photos – Page 27 – Wandering the Wild

Day 33: Near climb to Mt. Baden-Powell (Mile 373)-Kratka Ridge (Mile 389.5); 16.5 miles

After a short morning descent, we climbed 2800 feet in 3.6 miles to reach the summit of Mt Baden-Powell. Mountains surrounded us on all sides, except to the north where the Mojave Desert stretched flat to the horizon. It was an amazing view of what lay ahead for us on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Near the summit we found gnarled, slow-growing limber pine trees. This species can survive in very harsh conditions for up to 2000 years.

A few miles later, tired from the climb and with our bellies growling for lunch, we passed a hiker resting at a trail junction next to a sign. We were focused on finding a good shady lunch spot, so we glanced briefly at the sign and continued walking. About a mile farther down the trail, things didn’t feel right. The trail was dropping faster than it should and the highway had become visible too soon. Sure enough, the GPS on our phones showed we were off the PCT.

Day 30: Cleghorn Picnic Area/family vacation (Mile 328.5)- Swarthout Canyon Road (Mile 347.5); 19 miles

We returned to the trail rested and relaxed from our time in Big Bear with family. But as it turned out, we couldn’t leave the family behind! Five of Anna’s relatives joined us for 13 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail out of Silverwood Lake. We had a great time sharing the trail with them, and trail names soon emerged: Alex was Moon, Peter was Crow, Joe was Fire Ant, Cindy was Lulu Lush, and Jim was either Twinkle Toes or Big Load, though he rejected both. We should also mention that right before taking our rest days, a fellow thru hiker, Dancing Feet, suggested Anna should be named Morning Glory. The name would fit well because Anna wakes up early, is upbeat, and likes to identify wildflowers along the trail. We both feel the name is pretty good, but not perfect, so Anna will await another trail name suggestion.

After we parted ways with the family, we continued on until we reached a water cache at Swarthout Canyon Road. This spot was amusing to us because of the furniture, which provided for some prime desert lounging.

Tag: photos

Day 33-37: Detours, Intentional and Unintentional

Day 30-32: Poodle Dog Ballet, Snow Plants, and an Eclipse