“What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.”
S2S Trail Journal
PLAN
to the Pacific Ocean.
End: Pacific Ocean
Sea to Sea is more of a "route" than a trail. A route takes you from point A to point B by connecting different existing trails and may include some path finding or off-trail navigation. The majority of my information and research on this route has come from the very helpful San Diego Trans-County Trail Facebook group page.
Starting in the Anza Borrego desert I will hike west from the Salton Sea to the Pacific Ocean. I will give myself about a week to complete this hike, however, there are a lot of unknowns about the route and I have given myself extra time if needed.
FOOD
My goal is to incorporate more whole foods into my daily food plan. I plan on resupply in towns (see below) and will be experimenting with going stoveless.
LOGISTICS
For information about water cacheing, detailed maps and alternate routes I relied heavily on the San Diego Trans-County Trail Facebook Page.
0
Salton Sea to Borrego Springs
38 mi // 1.5 days
December 16 | Salton Sea
Journey begins...
38
Borrego Springs to Lake Cuyamaca
46 mi // 2.5 days
December 18 | Grocery Store
Center Market
590 Palm Canyon Drive Borrego Springs, CA 92004
760-767-3311
84
Lake Cuyamaca to
Community Rd.
51 mi // 2.5 days
December 21 | Grocery Store
Jacks Grocery
2117 Main St.
Julian, CA 92036
(760) 765-3200
135
Community Road to
Torrey Pines State Beach
19 mi // 1 day
December 24 | Grocery Store
Sprouts
13536 Poway Rd,
Poway, CA 92064
(858) 486-7851
GEAR
“Carry as little as possible, but choose that little with care.
”
The Big Four
Backpack: Boreas | Buttermilks 40L (not pictured)
Tent: Nemo | Hornet Elite 2P
Sleeping Mat: Therm A Rest | NeoAir Xlite
Sleeping Bag: Western Mountaineering | UltraLite 20° F
Clothes
WORN WEAR
Shoes: Brooks | Pure Grit 6
Hiking Shirt: OR | Reflective L/S
Shorts: LuLu Lemon | Speed Short
Sports Bra: Patagonia
Hats: Stetson Explorer
Socks (x3): Wool
Wind Jacket: Patagonia | Houdini
Puffy: Patagonia | NanoPuff
Rain Jacket: Arc'teryx | Alpha SL
Rain Pants: Sierra Designs
Gloves: Seirus | SoundTouc
Long Pants: Wool base layer
Long Sleeve Shirt: Wool base layer
Underware: Patagonia Mesh Boy Shorts
Toiletries
Toothbrush: Radius Travel Size
Toothpaste: Travel size
Floss: (can be used as thread for a sewing kit)
Contact Solution + Case
Spare Contacts + Glasses
Sun Screen
First Aid
Miscellaneous
Bug Net: Sea to Summit
Batteries: Lithium AAA
Repair Kit: Tenacious Tape
Sewing Kit: Hotel sewing kit
Notebook: Rite in the Rain
Pillow: Sea to Summit | Aeros Pillow
Hand Sanitizer
Wet Ones
Mini Flashlight: Fenix LD02
Ibuprofen: Pain & altitude symptoms
Antihistamine: Allergies
Sanitary Napkin: Menstruation and/or gauze
Scissors: UCEC Folding Scissors
Bandaids: Various Sizes
Water
Dromedary: MSR DromLite 4 LTR
Water Treatment: Aquamira
Electronics
Music/Photo: Apple | Iphone 6
Tripod: Joby GPod
Phone Mount: Joby Grip Tight
Charger Cable/Drive: Rav Power
Bluetooth Speaker: JBL Clip 2
GPS / Emergency Beacon: Spot Device
Cooking
Food
Goal: NUTRIENT DENSE, LIGHT-WEIGHT, vegan friendly grub.
If you’re like me, nutrition is one of your main concerns when you’re planning your backcountry expeditions. At home I am used to eating fresh fruits and vegetables, something I miss when I’m backpacking. In the backcountry I’m always wondering if I’ll be able to carry enough calories and worried that I’ll feel fatigued without enough protein and fat.
The length and location of a backpacking trip plays an important role in food prepping.
Along the Sea to Sea route I will have access to grocery stores every 2-3 days, which makes this a perfect opportunity to resupply locally, in towns, and pack out fresh whole foods. Because fresh foods are much more delicate than dehydrated meals I will consider foods that are nutrient dense, easy to eat on the go, and will not damage easily.
Some of my favorites
Breads: Tortillas, bagels, crackers.
Spreads: Hummus, nut butters, bean dips.
Fruits and Vegetables: apples, carrots, avocados, olives, mixed nuts.
Pre-packaged bars and dehydrated foods can be great additions to supplement fresh foods and ensure decent calorie consumption.
When I shop for energy bars I look for brands that are lightweight, calorie dense and have simple ingredients. I also appreciate variety with trail food - if you are bored with your food you won’t eat it and if you don’t eat you won’t have energy to hike! Some of favorite brands include, Larabars, Kind Bars, ProBars and Heather’s Choice.
Heather’s Choice is a recent discovery of mine and I am so glad to have them! They are a small company out of Alaska and specialize in protein rich, gluten free dehydrated meals and snacks. The breakfast meals and “Packaroons” are their vegan options, and both come in a variety of delicious flavors, including, lemon lavender, spiced cocoa, orange vanilla, and black espresso! The “Packaroons” are a perfect example of what I look for in backpacking snacks. The ingredients are simple and nutritious, they are lightweight, and they take up very little space in my backpack!
All Heather’s products are made with whole food ingredients, and available in a variety of flavors.
Check out the variety of items at Heatherschoice.com!
We arrived at the Salton Sea just in time to see the sunset coat a pastel veil over the beige desert landscape.