trail journals

Back on Trail (Day 29)

April 15, 2021 by Jon Lanman Leave a Comment

We awake rested and restored in Wrightwood. I fetch last night’s pizza from the mini fridge. The tomatoes are frosty, but I attempt to eat the pizza anyways.

We meet Chef at the local breakfast place. He came down from the trail this morning and he said it was frigidly cold last night. Although we’re sad we missed the section, we’re pleased to be restored today, ready to walk. Chef’s friend won’t be here until around noon, so after breakfast we all go sit outside at the coffeeshop, soaking up the sun. I sip on a fresh lemonade. Chef orders some crazy milkshake concoction, that’s more delicious than I’ve ever seen. We meet a small dog named Steven. He’s sits in the sun, panting.

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Cajon Pass to Wrightwood (PCT Day 28)

April 14, 2021 by Jon Lanman Leave a Comment

We wake up in the Cajon Pass Inn. It sits right along the freeway, so sleep was not in abundance. At around 5 am I hear a loud car that rattles me awake. It’s followed by the chatter of birds. The sound gives me a sense of solace in this interstate crossroads.

The Cajon Pass Inn sits at the intersection of I-15 and Highway 138. It’s a point of transition from San Bernardino to Victorville, or Palmdale, all aligned on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The area has a sense of nowhere, marked only by McDonalds, Subway, Del Taco, some gas stations and the inn.

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Welcome to Lovely Cajon Pass (PCT Day 27)

April 13, 2021 by Jon Lanman 3 Comments

We wake up and there is condensation on the top of the tent. It drips onto my face and I’m annoyed. I don’t mind waking up to the cold, or rain. But, condensation in the tent is the worst. Lupine removes the rain fly and drapes it over a giant boulder in the sun.

As we sit eating breakfast, and drinking coffee the sun slowly rises, shedding light onto the bushes and shrubs that surround us. The birds sing in delight. We notice an ant hill to our left with no ants yet awake. Outside their hill we notice how they’ve excavated larger stones from their tunnels. We suspect the ants will soon wake up once the sun hits their hill. We finish eating and pack our bags, periodically checking on the colony. By the time we leave the camp they are still nowhere to be seen.

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Recharging (PCT Day 26)

April 12, 2021 by Jon Lanman Leave a Comment

We wake around 6 am. Our tent is cozy. But the air is cool and if we wait to rise, we will walk in the heat. We had a taste of that yesterday, and we’d prefer to avoid a repeat.

Lupine asks for 5 more minutes, so I pack my gear as she soaks up the last few minutes of rest. Then we are off.

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Devastated by Humanity (PCT Day 25)

April 11, 2021 by Jon Lanman 2 Comments

Hiking the PCT, you see the best and worst of humanity. On the best of days you receive help from a random stranger, or have a sobering conversation with a trail mate with shared virtues, giving you hope in the future. On the worst of days you see humanity tearing at the seams of the environment you’ve become so seamlessly integrated with.

Today is a day starting like many others. In the morning we hike several miles in the cool early morning hours, stopping to have breakfast at a bench high above Deep Creek. We then continue up trail as it follows along Deep Creek for miles. We stop again at a feeder creek for a snack before the day’s heat intensifies.

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Dust, Desert and Mountains (PCT Day 24)

April 10, 2021 by Jon Lanman 1 Comment

It was cold last night and I had a sore throat. I must not have had enough water yesterday. Rachel wakes up and her eyes are excruciatingly irritated. She uses some eye wipes and takes an antihistamine, then I give her a handkerchief dipped in cold water to use as a cold compress. It provides slight relief. The camp last night was especially dusty and we assume it’s what’s causing Lupine’s eye irritation. We pack our bags and continue down trail to find a less dusty place for breakfast.

We settle in next to a stream to make some muesli, with coconut milk powder, chia, cinnamon, and freeze dried raspberry. I accidentally knock over the coffee water as it’s heating and we need to start over.

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Leaving Big Bear (PCT Day 23)

April 9, 2021 by Jon Lanman Leave a Comment

We wake up in a Best Western in Big Bear at 6 am. We’re meeting our trail friend Horse in the lobby at 7:30 am to share a ride back to the trail, from a guy named Ray. Horse got his number from the bar down the street when he started asking around. Apparently that’s how ride services work in Big Bear. There’s no advertised Taxi service, unless you stumble upon Carl’s business card at the laundromat (like we did yesterday). And, there’s no Uber. So, you get a phone number when you start asking around. It’s interesting the way being carless can shape your perspective of a place.

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The Last Taxi in Big Bear Lake (PCT Day 22)

April 8, 2021 by Jon Lanman Leave a Comment

We are eager for the trail this morning. We’re planning to pop into Big Bear Lake for a food resupply and a package from the post office. Since Big Bear is decent sized we assume it won’t be a problem to find food.

However, there is one challenge. Big Bear Lake sits about 8 miles off of the trail. You can hitch or hike on the highway in. Both of those aren’t great options. So to leave ourselves plenty of time we hit the trail early, hiking about 10 miles to the trail head, arriving around noon.

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What Heaven Looks Like (PCT Day 21)

April 7, 2021 by Rachel Lanman Leave a Comment

We woke up to sunshine filtering into the tent. It is a chilly morning so we decided to warm up with breakfast and coffee at the picnic table. After our climb yesterday, we were taking our time, coaxing our stiff muscles into the idea of walking all day. Our hiker friends Smooth and Puffy were beginning to stir in their tents. After some breakfast and coffee, we filtered water from a hidden creek about 1/4 mile off trail. It was just a trickle and we had to get enough for a 17 mile water carry, so it took a long time to filter all we needed.

After chatting briefly with Smooth and Puffy, we head out into delightful hiking weather. The sky is bright blue, a perfect backdrop to the scenery of the day. It’s not too hot and there is a gentle breeze.

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Optimized for Trail (PCT Day 20)

April 7, 2021 by Jon Lanman 3 Comments

The days begin to merge together as we climb through the dry, barren hills of southern California. The scenery is beautiful, but the views are less inspiring than those we beheld from San Jacinto.

Have I become jaded to the scenery? Will only the most epic vistas capture my attention from here on out? I question if this fickleness is the problem with humanity – this need to be endlessly amused, and entertained.

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