Sitting at the hiker heaven trail house around mile 454 taking a zero day to go to REI and drink Margaritas.

Outside of Big Bear, really happy I took that snow survival course.

Burn area outside of Big Bear.

This is the official PCT signage for the McDonald’s at Cajon Pass. We were thinking about big macs all day long. Calories consumed at McDonald’s: 3,000.

A few folks decided to spend the night at the Best Western, but I chose to push a few more miles. These would be some of the creepiest PCT miles yet.

A pitch black freeway underpass. The eery sounds of big rigs and trucks above me on I-15 were what I could only imagine purgatory to sound like. Did I mention it was pitch black? My headlamp could only do so much.

With the flash, still can’t see the end:

After I-15, I still need to pass under the railroad tracks. What’s that PCT? Another pitch black tunnel I can’t see the end of? Sure.

I packed 10 pounds of food out of the Chevron at Cajon pass (you don’t even want to know) so I could go straight through the next 112 miles in 4 days to Agua Dulce (where I am now). 10 pounds of food, 6 liters of water, and a 7,000 foot climb through Wrightwood awaits me the next day.

A few days later, I’m at the top of Mt. Baden-Powell.

Calling our mothers.

Being lazy for a change at hiker heaven and watching Star Wars (they have a double wide and 40 cots just for hikers).

We’re going to head out to REI soon. We’ve been hearing the next stretch of desert is just absolutely brutal, so hopefully we’ll be tips up by 5 am tomorrow!

andrew batjiaka

pacifc crest trail 2014

pct