Day 13: More Rest in Idyllwild

Date: Mon 4/30

PCT Start Mile: NA

PCT End Mile: NA

PCT Mileage for Day: 0

Off-Trail Hike Mileage: ~.5 mi

Total PCT Mileage: 168.6

Total Overall Mileage: 185.54

The Highlights: Resupply, more rest, and massage.

Yep, another rest day. After hauling ass through the alternate section, we arrived in Idyllwild a day earlier than expected. With awesome friends of friends that took us in on Saturday night and a room booked at the Inn for Sunday and Monday nights, we just decided to stick to that plan and leave on Tuesday, giving ourselves two full rest days. Idyllwild is many people’s favorite town along the PCT, so not a bad place to spend an extra day. We could also use the rest and recovery, even more important in these early days as our bodies adapt to the fact that we are asking them to walk over mountainous terrain every day with 30-35+ pounds on our backs.

A photo journal of our day:

We started the day like yesterday, grabbing coffee from the shop next door with Angie, Helen, Jay, and Terra.

Over coffee, we talked weather, resupply, and hiking plans for the next several days. Weather is the topic at hand amongst hikers right now, as we may see some snow or rain precip in the mountains over the next couple days, though it does not sound like it will be at a “storm” level. We are keeping an eye on it.

After coffee, we hit the Fairway across the street for our resupply. Unlike normal life, where I buy all my food from the periphery of the grocery store aisles, sticking to fresh produce, in our hiking lives we spend all our time in the middle aisles of the grocery store searching for the packaged foods that are lightweight but calorie dense.

*We took a pass on these, as appetizing as they sounded…*

Back at the hotel, I organized my stash for the next ~6 days. Super healthy.

Later we grabbed lunch at the Red Kettle.

And then I went to a massage appointment. Yesterday morning I started calling around to some recommended massage therapists in the area to see if I could get in for a late notice appointment. While I have several sore and tight muscles (like everyone hiking), my biggest issue at the moment is that over the last 2-3 days of hiking several of my toes have been going numb, which starts as mildly uncomfortable and eventually becomes painful.

I’m not sure if it’s being caused by muscles and tendons, or if it’s a nerve issue. My shoes have plenty of room in the toe box and I don’t think they are the issue. More likely, I think tight muscles further up the kinetic chain are causing the problem, so in addition to doing more stretching of my own, I decided to get a professional massage as well since we were here for two days. The massage was pretty good, and while I am still feeling numbness, I’m hoping I’ll alleviate the issue soon between stretching, self massage, and hopefully some overall strengthening.

Like a trip to the dentist, a painful massage deserves some ice cream.

This was bigger than I thought it would be. (That’s what she said!)

The bath of the day was epsom salt. I did not need the laxative affects. That system is working top notch.

Staying off our feet, we laid around in the afternoon watching the O.G. Jurassic Park. Coincidentally, we had seen this gem rolling around town today: