PCT 2022 # 1 Southern California

BIG BEAR (mile 266) – WRIGHTWOOD (mile 369.3): So we are at it again!

We joined onto the trail just where we left off and things are going well. The weather has been continuously clear which is a huge improvement from 2020 and we have concluded that starting mid April is far better than starting early March. Although I thought of taking photos of us beginning again with our new shoes, shiny poles, clean pale bodies, but I was too excited to be doing it rather than talk talk talking about hiking. So you will have to imagine our fresh start.

The thing that strikes you immediately is the quality of this trail. IT IS SO SMOOTH! A well trodden, level, gradually sloped path makes the walking so pleasant. Its grace is noticeable and allows us to cover more distance than anticipated without extra effort.

The nearby proximity of such a powerful city as Los Angeles creates shocking contrasts to the nature on the trail at times. One example was the beauty of the area around Deep Creek Hot Springs.

The gentle traverse of the valley leads to several soaking pools along the rocky edge of the creek. Hot Springs au natural! Our favourite! After the soak, the trail gently leads you out and abruptly dumps you into a civilization reality: this HUGE water project retention wall that makes you feel that you DO NOT BELONG HERE!! The contrast was harsh and like a Sci-Fi movie set. I was stunned and forgot to take photos, I was too busy stopping my head from shaking in bewilderment.

And we continue…and the landscape is less interfered with for awhile…

On the way to Cajon Pass the trail undulates gently and makes for a beautiful morning walk.

At the Pass we come to a vista so expansive that it covers everything you can see. A feeling of bigness and breath and Wow! We walked down into that expansiveness step by step.

We are at a crossroads of many elements at this point.

Again I am so jostled with emotions that I take fewer pictures. It gets noisy as we approach the highway. Noisier and noisier. We walk under the rushing cars through a massive dark tunnel and splash the trickle of water at our feet. We are next in a deserted waste of land with dumped cars, scrap grass and garbage. The trail meanders under and over train tracks and when we look back the action and busyness of civilization is overwhelming!

Things do settle down, as we walk, we calm. The landscape returns to itself and so do we.

We now climb for 20 miles carrying our water. It is a livestock grade BUT it continually goes up! We are soooo fortunate! Every step I am reminded that there is so much to appreciate!