Day 4- Weather Delay With A Nero In Mt. Laguna

May 06, 2016

Mt. Laguna(41.5) to Desert View Picnic Site(42.6) 1.1 Miles 

Today didn't exactly go as planned, but I've learned to quickly readjust my plans. The AT taught me that there are somethings that you just shouldn't mess with, cold temperatures and rain. When I woke up this morning it was pouring down rain and freezing. Brian and I turned on the weather channel and what we saw didn't look promising. Check out at the motel was at noon so we decided to play it by ear. We went to the front desk to see if the room was even available for the night and then headed down to the outfitters to look at some new gear. I decided that I should probably get some rain pants. I've never hiked with them before and that lead to some pretty miserable days. I found a pair that only weighs 3 oz so I decided to pull the trigger and buy them. I feel pretty confident hiking through the rain now. Brian has been having some feet issues so he bought a new pair of shoes. This is the first outfitter that people come to on the trail and they do killer business. People were dropping thousands of dollars to reduce their pack weight. It was amusing to watch. By the time we got back to the room it was still raining heavily and the temperature was around 23 degrees. We decided to take a zero day. 

After looking at the trail map we discovered a way to get in a little more of the trail today. It wasn't much, but it made me feel productive. Once it stopped raining we walked back to the trail where we got off yesterday. It was a very pretty walk along a ridge with spectacular views. 

Ominous skies

View of the desert floor

On the way back to the lodge we meet a nice couple from the Yellow Deli. The Yellow Deli is the unofficial name of The Twelve Tribes. They are a religious organization that has communities all over the nation. When I hurt my ankle last year I stayed with them while I recuperated. I'll never forget their hospitality and kindness. They offered us a place to stay tonight and a hot meal, but we had to decline. 

It's going to be cold and rainy again tomorrow morning, but we will press on. The sun should come out tomorrow afternoon. The forecast for the next week and a half is pleasant temperatures with no rain. I'm looking forward to this next section. We will be going through the high desert with a lot of stunning views. 

"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day."

Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat