Friday 5/28 update

Dave will be home tomorrow afternoon through Sunday morning for a quick cleaning up, resupplying, and planning for the next couple of weeks. He spent last night at a historic hotel (details to follow). They stopped there because it was pouring! I heard there may have been Karaoke! Dave, Zero, and Fire Marshall will end up in Lancaster tomorrow. All are in good spirits!

Quick update on where Dave is until we can get his notes!!

We’ve gotten a bit behind on Dave’s Blog, what with all the Trail Angeling we are doing! We’ll get complete information 5/26, as I am getting Dave a big supply of food to get him through the Mojave Desert. Here is a quick update of the most recent activity! Days are left blank until I get Dave’s notes.

Day __: (Mile 433.6 – ?? – We’ll see where they end up tonight.)Start Location: Mile 417.4
Finish location: Mile: still trecking
Daily Mileage:
Total Miles: Miles
Miles to Finish: Miles
Tuesday 5/25 - Dave & Zero called in at lunch time. They were enjoying a hamburger at a restaurant that was not too far off the path. They provided their supply list. Tomorrow I’ll resupply them and drop off Fire Marshall. They’ll be headed off for a 6 day trek across the Mojave Desert.

Day __: (Mile 417.4 – 433.6 – Soledad Canyon Road, KOA Campground)Start Location: Mile 417.4
Finish location: Mile 433.6
Daily Mileage: 16.2
Total Miles: 433.6 Miles
Miles to Finish: 2226.4 Miles
Monday 5/24 - Today was another road walk for Dave and Zero. They called in during the afternoon in good spirits. The KOA campground let them use their phone, as Zero’s phone was running out of battery and Dave had no service. They had a very loud night’s sleep. The camp is next to Hwy 14, an active train track, and an animal reserve (the lions were very noisy all night long!).

Day __: (Mile 400 – 417.4 – Mt. Emma Road & Angeles Forest Highway)Start Location: Mile 400
Finish location: Mile 417.4
Daily Mileage: 17.4
Total Miles: 417.4 Miles
Miles to Finish: 2242.6 Miles
Sunday 5/23 - Today Dave and Zero left from Mile 400 on Longview Road to Ft. Tejon Road, and onto Mt. Emma Road. This is part of the detour due to the fire in the San Gabriel Mountains last fall. Lots of road walking is no where near as fun as hiking.


Day __: (Rest Day )Saturday 5/22 – Rest Day. Jane took Girl Friday to the airport. She had to run home for a bit but is looking forward to being Trail Angel Support for Team Far Sight when she comes back. Fire Marshall spent some time at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. He’s having a nerve issue in his left shoulder / arm, but is looking forward to getting back on the trail 5/26.

Day __: (Mile - Longview Road )Friday 5/21 – Dave, Zero, and Fire Marshall were picked up at Mile 400 at Longview Road!!! They had spent lunch time at Devils Punch Bowl County Park.

Day 36 (Mile 400 - Mile 417.4)

Start Location: Mile 400


Finish Location: Mile 417.4

Daily Mileage: 17.4 miles

Total Miles: 417.4

Miles To Finish: 2242.6 Miles

Jane dropped Dave and Trevor off back on Lake View road.

Dave and Trevor trekked 17.4 miles to Mt. Emma Road and Angeles Forest Highway. While the downside was that it was a road walk, the upside was that it was a cool day (it even snowed in the foothills that day) and he had the help of 3 trail angels along the way.

Dave camped in a wash right off the road - where the temperature was cool and dropped to a mere 30 degrees.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 35 - Rest Day

Total Miles: 400


Miles To Finish: 2260 Miles

Although the original plan was to leave Saturday afternoon for a night hike, the plan changed as we had to take Chad to Arcadia Methodist Hospital to deal with a nerve issue in his left arm. He was told he needed to take time off the trail to rehabilitate his arm. So not only was impossible to get out for the night hike, Chad decided to take a few days off the trail to mend his shoulder.
 
~Midget Trail Angel

Day 34 (Little Jimmy's Campground to Mile 400)

Start Location: Little Jimmy's Campground


Finish Location: Mile 400

Daily Mileage: 16 miles

Total Miles: 400

Miles To Finish: 2260 Miles

The day started with a 2 mile hike to the Islip Saddle and crossing Highway 2 again. The Tour de California was going up Highway 2 that day, but they missed the race by 3 hours.

From their Dave had to start the Station Fire detour. So Dave hiked from Islip Saddle down 5.4 miles along the Rock Creak trail and then another 5.6 miles along the Devil's Punchbowl trail. It was a tough hike, but fortunately it ended at the Devil's Punchbowl Visitors Center.

From there it was time for another road hike as Dave and Team Farsight decided to walk three more miles to Lake View road to make it to mile 400!

Jane and Carol picked them up at mile 400. After a beer and a Gatorade, it was time to get in the car and head back to Duarte.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 33 (Guffy Campground to Little Jimmy's Campground)

Start Location: Guffy Campground

Finish Location: Little Jimmy's Campground

Daily Mileage: 19.5 miles

Total Miles: 384

Miles To Finish: 2276 Miles

Today ended up being too much of a road walk, as Dave had to hike downto Highway 2 at Vincent gap. While the trail was "open," there was too much snow along the Baden Powell part of the route.

So Dave had to hike 12 miles on Highway 2 to a small road clearing near Jimmy's campground.

From there Jane, Carol and Amber came by with refreshments and Arby's sandwhiches. So we sat by the side of the road in camp chairs chowing down.

From there we hiked up the road to Jimmy's Campground.

Chad killed a gopher snake and thought about eating it, but the Arby's and french fries killed their appetite. So they gave the snake to the birds.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 32 (Apple White Campground to Guffy Campground)

Start Location: Apple White Campground near Lytle Creek

Finish Location: Guffy Campground

Daily Mileage: 15.3 miles

Total Miles: 364.5

Miles To Finish: 2295.5 Miles

Dave got an early start and left camp at 7:30 a.m. He hiked up Lytle Creek road and past the shooting range. From there he followed the Jeep road for the final 6.5 miles of the detour that connected back to the PCT.

From there he hiked to Guffy Campground and entered the Angeles Forest.

Guffy was a nice campground, but it was very windy.

Overall, the day was a tough uphill hike that included a hike down the side of a snow covered mountain just to get water.

~Midge Trail Angel

Day 31 (15 Freeway to Apple White Camp Ground)

Start Location: 15 Freeway (Mile 342.2)

Finish Location: Apple White Campground near Lytle Creek (Map)

Daily Mileage: 7 miles

Total Miles: 349.2

Miles To Finish: 2310.8 Miles

Dave took the morning off and met with Team FarSight at 2 p.m. back at the McDonald's at the 15 Freeway. From there the three of them (Dave, Zero and Fire Marshall) hiked 7 miles through the Sheep Fire burn reroute.

Dave ended up camping at Apple White campground in Lytle Creek. It was a nice campground and they had a nice, roaring fire.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 30

Total Miles: 342.2


Miles To Finish: 2317.8 Miles

Another rest, planning day at home, as Dave figured out the detours and stops along the next leg of the route - which includes over 38,000 feet of climbing.

Day 29

Total Miles: 342.2


Miles To Finish: 2317.8 Miles

Sunday was another rest day, as he hung out with Team FarSight - who need some rest and to coordinate their next part of the journey.

Day 28 (Lake Silverwood - 15 Freeway)

Start Location: Lake Silverwood

Finish Location: 15 Freeway (Mile 342.2)

Daily Mileage: 13.6

Total Miles: 342.2

Miles To Finish: 2317.8 Miles


Dave Amanda, and Andrew headed out at 7:30 in the morning. Along the way they passed Danny, who was a young guy, Max Chill, and World Wide. Danny's best trick was getting a rattle snake to move off the trail. They first tried to use rocks to scare the snake away - but it just angered the snake. But then Danny brought out his reflective umbrella - which confused the snake as to the location of the heat source. The snake then straightened out and slithered off the trail.

After that - the trail was just criss-crossing through sandstone cliffs, that had eroded. The cliffs were steep, but interesting. Within four hours they made the trek to the 15 freeway and then headed less than a mile up the hill to McDonalds to get some grub. Dave had a great day - and thought Amanda and Andrew did great.

Then it was back home for another BBQ with friends and Team FarSight.

Day 27 (Trail Side Creek to Lake Silverwood)

Start Location: Trail Side Creek (Mile 315)

Finish Location: Lake Silverwood

Daily Mileage: 13.8

Total Miles: 328.8 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2331.2 Miles

Dave was moving and on the trial by 7:30 a.m. He made it into Silverwood by 12:30. Along the way he ran into some south bounders who were making their way from Tehachapi (Snow Goggles). Snow goggles explained that Baden Powell still had a lot of snow, so most people were going around and walking on the road - which nobody likes. The only other excitement was almost stepping on a four foot rattlesnake he initially did not see on the trail.

Once he got to Lake Silverwood, he fell asleep under a tree waiting for Jane, Amanda and her friend Andrew to arrive. So they set up camp, Dave dozed off again and Jane went off to talk to Grandma Lisa for a while.

Day 26 (Splinter's Cabin to Trail Side Creek)

Start Location: Splinter's Cabin

Finish Location: Trail Side Creek (Mile 315)

Daily Mileage: 16.7 miles

Total Miles: 315 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2345 Miles

Dave got a later start than normal, being dropped off at Splinter's Cabin at about 10:30.  He then spent most of the day hiking Deep Creek. He stopped at the springs for about 20 minutes, where he talked to MaxChill. He also listened to some locals talk about how they needed to build new springs, but was not too amused so went on his way.

As there is no camping in Deep Creek, Dave camped above Trail Side Creek. He found a flat sandy area about 50 feet above the trail. Dave said he had one of his best nights on the trail there.

Day 25 (Polique Canyon - Splinter's Cabin)

Start Location: Mile 278.5 (Polique Canyon)


Finish Location: Splinters Cabin (Mile 298.3) (Splinter's Cabin Map)

Daily Mileage: 19.8

Total Miles: 298.3 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2361.7 Miles

Dave was dropped off at Polique Canyon and begain his hike around 8:13. Around mile 292 he caught up with Dude and Trouble - who Dave had given a ride to just days earlier. He thought he would be bored through the burn area, but it was not as bad as he thought it was going to be.

Dave also was surprised by the amount of water in Holcomb Creek. He saw lots of fish and was just sad he did not have a fishing pole and a few hours to sit and enjoy some fishing. But overall it was an easy downhill hike to Splinter's Cabin, where he was picked up and headed back to the cabin at Big Bear for another restful night.

 ~Midget Trail Angel

Day 24 - Rest Day

Dave spent the day in Big Bear waiting for Team Far Sight.  But it was also a karma day for Dave, who spent some time being a trail angel himself.  Dave and Carol picked up Grateful and his daughter at the trail and then when dropping them off picked up Due and Trouble and dropped them off at the trail at Highway 18.

Day 23: (Mile 262 - Polique Canyon)

Start Location: Mile 262

Finish Location: Mile 278.5 (Polique Canyon)

Daily Mileage: 16.5

Total Miles: 278.5 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2381.5 Miles

The Trail Angels dropped Dave off, and he headed back onto the trail. He had a 16 mile day, but was covering some terrain he was very familiar with and had a nice, light pack.

Along the way, he metup with Bill and Nancy Hazelworth of the Historical Society. Dave also met New Knees from Boston. New Knees had already hiked the AT in sections and was now starting the PCT - going up to Aqua Dulce on this part of his trip.

(Dave came across some old mining equipment.)

While Dave was hiking, the Trail Angels went to pick up Team Far Sight - and also gave out some goodies on the trail to the dozen or so hikers that were coming down the trail.  From there it was to town to pick up packages and food for dinner.  Then back to Fawnskin so Team Far Sight could clean up - and then the drive up Polique Canyon Road (dirt road) to pick up Dave for the night- who had covered his mileage in a tad more than 6 hours.

(View of Big Bear lake from the trail - just a mile or so before the end of his hike.)

Then it was time for relaxation, strategizing and story sharing, as Team Far Sight and New Knees stayed the night, sharing stories with Dave and each other.

Happy Birthday Amanda

Dave just wanted to wish his daugher Amanda a very happy birthday.

(Dave with showing off the lanyard attached in the back - if you look closely!)

Thanks for the lanyard and Happy Birthday!

Day 22 (Mile 242.3 - Mile 262)

Start Location: Mile 242.3


Finish Location: Mile 262

Daily Mileage: 19.7

Total Miles: 262 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2398 Miles

Dave got up and was planning on meeting the Trail Angels at Mile 250. He set out at about 7:45. After trudging through some more snow, Dave came upon the Trail Angels at about Mile 248.5. At Mile 250 - they passed the Animal Cages - where there were lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my!  Apparently the animals are trained here for televisions shows and movies.

They all walked the 3.5 miles back to the car, which was left at Onyx Peak. Lunch time. The wind was so cold at the time, all three of them ate in the car. After figuring out that the Trail Angels could get to Dave a few miles down the trail, Dave decided to lighten his load and meet the Trail Angels at Mile 262.

Along the way, Dave passed Max Chill on the couch at Onxy Peak - with a trail angel cache and some "t.v."

Dave was pleasantly surprised by the scenery on the 10 miles form Onxy Peak to mile 262, where the Trail Angels picked him up. He was very happy to be inside - especially since the temperature dropped into the 20's - without the wind. So he came home to a shower and a burger and a warm's night sleep.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 21 (Mission Creek to Mile 242.3)

Start Location: Mission Creek

Finish Location: Mile 242.3

Daily Mileage: 16.

Total Miles: 242.3 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2417.7 Miles

Dave headed out early, knowing that he had a 5,000 foot climb that day. The scenery was pretty - but also saw some critters, including another rattle snake.

The day was quiet - and Dave did not see anyone on the trail. There was a nice little camp ground near a stream that Dave saw. He had lunch there and soaked his feet in the water. From there it was up, up, and up.

(More trail ducks - two ducks in a row.)

(A black and white tree - survivor from the fire - Dave calls it his Cruella tree.)

The plan was to meet the trail angels at Mission Springs, which was at Mile 239 - and arrived around 3 p.m. But there was no sign of them. He saw that the parking lot was closed and thought they might be nearby. But after waiting for a bit Dave decided to move on a few miles to a saddle where Heart Bar Trail and the PCT meet. It was a cold night and the wind was blowing.

What Dave did not know is that the trail angels tried to get to the road leading to the campground. But it was closed for the season and not open until May 15th. Not knowing what Dave needed, they loaded up their backpacks with food and were ready to hike the 8 miles to get him resupplied. They headed out - and even got a ride for about 1 1/2 miles from June, a very nice camp manager.

From there it was all uphill. About 4.5 miles in, Dave finally called, telling them he had moved up the trail about 3 miles. They came up with a re-supply plan for the morning. The Trail Angels then turned around to hike the 6 miles back to the car. Although sad they could not make it all the way to camp, they were happy they could stay inside in the warmth - as the temperatures plummeted to the 30's.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 20 (10 Freeway near Cabazon - Misison Creek)

Start Location: 10 Freeway and PCT (About 1 mile east of Cabazon)

Finish Location: Mission Creek

Daily Mileage: 16.8 miles (on trail)

Total Miles: 226.3 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2433.7 Miles

After a day of rest, Dave was feeling strong and ready to move on.  But as he approached Cabazon in the car - he realized he somehow lost his maps AGAIN!  While it turns out he dropped them on the front porch on the way to the car, it simply meant a stop at Kinko's to print another set of maps.  But when Dave got back to the trail, he also found his old maps that he had lost going through Fuller Ridge. 

(Where Dave found his maps.
Obviously someone thought going without maps was not too bright.)

About an hour and a half into the day, Dave ran into Wolf Taffy. He was heading down the mountain to go home. He had accidentally started a fire on the south face of San Jacinto when his alcohol stove felt over during the high winds. He had done the right thing and turned himself in. But he felt horrible about what happened, and was worried sick about what would happen to him. He could not hike anymore and turned around to go home. The fire ended up being only a few acres - but resulted in the trail being closed for a day or so. Dave and the other hikers are hopeful that Wolf Taffy avoided anything more than a fine.

(Dave looking up at the windmills and San Jacinto - the mountain he almost climbed.)

A little after 2 p.m., Dave passed a young man sitting alone on a dry outcropping overlooking the river bed. He said he had shin splints and was taking it slow, but his face said he was "trail tired." Dave smiled with recognition. He's seen that look before - in the mirror.

(One of the many trail "ducks" marking the trail along the way.)

Dave camped at Mission Creek near a trail on a small rise just above the river and off the PCT trail. He met a young couple there, but headed in to avoid the cold as the sun went down.

(Dave's tent and pack - ready for the night.)

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 19 (Rest Day)

Daily Mileage: 0 miles

Total Miles: 209.5 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2450.5 Miles

After more than 200 miles, Dave decided to take a day to rest and get reorganized. 
 
~Midget Trail Angel

Day 18 (Castle Rocks to Cabazon)

Start Location: Castle Rocks (On Fuller Ridge)

Finish Location: 10 Freeway and PCT (About 1 mile east of Cabazon)

Daily Mileage: 21.5 miles (on trail)

Total Miles: 209.5 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2450.5 Miles

Waking up in the snow again . . . but the first priority was water. While some of the snow Dave put in his bladder had melted - there was much more snow than water. So Dave used some of the water to melt the snow - until his bladder was full with water.

The original plan was to hike about 26 miles to the wind farms. But the day started in snow again - slowing Dave and Ed's pace down considerably.

(Cool rock formation.)

Although Dave was set on water, at one point Ed needed more water - leading them to back track a bit to get some. But they both knew that they had trail angels meeting them at the 10 freeway crossing with water, gaterade, and food.

(Water along the trail - always happy to see it.)

Eventually, Dave came to about 4000 feet and a clearing in between the mountains.

(Looking back up as they had made it out of most of the mountains.)

By that time, Dave decided he would not hike the additional 5 miles from the freeway to the wind farm. In fact, he decided he wanted to go home - have a nice warm shower and sleep in his bed. The three plus days walking through the snow and climbing around San Jacinto had taken their toll and he was ready to sleep in his own bed for a night.

But along the way he saw some critters. 

Dave was kind of surpised by the color of the rattle snake, as it seemed to blend right into the brush.

He could see the little, itty, bitty cars on the freeway - and knew he was almost there. Meanwhile, the trail angels put on their best shoes (not) and decided to hike in the soft sand and wind to meet him.

(Jane trying to get the rocks and sand out of her sandels.)

About a mile from the freeway he came upon a few trail angels, keeping him company for the last part of the day's hike.

(Dave just a short walk away from the end of a tough three days.)

Looking back on the mountain range he conquered, Dave was tired but satisfied.  He had made it through, and unlike other "thru-hikers" was not simply skipping a section that may have seemed a little too hard.

The PCT trail hits the 10 freeway about a mile east of Cabazon. There is a tunnel that goes under the railroad tracks and the freeway, but the car was parked just above off a service road.

(Dave and Ed guzzling a gatorade before Dave hit the car and Ed hit more of the trail.)

By the time he reached the car, Dave decided that being he was going to be home - he would take a zero day on Thursday and rest and relax at home. So from there it was a date shake from Hadleys and then Chile's for some protein and a few margaritas. (It was Cinco de Mayo afterall.)

After a day of rest, Dave will head back out - again thinking it will take him about 4 days or so to reach Big Bear!

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 17 (Skunk Cabbage Meadow - Castle Rocks)

Start Location: Skunk Cabbage Meadow

Finish Location: Castle Rocks (On Fuller Ridge)

Daily Mileage: 8 miles (on trail)

Total Miles: 1880 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2472 Miles

Tuesday was another very tough day on the trail. Dave encountered a lot more snow, making each step of the climb more difficult.

(Ed in the snow.)

Ed and Dave decided to try to make it to the peak of Mt. San Jacinto. But to add to the difficulty of just walking in the snow, there were navigational issues. Not only is it impossible to see the trail when snow is covering it, but Dave lost his maps and his GPS died. So they were now navigating by the book with maps that Ed had and had to use various features to figure out where they thought they were.

So when they hit a fork between two trails - they opted for the wrong one. And although they ended up climbing another 700 feet, they could only look at the peak and did not make it there themselves. It was disappointing, but Dave had a bigger goal to worry about.  And San Jacinto is not going anywhere.

So they continued on making it to Castle Rocks and were treated to the beautiful views in the valley below.

But Ed and Dave were not the only ones struggling in the snow.  They had come upon a few hikers - retirees.  And witnesses as one was precariously perched upon the snow, as his ice ax slipped out and went slidding down the mountains for hundreds, if not thousands, of feet below.

When they set up camp at about 8000 feet, it was not too cold, but they were still surrounded by snow and short on water. And Dave was really tired - as the snow trudging and navigating was starting to take its toll.

Dave decided to pack his water bladder with snow so that he would have some water and opted against a hot meal and simply ate a couple of sandwiches for dinner. With that, he was ready to go to bed - hoping that tomorrow they would finally be out of the snow.

~Midget Trail Angel

Day 16 (171.6 Miles - Skunk Cabbage Meadow)

Start Location: 171.6 Miles

Finish Location: Skunk Cabbage Meadow

Daily Mileage: 8.5 miles (on trail)

Total Miles: 180 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2480 Miles

After the snow course, Monday morning was back to the trail to start the ascent on Mt. San Jacinto and hopefully over the next few days make it through the mountains and out to the 10 freeway near Cabazon.

It was tough hiking, as the snow really slowed everyone down. The thing about the snow is you never know where you are stepping, not sure how much traction you have, and really need to pay close attention to what is going on. Otherwise bad things can happen.

Dave started the day with Ed and Fire Marshall - as Girl Friday and Zero had started about 30 minutes before them. By the fifth mile, they had met up with them, but Zero was dealing with a horrible headache.

As zero needed to just lay down and rest, Dave and Ed said goodbye to Team Far Sight for a while and continued on to Skunk Cabbage Meadow. Although Dave had camped there a few nights ago, they stayed in a different part of the meadow, much closer to the trail. It was a tough day and they only had more snow to look forward to tomorrow.

Dave was just beat as he crawled inside his tent to get warm and some sleep.

Out Damn Spot Out:  For those of you missing the map links with Dave's location, Dave's Spot died last week.  There was some technical glitch with it. Unfortunately, the not so friendly customer "service" at Spot was a little slow in responding.  Ironic, since the device is a safety device and Dave was encountering some of the most difficult terrain so far.  Once the spot is up and running again, map links will be available so you can see exactly where Dave is.

~Midget Trail Angel

Days 13-15 (Snow Class) and Big Bear Update

Start / Finish Location: Idyllwild - Snow Camp

Total Miles: 171.5 Miles

Miles To Finish: 2488.5 Miles

Before heading out on the PCT, Dave did a lot of studying and planning.  One of the challenges of the PCT is dealing with the snow - especially heading through the Sierras.  So Dave signed up for a snow class, and was joined by Jane and Fire Marshall from Team Far Sight. 

(Dave listening to instruction)

(Ned giving instruction)

The class was three days hiking and camping in the snow, learning snow survival and self-arrest techniques. 

(Dave setting up the tent.)

(Fire Marshall setting up his tent in the snow.)

It was very informative and well worth the time and effort.  But after three days off the trail - Monday morning will be time to hit the trail again!

BIG BEAR UPDATE: Dave had originally thought he was going to hit Big Bear by May 8th, and we know some of you were going to try to come hike with him over the weekend. It now looks like he will not make Big Bear until Tuesday May 11th. But the Trail Angels will still be there for the weekend. So let us know if you would still like to come up and enjoy beautiful Big Bear or whether you are available to hike with Dave when he gets there. Thanks for your patience and understanding - as things are always in flux!

~Midget Trail Angel