Mile 151.7 - 162.8 Southbound ( Fire Closure )

   Today we hit are first fire closure of the trip. We started the freezing morning with a one mile power line walk to Paradise Cafe. Many hikers slept on their front porch last night. We choose to camp a mile back in the brush. After talking with everyone about what to do about this fire closure, we came up with hiking the 12 more miles of open trail with a girl named Jack ( trail name).

   We hitched 3 miles to the firehouse, then had a 4 mile straight up roadwalk. That followed a one and a half mile side trail. All this just to get to the fire closure on the PCT. Then we hiked the last 12 miles of open trail southbound. It was a very long and tiring day but the 3 of us want to hike every available mile this trail has to offer. 

   There is nothing we can do about a trail closure. Two hiking got caught in the fire closure area a few weeks ago and got $2,500 fine each. No thanks to that. Plus it is not safe. The fire happened last summer but it was the flash flood that really destroyed the trail and caused it to be shutdown for a few years we a told. The closure is for a 15 mile section of the PCT. we more than made up for that today.

   Tomorrow we hitch 17 miles to Idyllwild, and hope to take a full day off. We need it. Bonnie's feet are loaded with blisters and hurt her pretty bad.

Balance and Jack gearing up for our 19 mile southbound fire closure detour.

4 miles of road walking, and a one and a half mile side trail just to get us to the trailhead of the PCT.

Monster pinecone

Jack & Balance at the fire closure. Behind them is the start of the 15 miles of PCT closure. 

It was a long day, but the scenery was beautiful. The trail followed this ridge line for many miles.