Leaving Vincent Gap, runners are advised to carry 80-120 oz of water
and 2-4 hours of calories to make the long, high altitude 12.1-mile push
to Islip Saddle. (Many runners have found success using liquid calories
here, as the combination of heat and altitude can be troublesome on the
stomach.) From the parking lot, a venerable 3.6 Mile, 2,650’ climb to
9,300’ awaits. All runners, from the front to the back of the pack, will feel
temperatures rise as the sun begins to seep through the pines. After
more than four dozen switchbacks, runners reach a spine at 9300’ that
affords views of Mt. San Antonio to the Southeast and the East Fork of
the San Gabriel river 4,000’ below. The PCT nears the summit but veers
to the right at the Wally Waldron Tree – an ancient 2,000+-year-old
limber pine, 150’ below the summit. (Runners do not summit
Baden-Powell during the race). As the runner passes the peak, Mt.
Wilson (mile 79 of the course) appears off in the distance to the
Southwest. The trail begins to drop, but runners will face a small climb
around Mt. Burnham, and then a 300-foot climb up to the Dawson
Saddle Trail Junction, 5.2 PAS. Following signs towards Little
Jimmy/Islip Saddle, head left to continue on the PCT (NOT down the
Dawson Saddle Trail to the right)
The trail traverses the South face of Throop Peak for a half mile and
then finally begins a long, sustained downhill to Windy Gap. The PCT
heads right at Windy Gap (do NOT follow the sign to Crystal Lake to the
left) and in a quarter mile offers a junction to Little Jimmy Spring to the
right or a direct path to the left. If you do not need water for the last 2
miles to Islip, continue left, but if necessary, the path to the right offers
mountain spring water for the price of a small 50’ climb out to the North
to rejoin the trail. Crossing a fire road 1 mile later, the trail dives a final
time to Islip Saddle, mile 25.9, elevation 6,590’.
