Day 20- 300 Miles And A 24 Mile Day

May 22, 2016

Holcomb Crossing Camp(294.0) to Grass Valley Creek(318) 24 Miles

Last night I didn't sleep very well because it was so cold out. I didn't want to have a repeat of that so I took two Tylenol PM's before I went to bed. The next thing I know is it is 6:30 am and Outro is waking me up to say that everyone is leaving. I can't believe I slept through the night. I haven't experienced that this entire trip. I rushed to pack up as quickly as possible. I managed to get on the trail by 7 am. It was noticeably warmer this morning, but still on the chilly side. I busted out the first four miles very quickly. I took a side trip .1 miles off the trail so I could hit up a day use area that featured trash cans and privies. Throwing away my trash while on trail is one of my favorite things. As I was packing back up to leave a nice older couple offered me breakfast. I got a Mt. Dew, breakfast burrito, and a banana. This was my first real trail magic experience. This simple act of kindness fueled me for the rest of the day. 

Splinters Cabin

Bridge to Splinters Cabin Day Use Area

Shortly after my pitstop I passed the 300 mile mark. For the first time ever on trail I missed the milestone. I didn't realize where I was until mile 302. Luckily, Evac noticed it and took a picture to mark the occasion. 

300 Miles 

My excitement to reach the hot springs was rapidly fading. It was warming up quickly and I didn't want to stop for an extended break. I stopped by to tell everyone that I was pushing on. There were naked people everywhere. I quickly kept moving. 

Can you spot the naked dude?

Today was very remarkable for how quickly the landscape changed. One moment I was in a forest, the next I was back into the high desert. 

Forest morphing into desert

I took only one extended break today. I came across the same river that fed into the hot springs, Deep Creek. I found a nice secluded spot and went for a swim to cool down. It was heavenly. I washed my filthy socks and bandanas and lounged around in the sun. While I was relaxing I decided to see how far I could push today. Originally I hoped to do a marathon, but I fell short. I found a nice spot to set up camp on top of a ridge where I had a great view. Unfortunately that area was covered with ants. I tried to set up my tent anyway, but it just wasn't working. Ants were crawling all over me and the tent. As I was packing everything up to move on, Outro, caught up to me. She was going .3 miles farther to set up. It sounded like a good idea to me so I followed. Eventually Evac, Hawkeye, Uturn, F$&k It, and 19 other hikers showed up. It would seem that we are in a very large bubble right now. Almost everyone is cowboy camping because there isn't enough room for 24 tents. We cooked dinner and settled in for bed. 

Rainbow Bridge

Mojave River Forks Dam

Sketchy area of the trail with loose sand and steep drop off 

Camp super duper cozy 

There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people. 

-Bill Bowerman