PCT Mile 208.49 to Cherry Valley, CA
We stayed in a hotel last night in Banning which is always nice. However, I had a hard time sleeping because I was thinking about this crappy road walk that is in front of me for the next 2 days. There was a fire last year that closed 15 miles of the PCT. The problem is that there isn't any good detour around it. Officially, thru-hikers are supposed to get a ride from the I-10 / PCT intersection up to Big Bear and avoid the closed section. Me being stubborn me wants to keep a continuous footpath from Mexico to Canada so I have to walk. The walk we came up with is a 60 mile detour with about 45 of it being roads and the rest being truck/jeep trails.
Tim dropped me off at the intersection of I-10 and the PCT. This first part of the detour will not be fun. I will be walking the I-10 service road that goes between the interstate and a wind farm. I can tell you first hand that this is a perfect place for a wind farm as I walked head on into very, very strong and gusty winds.
Tim dropped me off at the intersection of I-10 and the PCT. This first part of the detour will not be fun. I will be walking the I-10 service road that goes between the interstate and a wind farm. I can tell you first hand that this is a perfect place for a wind farm as I walked head on into very, very strong and gusty winds.
The start of the detour on the I-10 service road.
Walking by a wind farm.
In case the actual wind wasn't bad enough, the trucks and cars going by on the interstate created their own gusts.
Walking along an interstate is breezy.
Just when I thought that I must be crazy, I noticed some footprints in the dirt. Could this print be that of another thru-hiker crazy enough to walk this detour. I liked the thought and embraced it all day.
Footprint of another thru-hiker?!?
After 1.5 hours of walking the service road, I finally arrived to my first waypoint, the city of Cabazon.
Thank you for the welcome Cabazon!
Just 20 minutes later I arrived at my next waypoint. This one was a big one, the Morongo Casino. It was big because I could see it in the distance right when I started walking today. I knew that it was 6.5 miles away and i watched it grow slowly.
The Morongo Casino, 6.5 miles into my walk.
After 1 more hour the service road I was walking ended. Across the street was a small, close road that I continued on. It was like "Life After People." An old abandoned road with grass growing in the middle and trees and shrubs overtaking the side. I kind of liked it because I could walk right down the middle and not worry about cars.
Abandoned road.
Next came the adventure of exiting the abandoned road and getting to the other side of I-10. I won't go into detail, but it involved walking along an entrance ramp and into a tunnel and climbing up an embankment...not fun. But now I am away from the interstate and walking through city streets. First city is Banning:
Thanks Banning for the welcome.
Not long after entering Banning, an SUV pulled up to me and asked if I was a PCT hiker. "Yes" I said. They then said that they saw me around I-10 and figured I was a PCT hiker and followed me here to offer me a ride to the bus depot where most PCT hikers were headed to get a ride to Big Bear. I then explained to them that I was walking the detour and they looked at me like I was crazy and told me good luck. It was way cool that they went out of the way to hep me. I continued through Banning and then, at 12:39 PM arrived back to the hotel we stayed in last night after over 4 hours of walking...I did say I was crazy...right?!?
Hello again Quality Inn.
After walking the entire length of Cabazon and now Banning, I arrived in Beaumont at 1:30 PM. This is the last city I have to walk through today...so let's go.
Thanks for the welcome Beaumont.
Finally, after walking west all day, I made a right turn to head north toward the mountains I have to get through.
The mountains look so far away,
After just 3.5 miles walking north, I hit the end of the Beaumont city limits and entered Cherry Valley which just happens to be the end of my 20 mile walk today. Yes...20 MILES!!! I am beat.
Goodbye Beaumont
Tomorrow I pick up right here where the mountains seem a bit closer.
The mountains look closer.
Tim arrived just as I was done. We drove to Redlands to stay at another hotel. When we arrived i notice a pool, so I jumped in. It was freezing, but the cold made my legs and and feet feel better, so I dealt with it. Afterwards a shower and dinner at The Old Spaghetti Warehouse and then to bed. Tomorrow I have another "wonderful" road walk to enjoy.
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