Day 17: (04/21) : to 193.6 :: 6.1 miles

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With only 3 miles to go to the Black Mountain campground and picnic area, we were sure we’d be there in time for a leisurely breakfast in a sunny patch of woods out of the snow, but that didn’t happen. It ended up taking us almost 5 hours to go the 3 miles and we didn’t get an early start, so it was almost 2 by the time we got there. The views were gorgeous, we could see down to the desert floor and across the valley to the next mountain range, the San Bernardinos and there were many sugar pines and fir trees to ogle, but the going was tough. The snow was deeper than it had been anywhere else and was on a steep slope. It should have been easy walking in mostly a straight line across the ridge, but without being able to actually see the trail we often missed the dips and rises and got off the trail often and easily. We followed the foot prints, not wanting to constantly be searching for the correct GPS location and waste my phone battery. The footprints took us all over the place, up and down the steep slope looking for the path of least resistance. We bushwhacked through the low growth on trees, sometimes walked on top of patches of manzanita and climbed over lots of fallen trees. We post holed too, sometimes up to our thighs. I think I sunk in much more often and deeply than Jeff did, because his footprints are bigger and spread out his weight more! I have never walked in snow or experienced post holing. When I first started getting interested in the PCT, I read a lot of trail journals and I had to ask Jeff what post holing was!! I can tell you it’s not fun! It’s especially exhausting with a heavy backpack trying to lift yourself out of a hole that’s taken your whole leg! We wasted a lot of energy not being on the trail! All the while we dreamed of the snow free lands to come! 

It was sweet relief when we finally made it to the picnic area. Our feet and pant legs were soaked and it was time to get them off. We found our first patch of dry ground since Idyllwild and basked in the sun, dried out our feet and clothes, took some much needed rest and ate some much needed food. After our break we only made it 3 miles further before we decided to stop for the night. It wasn’t as far as we’d expected to go, but we figured it was better to get more rest after such a difficult day. The trail began dropping elevation as soon as we left Black Mountain Road and we were out of the snow right away and into a dry forest of pines and manzanita. We camped in an alcove of manzanitas and got to enjoy watching the light fade from the sky.

We didn’t see other hikers yesterday or today. Many skip this section if it’s snowy, and although it was difficult, we are glad we did it. It is nice to know that it’s near home and we can come back for a do over in the fall! I’m sure Fuller Ridge is a great gentle trail!


It’s not easy to get an early start when everything outside is cold and frozen. Our shoes, wet from yesterday, were totally frozen! You can see Jeff’s look of disgust as he attempts to force the shoes onto his feet!

Clouds once again in the valley below. We felt lucky to be in the sun for so many days in a row!

View of San Jacinto after we finally got all the way around it.

Sugar pines, the steep slope and the San Bernardino mountains in the distance.

More snowy mountains to come.

Jeff takes a much needed rest while exhausting himself maneuvering over a fallen tree.

The picnic area wasn’t totally snow free like we’d dreamed. I wasted some time trying to clear this picnic table with our toilet shovel before realizing it was futile.

Yay finally snow free and with good views of the mega drop off down to the highway 10 valley, an impressive vertical rise.

A nice warm and dry campsite off of the mountain!

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