Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - Day 9 April 16th
Day 9: Tuesday 16th April Aqua Caliente Creek – Combs Peak
I was still in my tent having breakfast in the morning when a hiker, with a llama as
a pack animal, passed down the trail. Llamas are native to South America rather than
North America, but they have been introduced to the USA as a pack animal. They are
easier to feed than a horse and being mountain animals they are better than horses in
rough terrain. Llamas also tend to be better behaved than the mules or packhorses
normally used as pack animals and they don’t cause as much erosion to the trail, but
they do have the same problem of polluting the water supply. It is even possible to get
firms to meet you in the mountains with supplies packed in by llama. The wealthy could
use this to make the PCT much easier, but few thru-hikers could afford the cost.
The trail gradually climbed 2500ft through head-high chaparral. I had expected to
have to leave the trail to find water, but after a couple of hours I came upon a small
water cache and filled up my bottles. The terrain was starting to get a little steeper and
becoming more mountainous. Yesterday’s washing hadn’t dried overnight and I was
walking with it hanging from my pack.
The USFS is responsible for the upkeep of much of the trail and they depend on
volunteers “adopting” sections of the trail and doing routine maintenance. Further
north this mainly consists of clearing fallen trees, but in these parts the main problem
is clearing the brush, which grows rapidly across the trail.
The temperature was pleasantly warm by the time I took my first break in a little
dry valley shaded by Coulter Pines. I stripped off and had everything laid out to dry in
the sun.
Over the last few days I’d had had some soreness in both Achilles tendons often
causing pain later in the afternoon. Achilles injuries can usually be walked through
because they ease off when fully warmed up and respond to controlled stretching, but
they stiffen up badly when you stop. Today the left Achilles became very painful by the
evening, possibly because of the greater amount of climb on the route.
I was disappointed not to find a water cache at the road just before Combs Peak
where I was intending to camp. I had plenty of water for the night, but not much spare
for the morning. I camped at 6pm on an exposed shoulder of Combs Peak with the wind
increasing and gusting strongly and the temperature dropping rapidly. There were
fantastic views towards the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio mountains, but I didn’t get
much time to appreciate them as I disappeared into the tent to stay warm. This was the
first time I had to put up the tent to withstand bad weather. Not as easy as it sounds
because in the strong wind tent pegs have a habit of being pulled out of the soft sand.
Day 9: 12.0 miles 6.12 hours Camp: Combs Peak
I was still in my tent having breakfast in the morning when a hiker, with a llama as
a pack animal, passed down the trail. Llamas are native to South America rather than
North America, but they have been introduced to the USA as a pack animal. They are
easier to feed than a horse and being mountain animals they are better than horses in
rough terrain. Llamas also tend to be better behaved than the mules or packhorses
normally used as pack animals and they don’t cause as much erosion to the trail, but
they do have the same problem of polluting the water supply. It is even possible to get
firms to meet you in the mountains with supplies packed in by llama. The wealthy could
use this to make the PCT much easier, but few thru-hikers could afford the cost.
The trail gradually climbed 2500ft through head-high chaparral. I had expected to
have to leave the trail to find water, but after a couple of hours I came upon a small
water cache and filled up my bottles. The terrain was starting to get a little steeper and
becoming more mountainous. Yesterday’s washing hadn’t dried overnight and I was
walking with it hanging from my pack.
The USFS is responsible for the upkeep of much of the trail and they depend on
volunteers “adopting” sections of the trail and doing routine maintenance. Further
north this mainly consists of clearing fallen trees, but in these parts the main problem
is clearing the brush, which grows rapidly across the trail.
The temperature was pleasantly warm by the time I took my first break in a little
dry valley shaded by Coulter Pines. I stripped off and had everything laid out to dry in
the sun.
Over the last few days I’d had had some soreness in both Achilles tendons often
causing pain later in the afternoon. Achilles injuries can usually be walked through
because they ease off when fully warmed up and respond to controlled stretching, but
they stiffen up badly when you stop. Today the left Achilles became very painful by the
evening, possibly because of the greater amount of climb on the route.
I was disappointed not to find a water cache at the road just before Combs Peak
where I was intending to camp. I had plenty of water for the night, but not much spare
for the morning. I camped at 6pm on an exposed shoulder of Combs Peak with the wind
increasing and gusting strongly and the temperature dropping rapidly. There were
fantastic views towards the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio mountains, but I didn’t get
much time to appreciate them as I disappeared into the tent to stay warm. This was the
first time I had to put up the tent to withstand bad weather. Not as easy as it sounds
because in the strong wind tent pegs have a habit of being pulled out of the soft sand.
Day 9: 12.0 miles 6.12 hours Camp: Combs Peak
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Trail sign
Granite tor
Camp at Combs Peak