hike draw hike

I wake to the sounds of hikers packing up. It’s 7 am. A few people left super early. I stuff my things into my pack and say thank you once more to the people at the Warner Springs Community center. 
I met so many hikers here! People from all over the place: Germany, France, Texas, Canada, Vermont and even LA! All very unique and interesting, all here to hike the same trail. It’s nice to know I have friends hiking ahead and behind me.

I wave goodbye and follow the trail through a sweeping meadow. The wind sends ripples through the blades of grass like waves in a big golden ocean. 

   
 
The trail starts to wander through a grove of old trees. I step aside to let a group of weekend backpackers past. 

  
   

  

  

The trail climbs higher and higher. My blisters are great but the back of my heel bones smart now so I take my time. I reach the next water source and find two hikers named Brad and Cam resting in the shade. 

I’ve been running into these two at almost every water source. They’re about my age and are supper funny. Then Jeff and Jonathan arrive just behind me. I haven’t seen these two before but apparently we started hiking on the same day! 

We take a break and filter water in the shade. Jeff eats peanut butter with his fingers, strait from the jar. He offers us some. Ew no! We all laugh and make fun of each other. We decide to meet up at Mike’s place, a trail angel’s house and the next water source. Brad and Cam head out first. I follow. We all hike at different speeds so it’s cool how the water sources bring everyone together. 

Jeff and Jonathan soon pass me. I feel like I’m hiking like an old lady today, so slow. But you know what they say, slow and steady wins the race.  

The trees are dotted with huge bolders. Soon there are more bolders than trees.

  
 The trail winds between the huge rock formations. Plants fill in all the gaps between the sand stone. I feel like I’m in a labrinth. The light bounces off all the curving surfaces. I could explore this section for hours.  

    
    
   

  

The rock field gives way to a sweeping forest. I’m so tired, but I’m almost to Mike’s house!   

I miss the turn but find some hiker tracks leading up the road. I bet that’s it. I follow them. I start to hear someone wildly playing a drum set. The road curves around a bend and I see Mike’s house. 

The drumming gets louder. Whoever is playing is really good! I get to the water tank and walk down some stairs. The yard is full of old cars and campers. I wander around. Where is everyone? A guy comes out of a shed. 

“Hey hiker! I’m Mike! Looking for a place to stay?”

I nod my head. He points to a tiny trailer.

“You can have that for the night if you want.”

I can’t turn him down. It’s so cute and cozy!

   
 
Jeff and Jonathan show up. I think they must have stopped in the rock field to explore. 

The rest of the night is spent laughing and eating home made pizza cooked in a wood oven.

Camped at mile 127 of the pct.

Miles hiked today: 17.5 (plus a little road)

There’s a reason this side of the hill is greener. I wake up to a light drizzle. My sleeping bag!! Ack! I scramble to pack up in the dark. I triple check that I have everything. It’s hard to see in the mist. I must be in a cloud! I hike down to get out of the moisture but it’s everywhere.

I check the time, it’s 2am. Great. Now what. I could look for a different spot to set up my tent. The clouds part and the moon illuminates the trail. It’s beautiful. Everything has a crystallized dewy look in the light of my headlamp. Mist floats across the trail and into the trees. The air smells like wet sage.

You know what, I’m going to night hike. I was planning on waking up early to hike to Warner Springs anyways.

I set off in the moon light.  

The mist is magical. Hiking in the cool air is so refreshing. The miles glide by. I pass the 100 mile marker!

The trail enters a dark forest. I stop to turn on my headlamp and take off my down jacket. Another hiker quietly walks past. We exchange a quiet “good morning” and he dissapears into the darkness.

The forest levels out around a large dry sand wash. I start to see tents squashed together under trees. I must be near the next water source. I switch my headlamp to redlight mode and pick my way through the bivys and tarps. The bushes sound like they’re snoring and a guy talks in his sleep. I find the other night hiker at the trough quietly scooping out water. We aknowledge each other without a word. We take turns filling our waterbottles. Now to find the trail out. There’s a maze of tents before us. It’s fun sneaking around the campsite with this stranger. We eventually locate the trail.

“Have a good hike” he whispers and is gone. I’ve never seen anyone hike so fast. I could later pick out his headlamp so far ahead of me. I wonder if he’s attempting a speed record. Regardless the motives for his hike I wish him luck.

The trail enters a wide sweeping meadow. I’m surrounded by nothing but grass, stars and the moon. 

The sun rises gradually. Birds start to call good morning to each other.

The trail follows a rocky stream for a few miles. I start to feel really tired. Maybe I could take a nap on a rock… no gotta keep going.

   I love the green, white, blue and grey of this section of the pct.

The trail wanders away from the rocky creak back into open grass land. Giant bolders sleep in the sweeping feilds.

I find Eagle Rock! 

I eat a poptart and that makes a world of difference. I power through the last few miles to my destination.

The Warner Springs Cominity Center!!

I layout my things in the grass to dry and take a nap.

This place is really amazing. It’s run by local people who give their time to help hikers. They made us salad and hamburgers! They have towels and hot water for us to take bucket showers! A lady brought us cookies! Thank you so much people of Warner Springs!

The rest of my day is spent picking up my resupply box, resting, eating, laughing with people and painting.

Camped at mile 109.5 of the pct.

Miles hiked today: 10.53
 

The dry creek bed is dead silent all night. A gentle breeze nudges the tent making it hard to fall asleep. I can hear sand falling down the sides of the canyon. The moon is so bright, I can see everything in my tent. A hiker walks past and wakes me up at 4am. They’re hiking before the sun comes out, it’s going to be hot. 
I should get going. I start to gather my things. 7 am. I’m off to a slow start. I feel much better than yesterday though! It’s amazing how much one night of rest can do. My knees and ankles feel great and my monster blister is healing into a nice calus. I have another one forming just above it almost between my toes. Ouch. Hopefully it heals as well as the first. 

The trail continues up and up through more stunning cactus arrangements. I love the tall spikey plants with orange flowers waving in the breeze.    

    
 
I race the sun, hoping to cover as much trail in the shade as possible. I’m carying about 3 1/2 liters left over from yesterday. My pack feels so much lighter!

  
   
 
Come back shade! I don’t think I see another patch of shade for many miles. The sun is high and it’s hot. I’m already drinking all my water. I try to hike with my mouth closed to keep my mouth from getting dry. Just 10 more miles to the next water, I got this. I listen to music as I march up the switchbacks. The second I set up my umbrella the wind starts up. Fiddling with the umbrella slows me down. I see another hiker catching up in the distance. I wonder where everyone else is. I’m about to go around a ridge when I hear a very distinct rattling sound. 

  
 The snake coiles itself into a tight knot, ready to strike. I slowly back away and hold still. The rattling stops. I reach for my camera and it rattles angrily. I patiently wait for it to move off the trail but it’s not going anywhere. I stoop to pick up a rock and the rattling starts up again. I toss the rock next to it. Nope, this snake isn’t moving. 

I’ll just go around it.

 I scramble up the ridge to the right of the trail. I tap my hiking poles around in the brush hoping there aren’t more snakes in hiding. I get around successfully! Yay! I look back and it hasn’t budged. I hope it moves before that other hiker gets here.

I pass through an extremely dry section.  

 
Then the trail leads up over a small ridge dotted with more cactus flowers. I’m down to about 1L of water. I sure hope this water report is right! 

  
    
    
 I finally reach the water mile marker and discover a small village of hikers huddled under bushes. Their tents draped  between branches to create more shade.  I drop my pack and head down a side trail to a cistern. Almost every bush has a hiker hiding under it.

 I get further down the hill and, what’s this? A water cache? and not just any water cache. Someone had trucked in gallons of arrow head waterbottles and covered them with a tarp. There was even a small pen to put empty bottles in so they wouldn’t blow away. Amazing! I wish I had my camera to take a picture. Thankyou you wonderful people responsible for this!!!
 I take about 3L and head back up the hill. Everyone naps in the shade. It’s too hot to hike. I find my own patch of shade and paint. 

     
  

It starts too cool down around 3. I head out before most of the other hikers. I want to get as close to warner springs as I can so I can make it to the post office tomorrow. 

I find another rattlesnake lying across the trail. I don’t even bother trying to get it to move this time. I scramble around its resting spot.  

The terrain starts to shift.    

   Green! 

I get another burst of hiking energy. It’s so nice to hear birds again! The air is definitely cooler and more humid. It smells chalky, but a good, cool kind of chalky.   

    
 Billy goat’s cave. 

I hike as far as I can before it starts to get dark. It’s hard to find a flat spot. I pass several hikers almost camped out on the trail. I eventually find a nice little clearing on a hill top above the trail. Tonight I’m going to try cowboy camping.  

  

   
I have the best view of the moon rising!

Camped at mile 98.97 of the pct

Miles hiked today: 19.6

The full moon was so bright I had to cover my face with my hat to sleep.

I pack up and hike out of camp by 7:10. I wave good bye to Burbon. I wonder when I’ll see that group again.

The trail quickly decends down a steep incline. The bushes thin, the grass gets dryer and cactuses hide around the rocks.

A tall hiker covered from wrist to toe in all white underarmer hikes past me as I take a photo of a cactus. He caries a small brown umbrella to shield his bald head from the hot sun. Liters of water hang from all over his pack.

“Where you headed?” I ask.

“Water” he marches past.

“Right, duh” I say to myself.

He disappears down the trail. I eventually get to the next water source. It looks deserted. I approach the spigot and hikers sit up from under the bushes all around me.

“You made it!” “And there’s no extra mile to hike to the spigot like the water report says!” “Yay!” “Welcome!” “It’s cold!”

I hangout in the shade with a girl from Australia. Everyone is trying to figure out what to do next. The next on trail water source is in 32miles….. There’s an RV camp 11 miles down the trail + a 4 mile road walk….. And then there’s the option to hitch a ride into Julian in 14 miles…..

Most of the hikers huddled in the shade decide to hitch to Julian. I wasn’t planning on going to town, I was just in town. I need to stick to my schedule so I can see Doug. I look at the water report really closely. There are a few caches between here and the next water sorce. They say to not rely on water catches, and for good reason too. I’ve seen them empty, bottles strewn in the wind. The desert is not to be messed with, especially when water is conserned. I consider this real hard.

Okay. So, I like to have at least 2L for every 10 miles. That’s 6. Then one liter for camp at night (to cook, drink and clean with). 30 miles will take me 2 nights so make that 8…. And then it’s been really hot and I’ve been drinking a lot more than usuall so add one more for a total of 9liters! Phew. Okay. Wow. I’ve never hiked with that much water before.

Guess there’s a first for everything.

The girl from Australia watches as I assemble my pack. I hang two litters from my shoulder straps in the front, every pocket has a full bottle, even the main body of the pack. Now how do I get it on. I hoist it up onto one knee and spin it around onto my back. Yes! The two liters on the shoulder straps pop off. Crap. This is going to be hard, but I really want to stick to my schedule! Plus I’ll be dinking most of this as I hike. It can only get lighter right?

I say goodbye to the group and slosh out of the bushes down the trail. Good thing it’s a gradual, sandy decent. The trail narrows and the left side becomes a steep drop off. I worry one of the shoulder strap litters will pop off again and fall un-retrievable with every step I take.

It’s like that for a long long way. I’m going at a turtle’s pace but I get a kindof rythum going that works. Dodge cactus, make sure stick isn’t snake, don’t slip on sandy rock. I think to myself how different this world I’m in now is from the world I was in just a few weeks ago. At Bricksburg I don’t think I ever thought about water once. Now I’m having to carry 9 litters of it through the desert to get to a town on time.

Some how I manage to take pictures though all of this. It’s so hot. Even the cactuses are dead through this section.

I pass a few couples hunkered down in what little shade there is. The trail winds around and around. So many switch backs! Eventually it takes me even lower. I start to see a few really tough cactuses.

  
The trail then compleatly levels out leading to Scissors Crossing. I see another hiker braving the heat ahead of me.

 His bandana whips in the wind. I feel like I’m in the movie Laurence of Arabia. I catch up to him. What a tough man, he looks to be in his 70s. He plans on going into Julian for the night. We hike with each other through the wind and sand. It feels like forever.

I decide I’ve taken too much water. I’m hiking faster than I thought. I offer Laurenc some but he has enough. I reluctantly dump a litter next to an ant hill. The ants stop everything to drink it. It feels like sacrilege, but I hope it helps the ants.

We get to the road and there’s a car parked where the trail crosses. A lady gets out and walks towards us.

“Need a lift to Julian?” She beams.

My first trail angel! (trail angles are people who volunteer their time to help hikers. Driving, resuplying water catches, giving out food, opening their homes, etc)

I politely decline and shout back at my Laurence of Arabia buddy, “hey! Found you a ride!”

The look of relief on his face. These people truly are angels.

She looks at me, “you going to the bridge? The trail goes there, it’s just up ahead, I can drop you off” she points up the road. I can see it, it’s not far at all. I hesitate. My feet make me say “okay.”

Laurence and I hobble into the car. She drives us maybe a quarter mile to the bridge and drops me off. I thank her profusely and say goodbye to Laurence.

I find a group of hikers I havnt seen since Cribbet Flat! They just got back from Julian and look refreshed and clean. They plan on hiking about 15 miles tonight and invite me to join. That’s cool, but I’m too tired I can’t. 30 mile days some day sure, but not today. I decide to hike two more miles to a small spot in a dry creak bed. And it just so happens to be all up hill. The things I will do to not camp by a road. Switchbacks for dinner.

I look back over the crossing.  I came from way over there.

The trail winds through the most beautiful cactuses. The guardens at the Getti Museum would be jealous.

  
  

Yes cactuses, you are very pretty, but I’m super ready to set up camp. These last two miles were really hard. I’ve never been so happy to find a patch of dirt in my life.

  
Camped at 79.37mile of the pct

Total miles hiked today: 19.9

My alarm goes off at 7am. It’s easy to sleep in when you have curtains and a soft warm bed. I make myself get up. I wiggle my toes. Hey! My blister doesn’t- I hop out of bed- hurrrrt… crap. I can tell it’s healing, maybe in another day or two it’ll be gone.

The general store opens at 9. I turn in my key and buy resupplies for 3.8 days to Warner Springs. I hope to get there before the post office closes on Saturday! I set out at a brisk pace. 

Goodbye fairytale book forest!

 
I promptly run into 4 other thru hikers. Burbon, Hippie, Bill and Laura. We leapfrog each other as we hike. Laura passes me and hikes way up ahead. I watch her twirl her hiking poles around in a sort of dance. ‘She must be in a good mood’ I think to myself. 

Then I get to that section and find a freeway of bees traveling over the trail. Yikes. Twirling poles suddenly makes sense. I hold my breath and walk carefully through. I always felt like if you run from bees, they’ll know. They can sense your fear. Not sure if that’s true, but I made it past un-stung! 

The trail tops off with a grand sweeping view of the dry surrounding mountains. Wow, I’m going to be walking over there?     

The trail then switchbacks down through an old burn section. Dead tree branches stick out of the bushes like antlers. The ground is covered in tiny yellow and orange confetti like flowers.  

  

   
   interesting shapes in the old burned trees.  Snake #2!

I keep hiking and suddenly recognize a walkway structure. 

 
Hey! I’ve been here before! I stayed in Julian for a friend’s 100 mile race a few years ago. We stopped here to look at the trail. I hope I make you proud past self!

I start to listen to the FEZ soundtrack on Doug’s Sansa clip. Music adds a whole new level to hiking. I feel unstoppable! The trail continues through sweeping fields with large boulders and views of the neighboring desert hills. 

   

    
 
A curious crow follows me, hopping from bolder to bolder. It then takes flight high up into the air. I stop walking and look up. It hovers 15 feet above me looking right back down its beak. Wow. It felt like a real moment. I never new bird eye contact could be so intense. I say something dumb like”hello there” and break the spell. It flys off over the ridge.    

The wind starts to pick up. I can see old trees from the fire that have been blown down.  

I reach a small rest stop with a horse trough. Hmmm my first filtered water, yum.   

 Yep. I drank out of that (After filtering obviously).

The trail then goes over an old bridge with old graffiti and placards remembering the deceased. 

   
    
 
It continues to be windy as the sun starts to hang low. The trail narrows and follows a ridge lined with wild lavender. The views are stunning. I stop to draw for a little bit.

  

    

 
 

 
    
Hippie and Bill catch up to me. We hike into Sunrise trail head and set up camp in a meadow. It’s very beautiful but a little exposed.. I set up behind a water tank hoping that it will block the wind tonight. A few other hikers pack up to night hike in the full moon! That sounds really cool but I’m happy making dinner and resting for the night.

   
  
  
Camped at mile 59.5 of the pct.
Miles hiked today: 18.1 mi

I wake up to dappled sunlight on my tent. It’s 6 am. I slept much better last night. I’ve learned to not inflate my air mattress all the way. More air doesn’t always mean more comfort. I’ve been filling it all the way then trying to balance on it like a circus seal in my sleep. The same goes for the inflatable pillow. Less is better. I pack up in 30min and wave goodbye to the other hikers waking up. 

  

It’s a beautiful morning. The climb out of the campground is cast in cool shade. Lucky me! I bet this area will get hot later. I watch as the shadows get shorter and shorter as the sun climbs the sky and I crest the ridge. Birds call out from the trees and swoop over the trail. Their playful shadows pass over me like tiny fighter planes.

  
It’s fun to watch them go about their dramatic bird business. One puffs up here, another chases off there, so much action!

I catch up to a hiking couple and accidentally scare them. Sorry! We talk for half a mile before they stop for a snack. They were really fun! I hope I get to hike with them again.

The terain shifts from scrubs and bushes to dry desert like terrain. The air is spicy with a hint of some sweet citrusy flower. Whatever it is, it makes me sneeze. A lot.

   
 

It’s hot. I crouch under my umbrella to drink more water and eat some trail mix.

  
The trail then leads me down into a valley with tall trees and waving grass. The air smells like old wood and earth. A stream bables to the left. I can hear it but I can’t see it, it’s covered with so many plants.

 
I pass by two guys trying to filter water throught the over growth. Gotta get that hydration!  

The terain shifts a third time. I find myself surrounded by pine trees. The ground is coated with pine needles and tiny electric blue flowers. It feels like a fairytale book forest! The air smells like vanilla and pine. 

  
   

  
I come across a fork in the trail with a sign:

  
Town! 

I power down the trail to the left and come across a campsite and small freeway. Phone service! 

I walk towards the Laguna lodge and see a small caffe. Food! I stop and get a broccoli salad and a Sierra Mist mixed with lemonade. So good. I chat with some other hikers as they play a dice game called Farkle.   

I check into the lodge for the rest of the day. Hikers call this a ‘Nero’ or a half day. A full day of no hiking is called a ‘Zero’. I get a key for my room and a bucket with a small cup of detergent to wash my clothes! How nice! 

      

 

Despite my best efforts at blister prevention, I’ve achieved a rather large one on my left foot. I’ll spare you an actual picture, but you get to suffer a drawing: 

 

It’s not that bad. I’ve done everything I can to help it heal quickly. Hopefully it’ll go away over night 😀

Excited to sleep in a real bed tonight!

Miles hiked: 8.95 

I awake, it’s 2 am and I can hear two hikers bussying around camp. I can’t quite tell if they’re leaving or arriving? How late did they start? And 2 am, why? I try to doze back to sleep unsuccessfully.
The sun starts to shimmer through the branches onto my tent. I’m getting better at pitching it! It’s very cozy.

I pack up in 15min and am out by 6:40. It’s a 5 mile climb up to lake Morena. Switch backs for breakfast.

I start to see other hikers! 8 so far. We leapfrog each other all the way up to the lake.

   
 

There’s water and showers at the lake campground. I get super excited about the showers but realize I need 50 cents….I don’t have any quarters. Sad. Only after I’m all ready to leave does another hiker walk past with coffee and point me to the general store. I can get change there!

I hike out of the campground with 3litters of water. I search for cell service to call Doug.

I find one bar on some tall rocks! Two hikers walk by and I knowtice they’re carying a lot more water than me…. Everything on the first section of the pct revolves around water. There isn’t much of it. I start to feel insecure about my reading of the water report (a crowd sorced webpage of the most up to date water information). Did it change since I last saw it? I check with my one bar of service…. No it’s the same… I decide it’s okay to push on to the next sorce with just the 3 litters.

The air is hot. The grass looks green but I can smell it baking in the sun.

I can feel some blisters forming on the bottom of my feet. I stop to tape them, hoping to keep them from getting worse. The dust fills my shoes. My feet look like I’ve been walking barefoot. I try to clean them to get the blister tape to stick.

I find an empty smart water bottle on the side of the trail. ‘Someone will probably want this,’ I think as I stash it safely in my pack.

I pass under a bridge and walk a long some feilds.

I come across a spring! To drink, or not to drink… That is the only question.

There’s an active spigot up the trail (according to the water report) so I pass on this water source.

I get to the spigot location and turn to see at least 12 other hikers! All huddled under  the shade of one tree. Yep, this must be where the good water is.

I join them and paint a little.

I can feel myself getting too comfy so I don’t stay long. (I like to get where I’m going, then relax). I refil my water and remember the lost smart water bottle. I hold it up,
“Did anyone lose a-”

“Me!” A hiker holds out his hands and everyone laughs.

Water. It’s super important.

I leave feeling good. And then the trail starts to gain elevation. The sun hangs high in the sky and the trees hang anywhere but over the trail. It’s super hot. I drink my water really fast. Now’s a good time to use my hiking umbrella. After some fiddling I get it to sit just right. Hooray for hiking in a patch of moving shade! Totally worth it’s weight.

I enjoy the interesting rock formations and plant life. Wish I had more time to paint but I want to get to the next water source.

The sun starts to hang low so I put the umbrella away. I catch up to another hiker named Faraday and we hike down a road to the next camp site and water source, Cribbets flat. We spot some… interesting signs along the way.

Camped out for night #2!

17.81 miles hiked today.

Miles: 15.35

Doug and I pick at our plates. The buffet at the hotel is everything a breakfast lover would wish for but I’m just not hungry. This is it. This is the day. It still doesn’t feel real. I’m excited and nervous and sad all at once. I try to camel up on water and distract myself from thinking about saying goodbye. We get the check, I pocket some fruit, use the nice hotel restroom, checkout and then we get in the car. 

The drive from Sandiego to Campo feels like 5 minutes even though the gps says about an hour.

I can’t contain my excitement when I recognize the PCT trail markers crossing the road (I’m going to walk there, and there, and there) and then we arrive at the monument! A few cars are parked below it and my excitement turns into shyness. 

“Are they other hikers?” I whisper to Doug.

“I don’t know, I don’t see any backpacks” he whispers back.

We take some photos at the monument. The border goes on and on as far as the eye can see. A giant line drawn in the land, yet the terrain looks the same on either side.  

  
   

It still doesn’t feel real. Doug walks with me down the trail. It’s surprisingly green! Butterflies swirl around us. Wild flowers dot the sand banks with color.

  
We come across some horse poop in the middle of the trail. 
“My first horse poop!” I joke.

We laugh and walk on. 

“Snake!!!” Doug pulls me back, my heart in my throught as I try to avoid it mid step. 

We pause, Doug trying to gage my reaction, I look up:

“My first Snake!” I beam.

And then it hits me like a wave, how nice it is to share that first snake on the pct with him. I’m going to miss this wonderful person. We will always have that first snake.

Doug walks the first 2 miles with me, we cross a road, and then I experience one of the most difficult things, we say goodbye. I watch to make sure he gets back across the road okay until he disappears down the trail. 

And then it’s just me…. and the rocks, and the bushes, and the dead trees. I loose track of how many lizards.   

    
  

The grass wants to kill me haha.  

 Finally found a shelf to keep all of my rocks. 

  

    
 

Whenever I pack my bag:

Going on a big trip is really exciting, but leaving can be bittersweet. There are a lot of people (and cats) in my life that I am so greatfull for! I’m going to miss every single one of them.

 

This is an amazingly small and versatile pallet designed by Maria Coryell Martin. It’s a business card holder with removable magnetic trays that come in 3 different sizes. Because of it’s small size I run low on pigment really fast. I find it lasts me maybe 4-5 small paintings before I need a refill. It’s great for day hiking and small week trips. I could technically put more trays in my resupply boxes but I’m planning on using it just for accent colors. (canvas bag included for reference)

 

 

• Bic Velocity mechanical pencil with 2HB 0.7mm led and back up erasers
• 2 micron pens sizes 03 and 05 (water proof!)
• Aquash Water brush
• Small syringe (used to refill the water brush)
• pocket brush (for details)