Riding The Crest 2009

SECTION A   MEXICO TO BARREL SPRINGS

APRIL 28 Lake Morena – MAY 2 Barrel Springs

The second day was in high chaparral desert. If you think desert is flat, below sea level, and only sand, think again. This is up on mountains (over 2500’) and with continuous ups and downs and round and round, through sage brush and cacti. It starts out COLD in the morning and by the afternoon you are hot but dare not take off your sleeves or you can get toasted. Late in the day we caught up to one of the PCT hikers (we pass several a day). We were at a water stream that we had to climb down to with the collapsible buckets to get water for the horses. (We knew the horses needed water because Jur was dancing in excitement.) It was a tough climb back up with almost two gallons in each hand on a steep slope with sand sides. The hiker got a little of our water and said he was quitting, he was “all done and had enough.” We felt bad for him but thought he might feel better after a good night’s sleep. He said he was going to camp there, but before we finished he was hoisting his pack back on and heading out. In a couple of miles we came upon him and he looked terribly exhausted. Sue offered to put his pack on Port and he accepted. Then we told him to grab Jur’s tail and let me haul him out. He soon found that the way to travel though he tripped a few times in his exhaustion. We got him to a camp and left him Sue’s water. The guys were having their own adventure. The campgrounds we had planned on were not possible. One was on an impassable road, not found out before Ralph drove down it and then in turning around our rear window busted. In the tight turn the trailer bumped some of gear in the bed of the truck through the window. The second campground ended up not allowing horses. Ralph had befriended a guy, Jay, in a local store and we were invited to Snowflake Ranch. We stayed on private property for the night. The horses were in our electric pens. Burton picked us up in their trailer roadside by the trail and took us to camp. It was c-o-l-d!

The third morning, Burton drove Sue and I and the horses to the location we left the night before (Desert View Trlhd). I had dressed in long johns and then found it much warmer than the night before so I changed to lighter clothes. Good thing as it was plenty of clothes for a day in the high desert. We started the morning riding through the Ponderosa Pines at 5800’ but soon were back in high chaparral. We passed the observatory Jay had worked in for 40 years and then saw the view of the desert we would be seeing most of the day. The PCT averages 18” wide and follows the contour of the mountains and travels the ridges thus getting it’s name as a “crest” trail. It really is on the crest of the mountains. It really gives you a perspective of how extremely small you are when you ride for 20 miles and at the end can see where you started in the distance and the land lay all around you for miles and miles without a sign of life. At about 3 o’clock we told me she has a fear of heights that she is working on overcoming. Already she has overcome some challenges that most acrophobias would not attempt.  We rode 17.6 miles before Burton once again picked us up at the trailhead and took us to Stagecoach Horse Camp in Shelter Valley.

It is anything but a sheltered valley to us for the week we are there. Oh, the campground is awesome, with every amenity, but the wind was wicked the whole time. William started having troubles breathing right away. Early in the morning Susan told me she wanted to take the day off. Ralph went to El Cajon to get a new window put in the truck and on his way dropped off Sidewinder (a PCT hiker) at the trailhead. William went into Julian to get his van’s choke adjusted and I worked on the computer. At 3:30 Ralph was back and drove me into Julian to get some Internet service. I got a few e-mails out.

 May 1 we rode from the Sunrise Trailhead to Sissor’s Crossing (just down the road from Stagecoach Horse Camp). This was a long ride of 24.6 miles with one incredibly long decent down to the bottom of the Sawtooth Mountains. We also missed one turn and went ¾ of a mile before turning back to find a very nice hiker had marked the turn for us! The day was quite windy and started cold but turned hot, especially in the 5 miles of flats leading to Sissor’s Crossing. But there was another water cache awaiting us. W edid not use that water but did sign the register. 

The fifth day on the trail we started by walking the horses so we could safely cross a highway. We also walk to rest the horses. Out of the 23.6 miles, I rode about 21 and Susan walked about the same. It was a very windy day and unlike the day before it was windy all day and partly cloudy, so it stayed cool. As soon as we crossed the road we started a tremendous climb and we on the mountainside all morning. We got so tried of being buffeted by the winds. They were so strong, Susan said they were moving her on the ground. This was a tough ride because we were exposed on the side of a mountain all day with the wind never letting us rest. We passed lots of hikers. We met Kelly and Dave (the snake handler) with their Australian Cattle Dog; and Stacie and Eddie, Rick, Travis, Hawkeye, Jessica, Annie and Chuck, Cottonmouth Bill, Andy and others. At about 11 am four hikers in front of us stopped and surrounded something. When we caught up we found out it was a rattlesnake. Two of the guys had stepped by it and then the next hiker, Kelly saw it and told her husband behind her. Dave threw stones at it and then encouraged it to leave with his trek stick. The snake was mad and did not want to leave and turn it’s back to us so it took awhile to get it off the trail. Then we all moved on up the mountain again. Midway in the afternoon we had another rattlesnake removed by Stacie and Eddie. We finished the 23.6 miles at 5:30 and I was pleased with that though I was sore.

NEXT: From Snow to Desert!

 So many trails - So little time!

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