Day 12 – Sunday 4/1 – Easter! – 109.5 to 126.9 (17.8 total)
We woke up at 4am, or as most people would describe “the butt crack of dawn”. Happy Easter! And it was a happy Easter. We saw lots of rabbits begin their morning hop across the trail.
There was a full blue moon after a night emptying bottles of Blue Moon.
We walked along Agua Caliente Creek crossing back and forth several times. This was the first time we followed a reliable water source, so it was a nice treat to carry zero water with our full packs thousands of feet uphill.
Lunch break!
El lizard grande.
Dangling little stow-away.
We played Zelda quite a bit before hiking and kept seeing korok seed puzzles in the distance. **Eh-hem, nerds** korok
We made it to Mike’s Place around 6:30pm. Mike’s Place is a private house just off the PCT in the middle of a long dry stretch through desert mountains. Mike generously offers free water to hikers, plus a place to sleep and maybe a hot meal.
We never actually met Mike. Supposedly we saw the back of his head as he left in his pickup truck. The caretaker Josh gave us the walk through, cheap beer and hand-made pizza. Was it the best pizza ever? No, but having free hand-made pizza and cold beer while you are starving, exhausted and in the middle of nowhere was extremely satisfying.
Water tanks
The ‘zza!
The outdoor kitchen.
Wood-burning brick oven pizza portal.
If locals want to charge hikers for goods or services, they are supposed to set up a business. To avoid those complications many trail angels have a friendlier, pay-what-you-can model. This was the case for Mike’s. We chipped in what we could.
There were already hikers gathered around the fire. We met our first hiker dog Deeds, her owner Pacer, and his human hiking partner Sunny. We met an older gentleman Jeff and Miley, his Airedale Terrier service dog. There were a few other hikers too, among them a girl named Freddie who complimented my hiking shirt back in Warner Springs. Her shirt was almost identical to Marcel’s. Her vegetarian hiking buddy (I didn’t catch his name), was trying to cook raw lentils, accidentally spilling them by the campfire. Marcel couldn’t help informing him it is better to pack out par-cooked beans to save time & fuel. Not great timing Marcel, but hopefully he didn’t take offense. After an evening around the fire, we set up our tent behind the house within a little enclave of bushes.
- The abode. It was a windy night but no big deal.
Our tent site and Mike’s house.
Day 13 – Monday 4/2 – 126.9 to 137.0 (10.1 total)
Mike’s business has something to do with making tortillas and tortilla chips. Scattered throughout the property and shown below as part of the patio are used grinding stones that turned grain and/or corn into flour. Neat!
Repurposed grinding stones.
The night before we heard there would be pancakes for breakfast. After watching Josh work on his outdoor bar for a while, morning beer in hand, it didn’t look like anyone was making breakfast. I offered to cook if he could point me toward the ingredients. He gladly mixed the batter and brought out fresh blueberries. I got to work in the kitchen and he got back to building his bar while Sublime played in the background.
I owe my pancake skills to my grandmother, Mimi, who always fries them with crispy edges.
Other hikers headed out for an early start, while Marcel and I enjoyed our blueberry pancakes with Jeff, Miley, and Mrs. Buttersworth syrup. Jeff said he was Miley’s boss, so I suggested the obvious name, El Jefe, Spanish for “the boss”. Miley, who is one of the most well-behaved dogs I have ever had the pleasure of petting, aided Jeff for high-pitched sounds, like the refrigerator door being left open.
Later on Jeff gave us a pair of Icebreaker brand merino wool thermals he found on the trail that he thought were ours since we were just ahead of him. Marcel pinned the pants to his backpack for a few days so other hikers might see and claim their goods. But nobody said anything, so in the next town we washed them and Marcel ended up using them for the rest of the hike. Thanks for the $80 sleeping pants!
As for the “sketchy” reputation Mike’s Place had, we didn’t feel creeped out or unsafe like others. Maybe it was because we were a couple. Maybe we were more polite and didn’t bring up politics? I would probably have had different feelings if I were there alone, but we liked the place and are grateful for the experience.
The two shitters. Why two next to each other? We just don’t know. Trust pooing?
A loo with a view.
Miley!
Miley – the smart, sweet, obedient Airedale.
Outdoor bar in progress.
Farewell Josh!
As we were getting ready to leave, Josh dubbed me Pancakes because I made the best pancakes of the season. Granted, it was early in the season, and all fried foods are delicious – it’s science. I approved my trail name and we headed out as Pancakes and Marcel.
Typical snake basking on the trail. Watch your step!
Our first sight of smoke. Later we learned it was a controlled burn.
On-trail foot massage. When the dogs are barking, give’m a good rub! 😉
Wavy smoke from the wind.
Dinner Ingredients: Chicken Ramen, Taco Bell Diablo sauce, Pepper Jack cheese. Real cheese is a luxury because it’s mostly water, but sometimes worth its weight in gold.
Dinner is served!
We camped near our new friend El Hefe, above the almost dry Tule Creek.
Day 14 – Tuesday 4/3 – 137.0 to 148.2 (11.2 total)
Rise and shine, glisten, and glow! *Imitates model announcer* Marcel is wearing white sun sleeves paired with black Teva sandals for the uneven tan-line hiker look. Very chic!
It was an absurdly hot day spent passing and being passed by a hiker named Quadzilla. We were the tortoise and he was the hare. His trail name was due to his massive quads, which complimented his massively condescending attitude. While I frequently stopped to keep from overheating, Marcel just cranked up his sweating super power to 11, hardly bothered by the heat.
We heard and read about a foul cistern. It’s composed of a concrete area to collect rain water into an underground tank. It was as gross as the rumors suggested. Dead lizards, green water, yuck. Fortunately we packed enough water to skip this source.
Side view of the cistern. Looks like a crocodile smiley face in the reflection.
A lizard basking too close to certain cistern death.
Poor, little lifeless lizards floating in the cistern.
Tiny Lego flowers dotting the sides of the trail.
Bugs lived a long and happy life pestering Elmer Fudd & Daffy Duck. He is survived by his 37 children and exhausted wife Lola.
Most people don’t know this, but I was an occasional chola on the trail, that never poured water out for my homies. They know carrying (water) ain’t no joke.
Later that afternoon, we met Trail Angel Mary, who had an amazing setup for hikers. She provided a water cache, seating, shade, candy, a small library, and a shower! Among the hikers enjoying this oasis was Amanita, who looked a lot like Shawn White. We chatted him up about his trail name and learned about the history of the hallucinogenic mushroom. Fun fact, the poor drank the wealthy’s urine after they ingested the Amanita mushroom. More like Amoniata… Here’s Amanita
Thank you Trail Angel Mary!
Puns make me smile.
Outdoor shower
“Books you don’t need in a place you can’t find.”
The note above reads: “Welcome to Muir Wood South. Each year, I choose a theme for my hiker oasis. In 2018, I am celebrating the 150th anniversary of John Muir’s arrival in California. Enjoy!”
After resting at Trail Angel Mary’s oasis, we continued on until we came to a dry creek already occupied by groups of other hikers. We made our way past people setting up their tents and staked our spot, pun intended, next to El Jefe. We talked to him about the amazing freeze-dried food, Mountain House. Their beef stroganoff will always have a special place in my heart and gut.
Elise & Marcel's 2018 PCT Thru Hike 