Alone In the Desert Today

9/24/13

PCT mile 59.5-76.5   18 miles

Sunrise Trailhead to Scissor Crossing

Today I have a long day with 2 possible places for Robin to meet me.  Looking at my maps I don't think either road is passable but Robin wants to check it out for himself and we'll be in touch by iPhone. 

 We were up at 5:15 to see the sunrise and he dropped me off at the trailhead at 6:25.  It is cool, clear and slightly warmer than yesterday. 

The trail winds through hills of chaparral 

and also follows a portion of the California Riding & Hiking Trail.  

From the CRHT the trail looks like it peters out and I kept checking my maps to be sure I was on the correct path. This doesn't look like my trusty PCT. 

  It bottomed out in a flat wash and followed old rutted Chariot Canyon road up a winding hill then shot off to the left and finally I was on the PCT trail that I recognized and trusted. 

The folded hills were lovely.

No Robin in sight, I opened my phone and had a message from him that neither road was passable. No cool drink in an umbrella chair today, sniffle, sigh.  Yep, spoiled. 

I rounded a hillside and could see this mountain come into view, looking on my map it's named Chariot Mt.   Far below you may be able to see a road at the base of it. I thought maybe Robin might be able to find a way in by that road.     No dice.

After Chariot Mt The valley floor starts becoming apparent.  The day is heating up, I'm glad to have my umbrella with me.  I've brought 3 liters of water and am being careful to keep hydrated, stopping often for snacks. I've already had 2nd & 3rd breakfast!   

   There are caterpillars that are all over the trail here, eating greenery voraciously, stripping the tiny plants. They look like a type of hornworm, black and yellow stripped with a horn on one end. This is such unforgiving territory I'm careful not to step on them.  

  I'm came up to a gate of some sort in the middle of nowhere and had to chuckle to see a real street sign.

Rodriguez Spur and Pacific Crest Trail! 

Also there is 1 water jug left from a water cache under a bush which I past up.

The trail passed across the road and continued down the valley. The flat valley floor is far down the hills and I know Scissor Crossing is down there somewhere and so is Robin, waiting in the sun for me.

The trail is dry and shows damage from a recent rainfall,  cutting gullies and gashes across the trail.  Tossing rocks and debris down the washes.

A text from Robin tells me it's 92 degrees

which explains a lot about how I'm feeling just now.  I stopped in the lee of a bush, using it and my umbrella for shade, I ate more and drank more. My Gatorade is actually hot. 

The last miles are always a beast and when I think I'm close... Well,  I should know better. 

Descending these hills the trail is covered with a weed that collects on my shoes, my socks and eventually works it's way inside my shoes to poke at my toes. nasty weeds.

  I think after the brief deluge a week ago, the weeds sprouted and tiny yellow flowers bloomed which I can still see examples of along the path. 

At last I stepped off the hillside and down onto the valley floor.  Immediately I lost the path in a big wash of soil, rocks and debris that flowed off the mountains in the rain.  It washed away the trail and I cast around trying to find it finally climbing a hillock, getting high enough to survey the surrounding area.  I saw it going off in one direction so I had to note where I would pick it up, otherwise I would lose it again in all the sameness of the desert sand. 

This is the trail going through the bloom of tiny yellow flowers.  Somewhere out there is Robin waiting for me at Scissor Crossing. 

I struck off into the distance and after a mile or so I heard my name called, I answered and Robin and I found each other in the desert, he was carrying a cup of iced cranberry juice to me!  Wow, nothing ever tasted better!  We walked about 1/2 mile together until we came to his cooler and umbrella chair under a tree.  It was too hot to rest for long, we packed it all up and trudged to the car parked along the Hwy at Scissor Crossing. 

Robin really had to work to find all the trail crossings out in the middle of such a wild expanse. But he not only found the trail but brought drinks and snacks!  

We drove to Julien for a big lunch to celebrate.  Great food in Julien!

After spending a last night at Burnt Rancheria we left Southern California for other adventures together.  

Next year Peggy and I will meet in the desert and hike the state together, minus these miles of S. Cal. I've already hiked. California is approximately 1500 miles and we will have completed the Pacific Crest Trail.  Wish us luck and follow us at this journal in April 2014!