PCT Day 23: Deep Creek Hot Springs to Silverwood Lake (Cleghorn Road) (Mile 307.9-328.9)

November 24, 2024	Deep Creek Hot Springs to Silverwood Lake
Mile 307.9-328.9	6:45 (moving) / 8:17 (total)
	Max 3,704 feet (+2,433 / -2,652)

See Day 23 Section on YouTube

Pacific Crest Trail – Day 23

My PCT Section C is seeming to take forever.  I started December 2021 and it's only 10 days of section hiking.  While only 10 days, there are several sections that are off the beaten path and a little hard to section hike.   Three days were done on a 2 night backpack trip.   We skipped around and did the final C section hike all the way back on October 2022.   There were 3 remaining days in the middle of the section that have evaded us and that's where today's adventure begins.  

The three remaining section's trailheads are accessible mostly by dirt roads.  A couple of them back country forest roads that are not necessarily maintained or because of storms have had added additional difficulty of reaching the PCT trailhead because of road closures.   On top of that each of the 3 remaining sections are pretty long day hikes.  With a little bit of studying the maps it was determined that our hike would be the 3rd of the three remaining sections.   

The big attraction of this section is Deep Creek Hot Springs, however, being November and short days plus 21 miles of PCT plus another nearly two miles from the trailhead to the PCT it would afford the time to jump in and enjoy the hot springs.   The good news is that all was not for loss because our next hike will bring us back one more time.    The next order of business is trying to figure out how to get to the trail head.   We usually need two cars but leaving a car at the hot springs trailhead would require nearly an extra two hours of driving to pick it up at the end of the day so I recruited my daughter's boyfriend Nick.  

As luck would have it, we had planned the hike for November 16th but a storm was blowing in which could bring cold/snow to the area we planned to hike.  A few texted back and forth on Friday morning and Oobrianoo convinced me it wasn't worth the risk, and after all he has a much longer drive so if the conditions were not optimal he had the most to lose.   I wasn't sure if we would get another chance this year but the following weekend we were both free again so Sunday the 24th our hike was back on the schedule.  

PCT hikes have replaced the need for a "challenge" for me physically where as for 23 years I ran marathons.  It's something that I need in my life and helps drive me and keep me motivated.  I can't like, when Oobrianoo first suggested rescheduling I didn't think the weather would be that bad (and ends up it wasn't) so for a few moments I thought about going myself, however, their is a great enjoyment of hiking with a friend and there is no better company on the trail.   Also for back country hikes like this having a 2nd set of eyes so you don't miss a turn or God forbid if you were hurt it's always to hike with a pal.  

Nick is an off road enthusiast and was up for the challenge to get us to the start of the hike down a long dirt road to Bowen Ranch.  Next logistical decision was more catered to my friend Oobrianoo who was coming all the way from San Diego.  While I'm nearly as close to home as far as the PCT is concerned, it's a lot further for him.   Either we would have to camp the night before at the trailhead or I suggested why doesn't he just come and spend the night at my place.   As the nights are getting cold and not ideal for camping that seemed to be the plan that would work the best for both of us.   

With limited daylight my goal was to get us back to the car at the end of the day by 5pm or by sunset.  This meant a 4:45 wake up call and a 1 hour drive to meet our caravan at McDonalds at 6 a.m.  Last time I was at the McDonalds, it's the right adjacent to the PCT at Cajun pass crossing and I was there in the spring and there were more than 50 thru hikers.    Oobrianoo and I arrived and had time to grab a breakfast sandwich.  Nick was right on time and his pickup truck seemed right for the task at hand.  Actually his truck was in the shop but he had a fall back plan and was able to borrow his dad's truck.   He lives in Ranch Cucamonga which is not far from home for him and made the idea of recruiting him for the ride even more practical.  Besides we made it worth his while and gave him some money for his time and gas. 

Our endpoint of the day would be Silverlake however when we arrived to drop off my car we weren't sure the park would be open until 7a.m..   Fortunately the gate was open and we picked up an envelope and deposited our $10 for day parking.   Even more concerning was the gate to the park seemed like it may close at 7pm which added a little extra stress on the day's hike to make sure we got back to the car before we risked the chance of getting locked in the park overnight.  We found a seemingly safe place to park in front of the Nature Center.   

Nick was great company and knew the back country roads well as he had just spent a couple night camping and had come home via the same exact road only the day before.   We weren't really sure what to expect from the dirt road to Bowens Ranch but there was no doubt that his truck could handle it.  Actually it was pretty smooth and free from potholes and could have taken any vehicle all the way to the trailhead.   There's a trailer to stop where they are asking for a $10 donation for access so we stopped and obliged.   I think Nick was more excited than us to find a new dirt road he wasn't aware of practically in his back yard. 

As we are saying our goodbyes, I think Nick was shocked how far away he drove to drop us off from our car.   If our calculations were correct it was only 23 miles via the trail.  It reminded me of a point to point marathon where normally there would be a shuttle to the start and you get a glimpse from the drive how far a marathon actually is.   We began our hike 7:40 a.m.  within a few seconds we spotted a large livestock running wild that I would describe as a steer.   I got one good picture before it scampered off.   

As most PCT hikes begin we have a conversation about number of hikers we may see on our day.  With 23 miles ahead of us you would think we might run into a few people, especially so near a hot springs.  Oobrianoo had a guess of a very large number and I was conservative and said only 3.   By the end of the day I would learn that I was way off as there would be many encounters along the way.   The first was an Asian male hiking from the hot springs back to the trailhead.   He said he went there at 4am for the sunrise.  He also said there were already quite a few people there.  Something I would have never guessed for a pre 8 a.m. hike in the middle of nowhere in November.

The morning light of the sunrise was beautiful and already began warming the cool morning.  Already I figured I was overdressed and removed a layer.   We could see the deep creek far below as we quickly made our way there.  It was about a 45 minute downhill hike to the hot springs where we found a half of dozen people already there.  One guy still clothed saw us snapping photos and asked that we don't take any pictures of him.  We could see the PCT on the other side of the river but not exactly sure how to get there.  

At first we tried to make our way around the left of the hot springs but no luck so we turned around and made our way back at tried to go around the right side.   We crossed a big section of rocks and followed the river looking for a place to cross.  Not far, we eventually came to a big rock in the middle of the river that seemed we could scoot across without getting our feet wet and safely made the stream crossing.  The opposite side had a steep climb to get up to the level of the PCT.  At last we made it!  Finally back on the PCT again.   It had been over 1.5 years since I had last hiked on the PCT with Oobrianoo.  We had a long way to go and a short time to get there.

The PCT climbed quickly from the creek and soon we had a vantage point from way above looking down on the deep creek hence it's name Deep Creek.   The one think about the PCT is that it never disappoints.  There are always new sites to see around every corner.  A long time ago I read about "Rainbow Bridge" as one of the sites along Deep Creek.  We were soon there and surprised with it's design.   The bridge could been seen from far away and as the trail winded downward we eventually got to cross the river.  The remainder of the hike along Deep Creek we would be high above on the other side of the river.  

Before crossing the bridge I spotted one hiker that was already on the other side.  At first I thought they were heading same direction and maybe we would eventually catch them but soon I learned that they were heading toward us.   This hiker was a solo female Asian gal seemingly familiar with the trail and perhaps on her way to the hot springs from a much longer route than from the trailhead we choose.   

The trail climbed again pretty high on the ridge which kept us a long way from the water but offered outstanding views of the valley and it's river below.   Soon we saw our first dam.   It was obvious to me that we would have to turn left and cross the dam and follow the contour of the mountain ridges.  The trail actually continued straight and headed to the open valley in front of us.  We hadn't seen a PCT sign all morning but at our turn off there were plenty of trail markers signaling where we had to very off of the dual-purpose trail we were on.   

Oobrianoo is the FarOut app champion and always checks to make sure we are on track.  We were supposed to cross the river again and our trail was back on the other side.  We missed a sign where we were supposed to make the river crossing so turned around and were quickly back on track.  There was a log across the narrowest crossing but it didn't look like it would be stable so we elected to remove our shoes and socks and wade across.  The water was cold but the level was low so the crossing was very simple.  I dried off my feet and put my shoes and socks on only to learn we were on an island and we had to make 2nd crossing so again had to remove shoes and socks vs. risking falling in and having wet feet the rest of the day.

We had a mile long section in the thick of the woods along the creek where we ran into two more hikers.  They were a couple, Spanish speaking, and must have been on a day hike date.   We continued onward and not much to report until we came upon 3 women on horseback with a 4th small pony that was tagging along with them.  We learned the pony was 28 years old and can live to be 60 or more.  

Off in the distance I made out another dam in the distance which I recognized as the dam at Silverwood Lake.  Could our destination already be in site.  I was still 10 miles away by trail but in a straight line much shorter.   Our next encounter on the trail were 3 hunters trying to flush out quail but they weren't having much luck.  I have to admit it's a little uncomfortable running into guys with guns in the middle of nowhere.   

All day I had kind of thought how great it would be to run into a southbound thru hiker and all of a sudden on ridge we saw a guy with a big back pack, that is, not a day pack like we were carrying.  He was obviously a southbound hiker.   His name was Nick.  We had a chuckle because Oobrianoo's son is Nick and my daughter's boyfriend that gave us a ride to the trailhead name is also Nick.   His trail name is AssPad.  He's about 3 weeks out from finishing and he things he's one of the last hikers still on the trail.   We gave him as much trail food as we could to lift his spirits and help him with his journey.   I packed two 32oz Gatorades and soon after parting just thought I could have given one to him.  

The 2nd half of todays hike intersected at least two different roads, so we were a little closer to civilization than many other parts of the PCT.   We were soon to the bottom of Silverwood lakes dam which we had to cross the spillway over a bridge that also serves cars.  It was only a short hike on the road and then we had to make a short steep climb to the top of the reservoir.    Sometimes I feel like I'm lost on the trail but as much time as I studied the route I seemed to always know which direction the trail should turn next.   We made it to the top of the reservoir and were greeted with a great view of Silverwood Lake below.   We still had about 4 miles to go so we had to hike all the way to the opposite side of Silverlake.   

We had started at our endpoint for the last section of Section C so I had a pretty good idea where we would find my car.   The lake seemed like it went on forever and we hiked around.  I was so happy we made it to the lake before sunset.  We had about an hour before dark so got to enjoy the rest of the hike back to the car with views of the lake to our left.   Our goal was to make it back to the car by sunset or 5pm and I think we rolled into my car at 4:45.   By the time we changed our shoes and put on some comfortable clothes the sun set and darkness fell.  

Now that we've been to Deep Creek Hot Springs area we now have a little better idea what to expect and can help us with our logistics needed to complete the last two segments of Section C.   We made our way back toward home and unanimously decided that nothing sounded better for dinner than the closest stop back to the McDonalds where our day began before sunrise.   I can't lie, 23 miles was tiring.  I was sore and lethargic for several days.  When I saw myself in Oobrianoo's video I feel like I look like an old man and not the young yipper snapper I used to be.