The McDonald's Day (D-17; 328.8

The McDonald's Day (D-17; 328.8 - 351.9 miles)

Headed out from Silverwood Lake campsite (after dealing with a lot of condensation inside the tent, thanks to lake proximity) this morning. You can see the lake in the distance in the above photo.

It was a fast walk the first half of the day, not only 'cos it was mostly downhill but also the anticipation of reaching the famed McDonald's on PCT. This is the only McD that is next to the trail and almost everybody stops there to satisfy their cravings 🙂. Reached the Cajon Pass McD after 13 miles, which is on a I-15 highway exit, well in time for an early lunch.

Since the lobby was closed due to construction, everybody had to order on the app, pick it up at the curbside & eat on the lawn outside the nearby petrol station.

I got this

Also picked up a fruit bowl from a roadside vendor for later consumption. It was heavy and I was going to carry it up the mountain, but was definitely worth it.

The second half of the day was tough as it was a relentless climb from 1000 ft to 5000+ft in the afternoon heat, till the end of the heat. The only redeeming feature was the hundreds of gallons of water cache kept at mile 347 that an amazing Trail Angel maintained. Otherwise this would have been a 32+ mile waterless stretch, all the way from mile 342 up to mile 364.

PCT goes thru pipes like this too

Btw, another snake (not rattlesnake) waiting for it's fame on the internet, earlier today

Found a very nice secluded campsite tucked away from the trail on top of a mountain ridge for the night

Data:

Comments

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A thru-hike attempt

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