Pacific Crest Trail: Mile 77 to 101

Barrel Springs.

Section A
Barrel Springs to Scissors Crossing - Sobo
Miles: 24
Hikers: Dan, Chris & Gary

Lodging: Historical House Lodging, Julian, CA – Try another B&B as this place had a bath tub, no shower.

Car Rental: Hertz Car Rental – Coachella, CA

Dining: at Romano’s Dodge House which was recommended by a local. It had great Italian food and was moderately priced. We also got a couple of apple pies to take home to the family from Mom’s Pies. This is a must stop as it’s been featured on the FoodNetwork before.

Start: Barrel Springs on the south side of County Hwy S22. There is a lot of space to park next to the road.

End: As we drove from Julian to Barrel Springs we dropped our 2^nd car at Scissors Crossing. We were the only car at the time, but when we finished there were 4 cars parked next to the road.

People along the trail: This section was typical PCT trail. The trail initially climbed up to 4,000’ and then stayed close to that level all day long as the trail wound in and out of canyons. The trail appeared to stay on what seemed like a Topo Map contour line. There wasn’t a spot that didn’t have a great view, but even a great view all day long gets old after a while. Chris, my son who has done the Grand Canyon several times with me, commented “I’m not sure I like this long distance hiking.” Hiking the Grand Canyon is hard but you’re out in 3-5 hours. The PCT requires patience -- when you’re done with a long day you still have a long way to go. We crossed paths with about 4 thru hikers. One of them was John Duncan a solo hiker who I remembered because he was a nurse from Spokane where I frequently travel on business. I followed his journal from time to time wondering if he would finish – he did!!!! Congrats John. The thru hikers always have interesting stories and show a lot of determination. However, when you’re talking to them you always size them up and in your mind and wonder “can they make it?” We also crossed paths with 3 gentlemen that turned me on to Semb’s Day Hikes on the PCT books. You never know where you’ll pick up good info on the PCT.

Description: There were no clouds in the sky and the sun was beating down – in the desert that means you’ll be hot. It wasn’t too bad, as the high was in the 80s. I would have preferred to do this hike on a cooler day. In fact, we were going to do another 20 mile section (Sunrise Hwy to Scissors Crossing) the following day, and instead we opted to do a quick 10 miles to get out of the sun by 11am (Warner Spring to Barrel Springs).

We spent the night in Julian, which is a great get-away town for San Diego. It’s nestled in rolling hills and has apple orchards – hence Mom’s Pies. This is a popular place for weddings too. Make reservations ahead of time for lodging!!!