PCT, Day 17

We start at 6:00 a.m. and walk for 2 hours, covering 4 km on the icy ridge. It is hard and seems never-ending. There are also trees to climb over, but as usual, we are surrounded by breathtaking views. The trail is truly scenic. After the snowy section at around 2800m, a very long descent begins. Double Dinner quickly pulls ahead. The descent goes from mountain level to sea level over 24 km.

About one hour into the descent, I am back in the mountain desert, walking in more than 40 degrees Celsius. I encounter 4 rattlesnakes and countless lizards of different kinds. The desert is in full bloom.

It is around 5:30 when I finally descend from the mountain. The plan was to set up the tent there, but the spot is uncomfortable, with lots of wind and dust. Double Dinner has been there for a while and suggests walking another 6 km to a trail angel's house.

He had called her, and she offered us her garage to sleep in for $20 per person. My feet hurt a lot, but staying here is not a good option. The prospect of the garage and a hot shower motivates me to do another 6 km. We walk through dusty desert and at one point have to pass under Highway 10. There is some trail magic there: some apples, mandarins, and water, along with a warning from the PCT association.

They recommend skipping the next 90 km since there is some hazard in the middle of the section, involving climbing, river walking, bushwhacking, etc., which is very dangerous. I've had enough of that on the Te Araroa and decide to skip that part.

(https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/southern-california/damage-mission-creek/)

I am so happy when we arrive at the trail angel's house. We put our sleeping pads on the garage floor, and I order big pizzas for us. We can do our laundry and have a nice shower. I am so glad to be off that mountain. It was a crazy day with icy snow in the morning and burning desert later on.