Written by John Swart – From May 1, 2014 – From Mountain to Desert – Greetings from the dry, windy desert. I left Idyllwild a few days ago and entered the San Jacinto Wilderness, where I climbed Mount San Jacinto, which towers 10,834 feet over the desert above Palm Springs.
The terrain was alpine with patches of snow covering many areas (making for very soggy shoes). A very strenuous day of climbing, I must say, but the views were quite rewarding.
That afternoon I camped at a lovely spot overlooking the desert landscape below. Unfortunately, shortly after settling in for the night, a very strong wind (blasting to be exact) kicked up and blew unabated all night. Result: very little shut eye.
Yesterday it was a 6000-ft, 18-mile descent to the desert floor where camping was much more mild and peaceful. Today was an easy hike to a trail angel’s house nearby the trail, to wait out the heat of the day.
On the emotional front, this experience is quite the challenge presently. The bout of sickness I’m recovering from has dampened my spirits and has me questioning my ability to continue on indefinitely. In several respects, I am very poorly prepared. The most I can do right now is take the next step and see what the next turn in the trail brings.
From May 4, 2014. From Desert Back to Mountain
From Big Bear City, California, where I popped in yesterday to resupply and grab a quick rest. A very generous local fellow, Bob, hosted another hiker and me in his vintage home once owned by Andy Define, the western film actor.
The plan is to jump back on the trail today.
The last four days hiking have taken me from the high, blustery desert at 1200 feet into alpine forest at 8500 feet. The trail wound along beside a small, very refreshing creek and through a rugged canyon for quite a few miles, before it climbed up into the mountainous forest of lodgepole and ponderosa pines. As has been the case, the vistas have been quite beautiful.
I still feel on pretty shaky footing regarding this venture, but I feel life puts us where we need to be for whatever reasons. So I continue to walk and remain as present as possible to the experience, knowing that, as with the trail, there are transitions and changes around every corner.
I really appreciate all the comments and support; they are a big help to me. Unfortunately I have very little time to respond. My days are consumed by hiking, eating and sleeping.
From May 16, 2014. Moving Ahead
Greetings! After many miles of very strenuous hiking, covering 190 miles in a week and a half, I am taking a much needed break in Agua Dulce, a burb 45 miles from Los Angeles in the high desert near very beautiful Vasquez Rocks park (the site of some Star Wars filming, I’m told). I must admit the body is feeling the effort in the form of foot sores and some leg pain.
Since last reporting at Big Bear, I began my current leg of the journey with a multiple mile descent from 7,000+ feet (at Big Bear, with its pine and oak forestation), to the scrubby chaparral below, with sage brush, wild flowers and dramatic rock formations.
The trail followed a deep creek down a narrow canyon high above pools of clear, cascading water as it made its way to lower elevations. Hot springs along the way were a treat that made for a very relaxing, rejuvenating camping stop. Once out of the canyon there was a trek across low elevations to Silverwood Lake. The lake was quite picturesque as it is nestled among the high, alpine-like mountains.
The next day involved a very long, steep descent into Cajon Pass. The trail wound down steep cliffs to Interstate 15, where it ended in an oasis of fast food restaurants and convenience stores.
After a stop to gorge, it was back up to the high elevations with a very steep, dry climb. A camping stop on the side of the mountain was followed by an ascent up to 8500 feet, passing Mount Baldy. Then onwards to a resupply and overnight stop in Wrightwood, a ski town that has fallen on rather hard times due to the snow drought. Sharing a room with four other hikers was quite the communal event.
The following day we faced a very challenging climb up Mount Baden-Powell, named for the founder of the Boy Scouts. The 9300-foot summit rewarded us with quite nice photo ops of the surrounding peaks and beyond to the desert floor far below.
Several days of overall elevation loss, accompanied by the occasional climb, took the trail to the much lower elevations of the desert environment where I am currently. A very generous couple has opened their home to hikers and provided much appreciated showers, laundry service, and a great place to hang out.
Today in the cool of the late afternoon I will set out on the hottest stretch of the trail, through the broiling desert. The strategy in this section will be to hike early morning, late afternoon, and sometimes at night to avoid the intense heat.
I’m feeling a bit beat up at this point and am hoping this rest will inspire me to continue on. Today I purchased a warmer sleeping bag which I hope will alleviate the very cold, sleepless nights that resulted from my old, inadequate bag.
The learning process continues. At times I’m not really sure why I’m subjecting myself to this feat, but I feel more will be revealed as I move along. Often I find out in the end that the reasons and results are far different from my original ideas about what I was intended to gain from an experience. I believe this may be the case with this venture. So it’s off to the desert to see what the trail holds for me next.
