Up early and headed for the water source as agreed, with a little more energy than yesterday. I passed the second campspot but didn’t see Freddy so carried on. A few minutes later got a satellite message saying they were waiting at the campsite! I went on and after much confusion we met up at the water.

A fair bit of snow here and there today, not enough for the full snow gear but spikes came in handy. Freddy and Dimitri took an alternate over the peak of San Jacinto and had an adventurous day on the soft snow, whereas I stuck to the PCT so I could recover some more.

Path was indistinct, missing or sketchy in many places due to the snow, but managed to get to camp after taking my capacity of water at the latest stream – nothing for 18 miles.

After traversing Fuller Ridge tomorrow, we drop 7000+ feet tomorrow!

Very hard day. From the beginning I had no energy to climb at all, to the extent that I suspect that I was/am not well.

Unfortunately there is little scope for flexibility in this section, campsites rare and water rarer. We had to use Apache Spring, a long steep descent from the trail though thankfully the track had been reinstated – it was barely there last time.

Apache Peak, the often dangerous spot where typically there is the first snow of the PCT, had very little.

I continued to struggle all day, but somehow managed to get to camp with sufficient water. Tomorrow I may have to drop down the Devil’s Slide trail to Idyllwild, or if I’m wrlt enough, continue to Cabazon which is almost entirely downhill.

Campsite is at a notable 8294′, Ben Nevis x2 and some.

Following another Red Kettle breakfast, got a hitch with a passing trail Angel (Nitzi, I think) who was on the way back to Campo to help at CLEEF.

We obviously started late, beautiful scenery but lots of climbing, camped at just shy of 7000′ and watched a lovely sunset over Lake Hemet.

Water is a issue on this stretch, the spring we stopped at involved a 500′ descent, with the soul destroying 500′ ascent to get back to the trail. Hot hot hot.

Still not at my best, got out of breath getting into bed earlier!

A day of chores in Idyllwild and some fun too. Up for the opening of the Red Kettle at 7am for unlimited coffee and breakfast burrito, same staff as last time!

Then off the the great local launderette, very hiker friendly. We then hit the town with clean clothes and bodies…..!!

Resupplied for 6 days to get over the San Jacintos to Cabazon, maybe overkill but I’ll eat well. The items hikers like had been swept off the shelves of the local supermarket.

New gas cannister from the outfitters, then a quick pint and the brewpub and pizza.

Long trudge down to the road with the Paradise Valley Café burgers in mind. I was pretty spent after yesterday so exhausted when I arrived. Ate my burger very slowly while I recovered. Got a lovely hitch into Idyllwild and the fantastic ranger at the campground sorted us a plot.

Tomorrow – laundry! First clean clothes in 11 days. And of course the Mayor, Maximus ‘mighty dog’ Mueller III!

Long climb up to “Mike’s Place’, which was bustling with hikers last time because they offered drinks and pizza. The current guys were polite and welcoming and were busy playing something like ‘Boules’ but with horseshoes and practicing their shooting aim, responsibly. This put off loads of hikers so we enjoyed the shade and seats.

After our siesta, we hit a bubble and every camp spot was occupied for miles, so ended up with a 21 mile day – tired!

A really lovely day, a short bit of climbing and following contours until we hit the meadows South of Warner Springs. These were as good as I remember, with the added bonus of Eagle Rock.

Freddy, being Freddy, made us do silly things (see his YouTube channel, freddyenergizer).

In 2019 the Warner Springs Community Centre had great facilities for hikers but due to a problem with their lease can only operate outside school hours. No problem, a mile road hike to the gas station allowed us to take a long siesta with cheap soft drinks and some nice benches.

We saved the road walk and got a hitch back to trail, and hike up Caliente Creek to the most idyllic camp spot so far. So a leisurely dinner and to bed.

Early pre-dawn start tomorrow as it’s heating up and we are entering the San Gorginio range and have a long, hot, exposed climb and best to get that done early.

Bit of a down day and very tired, lovely views but wasn’t really with it. We did however hit the 100 mile mark and ended up at Barrel Springs and decided to stop, I wasn’t the only drained one.

Had the afternoon to spare and it turns out the Montezuma Valley Market was running shuttles for hikers so went for a resupply. Their premises had burnt down recently and they were running out of temporary structures but their range was excellent and prices very good, nothing like the price gouging we’d seen recently.

Last night I couldn’t manage half my giant pizza, bit woke up with a great hunger so had three more slices before 7am!

In true Hobbit style, we then went to Mom’s Pie House where they give us hikers free pie and a drink, so apple pie and ice cream for second breakfast!

After some shopping we then headed to the edge of town to get a hitch back to Scissors Crossing, took quite a while but ended up with a retired couple, Peter and Jane, who live in Palm Springs in the winter and up in Washington state in the summer.

We, along with about 10 other hikers, sat out the sun under the bridge at Scissors, until about 3pm, then headed for the 1800′ climb.

Got in about 9 miles before sunset, qualifying this as a Nero (near-zero), not a full zero day. It was a bit of a race against sunset to our intended camp spot, this is not Scotland, the sun sets in minutes down here.

Nice windless spot though, loads of stars.

Up early as the rain eased and Freddy and Dimitri had soaking kit. The night was very difficult to sleep in, and the driving rain gave me the odd fine misting of water, making it though the flysheet.

We packed up our gear, got back into our damp clothes and skittled off quite fast to warm up. Thankfully the storm was passing and we progressively got more sun and more heat.

It wasn’t an option for the others to use their tents without a chance to dry out, and would have been unpleasant for me, so we hiked the 17.9 miles through to scissors crossing and hitch to the lovely little town of Julian. Views are stunning in this section.

Took a while to get hitches, ended up in the back of a mini being driven around bendy mountain roads by two women who were probably stoned… Fun times!

Four of us are now in a very steamy, smelly room. The hiker high life.