The Lorax is excited to reach 100 miles!

Hello everyone!
I am now in the town of Idyllwild, officially at mile 179.4 on the PCT. Yesterday, I hiked a 2.5 mile side trail down to a parking lot and found a ride into town from a man who was running down the path. I was finally able to take my third shower in 13 days, spent a long time rinsing and rinsing as much of the dirt as I could from my clothes before they went into the washer, ate a giant cookie, followed by ice cream, an entire avocado, more ice cream, a bacon cheeseburger, and more ice cream after a little break. (I ended up eating nearly an entire quart and a half!!!). I didn’t think my hiker hunger had started yet! Half way through the night (the first time I have slept in a bed since the night before the trail), I woke up with my stomach rumbling!
Even though I woke up “late”, I got to the breakfast place 10 minutes too early!! I took a moment to start journaling about day 4, ordered a bacon, avocado, and Swiss omelette and then was joined by Sprinkles and Spoon Man! Breakfast companions!

Sprinkles and Spoon Man!

I love having instant friends!
They were taking a quick break in town and heading right back to the trail. I will spend the day in town and try to catch up a bit on journaling.

There are so many stories to tell already… I don’t even know where to begin! Mostly, I have hiked alone and I try to hike about 20 miles a day. Everything I have, including my body, is caked in dirt. I look rather disgusting. So much of the planning that I did in my living room went right out the window as soon as I set foot on the trail! My hat wouldn’t stay on my head in the wind, the razor I brought got clogged with dirt the first time I used it, my socks starting getting holes in the toes after only 5 days, one wet wipe was unable to clean even one leg (I had allocated one per day), I found out my tent is only good in fair weather, my headlamp is too dim to night hike (forcing me to walk in the burning sun), my hip belt pocket zipper broke, my tent stuff sack apparently blew away, my camera got a lot of sand in the gears, and my shirt is permanently stained brown! I removed the insoles from my shoes today to replace them and dumped a lot of sand out of my shoes that was hiding beneath them!!
After several sleepless nights due to high winds collapsing my pole, stakes being pulled out, and flapping my tent material all night long,

Cold, windy, sleepless night

I finally cowboy camped in strong winds on a ridge for the first time on this hike. It was a makeshift site, on a big slope, but I made it through the night just fine and even got some sleep!

Sunset on the ridge

I think I will be doing more of that now that no spiders crawled into my sleeping bag and bit me! (A guy on the trail has already been bitten by a black widow recluse, and the bite started decaying his skin into a black hole! Another hiker advised him to wrap the bite with duct tape and keep moving!)

My toughest day so far was the hottest one four days ago. It started getting really warm around 7am and just kept getting worse. I reached a water cache around 2 and found a bush to rest under. Still, the sun was burning down on me. I tried to cover my feet and legs so they wouldn’t get burned, but that just made them sweat. And flies buzzed around my face. I got up and looked at my water report, only to find that all water sources for the next 33 miles were either dry or far off the trail and difficult to get to! I looked at my thermometer. After 2 hours in the shade, it read 101.6 degrees.
I returned to the water cache to find a gathering of lounging hikers. Greg saw me and said, “Wendy! Where did you come from?”
“I came from a bush over there!”

Ha,ha

I’ve met some nice, friendly people

Me and Dr. Sole – one of the nicest people on the planet!

and some closed, not so friendly ones.
I haven’t hiked consistently with anyone. And when it was time for the kick off back at Lake Morena, where I taught yoga, many people just continued on.

Lake Morena where I taught two yoga sessions!

Kick-off was dampened for me and another girl because of a badly behaved man. That story will be told another time. But we found someone incredibly kind and caring who saved the weekend for us.
My yoga sessions went well. I was so worried about people not being able to hear me outside, but I stepped it up and felt like I taught one of my best classes ever. Twenty eight people took class the following morning.
I saw Bones briefly and to my great surprise, ran into Cookie Monster, who I met at Pinkham Notch in 2008 and who played a big part in my decision to hike the AT. He didn’t remember me, but I told him about what I remembered about him. “Remember you were getting your hiking pole tips fixed and that you had your Tupperware containers for your food and were heading out to hike the Wildcats after you ate?”
I thought he had hiked the PCT years ago, but it turns out that this year is his first attempt. He gave me a hug and said, “Welcome home!”
What a small, friendly world.

Muk Muk and I made an escape plan and ended up being dropped off at the trailhead at Warner Springs at 9:30 at night- way past our bedtime and in the complete dark. I wanted to just set up camp and sleep, but she wanted to hike an hour to get away from the bad guy. My headlamp was way too dim for me to be able to see anything, so I just followed her. We camped in sand (my tent stakes weren’t holding!) and I left before she did the next morning. For the next 70 miles, I hiked by myself. She just arrived in town today with the guy who got bitten by the recluse and they are staying with me. Chris found some shorts in the hiker box to wear while his clothes were being washed and just broke out in a poison oak rash which he believes came from the shorts!! One thing after another…
I ran around town all day buying things and doing chores. I spent way more money than I had anticipated! And of course, all of my journaling time disappeared… 😦

I now have to decide if I should get back on the trail tomorrow morning or wait for the late afternoon to hike with Muk Muk…

I’m sorry to disappoint anyone reading, but hiking all day long and taking care of my basic survival needs leaves me no time to write at all…
Writing is a full-time job and the stories that are happening will have to wait until I get home to be told.

In the meantime, I will try to give small updates to let people know that I am okay. Thanks so much for your support!

(And if anyone knows of any ideas on how I can support myself while I write all my stories when I get back home, please let know!)

Day 14
May 2
0 miles

It felt like I had slept in, but when I went over to the breakfast place, I was told that they weren’t yet serving food! (This was a first for me!) Luckily, I had brought my journal along. I received a message from someone that I had met on the AT asking me where I would be the following weekend. He said that his company was flying him to LA and that he wanted to come visit me and the trail (he hiked the PCT last year). I was surprised that he had written to me in the first place and even more surprised that he wanted to visit! I calculated where I would be and let him know and he said to tell him when I got to Big Bear. After I ordered my omelet, Greg (Sprinkles) and Spoonman walked in and joined me at my table. Breakfast companions! Yay! They were making a quick resupply stop in town and heading right back out to the trail while I spent the day in town. I headed over to the outfitter to see if they had any hats that would work for me. It was a very small place, but they had several options! I also asked about a headlamp that would be bright enough to night hike with. Muk Muk was going to be arriving shortly, so I decided to head back to the cabin while I thought about my options. She arrived with Chris (the hiker that I met at kick-off who needed a ride back to Warner Springs) and asked if he could stay with us, as well. Of course! (I was allowed to have two other people stay). Sierra Bum came by looking for a place to stay, but luckily found his friends who were staying next door. I took Chris (UB) and Muk Muk to the breakfast place before they stopped serving breakfast and then headed back to the cabin to make a phone call. Then, Muk Muk and I went to the outfitters. By now, it was getting crowded with hikers! I tried on several hats and asked the opinion of a guy who was hanging out there. He also gave me his choice of headlamps. I groaned at the size and weight of it! But I ended up buying it because I did need the ability to night hike and I hadn’t realized that my lightweight headlamp was made for emergency purposes only. (I never night hiked in CO, so it was fine there!). I also asked if there was any way to get my hip belt zipper repaired. The guy who was hanging out in the store said that there was a seamstress in town who I could call. She was located a couple of miles away. Luckily, after talking with her, she told me to ask the guy who knew her to give me a ride there! Muk Muk headed off to the post office and grocery store and I got a ride to the seamstress. She took a look at the broken zipper right away and did her best to repair it. Since it was badly broken, she put a stopper halfway into it so it won’t tear even further and told me to only open it to that point. It only cost me $10! I was so happy that I gave her a hug. Clark drove me back to the inn and I offered him some gas money. He declined but said that I could buy him a beer later. He asked me where I was having dinner. I told him that my friends and I were planning on eating at a restaurant that I had heard good things about. He told me where he would be and that I should stop by. Then, he got out of the car, looked at my legs, and asked me if I was a runner. After more talking, I told him I had to get back to my cabin. The sun was burning my skin and I had lots of things to do yet! I needed to get to the post office to mail my extra things home before they closed first and foremost, which meant I had to do a lot of sorting!
While I had been away, Muk Muk and Chris had brought their laundry over to the office to be done and Chris found an extra pair of shorts in the hiker box to wear in the meantime. After a couple of hours, a rash started developing on his legs under the shorts! He had broken out from poison oak! Another hiker who I had never met had also made himself at home on the couch in the living room. Muk Muk volunteered to buy Chris some calming lotion, so we set out to the drugstore and post office. Then, I had to return to the outfitters and actually buy a hat and headlamp! I asked the owner for his opinion and he said that he could see me sashaying along the trail in one of them. My eyes grew wide as I said, “That’s my trail name!”.
It was now time for dinner and the consensus was pizza. The four of us walked over, laughing along the way. Chris apologized for sequestering himself to work on the videos he was making from footage he had taken on the trail. He wanted to offer his hike to his viewers in as close to real-time as possible. I was amazed at his ability to do that! As we walked back to our cabin, we were invited to hang out with the hikers next door. They said they would have a fire. Muk Muk decided to stay and blog while Chris and I eventually went over there. I wanted to see his videos! It turned out to be not what I expected- just some zoned out hikers staring at the TV. I wished we had stayed back at our cabin. Finally, Chris showed a couple of his videos to Sierra Bum and I got to watch, as well. They brought tears to my eyes! I was impressed with his admission about the struggles he had faced earlier in his life and his wanting to hike the trail to make a positive change and set an example for his two children. And I found the music that he chose, the images that he had captured, and the way he presented them to be extremely artistic and moving. The guy who had been hanging out in our cabin came over and as it became dark outside, I asked him where he was staying. He said the couch in my cabin! (He had told Muk Muk who had invited him over that he was staying at the campground in town). I didn’t feel like I could tell him he couldn’t stay there now that it was dark outside, but none of us were happy about this… UB told him that he could share the cost and that he should give the money to me, but he refused to look at me and never offered to contribute.
As I tried to fall asleep, I heard Muk Muk and UB talking and giggling in their room. They were having a slumber party! (Cute!).

Day 13
May 1
169-179.4 (plus 2.5 miles on Devil’s Slide)
12.9 miles

The sun slowly rose and as I awoke, I realized that everything was just fine! I had survived my first night of cowboy camping! I ate some breakfast, packed up my things, and headed back to the trail- first climbing back up to a place that I had originally scouted out for camping and then moving on to new territory. Clouds rested in the distant blue-hued mountains and green hills rolled beneath me. Soon, the terrain would become more rocky and I felt like I was getting a preview of the Sierras with the granite cliffs towering above me. The trail narrowed and steeply dropped off to the right.
After awhile, I found a nice rock to take a break on and have a snack. As I continued on, a hissing sound snapped me out of my thoughts. A rattlesnake coiled in the rocks to my right and I tried to calm it by telling him it was okay. It slithered in front of me along the trail and I finally got my first picture of the entire body of one of these creatures.
Not long afterwards, I encountered my first snow patch on the trail. I realized this was the infamous Apache Peak, which in a higher snow year, could be quite dangerous. Luckily, for us, it was only a fun diversion. Two people had made hand prints in a snowbank along the trail and I added mine to them. A little later on, Kim caught up to me. She didn’t want to hike with me, however, so we found our own space again. Finally, I reached Tahquitz creek. Water! Two couples whom I had never met yet were relaxing by the creek- a couple from Germany and a couple who were hiking with two Alaskan Huskeys. It was strange to see dogs in the desert! I filtered some water as Kim came along. We had less than five miles to get to Idyllwild! My energy seemed strong as I headed out again, but started to fade as time went on. Kim was just ahead of me when we reached the intersection to the Devil’s Slide trail and was on a mission to get into town. I however, was running out of steam and needed a snack break. Part of me started worrying that maybe I wouldn’t get a ride if I didn’t keep up with her, but I knew that I needed to stop and was not going to push myself to hike at someone else’s pace. As I was packing up, a very poised young man came up the side trail. His name was Tumbleweed and he struck me with his confidence and friendliness. He told me that he had given Kim a card with a man’s name and telephone on it who gives rides into Idyllwild. Again, I started to worry a little… He didn’t have a second card to give me. How was I going to get a ride if Kim was already being driven by him? I started to calm myself out loud, as Tumbleweed assured me things would work out. I asked him if he was planning on climbing the San Jacinto alternate and he said no. Then, we continued on in different directions.
I met a nice young couple on their way up the path who were out for a day hike. The woman was interested in what I was doing and said she wanted to hike this trail, too. She wanted to know if I felt safe alone. I assured her that I felt very safe out here and encouraged her to do the trail when she could.
As I got closer to the bottom of the hill, a man running behind me asked if I was a PCT hiker and if I needed a ride! Yes! He said he would meet me in the parking lot and that by the time I arrived, he would be finishing up with his stretches. I arrived a few minutes later and found Kim at his truck! It turned out that she didn’t have a phone to call the number on the card to get a ride, so she had to wait for my ride! My first lesson in keeping to my own path…
He dropped us off at the Idyllwild Inn, where we we had to wait for our rooms. I looked through the boxes to find my resupply box as well as the one that contained my second hat that I would be swapping out. I only found one differently sized box than the one I had packed and discovered that my new hat had been jammed in with my food and was now mangled and crushed! The note inside said that I could duct tape it back together! Oh, boy… While I was contemplating the situation, a hiker came in and started chatting with me. I asked him where I had met him and he said at the Warner Springs Community Center. He then asked me if I wanted some ice cream. Sure! I thought we were going to go out and get a cone or something, but it turns out that he was on his way out of town and had an extra half gallon that needed to be eaten, as well as an avocado, a package of tortillas, and some cans of beer. My cabin opened up so we went back to eat the ice cream there. His name was Karma because he is always doing nice things for others along the trail. We swapped stories, looked up the San Jacinto alternate route on a map, and then he headed back to the trail while I started the cleaning process. After taking my first shower since the first morning of kick-off, I rinsed as much dirt as I could out of each article of clothing that I had (as a pre-wash). Then, I washed out my jetboil container and spoon. Then it was time to get something to eat! I headed to the restaurant across the street for dinner. It was still early and I was only one of a few people in the restaurant. No other hikers were around, so I ate alone. As I looked out the window, I saw a pick-up truck drive down the road with the two Swedes in the back! The sight made me laugh. And then, a few minutes later, it drove back up the hill with them still in the back, which made me laugh even more! I wonder where they were going! I knew Muk Muk would be coming into town tomorrow, so I texted her to let her know she had a place to stay. I then checked in with the owner to see when I could have my laundry done. She said she could do it as the last load that evening. While I waited for my laundry, I contacted a few people from home and then struggled to stay awake. When the sun goes down, it’s time for me to sleep! After it was finally time to retrieve my laundry and return to my cabin, I was able to lie down in my first bed since before I began the trail!

Day 12
April 30
mile 149-169
20 miles

I surprised myself by getting up early and getting on the trail before the others and was greeted by another beautiful rising sun! How lucky was I? Looking out over the mountain folds in the distance, I made my way down towards the road that lead to Paradise Valley Cafe, a mile off the trail. I texted Muk Muk to let her know that it was indeed open today, and that I was headed there now. She was several miles behind. I arrived before it had opened and waited on the porch with Kim. I think I was more excited about using the restroom to wash up then I was about having breakfast! When I finally got in there and washed my hands, I realized that one washing was not going to be enough! So I washed them two more times and then tried to remove some of the dirt from my face! Wow… What a difference this trail was from the AT! As we waited for the servers to open the restaurant, Anastasia, Archie, and Joey arrived, followed by Roadrunner and Will. The group from Redding invited me to join them at their table and Kim came over, as well. I was amused when Joey came back from the restroom and told everyone that he washed his hands three times! (I love it when other people have the same exact experiences as me!). I learned they had been referring to me as “Olive Oil” because of my floppy hat- which after thinking about, I didn’t actually mind. I wanted to be that girl after seeing the movie! But I told them I already had a trail name. I enjoyed my first real meal-an omelet and toast and coffee- since starting the trail, but didn’t feel I had a real need for it. The others were talking about sticking around for lunch. As I reached into my hipbelt pocket of my pack to take out my camera, my zipper completely broke! Great… It was damaged within a few days of my Colorado Trail hike but I was told by another hiker out there that ULA doesn’t fix the zippers on the hipbelts. Now, I had a completely open pocket that would fill with water when it rained!
We filled up our water bottles from a hose outside and then the owner came by and asked if any of us wanted a ride back to the trail. Yes, please!! We loaded up our packs and hopped into the back of his truck, holding tightly onto our hats. Kim, Will, Roadrunner, and I were now resuming our hike at the same time and place. It took us a couple of false starts to find the actual trail and then a bit more time to fall into our own rhythms. And then, once again, I found my own space where my only companions were the lizards and horny toads and pretty flowers and bushes. That was where I was most comfortable. As the afternoon wore on, the trail began climbing steeply. It was quite a change from the gradual ascents we had early on! My body clearly wasn’t used to this type of work! Luckily, with the climbs came more shade, as we entered an environment that supported tree growth!
I planned on getting water off Fobes Saddle (a half mile off the PCT), as my guidebook advised not going to Apache Spring, but I couldn’t figure out where the side path was! I saw an old sign at what I thought was the saddle and looked everywhere for a path. As I continued on the PCT, I checked my GPS app and it said that I was now past this side trail. I was not about to climb back up the hill, and decided that I would ration my water instead. When I reached the bottom of the hill, I came across two wooden chairs and a sign reading “Fobes Saddle”. Hmmm… something was not right! I took a short break and moved on. As I started the next climb, I looked down into the valley and saw a water tank. My app did not match the location of the water. That is why I couldn’t find the side trail! And now, I realized that I was further behind than I thought. I continued to climb, determined to get to the Apache Spring intersection, where I thought there would at least be a camping spot. The wind had picked up dramatically, and I knew that I would have to cowboy camp or my flapping tent walls would keep me up all night again. The sun began to set and my heart began to beat faster as I was running out of time to find a camp spot. I looked off the trail here and there, but found nothing suitable. Then, I came upon a group of hikers who were sitting around having dinner to my left. I recognized a few of them from kick-off. I said hello, but they didn’t hear me, so I said, “Hi, guys” again. (It would have been creepy of me to pass by without acknowledging them). Finally, one of them saw me and the leader of the group invited me to camp with them. The area was already crowded with tents and I was intent on making it as far as Apache Spring, so I thanked them and said I wanted to hike a bit more. It turned out that there were no camping spots around the Apache Spring area, so I kept going as the sky grew darker. I was now on an exposed ridge with nothing but small shrubs along the trail. I needed to find something quickly! After a little scouting, I decided on a pebbly area next to some shrubs. The earth was quite sloped, but I couldn’t find a better flat spot. I set up my groundcloth, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag and fastened all of my things together so they wouldn’t blow off with the wind. The view of the folding ridges and setting sun helped keep me calm, as this was my first night of real cowboy camping, and I was not feeling comfortable at all! Since it was now dark, I didn’t feel like getting out my stove and cooking my disgusting pasta (why I bought the same kind of dinner for every night on the trail, I don’t know…). Instead, I just snacked a bit, set my pack to the downward sloping side to act as a barrier if I rolled off that way, and tried to relax. I felt a tingling sensation in my foot and felt that it was likely the presence of my brother coming to reassure me that I would be okay. The temperature dropped and the wind howled, and I dug myself further into my sleeping bag.