Mile 314 to 329

Silverwood Lake looking north.  You can see the PCT
as it wraps around the lake.

Section C
Hwy 173 to Silverwood Lake – Nobo
Miles: 15
Hiking with: Solo (Gary D -- in spirit)


Lodging:  Holiday Inn Express, Hesperia, CA  - There are a lot of hotels in Hesperia. There are a lot of hotels in the area and at the next intersection to the north & a lot of restaurants.  I booked through www.hotwire.com and paid about $80.


Shuttle: I used my Dual Sport Bike (Kawasaki 250) and transported it on my Ford Excursion.


Dining: Friday night we at in Barstow, Ca.  So, so food.  We had a Diners, DriveIns & Dives location but we got there after they were closed.

Start: Hwy 173 -- Deep Creek parking lot.

End: just west of Hwy 138 at Silverwood Lake turn off.

People along the trail: I saw a group of 3 ladies just doing a day hike, 1 female trail runner, and another male just out hiking.  All these people parked their cars at the base of the Silverwood Lake Dam and were doing out and back hikes.


Description: This trip actually started on Friday as Gary D & I headed up to Kanab, UT to visit a hotel we manage up there (a 6 hour drive).  After a couple of hours in Kanab, UT we drove onto Barstow to spend the night.  Gary got a call from his wife and found out they had RSVP'd to a wedding the next day.  So the hike was off for Gary.  Saturday morning we got up a 4.30 am, drove down to the Ontario, CA airport, dropped off Gary to fly back to Phoenix, and I drove back north to hike.  I dropped my motorbike off at the Silverwood Lake park headquarters and then drove over to the trail head parking lot for Deep Creek at the end of Hwy 173 (which is closed between the parking lot and Lake Arrowhead).  When I hiked deep creek there were probably 8 cars in this parking area -- now it was only me.  If finally started hiking about 7:30 am.

As usual I underestimated the beauty of the PCT.  This looked like an average boring hike on the map.  The  trail actually was very scenic as it slowly ascended the mountain side and then darted in and out of side canyons.  Several of these were fairly lush for the desert and had small streams flowing (it had rained the previous weekend).  The skies were blue but the wind was blowing 15 mph.  The trail then drops down below the dam and follows Hwy 137 for about 1/2 mile and then climbed back up next to the dam and then  dropped into Silverwood Lake area.  This is the first section of the PCT where you are hiking along a lake -- although about 50-100' above lake level the whole way.  As I was finishing my hike fog started rolling into the area and the temperature dropped 10 degrees (at least it seemed).  I also saw 3 small snakes along the trail.  I was rather surprised with the first two as I hadn't seen any on the trail for almost 5 months.  I jumped on my motorbike and rode back to the trail head where my car was.

I then drove over to Palmdale to hike the dreaded 17 miles across the Mohave desert.  I got up the next morning to the end of the trail to drop off my car and the wind was blowing about 45 mph and it was raining.  This is the beauty of section hiking -- I decided to come back and do it another day.  Rather than just drive straight back to Phoenix I decided to drive the roads that crossed the PCT.  I started with the roads in section E -- this was pretty quick.  Then I drove along the roads in section D (the San Bernardino Mts) -- wow -- what a windy and indirect route.  Hmmm....at least it will help me for planning future hikes.

PCT sign at the Hwy 173 Trail Head.

The trail crossing a boulder field in a side canyon.

The flowers were in bloom late March in the desert.
This is looking down at the Mohave flats.

A small stream in one of the side canyons.

A small stream in a side canyon.

Another crossing of a streamlet in a side canyon.

Desert flowers in bloom.

Looking towards the snow capped San Bernardino Mtns in the next section.

Silverwood Lake Dam.

Large pipe along the trail.

The PCT is actually the road where the trail crossed the river flowing
out of Silverwood Lake.  Note the PCT sign on the bridge guard rail.

Silverwood Lake spillway and river from the lake.

Silverwood Lake.  Note the fog rolling in over the mountains.

California poppies along the trail with Silverwood Lake in the background.

Fog rolling over the mountains and onto the lake.

Here the trail leaves Silverwood Lake and goes under Hwy 138 .  The
ranger station where I parked is just up this road.

A wind mill construction side at sunrise.

These are pictures from the next morning -- I thought they were fairly scenic so I included them.

While storm clouds and strong winds are coming in from the West
the sun rose in the east in clear skies creating a spectacular rainbow.

While storm clouds and strong winds are coming in from the West
the sun rose in the east in clear skies creating a spectacular double rainbow. 

Mile 329 to 342

Looking back at Silverwood Lake.

Section C
Silverwood Lake to I-15 – Nobo
Miles: 13
Hiking with: Chris, Gary B & Rob


Lodging: Best Western Hospitality Inn, San Bernardino, CA – This was an extremely convenient hotel about 40 minutes from the trail head.  Rooms were new & clean -- I'm a big Best Western fan.


Shuttle: I bought a Dual Sport Bike (Kawasaki 250) on the back of Gary's new Ford F-150 King Cab pick up truck....sweet.


Dining: Friday night we at in Blythe, Ca on the way over -- fast food in Blythe is always risky.  Every place in Blythe seems old, run down & dirty.  Saturday night we ate at Giuseppe's in Hesperia -- bland Italian....ugh.

Start: just west of Hwy 138 at Silverwood Lake turn off.  mile 466  

End: I-15 just south of the McDonald's.

People along the trail: We saw no one on the trail -- surprising as I had seen other cars parked at the trail head on I-15 before.


Description: We dropped off my motor bike at the end of the road just south of the I-15 McDonald's at Cajon Pass.  I chained it to a telephone pole.  We then drove about 20 minutes to the trail head at Silverwood Lake.  We took the Silverwood exit off of Hwy 138 and headed west about 100 yards down the road.  On the left is the park headquarters and on the right they are making an overnight parking lot (maybe 5 cars) and camping.  Currently there is just a handicap (large) port-a-potty and gravel, we parked here.

The hike started up the mountains to the west and climbed about 1,000'.  The views back east of the lake and mountains were pretty but don't reflect the height and size of the mountains like when you approach them from the south from I-10.  The weather was pleasant and the hike fairly scenic until the trail climbed up to a ridge and we looked over -- a straight drop off!!!  The trail took a hair pin turn and hiked up around the  end of this steep canyon and then descended on the opposite edge of the canyon.  Pictures don't do this canyon justice.  The canyon walls looked like lake sediment.  It looked like the canyon was a hard rain away from just collapsing (I doubt it would but it seemed like it).  The last half mile then descended a small canyon with a stream and cottonwood trees -- very picturesque and remote.  One would never guess they are 1/2 a mile away from an 8 lane highway.  Chris, Rob & Gary waited at the McDonald's as I rode by motor bike back to the truck, loaded it up and returned.

Gary's new ride with the Motor Bike carrier in the trailer hitch.
This is the gravel parking across from the Silverwood Park HQ.

The "gang" at the Silverwood Lake trail head.  The road
is the Silverwood exit off of Hwy 138.  

PCT sign close to the trail head.

The "gang" in a boulder field about 1/2 through.

The trail goes right under this electricity tower.

A view of whats to come.  The snow covered mountains are
the San Bernardino Mountains in section D.

Spring Flowers along the trail.

Rob along the trail down the final canyon before I-15.

Trail's end!!!

What would be nice at every trail's end....cold soda & a cheeseburger.

The gang at the I-15 PCT trail head sign. 

Me and the motor bike.  I chained it to the telephone pole.

Gary's new ride with the motor bike on back  at the McDonalds.

Mile 342 to 347

Some of the "Mormon Rocks" along the hike.
The Mormons settled San Bernardino and this area --
hence the name.

Section D
I-15 to Swarthout Canyon Road – Sobo
Miles: 5
Hiking with: Chris, Gary B & Rob


Lodging:  Holiday Inn Express, Hesperia, CA  - There are a lot of hotels in Hesperia. There are a lot of hotels in the area and at the next intersection to the north & a lot of restaurants.  I booked through www.hotwire.com and paid about $80.

Shuttle: I bought a Dual Sport Bike (Kawasaki 250) on the back of Gary's new Ford F-150 King Cab pick up truck....sweet.


Dining: On the way back to Phoenix we stopped at Crazy Coyote Tacos a taco stand off of I-10 (don't mind some of the mediocre comments left on Yelp -- these are great Tacos).  I had the Giant Taco -- Excellent!!!  This was featured on the Travel Channel by Anthony Bourdain.  Excellent food!!!  It is on the west side of the Cabazon Outlet Shops on the frontage road -- you can't miss it!!!

Start: We took Lone Pine Canyon Road off of Hwy 136 just west of I-15.  Just after the big right hand bend in Lone Pine Canyon Road turn left onto Swarthout Canyon Road (a flat well maintained dirt road).  

End: I-15 just south of the McDonald's.

People along the trail: We saw no one on the trail.


Description: We dropped off my motor bike at the end of the road just south of the I-15 McDonald's at Cajon Pass.  I chained it to the telephone pole.  We then drove about 20 minutes to the trail head at Swarthout Canyon Road.  There was no parking at the PCT crossing but there are several spots to pull of the side of the road within 200 yards.

OK -- I thought this would be an ordinary hike simply going around a small mountain and then going through the Mohave River bed next to I-15 and then going under I-15 to the end.  Was I ever wrong!!!  This was a fantastic 5 miles!!!  The first mile you hike along some mountains and then wow!!!  First you start hiking along the ridge of very steep cliffs (Gary is afraid of heights -- oops), then you hike along some boulders, then you drop down into a pretty desert patch with long horn cactus, than you cross a train track, go through a huge conduit under another train track, hike around an old dumpy home (there was a historic marker in their yard -- who knows), then you go through cottonwood trees, under the huge I-15 underpass that has water running through it.  This could have been the best 5 miles so far on the PCT (although it is hard to beat Whitewater & Mt. San Jaucinto.  Chris, Rob & Gary waited at the McDonald's as I rode by motor bike back to the truck, loaded it up and returned.

Rob admiring the water cache next to Swarthout Canyon Road.

The desert flowers were just starting to bloom.

A view of the trail along the ridge line -- before the cliffs.

The trail along the boulders.

A view of the train tracks and part of the "Mormon Rocks".

Swiss Cheese Boulder.

A classic view from this hike -- note the snow covered
San Bernardino Mtns in the background. 

Train tracks.

Conduit under another set of train tracks.

Mormon Rocks with a train in the background.

The trail through the lower desert portion of the hike.

Long Horn Cactus.

Hiking through the Cottonwoods in the Mohave River bed.

Junkie home the trail goes around -- someone actually lives
inside (smoke coming out of the chimney).  The hunk yard around
this house is a close second to the junk yard just north of I-10.  

PCT Graffiti in the I-15 underpass. 

I-15 underpass with water flowing through.

PCT logo on the I-10 underpass.

Gary leaving the Crazy Coyote Taco Stand -- mmmm!