PCT | The Desert
This first section of the PCT runs through Southern California, from Campo (mile 0) to Kennedy Meadows South (mile 703).
It is known as “the desert” amongst hikers because of the rather dry landscapes and hot weather, and is often used as “training ground” before tackling the harder section of the Sierra Nevada.
1. Campo to Julian
mi 0 - mi 77
2. Julian to Idyllwild
mi 77 - mi 152
3. Idyllwild to Cabazon
mi 152 - mi 209
4. Cabazon to Big Bear Lake
mi 209 - mi 266
5. Big Bear Lake to Wrightwood
mi 266 - mi 369
6. Wrightwood to Agua Dulce
mi 369 - mi 454
7. Agua Dulce to Hikertown
mi 454 - mi 517
8. Hikertown to Tehachapi
mi 517 - mi 566
9. Tehachapi to Ridgecrest
mi 566 - mi 653
10. Ridgecrest to KMS
mi 653 - mi 703
These are the main challenges we faced:
Scarsity of water & long water carries 💧
High temperatures & scarsity of shade ☀️
Muscle pain, blisters & heat rushes 💊
Camouflaging rattle snakes 🐍
For me personally, this was the hardest section of the whole trail. When I arrived at Kennedy Meadows I was physically exhausted and mentally drained. Now, by looking back at those memories, I realize that the desert had its own beauty and that it was a very important section, which shaped me and gave me the mental strength to go on until the end.
“The First Steps”
Campo to Julian
Distance: 77 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: San Diego, Mount Laguna
Mile 0 | day 1 | Campo
Us at the Southern Terminus in Campo, so excited to start hiking that we even forgot to sign the trail register.
Mile 3 | day 1 | On trail
Crossing the famous railway bridge at mile 3… shortly before spotting our first rattle snake on trail.
Mile 8 | day 1 | On trail
Pretty flowers, of the same color of my (Giudi’s) brand new Patagonia Sun Hoodie.
Mile 11 | day 1 | On trail
A wild Giudi in her natural habitat.
Mile 13.5 | day 1 | On trail
Views before starting our descent to Houser Creek, our campsite for the day.
Mile 15 | day 1 | On trail
Dirty feet at Houser Creek… feeling already part of the hikertrash community.
Mile 26 | day 2 | On trail
Views befor reaching the Boulder Oaks campground, where we stopped for a short break.
Mile 30 | day 2 | On trail
Quick refreshing “shower” at Kitchen Creek.
Mile 31 | day 2 | On trail
Views before reaching our second campsite at Fred Canyon.
Mile 32 | day 2 | On trail
Second successful tent pitch on the PCT, at Fred Canyon.
Mile 32 | day 3 | On trail
Seamus, the goodest boy on trail.
Mile 41.5 | day 3 | Mount Laguna
Arriving at Mount Laguna.
Mile 41.5 | day 3 | Mount Laguna
Our first food resupply… we were confused while shopping, but it was a success.
Mile 45 | day 3 | On trail
Views of the real desert (the one we haven’t faced yet).
Mile 45 | day 3 | On trail
Yannick rockin’ miles.
Mile 47.5 | day 3 | On trail
Meeting trail angel “Bad Santa”, who kindly offered us fresh fruit, soda and beer.
Mile 53 | day 4 | On trail
“Lisan al Gaib trying to spot a sand warm.”
Mile 53 | day 4 | On trail
“The desert of Arrakis.”
Mile 54 | day 4 | On trail
Our friends with Seamus, surrounded by cool boulders. We separated from them shortly after, as they decided to hitch to Julian. We really hope to see them again!
Mile 63 | day 4 | On trail
Nice flowers, shortly before reaching our campsite for the day. We were super tired from the long day… we realized too late that a long stretch without water was ahead of us, so we decided to hike back 3 km to fill up our water bottles and bladders. We therefore ended up doing 6 km more than planned… but it was worth it!
Mile 70 | day 5 | On trail
Unfriendly cactus on the side of the trail.
Mile 74 | day 5 | On trail
Approaching Scissors Crossing.
Mile 77.3 | day 5 | Julian
Mom’s free pie for PCT hikers in Julian. We spent the night in a private room, after having a great shower and a great pizza!
“Hey Little Bear”
Julian to Idyllwild
Distance: 75 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: Julian, Warner Springs
Mile 89 | day 6 | On trail
Smiling or crying? Well… I just had a very good cry.
Mile 80 | day 6 | On trail
Yannick crossing a field of Digletts, trying to catch one of these curious Pokemons.
Mile 93 | day 6 | On trail
The campsite at the end of our 6th day… epic.
Mile 97 | day 7 | On trail
Magic morning light while approaching Warner Springs Meadows… and we found our friends again (that’s her!!), this time without dog.
Mile 100 | day 7 | On trail
Hitting the 100 mile mark, wuhuuuuu!!!
Mile 103 | day 7 | On trail
Crossing what is now known as Warner Springs Meadows. This used to be a hunting and gathering place for the Kupa People, a Native American Tribe, and still holds a magical athmosphere.
Mile 106 | day 7 | On trail
Eagle Rock… a sacred place for the Kupa People, and an iconic symbol on the PCT.
Mile 122 | day 8 | On trail
Amazing terrain after spending 1 hour scrambling through poison oak.
Mile 127 | day 8 | On trail
The water cistern at Mike’s Place.
Mile 127 | day 8 | On trail
and then “Nett Hier” sticker on the water donation box.
Mile 128 | day 8 | On trail
A very nice flower.
Mile 129 | day 8 | On trail
The campsite at the end of our 8th day on trail.
Mile 130 | day 9 | On trail
A peaceful morning view, before the heat caught us. With a 5 liters water load each, we started hiking with no worries.
Mile 138 | day 9 | On trail
The desperation when the heat caught us. 3 liters of water remaining…
Mile 138 | day 9 | On trail
The mood for the rest of that day.
Mile 142 | day 9 | On trail
Cool boulders… but no shade provided! 1.5 liters of water remaining…
Mile 146 | day 9 | On trail
Arrival at “Little Bear Hostel”. As you can tell from my facial expression, I was not amused and was dying inside... but I still had 1 liter of water on my back, so life was good. We had a shower, pizzas, and cowboy camped on the patio of Little Bear, a great Trail Angel (and Triple Crown thru-hiker).
Mile 151.8 | day 10 | PVC
Breakfast at Paradise Valley Cafe.
Mile 151.8 | day 10 | Idyllwild
Resupply day in the beautiful town of Idyllwild. This time we bought food for another 4 days and already sent 4 more days of food to Cabazon, our next stop.
Mile 151.8 | day 10 | Idyllwild
As everyday, also on the resupply day you have to take care or your body, for example by curing your chafing with “butt paste”.
“The First Peak”
Idyllwild to Cabazon
Distance: 57 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: Idyllwild
Mile 151.8 | day 10 | On trail
Back to trail with an evening hitch!
Taylor, Yannick, Giudi, Fabienne, Kyle
Mile 169 | day 11 | On trail
Climbing out of the desert, into the San Jacinto Mountains.
Mile 170 | day 12 | On trail
The magic of the morning light.
Mile 170 | day 12 | On trail
Sunrise over Palm Springs.
Mile 172 | day 12 | On trail
A section of burned trees and mountains.
Mile 174 | day 12 | On trail
We had to cross a cemetery of fallen burned trees… it was tough.
Mile 179 | day 12 | On trail
Huge pine cones. Hopefully they won’t fall on our heads while hiking.
Mile 181.2 | day 13 | On trail
We decided to deviate from the PCT and summit Mt. San Jacinto, the tallest peak of Southern California. This was the breathtaking view from the Eastern Ridge at sunrise.
Mile 181.2 | day 13 | On trail
Climbing the ridge.
Mile 181.2 | day 13 | On trail
Top of Mt. San Jacinto (3’302 m): a moment to remember.
Mile 185.7 | day 13 | On trail
Finding our path between trees and snow during the descent.
Mile 187 | day 13 | On trail
X-legged on Fuller Ridge. It felt good to have micro-spikes!
Mile 199 | day 13 | On trail
View of Mt. San Jacinto from the North side.
Mile 200 | day 13 | On trail
View of Interstate 10… we will be there tomorrow, and are already scared of the heat!
Mile 203 | day 14 | On trail
The big descent, from the mountains back to the desert.
Mile 209 | day 14 | On trail
Approaching Interstate 10.
Mile 209 | day 14 | Cabazon
Got an Uber to Cabazon, where we picked up our resupply box, charged our batteries and spent 4 hours at the In N Out (4 burgers eaten). Back to trail in the evening… ready to tackle 4 more miles!
“Mission Creek Mission”
Cabazon to Big Bear Lake
Distance: 57 miles
Time: 4 days
Our Resupplies: Cabazon
Mile 213.4 | day 15 | On trail
The windmills at Mesa Wind Farm, where we just spent a great evening and night, enjoying toilets and fresh sodas with other hikers. This view reminded me of the beautiful mornings on the Camino de Santiago!
Mile 214 | day 15 | On trail
Looking back at the windy valley hosting Interstate 10.
Mile 218 | day 15 | On trail
Approaching Whitewater River.
Mile 229 | day 15 | On trail
Mission Creek: the trail in this section was severely washed out because of heavy rains, so we had to scramble and navigate between the loose rocks of the river bed for neverending miles… it wasn’t easy.
Mile 230 | day 15 | On trail
Ah, we also needed to cross the river like a thousand times, and to collect water from it with the fear of catching norovirus. So many hikers ahead of us got indeed sick after this section of the trail… and the source of the virus was still unknown! We therefore always both filtered AND treated our water.
Mile 236.5 | day 16 | On trail
Ten miles and a thousand curses later, we decided to go off-trail and climb a steep ridge to escape the hell of Mission Creek… smart move! Thanks to the great tip provided by our friend Ronan, who started the PCT one month before us.
Mile 245 | day 16 | On trail
Goodbye Mt. San Jacinto!
Mile 262 | day 17 | On trail
This gate had a cool and very hiker-friendly design.
Mile 263 | day 17 | On trail
Approaching Hwy 18.
Mile 266 | day 17 - 18 | Big Bear
We successfully hitched to Big Bear Lake, where we will spend 2 nights, hence our first “zero day” (rest day). The plan is to enjoy showers, do laundry, get wasted with food, and resupply for the next stretch!
“The McDonald’s Challenge”
Big Bear Lake to Wrightwood
Distance: 103 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: Big Bear Lake
Mile 266 | day 19 | On trail
I got a trail name! This little grumpy Stitch has been my travel companion for years, always strapped to my backpack as a lucky charm. It was just a matter of time until I was given the name “LILO”, as in the disney movie “Lilo&Stitch”. Thanks Fabienne for the sweet name!
Mile 278 | day 19 | On trail
Views of Big Bear Lake.
Mile 283 | day 19 | On trail
The smell of pine trees was all we needed to feel good.
Mile 286 | day 19 | On trail
A cool PCT sign.
Mile 287.6 | day 19 | On trail
Yannick’s first successful bear hang, using the “PCT method”.
Mile 287.6 | day 19 | On trail
A great evening at a great campsite, shared with great people (Fabienne, Kyle and “Banter”).
Mile 293 | day 20 | On trail
A slow morning.
Mile 304 | day 20 | On trail
A hot afternoon.
Mile 307 | day 20 | On trail
Luckily we were quickly approaching Deep Creek Hot Springs for a much needed break.
Mile 307.9 | day 20 | On trail
Deep Creek Hot Springs, where we kept jumping from the warm pools into the cold river for a while.
Mile 323 | day 21 | On trail
The “sickest” lunch on trail yet: a sandwich of cheese-jalapeño-bread filled with ham, salami, fontina cheese, spinach, mayo and siracha sauce… we struggled to finish it but it gave us the energy to walk a lot more than planned!
Mile 324 | day 21 | On trail
New pretty flowers spotted.
Mile 327 | day 21 | On trail
Views of Silverwood Lake.
Mile 339 | day 22 | On trail
Yannick walking while on the phone with our friend Pietruz in Zurich.
Mile 341.9 | day 22 | On trail
Mc Donalds on trail! Exactly what we needed for breakfast, lunch and a takeaway dinner.
Mile 342.9 | day 22 | On trail
A steel tunnel.
Mile 344 | day 22 | On trail
Honking cargo train passing through beautiful landscapes.
Mile 355 | day 22 | On trail
Climbing up into the San Gabriel Mountains.
Mile 364 | day 23 | On trail
Views from the trail above the town of Wrightwood.
Mile 369.3 | day 23 | On trail
Town day! We hitched to Wrightwood, resupplied and enjoyed the night in a cozy cabin, before hitting the trail the next morning. We spent the evening eating Mexican Food and drinking margaritas with our friends Fabienne, Kyle and Banter.
“Peach, Pit, Fuzz”
Wrightwood to Agua Dulce
Distance: 85 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: Wrightwood
Mile 369.3 | day 24 | On trail
Yannick also got a trail name! From now on, he will be known as CHEF on the Pacific Crest Trail. This name is so perfect, as he loves talking about food and experimenting new recipes, both on trail and at home.
Mile 377.9 | day 24 | On trail
Top of Mt. Baden Powell (2’867 m). After a tough and very steep climb through the snow, reaching the peak made us feel invincible!
Mile 379 | day 24 | On trail
Views during the descent from the peak.
Mile 390 | day 25 | On trail
We went off trail for a bit and walked on Highway 2. A section of the trail was indeed closed, in order to protect the endangered Mountain Yellow Frog.
Mile 395.2 | day 25 | On trail
We had a great lunch break with two interesting SOBO hikers: they are 78 and 82 years old and are hiking the PCT section by section since 1991… on their way to complete it!
Mile 400 | day 26 | On trail
Wanted to pose for the picture at mile 400, but ended up fighting with tiny annoying flies which were aiming at my eyes.
Mile 427 | day 26 | On trail
Two stranded hikers (our friends Ben and Lucy) who just reached the campsite at the end of a veeery long day.
Mile 430 | day 27 | On trail
Golden morning light over burned forest.
Mile 433 | day 27 | On trail
A colorful hill.
Mile 436 | day 27 | On trail
The views while descending the crests above Acton were truly spectacular: it felt like abandoning the safety of the mountains behind us and hiking towards the unknown, towards the brutal heat of the real desert. It was epic!
We then spent the night at the Acton KOA Campground, after having pizzas and beers and playing “Peach Pit Fuzz” with other hikers.
“What happened to you today that was…”
Peach = positive
Pit = negative
Fuzz = weird or funny
Mile 440 | day 28 | On trail
Sunrise on the hills above the Acton KOA Campground.
Mile 448 | day 28 | On trail
10AM… when the sun starts to burn.
Mile 450 | day 28 | On trail
Unknown PCT hiker on canvas.
Mile 451.1 | day 28 | On trail
Crossing the tunnel under Highway 14.
Mile 452.9 | day 28 | On trail
Vasquez Rocks… a location with cool rock formations, where movies like “Star Trek” or “Planet of the Apes” were filmed.
Mile 454 | day 28 | Agua Dulce
Warm French croissant in Agua Dulce.
Mile 454 | day 28 | Side quest
We hopped on a Uber from Agua Dulce to LA (Santa Monica) where we spent a “nero day” (only 10 miles hiked to Agua Dulce) and a “zero day” (no miles hiked).
Aside from doing laundry, resupplying for the next stretch of the trail and sending a resupply box ahead, we fully enjoyed the tourists life!
Mile 454 | day 29 | Side quest
It was time to change the first pair of shoes! After hiking more than 400 miles, the soles were flat, cushioning was non-existent, and I already needed a bigger size.
Mile 454 | day 29 | Side quest
Strolling around Venice Canals.
Mile 454 | day 29 | Side quest
Venice Beach skate park.
“And I Would Walk 500 Miles”
Agua Dulce to Hikertown
Distance: 63 miles
Time: 3 days
Our Resupplies: Los Angeles (during side quest)
Mile 478.2 | day 30 | On trail
An unexpected hitch to Green Valley Smoke House quickly turned into a great social evening.
Mile 490 | day 31 | On trail
Crossing a field of poodle dog bush… this poisonous plant was everywhere!
Mile 500 | day 31 | On trail
“But I would walk 500 miles. And I would walk 500 more!”
Mile 517 | day 32 | On trail
Approaching Hikertown.
Mile 517.6 | day 32 | Hikertown
The vibes at Hikertown were special… we spent the afternoon in the shades of this “ghost-town”, picked up a resupply box and prepared to tackle a very hot section in the Mojave Desert.
“The Real Desert”
Hikertown to Tehachapi
Distance: 49 miles
Time: 3 days
Our Resupplies: Hikertown
Mile 519 | day 32 | On trail
A heat wave was forecasted for the next few days… that meant we had to adapt by changing our hiking times.
We decided to try completing this 49 miles stretch until Tehachapi in 2 days, hiking only at night and early in the morning.
Mile 523 | day 32 - 33 | On trail
Night-hike on the iconic stretch of the LA Aqueduct.
In the picture: “Chef”, “Rattlin’ Bog”, Isabella, Harry
We started walking around 19:30 from Hikertown and stopped at 02:15 at the first water source, 17 miles in. After 3 hours of sleep, we pushed 7 more miles to the next river, where we finally rested in the shade of the trees.
This stretch was the toughest we had so far, as we were so tired and exhausted from the heat and the sleep deprivation.
Mile 539 | day 33 | On trail
After spending the afternoon at the river, we started hiking at 18:30, filled water at a trail-angel cache, had an encounter with a mountain lion, and kept walking until 24:30, completing another 11.5 miles.
Mile 554 | day 34 | On trail
We woke up at 04:00 and were motivated to push the last 13.5 miles to Highway 58, where we could hitch to Tehachapi. These were the epic views of the windmills before sunrise.
Mile 566 | day 34 | Tehachapi
We reached Highway 58 and hitched to Tehachapi at 10:15… what an adventure!
I can still feel the heat rising from the ground when I look at this picture.
But I also see pure beauty, and I feel proud and happy to have lived these moments, suffering in the “real desert” and not giving up.
“Jet Lagged”
Tehachapi to Ridgecrest
Distance: 87 miles
Time: 5 days
Our Resupplies: Tehachapi
Mile 568 | day 35 | On trail
Joshua trees and windmills… no Reese Witherspoon in sight.
Mile 596 | day 37 | On trail
Finally hiking at sunrise after 8 hours of sleep. The last two days have been difficult, as we tried to change our hiking rhythm back to normal (hiking during the day and sleeping at night), and the first first day we were still tired and sort of “jet lagged”. It was interesting to see hikers following different strategies during this stretch… many kept hiking at night!
Mile 599 | day 37 | On trail
Trees and holy shade.
Mile 602 | day 37 | On trail
The most perfect dandelion I have ever seen.
Mile 605 | day 37 | On trail
Old PCT signs on pine trees.
Mile 608 | day 37 | On trail
Best dessert on trail so far: tortilla with nutella and M&Ms.
Mile 616 | day 37 | On trail
Without water caches like this one, this would have been a 35 mile water carry… thank you so much PCT Trail Angels!
Mile 621 | day 38 | On trail
The tiniest fluffiest cutest bunny… this encounter made our morning!
Mile 635 | day 38 | On trail
Desert climb at light speed.
Mile 636 | day 38 | On trail
Sierra, we’re coming for you! We were so excited about this view.
Mile 653 | day 39 | Ridgecrest
The Midway Cafe in Ridgecrest was definitely a good choice for breakfast after an easy hitch from Walker Pass.
Mile 653 | day 39 | Ridgecrest
While grocery shopping at Walmart, we ended up chatting with Mike, a stranger who kindly offered us help. He first drove us to the post office, where we mailed a resupply box to Kennedy Meadows, and then invited us at his place.
Dinner time with Mike and his wife Debbie was such a special moment for us… Mike is an awesome storyteller, and we were mesmerized by the stories of his adventures in the High Sierra.
It was hard to say goodbye to them… but we felt the need to go back to trail and keep hiking a few miles in the evening.
“Final Push to KM”
Ridgecrest to Kennedy Meadows South
Distance: 50 miles
Time: 3 days
Our Resupplies: Ridgecrest
Mile 654 | day 39 | On trail
Mike drove us back to the trail head at Walker Pass, and decided to hike 2 miles with us! We had so much fun with him… I never loughed so hard while climbing a mountain in my whole life!
Mile 655 | day 39 | On trail
Time to say goodbye. Mike, if you see this, THANK YOU, for everything.
Mile 656 | day 39 | On trail
Sunset over the canyons of “Top Gun: Maverick”.
Mile 675 | day 40 | On trail
Top of a long and tough climb under the scoarching sun.
Mile 680 | day 40 | On trail
Mood of the day.
Mile 701 | day 41 | On trail
Approaching Kennedy Meadows.
Mile 703 | day 41 | Kennedy Meadows
We made it to Kennedy Meadows, we made it through the desert! This is a huge milestone for all PCT thru-hikers.
Mile 703 | day 41 | Kennedy Meadows
General Store, where arriving hikers are welcomed with a loud applause. We will now enjoy a zero day here, and prepare for the Sierra.
New challenges: fit a 7 days food carry in the bear canister, and fit all the new equipment (spikes, ice axe, warm clothes) in our waaay too heavy packs!
In the picture: Pacman, Chef, Pumpkin and Easy Peasy.
