Idyllwild to Stealth Site(181.3) ~9 Mies
After a few days in town I feel pretty well rested. I had really hoped we would get an earlier start, but unfortunately we didn't start hiking until noon. Most of the group had to wait for the post office to open at 9, so I took the opportunity to watch another episode of Game of Thrones. We got a ride back to where we left off on Saturday. After some very difficult and exhausting miles we made it back onto the official pct. During those grueling miles we gained roughly 5,000' of elevation over 6 miles. This was by far the hardest day I've had on the pct, but I loved every minute of it. The terrain doesn't resemble the desert anymore!
The trail didn't start out extremely steep, but it sure ended that way. We decided to finish up the alternate and we took another alternate so we could summit a peak with a fire tower. The view made it worthwhile.
We still had a long way to hike and another mountain to climb. We really wanted to watch the sunset, camp, and watch the sunrise from San Jacinto, but with our late start today there was no way that was going to happen. I struggled to make it to camp before dark.
We didn't come across water all day and that became a problem once we got into camp. Hawkeye and Warren were kind enough to walk 2 extra miles round trip to bring water to everyone. They were the heroes of the night. Everyone is cowboy camped at about 9,000'. We are looking at a 1,800' climb tomorrow morning. It is pretty cold out right now. I guess I'll find out how warm my sleeping bag keeps me.
Sunset
photo credit: Warren
"Every great journey, race or adventure encounters obstacles that drive tough choices. Nature, terrain, Murphy and temptation all get a vote. Staying true to your overall goal and character is the surest path to success because if you quit, cut a corner or enable an excuse now, how do you know you'll ever stop?"
- Anthony Fleming
"Try to make sound decisions that prevent you from getting squished by a car"
- Anthony Fleming
