Day 9 – Nearo towards San Jacinto
Originally published on Mason Hikes the PCT 2017.
Mileage: About 9 miles and about 4000 feet of elevation gain
I started the day by sleeping in (until 7:30) and getting breakfast with some of the other hikers at a place called The Red Kettle. Delicious breakfast quesadillas and burritos all around!
My one main goal for the day was to stay off my feet to let them rest, but a close second place was my quest to replace my piece of crap iPhone charger.
I walked all over town looking for a charger but none of the stores seemed like the type of places that would sell iPhone chargers. Luckily, tucked into the corner of the town is the town pharmacy which had a limited selection (one) of iPhone chargers! Jackpot! 💰💰💰
Besides replacing the one thing I hated most about my pack, I just hung around town, lounged, and stretched. I planned to leave town at 4, but on my way out, I decided I wanted some food first. I stopped into the PCT-friendly pizza place and ran into a group of people I knew, so I ended up eating with them until about 6. 😬 whoops.
When I finally got to the actual hiking for the day, it was absolutely horrible. I don’t know if it was my half-day off, the heat, the vertical, or the fact that I’m carrying a massive book in my pack now (more on that later), but the hike was hard. I barely made it up to the fire lookout in time for sunset, but it was spectacular from a vantage point so high and with 360° views of everything around us. Definitely worth the trip.
I’m planning to see sunrise from the peak of San Jacinto tomorrow, so I hiked a bit closer and ran into some friends that had taken a different trail up. There are five people camping here right now (Simple, Hooker, 9, Holly, and myself), but I’m a bit removed because I’m getting up REAAAALLY early. Bed time for bonzo!