Day 6 - 11: As if I had never done anything else

Day 6: We start on the trail after the shuttle brings us back to Scissors Crossing at 7. The weather today is significantly worse and it has cooled down a lot, which is very pleasant. And after it clears up, we have perfect hiking weather.

The trail is breathtaking again and leads all day with slight ups and downs as a narrow path along the mountain. I am with Alex from Australia and Natalie from Switzerland. I got my trail name from her. We camp together and tomorrow we will cross the 100 mile mark together. We also have to resupply for five days, as there will be no further opportunity due to the Easter weekend. This will later turn out to be wrong, but better safe than sorry.

Day 7: It's incredible that I've already been on the trail for a week. On the one hand, I have already developed a lot of routine and it feels as if I have never done anything else. On the other hand, I experience a lot of new things every day and meet great people. Like Natalie and Alex, with whom I reach the 100 mile marker shortly after the start today.

After that, we go down the mountain to the road to Montezuma Valley Market, where we will resupply. When we arrive at the bottom of the mountain and wait for the shuttle, we unexpectedly encounter a little trail magic. Two men stop and ask how many hikers are expected to pass by in the near future or per day. They actually host a BBQ for hikers on Easter weekend. And they have donuts for us, and I have to say, it tastes much better than any donut I've ever had in Germany.
At Montezuma Valley Market with its famous Yeti statue, we see many hikers again and have a great time. Additionally, the market has everything a hiker's heart desires. In the early afternoon, we set off again.

The landscape today is very diverse. First, we walk along the narrow paths on mountain slopes, then across wide plains, and later along a stream through open oak groves. And we pass by Eagles Rock. Even though it may look like it, the rock doesn't break open to release a giant eagle from The Lord of the Rings, carrying us to Canada. But that's not how it works in the books either, and at the moment, it's an offer that no hiker I've met so far would accept.

At the end of the day, we camp under a huge oak tree with some other hikers. It's so big that ten tents fit under it and the space is not even close to being occupied.

Day 8: It was quite cold last night. And I heard coyotes for the first time, but they were very far away. Nevertheless, I slept very well. In fact, I sleep much better on the trail than I did at home in the past months.
Today was the most challenging day so far. A constant up and down, but mostly the trail was very overgrown, so everyone's legs are scratched. And because of the dense vegetation, it was hard to see the rocky trail and you had to be careful not to trip or slip. And around noon, we reached the last water source for the next 15 miles. So we "camel up," drink as much as possible, and then take enough with us. In my case, 4.7 liters. However, we still managed to hike a little over 20 miles. Now we are camping in a dry riverbed. before going to bed, it's interesting to see how much fun we can have with a roll of Leukotape when there's nothing else to do.

Day 9: It was windy again last night and my tent was not well positioned against the wind, so one tent wall was constantly fluttering and waking me up. After an hour of listening to a podcast, I fall asleep again. Since we can hitchhike to Idyllwild tomorrow, we can take it easy today and take smaller breaks along the way. Around noon, we reach Mary's Watertank. A farmer named Mary provides this specifically for hikers, along with a tent and a small bookshelf. While we are there, Mary herself stops by and she has two little puppies with her who are just 11 weeks old. Of course, the two of them grab all the attention.

After that, it's only another mile to our campsite for today. Tomorrow, it will be just under five miles to Paradise Valley Café, from where we will go to Idyllwild and where the supposedly best burgers on the entire PCT are. I'm really looking forward to trying one.

Days 10 + 11: We reach Paradise Valley Café around 9 am. Unfortunately, they only serve breakfast until 11, so we miss out on the burgers. But the breakfast is fantastic. And after I discover 'The Phoenix Special' on the menu, I don't have to think about what I want anymore. It's an omelet with cheese, chilis, and bacon, served with hash browns and toast.

Afterwards, we drive to Idyllwild, where we will spend two nights, taking a zero-day, a day without hiking. I am sharing an Airbnb with Natalie, Alex, Beans, and Cheese. On the first evening, Barry and Butterfly also come over and we order pizza. Otherwise, we spend the days eating, resupplying, and visiting the outdoor outfitter to buy microspikes. We need them to cross the first major mountain section ahead of us. There may be some tricky snowfields to cross on this section.

And of course, we meet 'Mayor Max,' the mayor of Idyllwild, who is a Golden Retriever. In America, there seems to be nothing that doesn't exist. Although I'm not sure how much power Mayor Max actually has.

All in all, Idyllwild is a beautiful and hiker-friendly but also touristy small town. The rest day has been very refreshing, but I'm incredibly excited to return to the trail tomorrow. The section ahead of us is considered one of the most beautiful in Southern California. Until then.