Day 16: Desert Oasis

Date: Thu 5/3

PCT Start Mile: 210.2

PCT End Mile: 226.2

PCT Mileage for Day: 16

Off-Trail Hike Mileage: 1

Total Mileage for Day: 17

Total PCT Mileage: 226.2

Total Overall Mileage: 239.24

The Highlights: desert oasis, stunning views, and Mission Creek

I only faintly heard trains as I drifted off to sleep last night and again this morning. After packing up my stuff, I started the day with some sun salutations, IT band and foot stretches. Still trying to work out the pain in my toes/feet.

We started our hike by slowly climbing out of the valley we had descended into yesterday. The wind turbines that were whirring full speed in yesterday’s winds now sat motionless in the hot still morning. While yesterday I would have paid for the wind to be turned down a notch, the lack of airflow today was hot – even by 8am. Someone please turn on those giant desert fans!

Passing the Mesa Wind Farm, we climbed up and over San Gorgonio Pass, the steepest of the climbs for the day. Over the pass, the trail descended a bit before following the mountainside with flat and gentle rolling grades.

A few miles down the trail, we ran into some day hikers. We could tell that they were day hikers as they approached. They looked so clean. They smelled so clean. One of them asked us, “are you heading to the oasis?” We were intrigued… tell us more.

The man said that about 10 minutes or so down the trail, we’d come to a junction and could take a side trail to the Whitewater Preserve, which had excellent shade, picnic tables, a wading pool, and a ranger station with bathrooms and clean potable water. He said the preserve was probably an eighth of a mile off trail.

While it turned out to be closer to a half mile off trail, the detour was worth it. We decided to take our lunch break there. As we approached, we could see the green oasis in the very near distance. There were palms and shade trees…the sound of running water.

Finally nearing the oasis, we found the wading pool and shaded picnic area. Fairly hungry, we decided to eat our lunch first, and then take advantage of the wading pond.

Sitting down at a picnic table in the shaded shelter, we could hear the tranquil sound of running water. And then… about 100 school kids descended upon the picnic area with box lunches. Tranquility lost. “Do you think anyone will sit with us?” Shawn asked. “No, we smell.” My mind jumped to potential lunch food trades. I’ll trade you this banana for your snack pack.

Finishing our lunches, we moved from the elementary school chaos to the wading pool, where we soaked our feet and legs in the cold water for awhile. It was so hard to leave.

When we did eventually leave, we started running into other hikers we knew, also on their way to the oasis. “It’s so great!”, we advertised. At the stream crossing just before the trail junction, we soaked our buffs and prepared to head out into the heat. It was just after 1pm.

The first 30-45 minutes or so was terrible for me. It was so hot and I was quickly draining a liter of water. I’d only left the oasis with just over 2 liters, which I’d assumed would get me through the next 8 miles. In the words of Dead Zone, when she ate the very bitter expresso beans, I’ve made an error. I was so uncomfortable. I should still be sitting under those shade trees at the oasis, waiting out the heat. I’d need more water. My pace slowed to a crawl. Shawn had long since gone ahead.

Eventually, I came around a bend to see Shawn waiting on a log next to a flowing creek. I was so happy. I drained the remainder of my first bottle and filled one of my dirty bags (bags used to collect water that needs to be filtered) from the creek and hurried to filter it into my water bottle. More water. Yes. Give me all the water.

After this fill-up, my body was much happier and I hiked along at a more normal pace as we weaved from valley floor through the mountains and back down again… and up again, climbing into the mountains and over rolling ridges. The views all day were absolutely epic. Many of the mountains before me almost looked like they were painted. These views aren’t real, I am walking through a painting.

My toes and feet had been in at least some pain all day, but as the day and miles grew on, they were in A LOT of pain and I was very slow. Shawn had hiked ahead the last three miles. By the last mile and a half of the hike, I was in full hobble mode. Shawn eventually came back down the trail when I was about a quarter mile from our tent site for the night. He relieved me of my pack for this last bit and soon enough my shoes were off and I was stretching and soaking my feet in the cold creek. I did more yoga and stretching. Please stop hurting, feet. I need you.

Our tent site along Mission Creek is another small oasis, with the running creek, nice shade trees, and plenty of tent camping sites. Several others are also camped here for the night. With darkness settled, the only sounds are the babbling creek, frogs, and crickets. We can see the stars through our mesh tent.