Mile 255 to 268

Sunrise about mile 267.

.Section C
Baldwin Lake to Deer Spring Camp
Miles: 13
Hiking with: Gary

Lodging:  Best Western in Big Bear, CA.  This is the only “chain” hotel in Big Bear and besides I manage some Best Westerns so I get a discount – so I’m staying here.  Prices are high in Big Bear – you may find a better deal elsewhere but the Best Western was quaint with great beds, cable tv, internet & a great breakfast (not so with a cabin or home rental)! 

Car Rental:  Enterprise Car Rental Big Bear, CA  It was nice to rent close to the trailhead but at a cost.  They didn’t open until 8 am and were closed on Saturday and Sunday.  So I got it Friday morning and returned it Saturday afternoon in their lot and got charged for Sunday… I’m ok with that.  It was a Nissan compact that cost me $40/day and went incredibly fast on the dirt roads and I only scraped the bottom once (the beauties of a rental).

Dining:  – Across the street and up a little bit from Maggio’s Pizza (my first choice) is “Get the Burger” which is a popular local Burger Joint, better than fast food, clean, but pricey for a Burger – I’d go there again.

Start:  From Hwy 18 on the north side of Lake Baldwin (frequently a dry lake) we turned north towards the city dump on Holcomb Valley Road, a well groomed dirt road toward the City dump.  About ½ mile up you’ll see a small sign for the PCT and the trail on both sides of the road.  We parked on the side of the road. 

End:  Off of Hwy 38 we took Forest Road 2N01 to the east.  There are very few roads off of Hwy 38 – especially on the east side and the terrain drops off quickly.  About 0.5 mile down the dirt road is a dry creek, park in the small parking area to the left (3 cars), and the PCT crosses the road at mile 255 about 0.5 miles before the PCT comes to deer springs and a trail camp.

Permit Required:  You need an adventure pass to park anywhere in the southern California National Forests which is $5/day or $30/year (I never used one south of I-10 and never had a problem but I’d just by 2 annual passes and be done with it).  We got our pass at the Big Bear Walgreen’s and at the B&B where we stayed another time or you can get one online – which may be easier.

 People along the trail:  We saw no other hikers.

Description:  We started this hike in the dark but within 10 minutes the sky was blue and the sun just creaking up over the horizon.  This is the best time to hike with great lighting for photographs.  I always say that miles before 10am are zero miles – by 10 am you still feel fresh even though you’ve done 10 miles.  If you started at 10 am and hiked 10 miles by 3 pm you’d be tired.  It’s something about the cool air & low angle of the sun that makes the miles easier.  The first part is a great stretch of trail is on the edge of the mountains with little tree cover and great views to the Mohave Desert below.  Soon the trail curves into the mountainous terrain and follows a pretty little canyon with a small stream up to Deer Spring Camp and then to the car.  We were done by noon, drove back to get the other car, dropped it off at Enterprise Car in Big Bear, ate at Get The Burger, and cruised back to Phoenix taking Hwy 18 down the north side of Big Bear (if you’re heading to Phoenix this is a great alternate drive back rather than I-10 again).

The rare Joshua Tree -- unusual to see one at 6,500'.

I couldn't figure this sign out --
are we supposed to step on vegetation?

A little trail magic lefy by the Big Bear Hiker's Hostel
where the trail crosses Hwy 18.

A little disposal service provided by a the Big Bear Hiker Hostel.

A view SW at Baldwin Lake (dry) and Big Bear City.

Mile 240.5 to 255

At the day's trailhead.

.Section C
Heart Bar Ranch to Deer Spring Camp - Nobo
Miles: 14.5
Hiking with: Gary

Lodging:  Best Western in Big Bear, CA.  This is the only “chain” hotel in Big Bear and besides I manage some Best Westerns so I get a discount – so I’m staying here.  Prices are high in Big Bear – you may find a better deal elsewhere but the Best Western was quaint with great beds, cable tv, internet & a great breakfast (not so with a cabin or home rental)! 

Car Rental:  Enterprise Car Rental Big Bear, CA  It was nice to rent close to the trailhead but at a cost.  They didn’t open until 8 am and were closed on Saturday and Sunday.  So I got it Friday morning and returned it Saturday afternoon in their lot and got charged for Sunday… I’m ok with that.  It was a Nissan compact that cost me $40/day and went incredibly fast on the dirt roads and I only scraped the bottom once (the beauties of a rental).

Dining:  Maggio’s Pizza  Big Bear, CA – My theory is forget the fancy restaurants go where the locals go.  At the hotel the exec told me to go to the Peppermill which is the nicest place in town.  When I asked the front desk clerk who looked like a college student where he goes to eat he said Maggio’s – Bingo!!!  This is great Italian food at a great price.  I’ve eaten here 4 times and never been disappointed.  I had spaghetti, Calzone, Pizza, salad – it’s all great.  It’s always been full but we’ve never waited more than 10 minutes.

I’ve also eaten at “Get the Burger” in Big Bear which is a popular local Burger Joint, better than fast food, but pricey for a Burger – I’d go there again.



Start:  From Big Bear we took Hwy 38 south to Heart Bar State Park.  We turned south off the road and at the “Y” we took a right and drove for about 30 minutes.  We passed some parked cars at a trailhead about 2/3rds of the way up.  There was a PCT sign and a wide bend where the PCT crossed the road.  We parked on the edge of the road.  We probably should have parked another 0.5 miles up the road at mile 240 where there is a camping area and lots of parking. 

End:  Off of Hwy 38 we took Forest Road 2N01 to the east.  There are very few roads off of Hwy 38 – especially on the east side and the terrain drops off quickly.  About 0.5 mile down the dirt road is a dry creek, park in the small parking area to the left (3 cars), and the PCT crosses the road at mile 255 about 0.5 miles before the PCT comes to deer springs and a trail camp.

Permit Required: You need an adventure pass to park anywhere in the southern California National Forests which is $5/day or $30/year (I never used one south of I-10 and never had a problem but I’d just by 2 annual passes and be done with it). We got our pass at the Big Bear Walgreen’s and at the B&B where we stayed another time or you can get one online – which may be easier.


People along the trail:  We crossed paths with a couple who was section hiking.  They had driven up Coon Creek Road to the PCT about mile 246.5.  It was probably a better road than we took but it would have made our hike too short.

 Description:  We left Thursday after work and arrived at Big Bear late at night.  We got up and ate breakfast at the hotel and arrived at Enterprise Car Rental when they opened by 8 am (see notes above).  It took about an hour to get to the trailhead and we’re quickly on the trail.  The trail stays in the pines the whole way but true to the dry mountain west it got warm when you were in the sun.  There were some great views into the desert from Coon Creek Jumpoff at mile 246.5 – Jumpoff is very descriptive.  Next we crossed a dirt road and saw the “AnimalCages” as listed on Halfmile’s maps and the USGS Topo maps.  The PCT comes within 50 yards of the cages.  I could see 4 bears in cages – one gave a good growl that echoed in the forest and would have had me running if I didn’t see the cages.  These animals are used in photoshoots and movies.  At mile 252 there is a dirt road that leads out to Hwy 38, about 50 yards away.  Here there is a Water Cache and a card for a hiker’s hostel and shuttle to Big Bear.  Soon we came to our car, drove back to pick up the rental car from our trailhead, returned and dropped off the rental car on Forest Road 2N01 where we finished our hike that day.  We returned to the hotel, showered and had a great dinner at Maggio’s. 

PCT

"Animal Cages" The fuzzy brown thing in the center is a bear.

Looking south at San Gorgonio Mountain.

Nice wildflowers to add color.

Mile 152 to 190.5

A view east towards Palm Springs about mile 174.

Section B
Fuller Ridge to Hwy 74 - Sobo
Miles: 38.5
Hiking with: Gary, Sam “Hatchet”, and Frevont “Franny”

Lodging:  A house/cabin in Idylwild.  We got in about midnight and were gone by 7 am.  I’m not really sure what the place looked like other than it had a bed and a shower.  Idylwild is a mountain getaway for LA so there are a lot of places to rent.

Car Rental:  Hertz Car Rental – Palm Springs Airport.

Dining:  Breakfast at Denny’s in Cabazon at 11pm – it doesn’t get any better.

Start:  Fuller Ridge Trail Head.  From the main road out of Idylwild go north and then turn right onto Black Mountain Trail (Forest Route 4S01) which is a well maintained dirt road with some short patches of pavement and go for a good 30 minutes.  Eventually you’ll see a sign for Black Mountain Group campsite…keep going. About another mile up you’ll actually cross the PCT – although I don’t recall any signs visible from the road.  There is a a sign for the Fuller Ridge trailhead, turn right on the dirt road and the trailhead is 50 yards ahead.  There is lots of parking and both times I was at this trailhead someone was camping here (not PCT hikers).  This is not in the San Jacinto State Park so no state permit from the State is needed.

End:  Where the PCT crosses Hwy 74 (Palms to Pines Hwy).  There is a PCT sign visible from the road and and good size parking lot on the north side of the road.

People along the trail:  We saw several people between Strawberry Junction (mile 183.5) and Tahquitz Peak (mile 188).  In this area there are a couple trails that lead up from Idylwild to the top of the San Jacinto Mountains where the PCT is.  There is a rather extensive trail network at the top of the San Jacinto Mountains you can traverse to the east side where the Palm Springs Tram is and also climb to the peak of Mt. San Jacinto.  A great area for a weekend hiking even if you're not doing the PCT.

At Fobes Saddle (mile 166.5) we saw tents but no people. 

About mile 155 we passed a Hispanic man and his young son (probably 10).  They had backpacks on and were quietly hiking along.  We said hi as we passed, the father just nodded.  Those were the only people I've seen on the Southern PCT that might have been illegals.

Description:  We left Phoenix Thursday night after work (6pm).  It was dark when we descended in to the Coachella Valley (where Palm Springs is) and picked our rental car at the Palm Springs Airport.  We then headed up the Palm to Pines Hwy (Hwy 74) towards Idylwild and Warner Springs.  Where the PCT crosses Hwy 74 at mile 152 we parked the rental car in the parking lot on the north side of the road.  It was the only car.  We all hopped into the other car and drove into Idylwild, picked up keys to our rental, drove to the rental, and went right to bed (midnight).  We were up and gone by 7 am, drove to Fuller Ridge trailhead and were on the trail by 8ish.  After about 5 miles Sam said his back was sore and thought something in his pack was rubbing it.  After looking through his pack he pulled out a 5 lbs. hatchet – we all laughed as we're all light backpackers.  Sam got his trail name – “Hatchet”.  The trail quickly climbs up through the pine forest until you suddenly turn the corner and you realize “this is Fuller Ridge”.  From here to about Fobes Saddle the trail is a world class with great vistas as it winds along the top of the mountain ridge with big drop offs.  Between Big Bear and the Campo this is the most spectacular stretch of trail.  We hiked into the dark for about 30 minutes and then camped about mile 171 in a little campsite alongside the trail right on the mountain ridge.  The wind was howling all night as the ocean air rose up over the mountain and dropped down into the desert below -- I thought I was sleeping next to train tracks. 

The next day we got up with the sun, ate a quick breakfast and were on the trail again.  The trail from here dropped down to Fobes Saddle where I now realize we could have broken this hike up into smaller chunks – oh well.  From Fobes Saddle the trail went up and over a couple of small mountains and then dropped into a high desert area with huge boulders.  This change in scenery was a nice way to finish the hike.  We arrived at Hwy 74 in the dark about 9 pm, jumped into the car, drove back up to Fuller Ridge to get the other car (almost ran over a deer going up Black Mountain road), drove both cars down and arrived at a Denny’s along I-10 in Cabazon about 11 pm.  I washed the dirt off my legs in the restroom sink and toweled off as much stink and dirt from the rest of my body that I could.  We were out 1 night – I’m afraid to think what it would be like if we were thru hikers.  It was midnight Saturday as we were leaving Denny’s and my daughter was giving a talk in Church the next day so we decided to cruise straight back to Phoenix.  After dropping the rental car off at the Palm Springs airport and stocking up with every caffeine drink known to mankind – Franny drove unassisted and got us to Phoenix at 5 am (about 1 hr. faster than if I was driving).  I crashed for 3 hours and went to church.  We all go to the same church – the trip wasn’t over until we saw each other in church to confirm that everyone completed the adventure including limited sleep and attendance at church.  This was a trip I will never forget.

The companions -- Sam "Hatchet"-L, Gary - C, Frevont "Franny" - R.
At the north end of Fuller Ridge.  The arched tree is a result of blowing wind, rain & snow.

Looking north at Fuller Ridge.

Looking West from Strawberry Junction.

A sappling and flower growing out of a granite crack.

PCT about mile 170. 
It looks as though the trail was chisled out of the mountainside.

Franny & Hatchet at the campsite.

The ridge the PCT tracks south of Mt. San Jacinto.

Finally back at the mountain just before dusk.

The Champions of the PCT at a monument just north
of the Hwy 74 parking lot at mile 152.

Mile 110 to 118

Gary hiking through the flowered meadow close to
Warner Springs Resort.  We started Sobo in the mountains
in the background.

Section B
Lost Creek Road to Warner Springs - Sobo
Miles: 8
Hiking with: Gary Driggs

Lodging:  Warner Springs Resort, Warner Springs, CA.  Ok…I manage hotels so I look at hotels differently than most people.  Nothing bothers me more than hotel employees that act like they wish you weren’t there but I will try and be objective with Warner Springs.  I’ve stayed here two different times while hiking the PCT.  Both times I called the hotel several times and was never able to talk with someone who would reserve a room for me – I know it doesn’t sound credible but it’s true.  Both times I finally gave up and booked the room on Expedia – which I hate to do because I know that 30% of what I’m paying will go to Expedia as a commission where I would prefer it to go to the hotel.  Both times upon arriving they were very friendly at the front desk and at the front gate.  Both times we stayed in the older Casitas which were spacious but a little run down (Super 8 quality bed/bath/carpet - older & worn).  For $106/night in the middle of nowhere I would say this is an OK deal.  About 1 week after my stay I got a letter in the mail from the Warner Springs Resort that was a receipt for a $10 “resort fee”.  This is fraud – if they were going to charge me a “resort fee” they should have told me when I checked in.  I called the hotel politely about 3 times with promises of getting a return call from the person that handles this – no call back.  Finally I called my credit card company and told them I did not approve the charge and they removed it from my bill - which means they will suck the $10 back out of the Warner Springs Resort’s bank account.  Would I stay there again – yes, but I’m irritated because they could be so much better and there is no other hotel within 45 minutes. 

Car Rental:  Hertz Car Rental – Imperial County Int’l Airport, El Centro, CA

Dining:  Warner Springs Golf Grille, Warner Springs CA.  This was OK.  During slow times at the Warner Springs Resort this is the only restaurant open for lunch.  We never ate dinner or breakfast at the resort.

Start:  We drove a car up Lost Creek Road (paved) and watched the GPS to where the trail came the closest to the road.  There happened to be a pullout on the roadside where we parked and there was a faint trail leading up to the trail 30’ uphill.

End:  Mile 110 at Hwy 79 near Warner Spring Resort.  A PCT sign is posted alongside the road and the shoulder is extra wide to allow for cars to park alongside the road.  We were the only car when we parked early in the morning (sunrise) but when we picked up our car around 10 am there were 4 other cars parked there.

People along the trail:  We saw no an ex-through hiker at CS115 (Camp Site at mile 115).  There were a group of Australians attempting an ambitious through hike – 30 miles/day.  I never met the group but had heard they were very macho – ex-ironmen/women.  The hiker we met at this campsite was ripped (no fat – lots of muscle).  He said he had enough of hiking every day that he was just going to tour around the west coast and hike in certain areas.  In my opinion it was impressive he came this far.  It seems that through hiking and long distance hiking takes a certain type of patience and mental preparation and is not for everyone.

Description:  We were initially going to drive to the PCT on Chihuahua Valley Road but the road was blocked off.  This would have put us at mile 127 which would have been a perfect distance after a long 20 miles from Fuller Ridge to I-10 the previous day.  However there was a locked gate on the road and a no trespassing sign which we obeyed.  After looking at the maps and reading Shem’s book a little more I think there is a way around this as Chihuahua Road is very well maintained where it crossed the PCT at mile 127.  So came down to Lost Valley Road and started at mile 118 which shortened our hike to 8 miles. 

This was an interesting stretch of trail as it transitioned from the high desert to the lower flowering meadows common around Warner Springs.  Within 2 miles the trail crosses the Agua Caliente Creek and from this point on you’re never too far from water.  Once we crossed Hwy 79 we went through a large field of stomach high yellow flowers  with lots of bees….no worry though as the bees were occupied with the blossoms and paid no attention to us temporarily interrupting their feast.

Desert flowers were still blooming late in the Spring.

Gary crossing Agua Calienta Creek.

Some type of agave plant.

There were huge oak trees along the creek. 
I think Warner Springs Resort uses this area for group cookouts.

Mile 190 to 209

Ice covered pine needles at
Fuller Ridge Trailhead.

Section B
Fuller Ridge to I-10 Nobo
Miles: 9
Hikers: Dan & Gary

Lodging:  Holiday Inn Express Banning, CA  

Car Rental:  Hertz Car Rental – Palm Spring Int’l Airport (car rentals from airports are easier as they are usually open later in the evening and through the weekend).

Dining:  Fisherman’s Market & Grill, Banning, CA.  This had great affordable seafood and has been featured on the TV Food channels.  There is also one in Palm Springs – I’ve eaten at both and they are both excellent.  I had their shrimp tacos – mmm.

Start:  At Fuller Ridge Camp Site.  From I-10 take Hwy 243 towards Idylwild.  Turn left onto Black Mountain Trail (Forest Route 4S01) which is a well maintained dirt road with some short patches of pavement and go for a good 30 minutes.  Another road merges with Black Mountain Trail about a third of the way up, but other than that just stay on the road.  Eventually you’ll see a sign for Black Mountain Group campsite…keep going. About another mile up you’ll actually cross the PCT – although I don’t recall any signs visible from the road.  There is a dirt road on the right with a sign for the Fuller Ridge trailhead.  There is lots of parking and both times I was at this trailhead someone was camping here (not PCT hikers). 

End:   I-10.  Off of I-10 take the Haugen-Lehman Way exit 110 which is right before the Hwy 111 exit to Palm Spring if you’re coming from LA.  Go to the north side of I-10 and turn left on Tamarack Road.  About 100 yards past the last house on your left you’ll be able to see where the dry river bed goes under I-10 (this is a big overpass – you can’t miss it).  This is where the PCT goes under I-10 and you should be able to see the trail on both sides of the road.  We drove back to the last house and paid them $20 to park in their gravel yard.  They were very accommodating.  I understand that cars left unattended here will get towed!!!  Another option would be to go further north at mile 111.5 where the PCT crosses Desert View Rd where there is a parking lot.  It just makes this hike a ½ hour longer but will assure you of have a car there when you arrive.

People along the trail:  I saw more rattlesnakes (1) than hikers.  The snake was in the middle of the trail just sunning and quickly slithered off the trail to let us pass.  After we descended the San Jacintos just after the drinking fountain at WR206 we saw a pickup truck with a swamp cooler in the back bed blowing air into the cab.  We stopped and talked to the occupant who was a security guard for the water facility further up the canyon.  He had a few books in this truck – a necessity for his occupation.
Description:  I would usually stay clear of the desert from May through September but it was a cooler than normal weekend.  As we drove into Palm Springs the wind was blowing and it sprinkled a little.  The plan was to drive up to the trailhead that night and sleep in the car so we could be on the trail at sunrise however the glowing Holiday Inn Express sign along the highway drew us in as we opted for a comfy bed over sleeping bags.  We woke up before dark and enjoyed a nice hotel breakfast and drove about 40 minutes to the Black Mountain turnoff and then headed up another 30 minutes to the trailhead.  It had rained here during the night and there was a coat of ice on the pine trees – glad we opted for the hotel.  At first we were in very large pine trees with huge pine cones but we rapidly dropped out of the trees where we were exposed to the sun and the unbelievable vistas.  For being so close to I-10 I thought we’d be looking at it all day but we were mostly looking back at the San Jacinto’s.  This is similar to hiking down the Grand Canyon where you have nonstop views because of the lack of vegetation and the vertical descent.  There was no water on this section until you got off the mountain at mile 206 where they have tapped into the public water supply and installed a drinking fountain & faucet.  The trail starts at 7,500’ elevation and at the mile 206 (16 miles into the hike) you are at 1,500’ elevation – that’s a lot of down.  Now comes the last 4.5 miles through a sandy river bottom in the hot afternoon desert sun….ugh.  You quickly pass the small housing community of Snow Creek and start wandering through the desert.  The trail wasn’t marked very well here although if you got off the trail and just kept walking in the river bottom you’d eventually see I-10 and the underpass where the trail goes.  This was the most wearing hike so far because of the vertical descent and the sun/heat of the desert (even though it wasn’t over 90 degrees).  We finally got to the underpass and there were 2 coolers filled with ice and sodas and beer!!!!  A sign above it said “for PCT hikers.”  I love trail angels.

An ice covered pine tree at Fuller Ridge Trailhead.

A blooming Agave (Century Plant) with
Mt. San Jacinto in the background.

Wild flowers along the trail.

A rattlesnake guarding the trail.

Gary enjoying the generosity of trail angels.

Mile 58 to 77.5

Unusual wind swept clouds over the Anza Borrego Desert.

Section A
The most northern access to the PCT along Sunrise Hwy to Scissors Crossing - Nobo
Miles: 19
Hikers: Dan & Gary

Lodging:  Mt. Laguna Lodge

Car Rental:  Hertz Car Rental – Imperial County Int’l Airport, El Centro, CA

Dining:  Subway in El Centro, CA 

Start:  From Mt. Laguna Lodge we drove north on the Sunrise Hwy parking where Deer Park Road (don’t be deceived by the term “Road” as it looks more like a dirt driveway that is gated) joins the Sunrise Hwy on the west.  To access the PCT you must cross the road (Hwy) which is at the edge of a drop off and scramble down a moderately steep rough path about 30’.

End:  The previous night we dropped of a car at Scissors Crossing which is at mile 77.5 on the PCT or where County Hwy 3 cuts across Hwy 78.  On the north side of Hwy 78 on County Hwy 2 there is a large shoulder where we parked our car.  While we were the only car there at night there were 3-5 cars parked during the day.

People along the trail:  The PCT sign is something every hiker looks for – it confirms you are on the right trail and means you won’t have to retrace your steps and add more miles to your already long hiking day.  One thing I have noticed that under the PCT signs they either have illustrations or spell out “no motorized vehicles, no mountain bikes”.  The PCT does allow horses – the horse world was very instrumental in passing the original PCT legislation through Congress.  So…we came across about 5 through hikers just cleaning camp at mile 64.  Of course we stopped and chatted with them for a few minutes and then we were on our way.  The trail continues up a jeep trail.  I’m a faster hiker than Gary so I motored on ahead.  About 0.125 miles up the hill I saw a faint trail split off the road with a sign but no PCT logo so I continued up the road another 100 yds to a flat spot to wait for Gary.  From this flat spot I could only see 10 yards down the trail/road as it curved and there were some bolders blocking the view.  After 5 minutes… no Gary.  I checked my GPS and found that the faint trail was the PCT.  I hiked back down and took the faint trail (PCT) and checked my GPS – yes this was the trail.  Still no Gary so I hiked back to see if Gary had made it up the hill yet.  When I got back… still no Gary so I wait another 5 minutes.  By this time I know Gary would have made it up the hill so I figured he either made the correct turn on to the faint trail (PCT) and I missed him or he missed the faint trail and continued up the road while I was on the faint trail (PCT).  Gary is an extremely logical and experienced hiker so I assumed he took the faint trail (PCT) so I started jogging to find him.  After about 0.5 miles I saw him up ahead and started walking to catch up to him.  I turned back to look where the trail split and the through hikers we passed 15 minutes ago missed the turn-off too.  I yelled to get their attention – no response.  They will eventually figure out they're were off the PCT.  After catching Gary I quizzed him why he took the unmarked trail he said "it didn't have the PCT logo but it said 'no mountain bikes' so I took it".  Very smart.  I learned an important lesson today… always wait at trail crossings for your whole party.

 Description:  As we drove to the trailhead there were spectacular wind swept clouds with the sun coming up – it was spectacular.  The trail drops off the Mt. Laguna rim into the Anza Borrego Desert.  After Rodriguez Canyon the desert really gets pretty.  I’m a desert expert having lived in Arizona for 25 years.  If you hike this section in mid-late April you will see unbelievable cactus blossoms (check out my photos below).  This is really the only true desert portion of the PCT between the Mexican Border and Big Bear (most people look at barren land and call it desert but it’s the plants/cactus that truly define a desert).

We finished about 5 pm, jumped into the car left the previous day and drove back to pick up the other car, dropped of the rental car in El Centro, ate at Subway, and cruised back to Phoenix.

PCT lined with desert flowers.

Indian Paint Brush.

Hedge Hog Cactus

Long Horn Cactus.  It is actually considered a green blossom.
I would call it YELLOW/green.  But technically it is the only plant with a green blossom. Hmmm....

A rare type of Prickley Pear Cactus.
Most are greener and have yellow blossoms.

A little PCT Graffiti/humor left by previous hikers I presume.

Water Cache left by a trail angel. 
This is in the middle of a 30 mile dry stretch of the PCT.
Day hikers should appreciate the trail magic but not partake.
Day hikers can carry enough water for the day.  Leave the Water Caches for the through hikers.

Mile 41.5 to 58

Section A
Mt. Laguna to most northern access to the PCT along Sunrise Hwy - Nobo
Miles: 17
Hikers: Dan & Gary

Lodging:  Mt. Laguna Lodge

Car Rental:  Hertz Car Rental – Imperial County Int’l Airport, El Centro, CA

Dining:  We went to the trail town of Julian and ate at Romano’s Dodge House which was recommended by a local -- good advice.  It had great Italian food and was moderately priced.  We returned and ate here on our next trip to Julian.  Also a must do is Mom's Pies -- written up by the Food Network Shows. 

Start:  We drove back to the Burnt Rancheria Campground – last time we were here in early April it wasn’t open, this time it was.  We found the Campground Hosts, paid for a day use permit and parked the car about 30 ft. from the PCT where we started Sobo last time.  This time we are going Nobo.  If you’re wondering if the snow has melt on Mt. Laguna before you do your hike look at the USD webcam ontheir Observatory. 

End:  We drove the rental car north on the Sunrise Hwy.  My goal was to get as far north as possible to make the next day’s hike shorter.  We ended up parking where Deer Park Road (don’t be deceived by the term “Road” as it looks more like a dirt driveway that is gated) joins the Sunrise Hwy on the west.  To access the PCT you must cross the road (Hwy) which is at the edge of a drop off and scramble down a moderately steep rough path about 30’.  The PCT in this section is below the edge and below the road and you cannot see the road or your parked car!!!  Make notes of the surroundings and mark this spot on your GPS.  We would leave the car overnight and return to the Laguna Mtn Lodge for the night. 

People along the trail:  We encountered about 8 PCT through hikers as this is prime time for through hikers.  We also came across a trail crew working on the PCT.  These were older guys (I’m 52 and consider myself young).  Each one of these guys could have taken me down in a heartbeat.  One guy (I forgot his trail name) was an ex-marine, 68, and had done the PCT several times, AT (Appalachian Trail) & CDT (Continental Divide Trail) – last year on his PCT through hike he averaged 30 miles/day.  This guy was tough.  These trail veterans were giving back.  It seems like there is a close knit group of hikers that through hike – they all know each other, have heard stories of each other, and they help each other out – the PCT Family.  This was my first encounter with “Trail Angels”, someone helping others without any expectation of a “thanks”.

Description:  This trail follows the edge of the Plateau atop Mt. Laguna.  On the east the terrain drops down into the desert.  The cool breeze from the west was blowing strong but with the sun out it was a rather nice day.  This was a relatively “flat” hike with no big ups or downs but the trail continually was going up or down.  I should say more but it was basically great views into the Anza Borrego Desert all day. 

We finished about 5 pm, jumped into the car left the previous day and drove back to the Burnt Rancheria Campground to pick up the other car.  We then dropped a car at tomorrow’s trail end at Scissors Crossing (mile 77), drove to Julian – a very charming tourist town known for their apple pies, at dinner at Romano’s Dodge House which was recommended by a local.    It had great Italian food and was moderately priced.  We returned and ate here on our next trip to Julian too.  After dinner we returned to Mt. Laguna Lodge for the night.

USD Observatory -- check out it's webcam to see what the weather is like at Mt. Laguna.

Looking down into the Anza Borrego Desert.  Typical of the view all day long.

Sign along the PCT which goes on the Pioneer Mail Trail a short ways.

The wind was howling...
I thought we were going to get blown down to the desert.
A windy but beautiful day.