PCT Day 6 – Scissors

We had expected high winds and rain last night, and we were not disappointed. It started blowing early in the evening with sustained winds around 25 mph and gusts up to 35. I drifted off to sleep as the tent lurched and popped around me. I had covered each tent stake with a large rock to keep them from pulling out.

I awoke at 12:30 because the roof of my tent was on my face. One of the stakes had pulled out. I put on my puffy and went outside. The rain was blowing around like snow. I could not find the stake so I retrieved an extra one from inside, restaked the tent and returned to sleep. I actually slept well the rest of the night.

Wind blown

Breaking down camp is hard when all your gear is blowing around. Low temperatures and light rain make it even harder. But sometimes the best solution to miserable conditions is hiking. At least you are likely to get warmer.

The plan

Getting good real-time information about trail conditions is hard. Trail apps are helpful, but the information is not always up to date. The issue of the day is water. There seems to be water 5 miles up the trail, but no one knows if it is still there. Water sources dry up quickly as summer nears. The next source of water could be at the intersection of California Hwy 78 and highway S2. The intersection is commonly called Scissors Crossing. In the past, volunteers have stocked the Crossing with water. The next water after that is 14 miles away.

I ask Keith what the plan is. He says that it looks like there is no water for the next 27 miles, so we’re screwed. I tell him that’s not a plan. What’s the plan!? I catch him off guard, and it’s not fair of me, but I am stressed about the situation. We go over our options. We will carry enough water out of camp to make it to Scissors Crossing in case there is no water in 5 miles. If there is no water at Scissors Crossing we will catch a ride into town to get some water, and return to the trail the next day. With that settled we press on.

The route

Last night we camped at the south end of Chariot Canyon. The PCT follows the ridge on the east side of that canyon north until it pops over the ridge and goes down into Rodriguez Canyon. That is where we hope to find water at the Fire Tank.

We get up on the ridge east of Chariot Canyon. The air is brisk and alive. We have to yell to hear each other.

There is something strange about the clouds on the opposite ridge and at the end of the canyon. They are moving but the don’t go anywhere. It’s more like they are rolling without advancing. We will see more of this later in the day. The Anza-Borrego desert has cast a spell on these mountains. Clouds are not allowed to enter it.

The flowers up here are really something. I resist taking photos of them. I am in business mode. Keith tells me to relax and enjoy the trail. He is right, so I do.

We pop over the ridge and look down Rodriguez Canyon.

I get a good feeling, and I am right: there is water at the fire tank. I quickly drink a liter and then fill up all my empty bottles. We have plenty of water to get to Scissors crossing now.

Vallecito Mountains

We cross Rodriguez Canyon and climb up onto the shoulders of the Vallecito Mountains on the north edge of Anza-Borrego. We can now see the desert to which we have been heading all day. It is the San Felipe Valley Wildlife Area. You can see it in the distance.

As we make our way around the bend, more of the desert comes into view. This next photo shows the bank of “rolling” clouds on the left. Notice how green the mountains are under the cloud. Now look at the mountains on the right. They are brown because the desert will not allow those clouds to cross the valley. Keith tells me the meteorological reason, but I prefer to think it’s magic.

In the desert

After lunch we climb down to the desert floor. You can see the cloud bank in the distance above the green mountains.

It is a good year for desert flowers.

It is important to minimize exposure in the desert. This is what I do.

Scissors Crossing

We make it to the crossings and we are in luck. There are over 30 gallons of water here! We get to work drinking and filling. We will each need to take 5 liters to get through today and tomorrow.

There are two hikers chilling under the highway at the water cache. It’s Pads and Icarus. These guys are hard core. They left the Mexican border two days ago. That means they have hiked 76 miles in three days!

Camp

We head up into the hills beyond the crossing. I celebrate with more flower photos.

We find a cozy camp spot that appears sheltered. Of course you never know. Overall, the day went very well! The future looks promising.

• May 10, 2023
• Starting marker: 63.6
• Ending marker: 79.4
• Total miles hiked today: 16
• Total miles hiked: 79.4