PCT 2007 Day 42 – Cedar Spring Trail – Idyllwild

PCT 2007 Day 42

Day 42 / 5-6-07
Cedar Spring Trail – Idyllwild (Tarp)
16.3 (2.5) miles; 178.6 (6.5) total miles; 2014.2 trip miles
70,sunny, wind

Last night was another blustery night. My tarp was taking a beating. It took all three of us to put it up. Lucky for me it stayed up too. The wind was so bad and relentless that I never felt as if my body heat ever warmed up my sleeping bag. The wind robbed it away. It also blew in around my shoulders if I didn’t really tuck the bag around me. Then there was the moon, bright as ever, good for night hiking but not for sleeping.

I woke up many times during the night but when I finally got up to go the bathroom I only put on my flip flops and jacket (I had on a pair of boxer briefs and a l/s shirt) and it was freezing. I got back to my tarp and instantly started to put my hiking clothes on. I was so cold from just going to the bathroom that when I got back to the tarp I was shaking uncontrollably. It was cold enough that I wore my Ibex l/s and Gap button down l/s, gloves and winter hat to start the hike.

We broke camp quickly since we were so cold. We climbed an easy ridge then descended to a saddle and the junction of the Morris Ranch Trail. Just a few tenths further we hit the Fobes water cache and also met a couple whose names I didn’t get. After the saddle it was mostly climbing with some descending between ridges. We had lunch on a switchback under some tall pines. Since the saddle it’s been the PCT that I dreamed of. I’m hiking on the sides of mountains, surrounded by granite boulders and pines trees. It’s a nice change from the lower desert scenery.

Most of the hiking is traversing along the sides of steep slopes on 1-2′ wide trail.
We left lunch at 12:15 and it was more up and more sun. We didn’t know it but both U.B. and I got a lot of sun. We passed a section hiker going south bound and a guy out peak bagging. While getting water 3 guys ran by us, but they didn’t seem to have running outfits on. It was weird. We got the water at South Fork of the Tahquitz Creek. Just shortly before the creek, we passed our first snow. There were three piles along the side of the trail. I stopped and hide my pack. Then I made some snow balls and waiting for U.B. to show up. I ambushed her, then she joined me and we both ambushed Wounded Knee.

After the water stop we ascended a short while up Tahquitz Peak to the junction of the peak trail. On the way up we heard a strange sound, it turned out to be two owls which I couldn’t identify. Just a few miles from the Tahquitz Peak Trail we got to the Devils Slide Trail which U.B. and I were using to re-supply in Idyllwild with. At the junction, we ran into TP, Tall Paul, who has hiked the PCT before and also helped out at the kickoff. He offered to give us a ride to town. We accepted and followed him to his Jeep. He then gave us a tour of Idylwild.

We did our shopping at the market and then we decided to get a room at the Idylwild Inn since they offer rides to the trail. Next up was showers and then pizza. I’m so full I can barely type.

The town is super cozy and a place I’d like to come back to if I were in the area.

Scatman 2011- I went back to Idyllwild in 2009 and I helped out some hikers as Tall Paul had done for me.  I actually got to stay with my friends from the AT who where hiking the PCT.  We shared a campsite together in the local campground.  I really enjoyed catching up with them since we didn’t get to talk much at the Kick Off a few days prior.

In 2007 I didn’t stay long but I enjoyed my time here.  UB even gave me the bigger bed so my feet didn’t hang off the small one.

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Scatman

Get out there!

You can check out my Appalachian Trail or Continental Divide Trail journals too!