Day 3: Sunshine and Burgers

Date: Fri 4/20

PCT Start Mile: 32.6 – Cibbets Flat

PCT End Mile: 41.5 – Mt Laguna

PCT Mileage for Day: 8.9

Off-Trail Hike Mileage: 1.9

Total PCT Mileage: 41.5

Total Overall Mileage: 46.1

The Highlights: Great weather and lots of burgers.

What a difference a day can make. While yesterday was rainy and cold, today was sunny and beautiful. While it was still cold as we hiked out of the campground, the weather quickly warmed to nice temps that were probably in the high 60s, though I didn’t check the actual temperature. Unlike yesterday there was a bounce in our step, likely due as much to the fact that we got about 14 hours of sleep to the benefits of having 9lbs less water in our pack since we’d only have a short hike today.

Though we began hiking the gravel road from the campground back up to the trail, some other hikers had procured a ride and we hopped into the back of the pick-up with them when they came by. No use hiking unnecessary off-trail miles if we don’t have to.

The trail climbed high above the campground, eventually flattening along a ridge that hugged the mountainside. Eventually we could see the Cibbets Flat Campground far below as we continued northward. The trail continued to hug the mountainside, dipping and weaving into small valleys.

Today would be another short day since we planned to stop only 9 miles up the trail at Mt Laguna. Hoosier Daddy let us know that a trail angel group he was associated with called the Wolverines of the PCT (named after the 1980s Wolverines movie, apparently) were doing trail magic at the Burnt Rancheria Campground in Mt Laguna and would have campsites for PCT hikers and be cooking out all day.

Word like this spreads like wildfire down the trail so many hikers were planning to end their day in Mt Laguna. It would be good for us to take a couple short days in a row anyway as we ease into getting our trail legs under us.

As we began to near Mt Laguna, the scenery changed from desert to pine forest and we passed small patches of frost from the previous night. The packed dirt trail carpeted with crushed pine needles was a welcome change from the rocky trail that preceded it.

A short hike, we were into Mt Laguna before 11am and soon enjoying coffee at the Pine House Cafe and Tavern as we waited for the lunch menu to begin at noon.

After eating burgers with a table full of hikers, we headed down to the Mt Laguna Store to resupply for the next couple days. Our next town will be Julian, a hitch from trail mile 77.

Back at the campground we set up camp at the main Wolverine campsite and took care of some camp chores before taking advantage of the coin showers available at the campground. The name of the game with showers is take them when they are available! I had some issues between the cold water, cheap razor, and shitty soap I was using and it wasn’t until I was done shaving that I noticed this awesome situation:

Feeling like I’m back in 5th grade… stealing a razor from the bathroom cabinet to try shaving for the first time.

Needless to say, I hid out in the bathroom doing sock laundry until I had it under control so as to not gain some terrible trail name like Razor Burn. Trail names are names that you acquire along the trail, usually due to something that you do or something that happens to you.

For example, one guy on the trail was having trouble with his belt the first day and his pants were falling down, so his friends were quick to bestow him with the name Chip n’ Dale, which he is not a fan of, but bad trail names can be hard to shed if you don’t nip them in the bud quickly. I have been keen to avoid a terrible trail name.

The rest of the afternoon, we hung around at the campsite with the trail angels and other hikers, enjoying the sun, cookout foods (another burger for me), and hiker camaraderie. And listening for the bestowing of more trail names. A guy with mutant toes was quickly given the name Flipper. I can see it: