Pacific Crest Trail - Day 27

Start: Mile 209.6 - Interstate 10 - White Water, CA
End: Mile 218.5 - White Water Preserve

Getting back on trail off I-10 in windy conditions in one of the windiest places in the world was rough. The first miles up the hill from the freeway outside the community of White Water were definitely a test of perseverance.

“Today I walked slowly. Tomorrow I hope to walk even slower.”

Graffiti on the Section C sign

Overlooking the Mesa wind farm, Palm Springs, and a dust storm down the Coachella Valley.

Climbing up a steep canyon to a pass. A contrail became a string of wispy clouds in the wind.

South side of the pass.

North side of the pass. Wilderness and a trail.

We met Wreck on trail in an alcove sheltered from the wind. She was pretty rattled after attempting the ridge and being blown around to the point of holding on to the rocks to brace herself. She decided to turn back and wait for companions before attempting the ridge again.

She was hilarious, and an accomplished hiker, having completed the Appalachian Trail and summited Mount Elbrus. Hiking between Kristin and I along the windy ridge, she shouted “This is why black people don‘t hike! Fucking scary ass shit!“ 🤣. We hiked with her for a mile or so traversing exposed ridges until things leveled off a bit and the trail tucked behind the ridge before descending into White Water Preserve.

The colors of this plateau were reminiscent of that of the plateau outside my buddy Spencer’s place in Big Water, Utah. Also a section of the road through Capitol Reef National Park. Somehow the grey and yellow make me think there’s uranium in there, but the lack of mining roads suggests maybe not.

Enhance.

Enhance.

Enhance. There are people in this picture for scale.

A lush green oasis in the desert. Probably a spring, and I should have investigated, but after getting blown around all afternoon, we passed through.

A PCT trail building crew. Heroes. Thank you all!

The amount of energy it took to move these boulders off the mountain is difficult to fathom.

Finding a little shelter from the wind under a pergola.

The hummingbird feeders on the patio of the Ranger station were popular! They didn’t care as we set up our pads and sleeping bags.

This was the view from my sleeping bag. I was thrilled until I realized I was sleeping under about a gallon of sugar water hanging by wires in a windstorm with 60-80 mph gusts 💨. 😬

The hummingbirds weren‘t phased by the wind at all. It’s pretty incredible watching them zip and flit and hover. We could hear the beating of their wings.

The Ranger at White Water Preserve pointed us to an open field past a wonderful grass area under large cottonwood trees to set up our tent, cautioning us that cottonwood trees drop branches in high winds. This is the debris under the cottonwoods the next morning. The Ranger station and the patio we camped on is in the background.