PCT Day 24 – Grin And Bare It

The night passed normally. In the morning Keith and I go about our preparations so that we are both ready to start before 6. I had informed Keith last night that I might want to do more miles today. He seems ready to take on the challenge.

First, my weekly selfie. I apologize to those that would like to see me smile more. It’s just that smiling makes my blistered lower lip crack. I have to break my Doritos into small pieces for the same reason. I use a lot of Chap Stick, but nothing seems to help. I’m smiling on the inside, though.

The bridge over Deep Creek is really quite spectacular. Here is Keith crossing.

Early trail

The early trail is soft and promising. I want it to stay this way all day.

Of course, as soon as you name your desire, the opposite happens. A series of blowdowns block our way. The last one is a real monster. It has three parts: an over, an under and a straddle. I clear all three and then I turn my camera on Keith to see if he will make it. Just as I do, the blowdown eats Keith.

Keith disappears except for one leg and a trekking pole. And then, the blowdown spits him out. Whew. Keith says there was no problem, but I detect a slight quaver in his voice. That’s OK, Keith, we don’t have to talk about it.

The trail stays on the southern ridge above deep creek all morning.

The rocks along the trail come to life in odd ways. Perhaps you remember the Gator head rock I discovered last year. Well, this year I found something for Seminole fans to cheer about.

And what about this grumpy old fella?

Deep Creek Hot Springs

A well-known feature of Deep Creek are its hot springs. Hot water bubbles up into small shallow pools right next to the creek. It is possible to have one leg in the creek (cold) and one leg in the spring (hot). Because the Springs are accessible by local trails, they have become quite the party place. Drinking, mild drug use and nudity are all well-represented here on any given day.

Today is Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, so the springs have about 80 people there when Keith and I arrive via the PCT. The trail from town has a steady supply arriving when we do. Here is what the hot springs look like from the trail. One of the hot pools is on the left.

Keith and I are curious about just exactly what is going on down there as we hike by, so we head on down to take a look, for purely academic reasons of course.

We meet our friends Jeremy and Shelley down by the springs. They are eating lunch in their bathing attire, looking quite relaxed. We chat a bit and then head out. Since Jeremy and Shelley travel at our pace, we expect to see them again.

Keith and I head up the trail looking for a shady spot for lunch. Not long after we find one, Jeremy and Shelly arrive looking refreshed.

Late trail

The trail away from the springs is filled with day hikers, many of them from Mojave. It’s beautiful up here and easy to get to for many.

As we reach the place where dayhikers split off from the PCT, I see the Mojave Dam. The Dam is built for flood control. It limits the amount of water that can enter Mojave from the confluence of Deep Creek and the Mojave Rivers.

Ford

We have to ford Deep Creek. There is supposed to be a place where the river is only hip deep. Jeremy and Shelly arrive as Keith and I are searching for the shallow part. We find it after 15 minutes of wading and we all cross over relatively dry.

We sit by the river and discuss sports teams. They are big Sacramento Kings fans. I like the Kings too (except when they play the Magic) so we are all good.

To camp

All that remains to do this afternoon is to gather water and find camp. The trail along the Mojave River is cool and grassy.

Soon the trail goes up above the valley that holds the river – Summit Valley. The valley is bordered by a high mesa on its southern end. We look down on this valley as we make our way to camp.

Trail left above Summit Valley

In camp, the winds pick up. Soon we are buffered with 30 mph gusts. The camp site is somewhat exposed to this wind. We take our best guess about where to pitch our tents. My tent gets blown down five times before I get into it up for good.

I am laying here in my tent, writing this post, waiting for the wind to blow down my tent for the sixth time. I feel like I am in a bounce house. When a big gust hits, the whole tent, including the part of the floor I am not laying on, go up in the air. Six stakes keep it from blowing away.

I am so tired, I that I can’t write any more tonight. The wind will have its way I guess. Pray that I don’t wake up in Oz.

• May 28, 2023
• Starting marker: 298.5
• Ending marker: 317.3
• Miles hiked today: 19
• Total PCT miles: 287