how I go. Even after training in the Australian summer heat I’m still struggling with the temperatures out here.

Pac Man is still in Idyllwild waiting for his new water filter and Chris is still in Warner Springs waiting for the post office to open tomorrow so he can get his resupply. There’s so many people on the trail now. I even bumped into another of Dr Sole’s patients ‘Road Runner’ and her husband today. I now understand what they mean when they talk about hiking community. Below I’ve tried adding a panoramic picture of the view from my campsite and also a photo of my new pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters so you can see what they look like!

It’s 10:45pm and Wendy and I just set up camp a couple of miles out of Warner Springs. We were happy to leave the kick off a day early and get back to the trail ahead of the pack. Leanne one of Monty’s friends and her partner brought us the 1.5 hours back to the trail head. My pack was on my lap in the back seat full of 5 days of food and 6 litres of water making my legs numb for most of the trip.

We started the day with breakfast and coffee with Dr Sole before heading over to the Dirty Girl vendor tent. He made us burritos and said we could come back for lunch too. My feet are in such good shape he just did a quick clean and tape up job so no dirt could get in, then I was set to go.

I had a full list of things I needed to get done today and was happy to tick the majority off the list:
– pack up campsite and repack bag
– make a list of items to be sent in my bounce box after the shake down of gear yesterday
– post bounce box to Aqua Dulce and extra gear back to Canada
– purchase additional gear (sun gloves, 1 litre platypus bottle, belt, spork)

Once this was done I spent some time with the Dirty Girls and went to a couple of seminars on food and one for women only hikers. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to this one and although I was glad I did, I left feeling more vulnerable than before. Some of the women who had done other thru hikes had some interesting stories about dealing with male attention on the trail, and having been at the kick off I now understand what they’re talking about. The good thing is there’s at least 20 other solo women hikers on the trail so I’m definitely not on my own out here.

Next up was the class of 2013 PCT hiker photo and then cheeseburgers for dinner.

We said a big goodbye to Dr Sole before we left and thanked him so much for all the work he did on my and many other hiker’s feet. I encouraged him to take a short lunch break and brought him some food for dinner as the line up of patients was never ending. He may also be in Kennedy Meadows around the time I’m there, fingers crossed!

Once we were dropped off back at the trail head we decided to hike some distance from the road. My headlamp was the strongest so I was leading and could see so many creepy crawlies on the trail including spiders, giant black bugs and crickets. After a few minutes of walking we were surrounded by at least ten pairs of giant eyes reflecting in the torch light which turned out to be horses, then I also saw a huge mouse which turned around and ran towards me when my torch light hit it. I screamed and ran in circles then doubled over in fits of laughter with Wendy who also freaked out at the speed at which the mouse charged at me. We decided to find a place to camp soon after. Tomorrow morning I’m going to take it slow and get my bearings again, then start the trail anew as a solo hiker. Pac Man already made it to Idyllwild so he’s at least 4 days ahead of me now.

It’s day 2 of kick off and I’m just about done. I had the most magnificent pack shake down which consists of an experienced hiker going through each and every piece of your gear to assess whether or not you really need it. I think it was the longest shakedown in history creating a lot of interest from passers by who were amazed at the quantity of items that were being put aside.

My clothing, first aid, underwear and toiletries were all closely scrutinised, right down to the one tampon I was carrying if my Diva Cup failed. I’ve never had a male stranger and random onlookers learn so much about me so quickly. When people saw I had three pairs of shoes I think they were curious to know what else was in my giant pack. In the end I think we managed to cut at least 15 pounds or more. Thank you Virgo for helping me do this!

I was fortunate to have time between my Dirty Girl Gaiter duties to attend a couple of seminars on desert hiking and the water report. Tomorrow I hope to learn a little more about snow hiking/camping and post off all the gear that won’t be joining me on the trip. The Gaiter stand was relatively quiet today but we’re expecting things to heat up tomorrow. Could be another busy day.

I was put on front gate duty tonight from 8pm until 10pm which meant I missed all the videos from the class of 2012 hikers. Shame. I’m not sure when and how I’m getting back to the trail but hopefully I’ll make it out of here sometime tomorrow or early on Sunday. Dr Sole cleaned up my feet again today and he says I’m ready to walk. He’s also going to make Wendy and I coffee and breakfast tomorrow morning. True trail magic which I may need as there’s some serious snoring going on around my tent again tonight.

Till tomorrow…