Getting to the Santa Maria River was a major accomplishment, over 300 miles of walking in three weeks. But the change from the coastal environment to the mountains was as abrupt as going from a red light to a green one. Which was funny because the further I went inland, the less traffic lights and artificial developments there were.
It was a breeze in retrospect, walking the Pacific Coast Highway with nice sidewalks, bike lanes, and the occasional coastal trail overlooking the sea. There were grocery stores at my disposal, water from convenient stores, drinking fountains, hotel rooms, and even cell phone service. I was spoiled.
All of that slammed to a halt the moment I went into the mountains and felt the dirt crunch beneath my feet. And when that moment happened, I smiled. The dirt was the first thing I noticed with each step, but after that, the silence took over. Long were the days of cars flying by an arm’s length away, horns blaring, and trains coasting as they cruised the shoreline. Now the sound of the crunched footstep, my breath slogging up the hill, and the birds of prey calling up in the sky were the playlist I listened to every day moving forward.
A partner joined me for this section of the trip, and her company was enjoyed over the shared passion for backpacking into the depths of the wilderness. Which was astounding, as we were only a stone’s throw away from well over ten million people, yet our forefront was nothing but remote mountainous landscapes.
The mindset shifted, and so too did the mileage. Long were the days of 20-30 mile pushes until sunset. Now it was all about 15, and anything more than that was an accomplishment. Each day needed to be meticulously planned as water was life. There were an abundance of creeks, many of which we piggybacked on the Southern Steelhead shoulders, but they were spread out, and planning was critical.
Now, at elevation, I could see the fog-ridden coast and the cool marine layer I was locked in for most of the first part of my trip. From above, it looked like a giant pillow or blanket covering the landscape, begging to be jumped into.
The coastal palm trees and occasional palapa from the state parks were replaced with oak and the various pines that inhabit the alpine environments of Southern California. A big part of this trip was to paint the picture for those who live in Southern California, that there is an alpine environment in their backyard. The highest point south of Mount Whitney lay in a range due south of our location, and in the coming weeks, I hope to scale it. But elevations ranging from 7,000 feet to well over 11,000 are less than an hour’s drive from Los Angeles.
Even in late spring to early summer, snow blanketed the slopes of some peaks. Hotels and paid camping turned to being creative in the bush and finding a flat spot that looked mildly comfortable.
Before long, we hiked our way through one wilderness area to the next, then found ourselves on one of the most famous long-distance trails in our country, the Pacific Crest Trail.
A huge inspiration behind the entire trip was the ability and privilege to hike many miles on this infamous trail. It spans from the U.S.-Mexican border all the way through California, Oregon, and Washington, ending at the Canadian border, 2,650 miles away. But much of this trip and a lot of the Southern Steelhead water starts its life along the spine of Southern California’s mountains, and the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT slithers its way right through it all.
Going from bushwhacking and route finding through areas of the northwestern range of the Southern Steelhead to jumping onto a metaphorical highway by way of the PCT was like going from traffic to the carpool lane on a freeway. Miles began to tick away again, and we found ourselves sharing the trail with all the thru-hikers as they made their way north to Canada. It was a blast sharing the journey with them, as they were puzzled that we were heading south instead of joining them on their way north.
Before long, I found myself finally connecting waterways that I crossed on the coastal section of the trip. The first was the Santa Clara just outside of Acton, California, then chipped away at the San Gabriel River shortly after. It was a joy to finally see where these rivers both began their lives and released their energy into the sea. This is what the original idea behind the project was all about.
Now sitting at the crosshairs of my work season, I had to get off trail at the infamous ski town of Big Bear. But up ahead, I’m salivating to return to finish out the project with the Santa Ana River drainage in sight, along with Southern California’s highest Peak looming in the distance.
With my bags packed and the remaining miles of the trip still waiting to be hiked, three fires erupted during my time off trail. The Bridge Fire ignited and wiped out 12 miles of the PCT. Shortly after the Bridge Fire, the Line Fire started and ignited much of the remaining miles I needed to complete the project. The San Bernardino National Forest is slowly reopening, but I will likely need to return the following fall to be successful at hiking that section. And finally, the Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside Counties started as a spark from heavy machinery and closed much of the section I need to hike, where my home waters of the San Juan and San Mateo Creeks begin their lives.
There have been speedbumps in this project that are completely out of my hands, but it is only a choice I must make: to proceed through them. The steelhead don’t have that choice. They deal with fire, pollution, heat, climate change, predation, and urban sprawl on a daily basis. I am just out there trying to understand and do my best to have empathy, although there will never be any comparison to the plight they face. I want to be out there to understand as much as I can. Nothing is certain, and the reopening of the National Forests will happen when they do, and when that moment comes, I’ll take to the trail and do my best to connect the dots that the Southern Steelhead do without any publicity.
Stats so far:
Miles: 649.22
Steps: 1,416,133
Calories: 90,498
Time: 282:09
Camped: 30 nights
Hotels: 14
Showers: 19
