Start point

Just past Cajon pass at 343.6

End point

Tentsite at 361.7

Miles hiked

18.1

Wilderness area

San Bernardino National Forest

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

People I met

Hot Sauce, Blind Squirrel, and two others in their group

The day on trail

Today. Was. A. Grind. 18 miles and over 5,000’ of elevation gain. All with only the water you pack out.

I carried five liters of water from McDonald’s. I started the hike today with two liters and wish I had more. But I knew there would be snow at the top I could melt if worst came to worst. I suspected there would be some water at the top regardless.

I’m kind of hooked on cowboy camping. It’s great not having to set up a tent or break it down. And the fresh air, while hell on my allergies, is wonderful to the senses. Waking up to the sky is splendid. I can’t get enough of it.

I got out of camp about an hour after Piñacolada left. We, including Sinead, made plans to meet at either 18 or 20 miles. Finding them wouldn’t be hard because if they’re not at 18, I’d know to keep going. There isn’t much side area up there to lose people, so while the plan was tentative, it was solid.

I started off with my two liters and got to a water cache about four miles into the hike. There I met Blind Squirrel, Hot Sauce, and two other hikers with them whose names I can’t remember right now.

I drank one of my liters and filled it back up. I sat down and had a small snack, chatted with the other hikers. I drank another liter and filled it back up. The water cache here has a mouse that lives there named Chooch, and he wasn’t out today.

But the miles won’t hike themselves. It’s time to move because the day will only get hotter and the light will only get shorter. I have many miles to go and 5,000 feet to climb.

The trail went under some power lines. I could hear them crackling, though it had a different texture from other crackles I’ve heard. The one I heard a few weeks ago sounded exciting. This one sounded violent and scary. It put me on edge.

Of course, that could be in my mind. I don’t truly know if power lines have different sounds. I think they would, though. Hot and cold water sound different when being poured. Hot and cold air sound different blowing. Energy levels sound different, so why would power lines be different? I’m sure they all have different amounts of energy flowing through them, different resistances, and different insulations.

The trail was graded nicely, but it’s still 5,000 of climbing over 18 miles. The first six or so miles were over rolling hills and then just solid climbing with a few respites of flatness or gentle downhills. The trail was also often narrow and the rattlesnakes were out.

My first one was super timid. He was only a few miles after the water cache. I saw his tail, he saw me, and he turned around and went into the bush, and I went slightly off trail to give him lots of space.

There were some gates.

• 

• 

These were at two wildly different elevations.

I finally got a photo of a scrub jay! Little blue birds that live in the bushes.

And there was this super loud bird that was echoing through the mountains.

This red rock caught my attention. I love seeing the oxidized iron in it.

On and on I went. Until I met my second rattler. This one was scary. I almost stepped on him and he saw me when I saw him. I jumped back and he recoiled. He darted into a bush and started rattling. And he just kept rattling. I guess he just wanted to be seen, but I don’t mess with irate rattlesnakes. I waited and waited. I had to pee, so I did. I sat down and had a snack. He kept rattling. I ended up having to cut up the hill, across some scrub, and then back down. It took so long, both with the break and climbing over, that two of the group of four caught up to me and asked what I was doing. I let them know about the snake and Blind Squirrel just walked past. The lady he was hiking with froze up, and I think she was right to do so. I kept on, though, since I was past the snake already.

I just kept on after. Eventually I got to Camp Hachey 1, and walked past it. There was a washed out part of trail after it.

At Camp Hachey 2, a couple miles after, Rafael and Lee were taking an extended break. I ran into Piñacolada before Hachey 2 and he was struggling.

Everyone was struggling. A lot of people were complaining about the climbing. Some complained about the snow. Everyone was tired.

It was just a slog to the campsite, and we were all out of water. It was a hot day and it had cooled down as we got higher and higher. But we were still all thirsty and exhausted.

There was a snow bank at the top with a slight trickle of snowmelt coming from its base. There was also a pool of snowmelt about 400 feet past the site.

I refilled water and drank so, so deeply. I was parched and it was incredibly refreshing.

There was a site, Guffy Campground, about three miles past, that I was ready to push on to. Luckily, I didn’t need to because Piñacolada and Sinead had set up at the unnamed tentsite.

The site was beautiful. It overlooked parts of LA suburbs. We all cowboy camped near each other and slept great. Well, I had a few rough hours before some allergy meds kicked in.