Journey report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles
I actually loved a few weeks alongside through hikers in a scorching, dry desert part of the PCT.
Click on PLAY or watch my highlights on YouTube. (6min)
Sizzling, dry — however not flat. I ended up on the summits of Mt. San Jacinto (10,834 ft) and Mt. Baden-Powell (9,399 ft). Then needed to descend.
Palm Springs to Agua Dulce is about 245 PCT miles. My part was largely rocky, sun-baked canyons and scrub.
Many complain in regards to the relentless wind. Personally, I like wind because it cools you off.
I skipped a few of these miles taking 3 rides alongside the best way. After all I added miles mountaineering in from the Palm Springs Tramway. And ALL hikers add miles once they hike into and out of resupply stops.
I flew into Palm Springs. Purchased tenting gasoline and stopped at a grocery. Then took the bus to the underside of famed Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Turns on the market’s no public transit for the final 3 miles. Oops. Fortunately, a man on a bike seen my dilemma, providing a elevate to the bottom. My first Path Angel.
Inside an hour, I had my solely actual harm. Standing up, I forgot I used to be sporting a heavy pack, and fell backwards over a rock. Getting scratched up. … Dumb mistake.
I loved the quick facet journey to San Jacinto Peak. It’s over 10,000 ft greater than Palm Springs.
I camped close by. And was surprisingly chilly within the sleeping bag.
Quite than put up a day-by-day account, listed below are main themes of my 2 weeks on path.
Priorities
Staying Hydrated
Foot Care
Avoiding Warmth Emergencies
Wild Tenting
About 5:30pm I’d begin on the lookout for a campsite. Ideally close to a water supply.
IF there’s a Bear Locker, use it. On the wonderful Little Jimmy Campground we suggested everybody to lock up meals and backpacks.
About 2am a bear arrived to test if lockers have been closed. Checked each tent. Began dragging a backpack out of a vestibule because it had some meals in it. The hiker (now referred to as Bear Bait) shouted and had a tug-of-war with the beast, finally successful the battle for his pack.
If there isn’t any Bear Locker, grasp your backpack away from bugs & rodents.
I had my meals in an Ursack, and tied it away on a tree.
I do love having a picnic desk.
Because it turned out, I solely put my fly on the tent 2 nights of 17. Why didn’t anyone inform me it by no means rains in southern California? 😀
Foot Care
As I’d suffered blisters on the PCT as soon as previously, this time I introduced 2 pairs of mountaineering footwear, each about 1.5 sizes bigger than what I put on within the metropolis. And each have been WIDE sized.
I modified footwear usually. Modified socks usually. Washed and cooled my ft each likelihood I obtained. And it labored.
Close to the top of my desert mountaineering, I purchased a pair of Injinji toesocks. I believe they could have helped, too.
Pack Weight
Solely mountaineering a few weeks, my pack was heavier than most. Beginning with 10 meals, carrying 3-4 litres of water, it may need been near 40 kilos.
After per week or so, it was close to 32 kilos.
The lighter, the higher. I did discover my pack too heavy.
Alternatively, I like my pack itself ➙ the Hyperlite Unbound 55 Backpack.
Right here’s my full gear record. You may resolve what I ought to have left behind. 😀
Threat of Warmth Emergency
Personally, I like the southern California climate. Sunny and dry. Day after day of blue skies.
After all I saved coated up as a lot as attainable. A solar hoodie is important.
I did use a mountaineering umbrella for the primary time. IF it was highly regarded. I discovered it simpler to hold and alter for wind usually, reasonably than tie it on to my pack. They’re common within the desert part with PCT hikers.
One very skilled desert hiker referred to as Iceaxe suffered from an extended day within the solar. Two day hikers helped get him to city the place he took a zero to get well. We camped at no cost behind a pub.
At one of many uncommon hoses, PCT ladies gone wild soaked themselves. Sensible.
Water
A lot dialogue regards water sources within the desert. And what number of litres to hold. Typically I began with 3-4 litres. The heaviest factor in my pack.
Most hikers filtered virtually all the things. For me boiling is finest. If the water seemed nice — straight from a excessive mountain spring — I didn’t deal with. If anxious, I threw in a purification pill & flavouring. Often Mio.
I most likely ought to have had an electrolyte substitute like Tailwind.
Path Magic
Fantastic on the PCT is while you arrive close to a roadway and discover that some volunteer has left water and/or treats for hikers.
My finest Path Magic was mountaineering in to seek out Marco all arrange in a car parking zone.
Many hikers stayed for hours having fun with his chilly drinks, contemporary fruit, scorching canines, and burritos. He’d pushed 3 hours from dwelling to supply assist in a troublesome spot on the path. In actual fact, I’m now planning to affix Marco on an journey subsequent summer time.
Via Hikers
The spotlight for me was assembly and chatting with folks loopy sufficient to need to hike regularly for months. Listed here are 2 legends referred to as Canadian Bacon. They’d end the whole PCT in 2026, their final part over a lot of years.
The man I met almost certainly to complete the whole PCT in a single yr was Roman from Switzerland. He hadn’t acquired a path title, as but. Right here he’s after one month, trying like he simply obtained off the airplane. With a finances of $10,000 and no accidents, thus far, Roman’s cruising to Canada.
Dishonest
From Palm Springs to Agua Dulce, 3 instances I skipped miles, taking motor autos. Solely the purists — like Roman — do each single mile. It’s usually logistically sensible to bypass tough sections.
For instance, I shared a Lyft from Whitewater to Huge Bear to keep away from an enormous, scorching climb.
OUT of Huge Bear, nevertheless, it’s an enormous scorching climb of 1000’s of ft to the highest of Mount Baden-Powell.
Meals & Resupply
Like most others, I indulged in excessive calorie meals each likelihood I obtained.
All these hikers gorging at McDonalds swear they by no means enter the place of their actual lives.
On the path, I carried a range and made up meals that had been flash frozen by my niece Stacey. Scrumptious.
Forest Hearth
Fortunately, my 2 weeks have been unaffected by fires in 2026. We noticed smoke behind us in the future. And hiked sections that had been burnt in latest many years.
Highway Strolling
One necessary detour had us street strolling. Surprisingly, I discovered it a refreshing change.
Navigation
Virtually everybody makes use of the costly FarOut PCT app. It really works offline and has some up-to-date feedback on waypoints which are tremendous priceless.
Alternatively, the interface is ugly and never detailed sufficient. I usually switched to the free Maps.me app offline. Each hiker will get misplaced, in the end.
There’s signage. Nevertheless it’s not all the time clear which approach to go while you attain an intersection.
Ticks and Snakes
I discovered one tick on my leg. Eliminated it earlier than a chunk. And noticed one tick on a leaf.
It’s a difficulty, for positive, in southern California. I carried tweezers particularly for tick elimination, if mandatory.
Verify this put up ➙ PCT First Help.
I noticed 3 snakes over two weeks. No Rattlers. The one one of many 3 that stood nonetheless for a photograph was this pleasant Gopher Snake.
It’s fairly widespread to seek out Rattle Snakes near the path.
Mosquitoes and Biting Flies
Surprisingly, I suffered many campsites with annoying bugs. This regardless of the climate being scorching and dry.
Preserve your tent closed or you will have to search out mosquitoes earlier than going to sleep.
Getting off the PCT
I completed my 2 weeks at Farmer John’s wonderful Serenity’s Oasis in Agua Dulce.
Knowledgeable chef grilled New York steak on the barbecues supplied.
Most hikers needing to go away the path on my part attempt to discover a bus heading west to Los Angeles.
I satisfied pals to drive 5 hours and choose me up. Calling it a desert rescue. 😀
Nice enjoyable. I definitely will attempt to hike extra sections of the PCT in future.
