5/31/202
Section: Mile post 179.4 to 186.4
Distance: 13 Miles
Moving Time: 8:38 hrs
Elevation Gain: 4,439 ft
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Another point that Amanda and I had deliberated on was climbing Mt. Jacinto. Mt. Jacinto is one of the largest mountains in Southern California and a popular side-quest for PCT hikers, as it does not lie directly on the PCT but isn’t a huge deviation to get to. We ultimately decided to do it because it was just now getting to a condition where it could be climbed and we were a day ahead of schedule. Today’s stage was mostly focused on Mt. Jacinto also reconnected with the PCT at milepost 185 and we hiked a bit beyond that. Actually, “hiked” is an understatement - we hacked through horrible snow drifts for a few miles after 185 before saying screw-it and pitching our tent.
The morning alarm clock kicked me out of an incredibly deep sleep which left me in a sour mood. We woke and packed up the remaining things we had into our backpack before doing one final check through and heading to the front of the Inn. As we rounded the corner we recognized Phillip’s lanky frame making his way up the street and then turned to the front office to see - surprise surprise - John from Eugene sitting on a bench waiting for the same ride. The driver had informed me that another person would be joining us and I should have expected John because he is always showing up out of the blue when we began worrying we had lost him. Amanda and I have decided that his alternate trail name should be Houdini for this exact reason.
Not long after our rendezvous the driver, Les, showed up and we loaded up his car. Les drove us the windy two miles up to Humber Park Trailhead chatting the whole way. At the top, we got out, paid him 10 bucks a piece and Amanda and I started our stretches as Les continued to talk about all the people he had given rides to over the years. Finally we were able to disengage, start our stravas and head up the trail.
I thought the group might split up but we were all keen to stay together and so we found ourselves at Saddle Junction in our little group eating some snacks about an hour later. After snacking we continued to climb on the PCT for a while before splitting off on the Wellman’s-Cinnega trail heading up to a higher junction for Mt. Jacinto. As we climbed we noted it was mostly just us. One other PCT hiker sprinted past us but that was about it this early in the day. Another hour brought us into an increasingly consistent number of snow patches and the Wellman divide junction where we found the trail and started up to Mt. Jacinto. The going became slow as snow became a more permanent aspect of the trail and the altitude began to take its toll. We lost the trail a few times but we’re always able to reconnect with it. About two and a half hours of climbing brought us up to the saddle under the summit and another 30 minutes brought us to the top.
The view from the summit was amazing. Palm Springs was enjoying some typical sunshine while the entire ocean facing section of Southern California was shrouded in a thick marine layer. We stayed on top for about an hour and a half taking pictures and eating. Two women from Whistler showed up, just day hiking and we talked to them for a while. Eventually we all had to admit it was time to retreat from the top. Phillip and John headed straight down on the opposite flank for the mountain we had come up looking to reconnect with the PCT farther up than we had left off. Amanda and I did the same but made a quick detour to see the Mt. Jacinto emergency hut on our way down. A really cool old lodging with 2 bunk beds. Some of the groups we had heard were starting later in the day after us were considering crashing in the hut that same evening for the experience.
From the hut, Amanda and I made our way down. You know how some things are immediately annoying and other things take a little time to get annoying? The snow today was the latter and, wow, did it get annoying. Amanda and I have done a lot of snow travel over the years but it is usually on a mountain and early in the morning when there is plenty of grip. Today was a nightmare. Slushy snow in trail runners is not a good combo. Our pace slowed to under a mile an hour in some places as we glisaded, slipped and slid for 2000 vertical feet. We broke through snow bridges and fell multiple times but just when we were about to lose it we arrived at the PCT. Two sketchy river crossings later we were at our campsite enjoying some freeze dried Mac and Cheese. It was a brutal day but one of Amanda’s favorites in retrospect. Glad to have gotten up a mountain and glad to be sleeping under the stars again.
