[pct-l] Idyllwild Enter/Exit

[Erik The Black]

The Devil's Slide Trail is a great little trail. I've been up and down it
half a dozen times and I really like it.

But, I think it gets a bad rap because of the circumstances under which most
thru hikers encounter it. 

You see, the PCT leading up to Saddle Junction is the steepest and most
rugged up to that point. It's a big contrast to the rolling hills and lazy
switchbacks in the southern 150 miles. Some people even refer to it as the
"mini Sierra".

By the time you reach Saddle Junction (from which Devil's Slide trail
descends to Idyllwild) you are absolutely beat from climbing all day! It's
getting late and you had hoped to be in town hours ago. So you're grumpy and
pissed off and the last thing you want to do is stumble down two miles of
steep, root-covered, seemingly never-ending trail to the end of an abandoned
trailhead, from which you may have to walk another 2.5 miles on hard
pavement into town.

However, if you do it first thing the next morning, when you are fresh and
relaxed, it is an entirely different experience. The Devil's Slide Trail has
everything going for it. It's beautiful, shaded and there is water along the
way. Birds are singing and trees are overhead and it's one of the first
times you get to walk in the woods after a hundred miles of mostly desert. 

You can't camp at Saddle Junction. It isn't allowed. But there is a creek
two miles before you get there (south). This is where I always camp the
night before going into Idyllwild.

There is a practical reason for using Devil's Slide instead of hitching in
from 74 too. It shortens the stretch from Idyllwild to Big Bear (which is
also a challenging section).

Cabazon is not really a good resupply option. It's hot, the hitching sucks,
and there isn't much there to warrant the trip. If you are going to hitch
anywhere from I-10 go to the right into Palm Springs. This isn't easy
because it's illegal and impractical to hitch on the Interstate and there's
virtually no traffic on the frontage road. Most hikers do a straight shot
from Idyllwild to Big Bear.

-Erik The Black

"The Ultimate, Ultralight Pacific Crest Trail Maps & Guidebook"
www.pctatlas.com

PS. Hiking back up Devil's Slide with a full pack is not that bad either.
I've gone up Devil's Slide with a full pack several times and it's always
easier than expected, especially after a good breakfast in Idyllwild.