PCT day 30
Mile: 403.0 to 411.7 (skipped around 369.3 to 403.0 due to fire closure)
Start: The Holistic Health Spa in Wrightwood to the 3 Points Trailhead on Highway 2
Finish: Unnamed campsite atop a gorgeous view tentsite on a cliffside
Shannon and I woke up late in the hotel after a well-deserved rest. We spent the morning writing blogs, eating breakfast and hanging out until 11:30am. We caught a ride down the street into town where we quickly resupplied at the market before meeting Brian for lunch in true California style at an Açaí Bowl restaurant.
At the market we said hi to Eric and Taco Bell Scott who looked like he’d seen better days. We found out that Taco Bell had Giardia-like symptoms or food poisoning from eating at the 1.5 star McDonald’s a couple days ago. He said that camping out the Bud Pharm with only one toilet was probably not the best idea for him to have to endure GI issues and a huge group of hikers having to share the bathroom. Yikes! We asked if Brian could give Taco Bell a ride into the hospital, but he couldn’t swing it that day due to his schedule and Taco Bell ended up getting ride with Trail Angel Carol to the hospital. At the hospital they found out his condition was actually much more serious than he had originally thought it was and it was good he went to the hospital that day. Let’s just say that and we wish him the best of luck and all the PCT hikers want him to get better soon!
We chowed down on Açai bowls with Brian in town for lunch, mine was with peanut butter, berries and granola while Shannon grabbed a chicken burrito bowl. Brian gave us a very fast, very somewhat nerve wracking ride around the mountain curves zooming a bit too fast around the curves and rock faces. But we survived and made it to the trailhead, where hikers Coca Cola, Chucks, Pastor Frank, Turtle, Skids and Interview were hanging out with Trail Angel Pony Boy. Everyone was feeling really lazy and by early afternoon most of the hikers started drinking next to the trailhead and playing drinking games like “Moose” while the heat of the day wore off.
Shannon and I read for a little bit and then decided to head out to do the eight miles to an unnamed campsite with a nice view that we were aiming for. Part of the trail was covered in the notorious Poodle Dog Bush, which causes blisters and painful rashes for months. There was a good amount of bushwhacking today with the trail being so overgrown and I don’t remember touching Poodle Dog Bush, but I do have an itchy painful rash on my right palm still weeks later. I must have brushed up against the rash-inducing PDB or maybe some poison oak.
Several miles into the hike, we filtered water from a spring to load up for the night since there was no water at the campsite. We ran into Interview who had left his cable for his phone at the Bud Pharm (aka the weed farm that allows PCT hikers to camp at) earlier in the day and I let him borrow my cable until we met up at the Acton KOA campground in a couple days. We didn’t hike too far today and decided to stop at this gorgeous campsite that overlooked the lights of the city of Palmdale below.
As we set up camp under some lush tall pines a very loud Raven, who seemed to be declaring that this whole area was his Oh well, he had to share the campsite tonight with us! We contented ourselves with making this “fancy” vegan mac-and-cheese with cashew nut cheese, peas, carrots and rice noodles. The sunset reflected on the clouds that shimmered golden amber and were absolutely freaking gorgeous while we ate dinner. It felt good to be back camping and after spending a few nights in town under a roof. The sky was clear and the stars came out in full force making it hard to distinguish the sparkling city lights in the distance from the heavens. We slept so peacefully with the soft breezes rustling our tent all night.
