150 Homes, Part 3

Mile 151.8 to 369.6

Another two hundred miles of trail down. Our mileage is approaching 20 per day, which should stand us in good stead to hit the Sierra at just the right time. There are more long sections without water now that we’ve reached the desert proper, which sometimes entails carrying six liters each in addition to our food.

Our homes are often thrown up in the fading light and dismantled before dawn as we seek to maximize our mileage. Such long days puts pressure on feet and knees, so this section ended with a luxurious double zero in Wrightwood while we recovered.

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Night 16: Mile 180.7 We took a seldom-used trail out of Idyllwild that led us up Tahquitz Peak, followed by a snowy and treacherous path to this serene little rough spot. Our tent was on a slope, so our feet got nicely acquainted with the tent door during the night. Since there was no water, we burned through half a canister of fuel to melt snow. Luckily we had taken an extra canister! #150homes #pctclassof2017 #pct2017

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:54pm PDT

 

 

 

 

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Night 17: Mile 193.9 A sign on the tree read "Hiker Coliseum", though there was a disappointing lack of Roman bloodsport. This was the night when we realized we had not brought enough food for this section. Pickings were slim, but the babbling stream gave us a peaceful lullaby. #150homes #pctclassof2017 #pct2017

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:34pm PDT

 

 

 

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Night 18: Mile 213.4 After a night hike up from Cabazon, we set up in the dark surrounded by wind turbines making ghostly moaning noises. The sound was curiously soothing. The next morning, the turbine maintenance crew invited us into their office and plied us with fresh fruit and coffee! Thru-hiking makes you an instant celebrity. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:34pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

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Night 20: Mile 239.9 This was a tense day as one of our hiking companions (Sunshine) had been immobilized with heat stroke miles from help in either direction. We stayed with her for several hours, giving her electrolytes and water until she was well enough to move, then we camped with her at Mission Creek, arranging via our GPS unit for the local sheriff to pick her up. Happily she is now feeling fine, and we look forward to hiking with her again soon. #150homes #pctclassof2017 #pct2017

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:35pm PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Night 21: Mile 259.4 This photo is of our almost-packed gear the morning after; we forgot to take a photo that evening because that evening was a damn nightmare. We hiked up to a wind-blasted ridge just as the sun was going down, only to find that someone else had snagged the only protected camping spot. Our attempt to set up on bare earth lasted about a minute before the wind blew the stakes right out of the ground. We packed up, carried on walking and eventually found a spot on the side of the hill a little lower down. It was pitch black by the time we got into the tent, and the temperature went down into the 20's. A somewhat shivery night, even with quilts, bag liners and down jackets. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:35pm PDT

 

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Nights 22 and 23: Mile 266.1 We arrived into the town of Big Bear Lake stinking and exhausted. We stayed two nights and bought a mountain of food; we had under-supplied during the previous section, and the lack of calories had started messing with our minds. This pic is of a tired but happy Cal cradling his newborn Calzone, which he loved and cherished and devoured noisily. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 16, 2017 at 9:06am PDT

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Night 24: Mile 274.9 Our first day out of Big Bear was a short one. We hiked ten miles and ended up at this pretty spot by a stream. We usually don't have much leisure time at the end of the day, but this day's 4:30pm finish allowed us to set up the tent and cook with plenty of light to spare. We had picked up a Verizon hotspot in Big Bear, so we now had the inestimable luxury of internet access on-trail. We soon realised that being out of range of the news is a luxury in itself. #150homes #pctclassof2017 #pct2017

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:36pm PDT

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Night 25: Mile 298.5 This beautiful bridge led to a somewhat less beautiful dirt road where we spent the night. Splinters Cabin is an open-air day picnicking spot overlooking a stunning gorge, but all the sweet tent spots had been taken by the time we arrived. Camping on roads is filthy work. Our stuff sacks are still spilling grit every time we open them. A guy at the cabin offered us beer but we were too exhausted and dehydrated to take it. A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:52pm PDT

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Night 26: Mile 318 Water is becoming the determining factor in where we camp. We pushed very hard and late in order to arrive at this site by a stream, surrounded by blackened trees from a huge fire in previous years. The ground was mostly black ash, and Mordor was on everyone's minds. Our site was protected from the wind, but we could hear the roaring howl coming from the hilltops all night. Very creepy. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:37pm PDT

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Night 27: Mile 337.9 Another creepy night. We did a 20 mile day in order to get close to Cajon Pass, where the only on-trail McDonald's would provide us with breakfast the next day. This camp site was well off the trail in an area that should have been deserted, so it was a little alarming to hear footsteps right outside our tent some time past midnight. Nothing came of it, but we're happy not to see this place again. #150homes #pctclassof2017 #pct2017

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:38pm PDT

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Night 28: Mile 356.3 Our last night before arriving in Wrightwood had us camping on a road again. It had been a highly stressful day: carrying six liters of water each, we hiked all day on a narrow path next to a yawning precipice. We were just happy to find somewhere flat at the end of it, and there was no danger of traffic on this mountaintop forest service road. Our tent is now a palace of filth. #pct2017 #pctclassof2017 #150homes

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:39pm PDT

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Nights 29, 30 and 31: Mile 369.06 The Canyon Creek Motel in Wrightwood is a charming little place to spend a couple of zeroes. Betty's feet and knees were banged up after the tough preceding section, so we rested up here. Hiker motel rooms all end up resembling garbage heaps, with our pack contents strewn over every possible surface and clothes of varying cleanliness hung in unlikely places to dry. Motel cleaning staff are the unsung heroes of the PCT. #150homes #pctclassof2017 #pct2017

A post shared by Betty And Tim Cameron (@bettytimhikes) on May 15, 2017 at 3:41pm PDT

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