PCT Day 47 – Winding Down

Last night I will not soon forget. Some nights I cowboy camp to take advantage of a small campsite. Sometimes I do it to save time. Last night I did it for self defense. The wind howled all night. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I slept with my quilt pulled tight around my head with only my beanie and nose outside the quilt.

Still I was occasionally sandblasted as the wind flung loose soil on me. I had my pack, my food, my rolled up tent, and my water piled around me to keep my ground cloth still and to keep the wind from coming under the sides of my quilt. Even so, when the wind hit just right, my quilt would rise up over me like the cover of a Conestoga Wagon.

Seven and Dealer’s tent was held down by 12 big rocks, but it lurched and popped all night, too.

Amazingly, I didn’t sleep too bad.

Out of the frying pan

We got out of camp ASAP after our alarms go off at 4:30. It is still pretty dark out.

The Joshua trees, silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky, look like ghostly sentinels as we walk by.

The sun appears and all the colors come out with it.

I think this is a great time to show you how windy it is. As I walk holding my camera, I am almost blown into the bushes twice!

It’s really pretty fun. I am not sure why. I suppose it’s like flying, or surfing or sailing or skiing. It’s thrilling to be on the edge of losing control as you navigate these elemental forces. Several people on the trail claim to have never in their life been in such strong winds. Sustained winds were probably 45 with gust up to 65 easy.

I have to go to the bathroom. I did not go near camp because it was too cold and windy. But now waiting is no longer an option. I tell Seven and Dealer to go on ahead while I take care of business. In my career as a technical writer I often worked with military customers. In my conversations with them they would occasionally use the term “sh*tstorm.” Now I know what one is. I squatted, barely able to stand.

On the PCT, hikers are supposed to bury their poop. Today I would have needed a whole troop of boy scouts just to FIND my poop. I don’t think it ever reached the ground. Luckily I was facing the right direction over the drop zone or finding my poop would have been the least of my problems.

Thankfully there are other distractions. The desert is just gorgeous!

I show a lot of flowers because I think they are pretty. But flowers are tough too. These yellow ones on the rocks are not bothered at all by the wind.

The water cache is just ahead on the left at a place called Bird Spring Pass, but my gaze is drawn to Bird Spring Valley to the east. Those mountains on the north side of the valley are in the Kaivah Wilderness. I am going up the one on the left to the high spot – Skinner Peak (7120 ft). It’s a climb of 1500 feet.

Bird Spring Pass

The cache is well maintained. I am only showing the collection area. The dozens of full bottles are off to the left. Those plastic totes are full of battery banks so people can recharge there devices. I have not seen that before. Pretty cool. A hiker is sitting by the banks charging his phone.

Then up we go. Dealer has been asking about the climb ever since Melinda yesterday mentioned how challenging it is. But we have now been on the trail for six weeks. C’mon, give us some credit. Even on these tiring climbs, there is time to enjoy the views.

When we climb past the high point and get on the north side of Skinner Mountain, we get the most amazing view.

In the distance are snow-covered mountains in the high Sierras. From left to right they are Mount Kaleah, Mount Whitney, Mount Langley and Mount Olancha. After dreaming of the Sierra Nevada for weeks, it is pretty exciting to finally see them.

This “Sierra” moment is framed by what we saw from Skinner Mountain looking south just a few minutes before. We could see Mount San Antonio, Mount Baden-Powel and Mount San Gorgonio – all mountains that dominated our days just three weeks ago near Wrightwood.

We have made good progress.

Odds and ends

I have been seeing this orange grass for several weeks. It has a sticky web-like appearance, like matted hair. Some people have taken to calling it Trump grass. Not me, of course.

We are looking for a campsite along McIvers Road. The trail follows the road to McIvers Spring where we will get water in the morning. The hills here are sparsely treed. It’s a pleasant change from the exposed trail we have been walking over most of the last five days.

Tomorrow I go into Ridgecrest for resupply and rest. Tomorrow is also a notable day on the trail for all hikers that choose to participate. I will wait until tomorrow to show you how that goes…

Can’t forget about this either.

• June 20, 2023
• Starting marker: 625.5
• Ending marker: 644.9
• Miles hiked today: 19
• Total PCT miles: 615