Pacific Crest Trail

A 73-day adventure by Mark Read more

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Trip start
April 16, 2025
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Day 1
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 8:00 AM
☀️ 46 °F
Altitude: 2,910 ft
United States Campo 32.589695, -116.4669232°35’23” N 116°28’1” W
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Day 1
April 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F
I could hardly believe after all these years thinking about it, that I was at the southern terminus ready to begin this big adventure. Before I knew it, I had taken my first steps on a journey that I have no idea how far or long it will go.Read more
*Marianne What a great photo!
5/12/25Reply
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Day 2
Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 8:44 AM
☁️ 45 °F
Altitude: 3,061 ft
United States San Diego County 32.686016, -116.51775932°41’10” N 116°31’4” W
Day 2
April 17 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F
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Day 2
Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 1:35 PM
🌬 39 °F
Altitude: 5,958 ft
United States San Diego County 32.866287, -116.41975232°51’59” N 116°25’11” W
Day 3
April 17 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 39 °F
Cold start to the morning with temp below freezing. Was hoping the weather would clear but that was not to be the case. Later in the day a pretty nasty storm blew in.
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Day 3
Friday, April 18, 2025 at 4:08 PM
🌬 37 °F
Altitude: 5,591 ft
United States San Diego County 32.887919, -116.44750132°53’17” N 116°26’51” W
Day 4
April 18 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 37 °F
First day on the trail with blue skies. Beautiful views of the valley below.
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Day 4
Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 2:49 PM
☁️ 61 °F
Altitude: 4,229 ft
United States Julian 33.078303, -116.60168733°4’42” N 116°36’6” W
Day 5
April 19 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
First town stop in Julian. Slept on a real bed, showered, washed clothes and resupplied for the next section of trail.
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Day 6
Monday, April 21, 2025 at 12:33 PM
☁️ 79 °F
Altitude: 2,300 ft
United States San Diego County 33.100602, -116.47137533°6’2” N 116°28’17” W
Day 6
April 21 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F
A short but hot day of hiking after a fantastic stay in Julian
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Day 7
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 6:23 AM
☀️ 55 °F
Altitude: 3,346 ft
United States San Diego County 33.146833, -116.5086933°8’49” N 116°30’31” W
Day 7
April 22 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
Another great day on the trail.
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Day 8
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 8:13 AM
⛅ 45 °F
Altitude: 3,533 ft
United States Warner Springs 33.254846, -116.61144133°15’17” N 116°36’41” W
Day 8
April 23 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 45 °F
Passing Eagle Rock was one of the highlights for today. Also a great stop at Warner Springs for resupply and a bit of a break.

Started to really notice problems with my right shoe. It is getting to the point where I can't walk normally due to it be so badly twisted.Read more
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Day 9
Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 6:00 AM
🌙 54 °F
Altitude: 3,711 ft
United States San Diego County 33.31319, -116.45871833°18’47” N 116°27’31” W
Day 9
April 24 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 54 °F
Another beautiful day. Some good uphill climbs. Left the last stream for about 60 miles. Will be relying on water caches and other types of water sources.
Had an interesting stop at Mike's place. A very eccentric person there preparing for a big pizza blow out party later in the day. Sounds like it was going to include some illegal substances as well. We enjoyed the interesting sights, had a soda but left before the party.Read more
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Day 9
Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 9:56 PM
⛅ 50 °F
Altitude: 3,560 ft
United States Riverside County 33.482521, -116.58561433°28’57” N 116°35’8” W
Day 10
April 24 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F
Some good trail angel stops along the trail today. An A&W rootbeer was very tasty. We settled in for a windy cold night at the Little Bear Hostile.
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Day 11
Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 9:55 AM
☀️ 43 °F
Altitude: 4,790 ft
United States Riverside County 33.569036, -116.59138333°34’9” N 116°35’29” W
Day 11
April 26 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 43 °F
Had a short 5 mile windy and cold hike to Paradise Valley Cafe. Had a delicious breakfast at the cafe.
The plan was to stay the night at the nearby town of Idyllwild, but the hotels were all booked. A lot of the hikers in our little bubble decided to press ahead even though there was a storm predicted to come through later in the day. I caught a ride to Idyllwild and took my chances. Instead of staying in a hotel, I found one of the last spots at the nearby campsite for only $5 a night. That worked out amazing well.
The storm that came through was pretty severe and was a real challenge for hikers that pressed ahead.Read more
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Day 12
Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 8:28 AM
⛅ 34 °F
Altitude: 5,472 ft
United States Idyllwild 33.749733, -116.71535733°44’59” N 116°42’55” W
Day 12. Zero in Idyllwild
April 27 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 34 °F
I had a fun day in Idyllwild. It was nice to have a warm shower and clean clothes. I attended church at a small branch in town.
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Day 13
Monday, April 28, 2025 at 7:02 AM
⛅ 28 °F
Altitude: 10,676 ft
United States Riverside County 33.814012, -116.67906733°48’50” N 116°40’45” W
Day 15
April 28 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °F
Long uphill to the top of the San Jacinto range. I was following another group of hikers and had my phone off to conserve battery (that is my excuse for not watching the map closer). Quite a few hikers took a side loop that went to a peak at 10,650ft in elevation. I was really dragging at that altitude, but in hindsight, I'm glad I did itRead more
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Day 13
Monday, April 28, 2025 at 1:42 PM
⛅ 61 °F
Altitude: 5,164 ft
United States Riverside County 33.581597, -116.57148433°34’54” N 116°34’17” W
Day 13
April 28 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
My new shoes arrived in the mail! It was fantastic to be able to walk normal again and return the defective shoe that was causing so many problems. Kudos to REI and their 100% satisfaction guarantee.
I caught a ride (without even having to stick out my thumb) back to PVC and started back out on the trail. Hiking solo now since Stewart headed into the storm on Saturday. I saw Stewart in Idyllwild before leaving (he had come back down using a side trail). It was so windy that he wasn't able to setup his tent. He spent the night between two boulders with his sleeping bag wrapped around him.Read more
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Day 13
Monday, April 28, 2025 at 10:42 PM
🌙 48 °F
Altitude: 6,988 ft
United States Riverside County 33.710033, -116.62251633°42’36” N 116°37’21” W
Day 14
April 28 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 48 °F
Today was a long uphill climb from Apache springs with a 15 mile water carry. Found a nice solo tent site for the first time so far on the trail.
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Day 14
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 4:04 AM
🌙 55 °F
Altitude: 1,306 ft
United States Riverside County 33.9239, -116.69458133°55’26” N 116°41’40” W
Day 16
April 29 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 55 °F
Decended down from the San Jancinto range down to the desert floor and the I-10 overpass. A hotel stay after the last few hard days of hiking was a nice treat.
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Day 17
Friday, May 2, 2025 at 9:57 AM
⛅ 57 °F
Altitude: 2,556 ft
United States Beaumont 33.929198, -116.94662833°55’45” N 116°56’48” W
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Day 17
May 2 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F
Robin/Slider introduced me to this app as a way to share my adventure with others and share comments as well.

Today we (Slider and I) left from our relaxing hotel stay in Banning. We hiked about 10 miles to the Whitewater preserve which is like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Also a reunion of sorts since there are several hikers here that I haven't seen for a few days.Read more
Traveler “Yum, Yum” as you would say!!
5/7/25Reply
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Day 18
Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 7:13 AM
☀️ 64 °F
Altitude: 2,201 ft
United States Riverside County 33.98939, -116.65626833°59’22” N 116°39’23” W
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Day 18 - Mission Creek
May 3 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Today started with a crossing of the Whitewater River, which was fun. After climbing a ridge, we dropped down into Mission Creek.
I knew from other hikers that going through Mission Creek would be challenging, and that was definitely the case. There were 10 miles of scrambling over rock and debris where the trail had been washed out. I was surprised how that took more of a mental toll than I expected.
One highlight of the day was seeing my first rattle snake on the trail.Read more
Traveler Thanks for the narrations - I like when you draw out the trail on the mountain profile with your hiking sticks. :)
5/7/25Reply
Traveler Protein!?
5/7/25Reply
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Day 19
Sunday, May 4, 2025 at 12:21 PM
☀️ 41 °F
Altitude: 7,493 ft
United States San Bernardino County 34.128884, -116.7419634°7’44” N 116°44’31” W
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Day 19 - Snow and Hail
May 4 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F
Wow, what a day! We finished the scramble through Mission Creek and got back onto normal trail, which was great. The forecast for today showed a possibility of scattered rain and wind in the afternoon. Instead, around noon, we were pelted by a heavy hail storm that forced us to take refuge in our tents for about an hour. After the storm cleared a bit, we ventured back out on the trail. Later in the day, it started to snow. Conditions continued to deteriorate to the point of a full winter blizzard.
We were very fortunate that Coon Cabin was nearby where we joined other hikers to get out of the storm for the night.Read more
Traveler Taking refuge in our tents in an attempt to stay dry and warm. Slider and I started setting up our tents first, and then two other hikers came by and did the same.
5/7/25Reply
Traveler A picture of Slider as we arrived at the Coon Creek cabin. He looks like the abominable snowman.
5/7/25Reply
Traveler Very Descriptive!!!
5/8/25Reply
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Day 20
Monday, May 5, 2025 at 7:19 AM
☀️ 37 °F
Altitude: 8,107 ft
United States San Bernardino County 34.149382, -116.71047434°8’58” N 116°42’38” W
Day 20 - Escape from the snow
May 5 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F
I was so glad that we made it to the cabin instead of staying in our tents last night. There were four or five other hikers that came in after us yesterday evening. It was fun talking and planning what to do next.
Today, we were about 19 miles hiking distance from Big Bear. There were about 4 in of snow on the ground, much more in places. One hiker pointed out a side trail that was only three miles ahead where we could detour to a road and hitch into town. For safety sake, that is what Slider and I decided to do.
The hike through the snow was more enjoyable than I expected, thanks to having good gear. It took about an hour for us to get a ride after arat the road. Before we knew it, we were in Big Bear Lake, out of the snow and I was soaking in a hot jacuzzi tub. Slider found a fantastic place for us to stay in town and recover from the big, unexpected adventure in the snow.Read more
TravelerYikes!😬
5/8/25Reply
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Day 22
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 4:26 AM
🌙 41 °F
Altitude: 6,903 ft
United States Big Bear Lake 34.236348, -116.9121434°14’11” N 116°54’44” W
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Day 21 - zero in Big Bear Lake
May 7 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 41 °F
I really like the town here. The village section close to where we are staying has a definite bear theme with quaint shops and plenty of good places to eat.
While zero days may sound relaxing, a good portion of the day was spent preparing to get back on the trail. We dried out all our gear, washed clothes, resupplied food, and planned out the next section of the trail. Overall, it was a productive and fun day.
I should mention that there were lots of other hikers in town. I saw Stewart again (we hiked together for several days previously but he is now a day ahead of me). It was fun hearing how others handled the previous days storm.Read more
Traveler Nice AT shirt! Beards are coming along!
5/7/25Reply
TravelerGlad you are getting some downtime as well.
5/8/25Reply
Traveler Yes, I brought the green AT shirt, mostly to wear when in town. Several people have asked about it.
5/8/25Reply
TravelerI love this new app and being able follow you this way. It is soooo cool how you have planned this adventure with these stops!
5/8/25Reply
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Day 22
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 10:33 AM
☀️ 50 °F
Altitude: 7,316 ft
United States 34.272044, -117.00152834°16’19” N 117°0’6” W
Day 22 - mile 285
May 7 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F
I was glad to be on the trail again after the great stay in Big Bear Lake. It was beautiful hiking today with good weather in the forecast for the next week.
A very nice trail angel, Kelly, gave us a ride to the trail this morning at 9am. Our group today consisted of Slider from UK, Luca and Martina from Czech Republick, and me, the sole person from the U.S. We're all feeling well rested and hiked 19 miles to a camping area with a picnic table. We had a fun dinner with some sharing of items we packed. I suggested Luca's trail name should be 'Chef' since he takes trail cooking to a whole new levelRead more
TravelerThat reminds me - Mark did you get a trail name yet?
5/11/25Reply
TravelerNo trail name yet. Haven't found anything that feels right. No rush, we are just getting started.
5/12/25Reply
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Day 23
Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
☀️ 77 °F
Altitude: 3,973 ft
United States 34.326507, -117.15820434°19’35” N 117°9’30” W
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Day 23 - mile 306
May 8 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F
Today we passed the 300 mile marker. The miles are starting to add up.
One of the highlights from today was our lunch stop by a stream. Lucas and I enjoyed jumping into the cool water.
Traveler Congratulations!! And I thought a fifty-miler was a BIG deal.😊
5/10/25Reply
Traveler Hope no bears are attracted to it!
5/10/25Reply
TravelerFrom snow to sun, ya keep going. Awesome.
5/11/25Reply
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Day 24
Friday, May 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM
☀️ 72 °F
Altitude: 5,262 ft
United States Blue Jay 34.255484, -117.20090634°15’20” N 117°12’3” W
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Day 24 - mile 326
May 9 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F
I have really enjoyed walking through deep creek canyon the last two days. The creek is spectacular with deep pools and waterfalls. There have been several large bridges along this section of the trail as well.
A highlight of the day was a hot spring that mixed in with the creek. Taking a soak on the spring and swimming in the creek was fabulous. I would have liked to stay there all day, but the trail is always calling to keep moving forward.Read more
Traveler My embarrassing performance crossing the creek.🫤
5/12/25Reply
TravelerThe hot springs look very relaxing.
5/13/25Reply
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Day 25
Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
☀️ 88 °F
Altitude: 3,048 ft
United States 34.308816, -117.4701834°18’32” N 117°28’13” W
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Day 25 - mile 343
May 10 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F
Woke up to a beautiful sunrise over the lake. The topic of the day was how far to McDonald's. That definitely was the incentive to get out on the trail.
Another highlight of the day was trail magic perfectly located after a hot dry climb. Frequently trail magic is provided by people who have hiked the trail previously, which was the case today. They typically refuse any donations to help offset the cost. I would very much like to be on the giving side of trail magic sometime in the future.Read more
Traveler Like Magic!
5/12/25Reply
Traveler My first night 'cowboy' camping. Not having to setup and take down the tent is nice. One problem, I got a hole in my airpad. 😐
5/12/25Reply
Traveler Trail magic is a wonderful thing. Some fellow hikers from right to left: Polaroid, Fire, Hurricane, Forget me not, me aka No trail name yet, and Chef.
5/12/25Reply
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