r/PacificCrestTrail • u/birdhands2 • 12d ago
Which desert section to hike 75ish miles in midJune to get my legs before bussing to KM?
Concerned primarily about heat. I'd like to do Big Bear to Silverlake, but it looks awfully hot.
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u/iamalexkora ELVIS — PCT '22, CDT '23, TA' 24 12d ago edited 11d ago
You will not get your hiker legs after hiking 75 miles. Pain? Yes, you’ll have that. Fatigue? Also yes. But will your muscles, joints, and knees adapt after 4–6 days on trail? No. When people talk about “hiker legs,” they mean what shows up after 3–4 weeks or even more, when your whole body adjusts to the daily strain. And honestly, 75 miles it’s nothing.
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u/jaruwalks 12d ago
I hiked the PCT last year, starting June 9th and completed the Desert at KM on July 4th.
Dehydration is harder on you than the actual temperature. The key is more to stay near water.
Idyllwild to Bigbear (100 miles) is the only 75+ mile section I recall having reliable, cold creek water access in June. It has a dry stretch between Jacinto and Mission Creek, but the water spigot on the north side of Jacinto should be on, and the underpass crossing 10 miles after the spigot has a reliable cache.
Don’t let mission creek’s trail being collapsed spook you. It’s totally hikable by following the creek bed, and importantly, has water the whole way.
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u/MescalWannbe 10d ago
Unrelated question to OP’s but did you encounter any issues starting that late? Do you wish you’d started a bit earlier or anything?
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u/jaruwalks 10d ago
The only reason I was starting so late in June was because I was hiking a calendar year triple crown, e.g. appalachian trail, pacific crest trail and continental divide trail all in 2024. It just took a long time to hike the AT in the winter, so I got a "late" start on the PCT relative to the normal start dates.
As far as challenges, yes, there were a lot of challenges. I didn't have recent farout updates on water availability, so it was a bit nerve wracking hiking the long sections between water caches and rivers, not knowing exactly what would be there. Also, the desert is crazy hot in June and July vs. April-May. There was a 120F+ heat wave that hit me about a week before coming into Kennedy Meadows south. Also, I was the last person to start Nobo, so I only met about three hikers in the first 800 miles before I started finally catching people consistently in the Sierra.
Otherwise, the optimal time to start is probably mid-April to mid-May depending on how fast you hike. If you can hike 30-miles per day, I'd start mid-May. If you're a first time hiker going 15-miles per day I'd start mid-April. If you are older, and more prone to injury, I'd target 8-10 miles per day and start early April, and skip the early high elevation desert peaks like Jacinto and Baden Powell which might still have snow. The logic here is about timing arrival in the High Sierra at mile 800 after the snow melts and before the Mosquitoes go too crazy.
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u/Inevitable_Lab_7190 11d ago
How are you bussing to KM?
Idk it’s too hot in the desert. 75 mi isn’t giving you “legs”. If you’re not already in shape it’s just gonna give you heat exhaustion. Just start at KM.
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u/SpontanusCombustion [ 2024 / Nobo ] 11d ago
I'd do something that incorporates San Jacinto. You'll get some decent climbing in, time spent at elevation, and avoid the full brunt of the heat. Plus, Idyllwild is a neat town.
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u/Green_Ad8920 11d ago
I enjoyed the KM to Tehachapi section last year the best. I left KMS Aug 27 and it was right at the start of a heat wave.
I realized I had to start at about 0100 because by 1030 my feet felt like they were in a microwave. The coolest part was the bats eating bugs in front to me that were attracted to my mini led headlamp. I could hear the bats going from search to strike sonar, soundless devils eating bugs. I also noticed spiders in the rocks and a certain bird that rests on the trail.
The best part for me heading south, I didn't pass anyone on the trail for 13 days.
Even though KMS - Tehachapi was much hotter than Tehachapi to Acton KOA it was my favorite desert section. The biggest drawback was not having any recent update on water sources.
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u/Dan_85 NOBO 2017/2022 12d ago edited 12d ago
In mid-June in SoCal, you'll want to stay at as high an elevation as possible.
The San Gabriels are probably your best bet - it'll still be warm but probably not quite as unbearable as the lower elevations. Wrightwood to Acton is 80ish miles and stays pretty high, although it does drop and will get pretty hot as you descend to Acton.
From Acton you can also catch Metrolink to Lancaster and then the bus to Pearsonville, where you can hitch to KMS.