Destination: Highway 2 – Wrightwood
Starting Location: Guffy CampgroundToday’s Miles: 4.90
Trip Miles: 369.80
Guffy Campground (364.6, 8225) to Highway 2 (369.5, 7386) ascent (781) descent (1667) NERO
After wrapping ourselves in our tents at 3:00 a.m., we reluctantly got up at 5:00 a.m. to rain and hail. So much for sleeping in and having a leisurely walk to the highway to meet our buddies Daniel & Dean (PCTA Communicator volunteers) at 11:00 a.m. Instead it was throw everything into the pack, put on rain gear and hike fast to warm up. We reached the highway at 8:00 a.m. and a local who was dropping off some hikers gave us a ride into Wrightwood. Sugar Daddy took the alternate route into town to ensure he made it to church on time. Because of our good fortune with the ride we arrived a few minutes after him.
Being in Wrightwood is nostalgic as I spent several years of high school here and in the adjacent town of Phelan. We used to say we went to Phelan (pronounced “feelin”) High. On the trail above town, I could see our old home and the myriad trails I ran for cross country and track training. In town we ate breakfast at the diner where I had my first job as a dishwasher and ultimately short order cook. I went to the fire station and remembered the men that influenced me greatly and ultimately contributed to my joining the Marines. And most odd was going to Phelan to do our laundry and seeing Walde Pharmacy. In high school I was crazy for the daughter of the pharmacy owner but never had any luck getting her to reciprocate the feeling for the 6’2″ 135 pound runner. She is doing great and found what she was looking for.
The storm that caught us is supposed to intensify with snow down to 6,000 feet, so we are going to take a zero tomorrow. We already have our laundry done and have gone to the hardware store for some repair items, so eating, socializing and grocery shopping is all we “have” to do.
Several of us are thinking that our shoes are beginning to break down. The conventional wisdom is 500 miles per pair but with packs that may be expecting too much and thus I have ordered a new pair and we likely look to replace mine on a 400 mile schedule.
A lot of hikers came in after us and the Yodeler (Wrightwood bar/pizza parlor) was packed with ravenous hikers. People here are really hiker friendly. We asked for directions to a pay phone and a gentleman immediately pulled out his cell phone and insisted we could call anyone we wanted. When I walked into Mountain Hardware the woman behind the counter welcomed me to town, asked me to sign the register and followed me around the store until I had what I needed. I am glad to see the hikers before us represented our community well, and the good folks of Wrightwood are reciprocating.
Once again we were the beneficiaries of great generosity from trail angels. Daniel & Dean drove all the way from Tujunga to Wrightwood to deliver our order from Trader Joes and take us to the laundromat. Hope to see them again in Agua Dulce.
Destination: Highway 2 – Wrightwood
Starting Location: Guffy CampgroundToday’s Miles: 4.90
Trip Miles: 369.80
Guffy Campground (364.6, 8225) to Highway 2 (369.5, 7386) ascent (781) descent (1667) NERO
After wrapping ourselves in our tents at 3:00 a.m., we reluctantly got up at 5:00 a.m. to rain and hail. So much for sleeping in and having a leisurely walk to the highway to meet our buddies Daniel & Dean (PCTA Communicator volunteers) at 11:00 a.m. Instead it was throw everything into the pack, put on rain gear and hike fast to warm up. We reached the highway at 8:00 a.m. and a local who was dropping off some hikers gave us a ride into Wrightwood. Sugar Daddy took the alternate route into town to ensure he made it to church on time. Because of our good fortune with the ride we arrived a few minutes after him.
Being in Wrightwood is nostalgic as I spent several years of high school here and in the adjacent town of Phelan. We used to say we went to Phelan (pronounced “feelin”) High. On the trail above town, I could see our old home and the myriad trails I ran for cross country and track training. In town we ate breakfast at the diner where I had my first job as a dishwasher and ultimately short order cook. I went to the fire station and remembered the men that influenced me greatly and ultimately contributed to my joining the Marines. And most odd was going to Phelan to do our laundry and seeing Walde Pharmacy. In high school I was crazy for the daughter of the pharmacy owner but never had any luck getting her to reciprocate the feeling for the 6’2″ 135 pound runner. She is doing great and found what she was looking for.
The storm that caught us is supposed to intensify with snow down to 6,000 feet, so we are going to take a zero tomorrow. We already have our laundry done and have gone to the hardware store for some repair items, so eating, socializing and grocery shopping is all we “have” to do.
Several of us are thinking that our shoes are beginning to break down. The conventional wisdom is 500 miles per pair but with packs that may be expecting too much and thus I have ordered a new pair and we likely look to replace mine on a 400 mile schedule.
A lot of hikers came in after us and the Yodeler (Wrightwood bar/pizza parlor) was packed with ravenous hikers. People here are really hiker friendly. We asked for directions to a pay phone and a gentleman immediately pulled out his cell phone and insisted we could call anyone we wanted. When I walked into Mountain Hardware the woman behind the counter welcomed me to town, asked me to sign the register and followed me around the store until I had what I needed. I am glad to see the hikers before us represented our community well, and the good folks of Wrightwood are reciprocating.
Once again we were the beneficiaries of great generosity from trail angels. Daniel & Dean drove all the way from Tujunga to Wrightwood to deliver our order from Trader Joes and take us to the laundromat. Hope to see them again in Agua Dulce.
Robert Francisco 