Chasing Alpenglow

May 4-5; Mile 318-351 Day 30 Hoot hooooot; hoot, hoot. I was awoken by the insistent calls of a great horned owl at 4 in the morning. With my earplugs lost somewhere in my tent, I drifted in and out of sleep as I listened to the owl serenade the whole valley.  I left behind my empty tent spot and walked along an undulating track as it passed through fields of wildflowers. The trail dipped in and out of gullies so that it alternated between the shady north-facing

May 2-3; Mile 281-318 Day 28 When the alarm went off at 5:30, I rolled over and snuggled back into my sleeping bag. Yesterday had been hard on me, my pack full of seven days’ worth of food – including ridiculously heavy items like apples, cheese, and avocados. By 6 I grudgingly started to pack. The longer I waited, the hotter it would be. The trail wound along the folds of the mountain range, weaving in and out of gullies. It descended through shady pine forest to a horse camp with

April 30-May 1; Mile 266-281 Day 26 After the likes of Julian and Idyllwild, Big Bear Lake felt, well, Big. It was a two mile trek to the grocery store from where I stayed at the hostel, and there was an impressive variety of restaurants all within walking distance. I spent the morning taking care of town chores – buying groceries, organizing gear, picking up a package from the post office – so that I could spend the afternoon and evening lounging at the hostel. There was a sweet old dog named Yogi that

April 27-29; Mile 218-266 The PCTA website had stated that 2022 would be a difficult year for thru-hiking due to the two-year backlog of trail maintenance from the pandemic. The trail had certainly lived up to that promise in the San Jacintos, but it was about to outdo itself. Day 23 Anna made eggs from her hens for breakfast, plus focaccia and strawberries. It was hard to leave the soft bed and comfort of civilized society, but I’d be in Big Bear soon enough.

April 25-26; Mile 193-218 Day 21 I woke up to a beautiful sunrise from inside my tent. The sky was a hazy orange, and the sun burned just above the purple horizon. I pulled on my puffy and hat as I began the long descent to the desert floor. The slopes were awash in blooming plants: white, yellow, pink, purple, and orange. My legs enjoyed the steady downhill and snow-free trail. After a few hours I found a shady alcove to take my afternoon siesta. I had

April 21-24; Mile 151-193 Day 17 I arrived back at the trail at 9am after getting a ride from Grumpy again. He had talked about how climate change was actually just the Earth’s tilt increasing and how he didn’t believe most scientists because they’re “just trying to make a name for themselves.” I made some kind of noncommittal noise; a ride is a ride after all. It was a long, hard day spent battling the wind. Plus I realized soon after starting that I’d left my block of aged cheddar in

April 19-20; Mile 146-151 Day 15 A beautiful birthday trek I woke up to a beautiful day. I hiked along in the shade and the miles came easily. Christine and I decided to walk the mile to Paradise Valley Cafe instead of trying to hitch, and when I walked inside I was greeted by a chorus of cheers and calls of “Happy Birthday!” Everyone I’d met at Mary’s Place the night before was gathered around eating and chatting. It was barely after 9, but what the heck I ordered a peanut

April 17-18; Mile 119-146 Day 13 I’d reached the section of trail where water sources were either tiny springs at least 1/4 mile off trail or metal tanks maintained by people living nearby. I had 8 miles until I reached Mike’s place – the first of the water tanks – and so I started hiking by 6:15 to get there before the lunchtime heat. The trail wove past several stubby summits rising like turrets of a great stone fortress. The hillsides were strewn with pale boulders and California lilac bushes, and

April 15-16; Mile 109-119 There is a measurement used to describe the height difference between the heel and toe areas of a shoe called the “heel drop.” I’d only learned about it a few years ago when buying trail runner shoes for the first time, because certain shoes are known for being zero drop: having a 0mm heel drop. Altra shoes are one of those. Before switching I’d been using shoes with 6mm of heel drop. It doesn’t sound like much, but I found myself naturally walking on my toes since my heels were used to having