6/10/2023
Section: Mile post 326.4 to 341.9
Distance: 16.29 Miles
Moving Time: 06:27 hrs
Elevation Gain: 1,819 ft
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Didn’t really sleep last night - was way too hot. The sleeping bag I am using is rated for 15 degrees and I doubt it got much below 45 last night. We woke as the sun was rising over the lake and got ready - happy to have the assistance of a picnic table. Such a simple thing but certainly missed when it is gone. We both had grits with added sharp cheese and then packed, completed our warm-ups and were off.
The initial climb out of the little picnic area was a chore but we quickly got back on the PCT and headed south and west towards the western boundary of Silverlake State Park. About an hour brought us to highway 138 where we passed under and onto the western boundary of the state park. Along the way we heard a large party getting warmed up in the Baranca Group Campsite. “Should we go crash the party?” Amanda asked me. “No, we’ve got McDonalds to get to!” I cried.
The McDonalds at Cajon Pass may be one of the most famous fast-food stops along the PCT. It has been in operation for a long time and the hiking community is very familiar with its presence as a quick and easy stop enroute to Wrightwood or Agua Dulce. Amanda and I would not normally be excited about McDonalds but hiker hunger was starting to take hold and knowing the Golden Arches were waiting for us 13 miles down trail certainly quickened our pace.
Shortly after the party we passed out of the Silverwood Lake State Park and back into the San Bernardino National Forest. From here we completed most of our climbing for the day in a 3-4 mile stretch as the path wound up over Cleghorn Ridge and dropped down the north side. The trail throughout this segment was immaculate and we flew along it. Not too many crazy animal sightings - just the normal lizards and a few garter snakes.
From the top of Cleghorn Ridge we begin a long descent into Cajon Pass, again winding in and out of little drainages. We stopped about 8 miles ahead of Cajon to top off water and have a snack before continuing on. At around mile 338 we came to a cleft ridge which fell away steeply just beyond the trail revealing exposed sandy soil on the opposite side. “This looks like Cappadocia,” Amanda exclaimed. “It certainly does” I agreed. The path wound us up above and around the steep sandy cliffs before downgrading us slowly to below the highway, which was now visible.
The last mile and a half of today's segment winds through the Crowder Canyon on an old Wagon Road that was a precursor and, later, a short cut for highway 66 before arriving at Cajon Pass. Here, I snapped a picture of Amanda in front of the McDonalds sign and we sprinte up the road to Micky-D’s. Once there we sat down, getting a lot of looks from the present patrons. The staff is used to hikers coming in, but the clientele comes from all over and are likely not familiar with the PCT. Amanda got 2 McChickens, a large fry, sweet and sour sauces and a McFlurry. I gave McDonalds’ spicy crispy chicken a try and was, overall, pretty impressed. I also got 2 cheeseburgers (gotta enjoy the classics) but I think the patty’s have gotten thinner since the last time I was here. I also got some fries and an Oreo McFlurry. We ate and relaxed, talking to one of the staff as he mopped the floor behind us, then we had to make a decision. We could carry on 2 more miles or use our credit card points to stay in a seedy hotel across the highway - the Cajon Pass Inn. We deliberated for a while. We are ahead of schedule and the 2 extra miles wouldn’t really help us any tomorrow and might actually make the long water carry more complicated so we decided to stay a night in “luxury.”
We headed out from McDonalds on roads devoid of sidewalks before playing frogger across higheway 138 which passed perpendicular to I-15. The pedestrian infrastructure in America is absolutely abysmal - really makes me miss how walkable everything was in Germany. The walk from McDonalds to the hotel is probably the scariest half mile we will do on the PCT!
Once at the hotel we ran into the two Ontario girls and chatted with them for a while. They were charging phones and making calls and had decided to do the 2 miles in that evening. We wished them luck and headed to our room for showers and to catch up on blogging. After a few hours we went back out to play frogger and get some Subway before coming back and passing out on a “nice” hotel bed. It feels a little like cheating but honestly, I don't care.
