Saying goodbye to Mikey Mouse was a low point this morning. He’s skipping 30 miles due to time constraints meeting a friend later this month who will pick him up just south of the entry point to the Sierras. Mikey left early; we all slept in until around 8:00 a.m. before packing up and cleaning the motel room. We started hitching in downtown Idyllwild around 10:30 and got a ride in a hippie California van with driver and dog in the front within three minutes, a record short time to wait!
At 1:03 a.m. we resumed our hike north toward the high peak around San Jacinto Mountain. The trail was most difficult all afternoon with a change in elevation from 4,800 to 7,200 feet. I struggled with both blistered feet and difficulty breathing at the highest elevation I’ve hiked since 1994. The pace was slow for all of us, and we managed shorter mileage than originally planned for the day. I think the late start coupled with lots of climbing and hurt feet combined to make this the most challenging day for me yet. I had thoughts of quitting despite fantastic views of snow-capped mountains we will tackle tomorrow and the town of Palm Springs in the desert 6,000 feet below. The reality of having to hike such huge mileage every day for the next five months hit me hard this afternoon as I labored with my breathing and legs that felt like lead.
It is COLD tonight and windy, so I’m writing fast in anticipation of soon slipping into my down bag for a good night’s sleep. Phantom and I are cowboy camping again between some dense low shrubs to get out of the bone-chilling wind. Tomorrow promises to be a real challenge, and I have some fear and anxiety about what the day will bring. For sure, we’ll be in snow-covered terrain with no trail for several miles of difficult, if not treacherous, walking. I have my new ice axe ready to go but am nervous about potential severe winter-like conditions, though the forecast is for sunny and cold weather. Hopefully tomorrow will be as much fun as it is challenging and we will have a positive outcome. It’s 8:14 p.m. and time for bed! Today’s weather: Sunny but cold and windy, high 55. Today’s mileage: 15.0, Cumulative: 166.3
