Mile 341.9

+ High: Met so many people know about Taiwan

- Low: Snow/rain storm

• Best gear: Altra Lone Peak 3.5 trail running shoes, 350 miles and still love it!

Day 28

It’s only 27.6 miles left to reach Cajon Pass, which is my next package point. I felt confident and trlaxed since I only have to do about 14 miles a day. A walk in the park, right?

I was waken up by the birds and coyotes in the early morning, but I took my sweet time packing up. I sat by the highway to eat my breakfast and to wait for my tent to dry. It was a fine morning. I even facetimed my parents for about 2 miles.

At the first water stop, I met a couple from France, Tamara and Killian. I told them I was from Taiwan. They didn’t even hear about the part that I live in New York City before they started to tell me how awesome Taiwan is. They went to a friend’s wedding in Taiwan last year and they loved the experience. They said people were nice, sometimes too nice. The food was great and it was a beautiful place to hike.

To be honest, I got a lot of responce like “Oh I love Thai food” when I say I’m from Taiwan, I haven’t had this kind of experience that everyone knows where Taiwan is. I felt really nice about it. They seemed to know more about subway in Taipei than I do. They were counting all the food they ate and all the great places they went and even Beitou hotsprins. I haven’t been there before seriously...and they remember Chillian Subway stop because it sound like Killian. It was definitely a pleasant encounter.

After water stop, I got to Silverwood Lake Recreation Area pretty soon. I heard the lake has serious pollution problem but it was still very refreshing and beautiful. I reached the planned destination, a parking lot where toilets, tent sites and water were available, I was ready to stop for the day... until I heard the news about upcomig rain/snow storm.

Mark, a fellow hiker, told me that the weather will change in the following couple days. He didn’t know if he should keep walking. I checked the weather out, and it worried me. If I stick to the original plan, I’ll walk right into the rain for two days at 9000 ft high. I’m not prepared and do not want to do that at all. So I recaculated the milage. I should keep on walking, push as hard as I can and maybe I’ll be lucky to walk only one day in the rain before I reach to Wrightwood, a following mailbdrop point after Cajon Pass.

I was so depressed about the news. I didn’t wanna walk anymore at that point. I was telling my legs the whole day that WE would ONlY walk 14 miles. The rain fear got to me. I put the backpack back on my shoulder. It was fxxking 4:30 already. How much could I push? 5 more miles? 7 more miles? That was where the tent site marks on the map. I don’t know....

It was a big hike out of the lake. I only wanted to do 5 more miles, but I was afraid that the tent site might be taken. I saw no one on the trail but the footprints were so new that I felt hopeless to get that tent site. About less than 2 hour, I got to that site...

Of course it was taken. So I have to comfort my feet and legs and tricked them into couple more mile to see if the 7 miles one was still available. Couple more miles, right? No big deal? But I walked 19 miles already... I was so tired. The trail was so narrow and most of this section was in semi-woods. There was no way to squeeze in my tent on the side. I walked and walked and walked. Finally I saw the supposed-to-be water source, it was a flat ground!!!! I was so thrilled! I could finnaly camp. So the day wrapped up at 20.3 miles. Sigh...

Day29

Since I walked so much yesterday, it qas only 7.4 miles to Cajon Pass. That’s the famous McDonald’s on trail, the only one. I woke up at 6 because of the woodpecker right above my tent. I was so not ready...

it was only one uphill and one downhill to reach Cajon Pass. The views were incredible. I love walking right on the crest. It gives me the feeling that I’m on the top of the world. This 7 miles gave me exactly the view I was looking for. So pleasant that I started to sing.

In about 3 hours, I saw the sign to the famous McDonald’s. I was relieved because I just got another plan for the following couple days. I’m going to take Uber to Wrightwood. I do not want to kill myself to hike another 9000ft in the rain or, even worse, snow storm. I will hitch from the McDolnald’s and get to Wrightwood in 20 mins instead of possible two days of walking and wait for the storm to pass.

I saw tents and sleeping bags hanging on the rails outside McDonald’s from far away and I smiled. “I’ll do the same in 5 mins.” I thought to myself. I walked into McDonald’s like a homeless, again. There were bounch of hikers sitting inside already. I got my breakfast and stayed outside. I did not feel like hanging out today. I dried my tent under the sun, and then took out my sleeping bag and down jacket to take a sun bath until the condensation from last night was totally gone.

I didn’t sit. I did not want to sit. I was the only hiker standing outside under the sun. I felt cozy and comfortable.

Other hikers gradully pull in. I smiled and said hi to all of them. One of them, Bob, stopped and talked to my in Mandarine. He does movie post-production and visual effects in Beijing. He said he will go back after he finishes the trail. The second person talked to me in Mandarine, the second white person... I also met John, whose son is hiking on the trail and sitting in McDonald’s as we spoke. John came from Sierra area on his mortocycle to meet up with his son.

After drying everything and finishing my coffee, I was abou to call a Uber while I saw Salvador waved at me. I first talked with Sal in Whitewater Preserve. He was very easy to recognize because he is a Mexican who wears a white button-up shirt. It’s rare to see non-white people on trail, and white shirt is not a common choice among thru-hikers.

He told me that his ex-wife picked him up for a couple of days and he was going to the trailhead 10 miles pass Wrightwood. I was thrilled! I asked if he could give me a ride into the town and he said yes! He even drove me to pick up my package at Best Western, the only hotel option in Cajon Pass.

I said goodbye to them in front of the hardware store. I got in to the store to sign the PCT log book and also tryied to get info for where to stay for these couple nights. The hardware store gave the hikers a pin as a gift. It was really nice of them. I met “Tiny” at the store. She said she was going to stay at this place where hosts hikers and it’s $30 a night. Another magic happened today! I finally felt secured.

After settle in, Tiny and I went in to town for coffee and food. She is a solo hiker from Chicago. It was a plesant afternoon. I had a free coffee from The Village Grind and we had dinner at Grizzly Cafe.

Hopefully the snow storm will not be too bad.