Day 9- The Amusing Day

May 11, 2016 

Stealth Site(119.6) to Nance Canyon Tentsite(140.1) 20.5 Miles

For some reason I found everything extremely amusing today. The smallest, most ordinary things had me chuckling. I woke up a little later than normal, but I
still managed to be on the trail by 6. I'm beginning to get a system down for packing up in the morning. I've definitely gotten more efficient. The nights are starting to warm up, it wasn't as chilly this morning. As I was walking away from camp I looked back to check that I hadn't forgotten anything and I was greeted with a great sunrise view. 

Early morning in S. Cali

I found it funny that I was so intent on packing up that I almost missed it. I was the first person out on the trail this morning. Nobody else from my campsite even stirred as I was packing up, which is surprising because all of my gear is extra crinkly sounding. Trust me when I say it is next to impossible to sleep through. I spent the first 3 hours of the morning climbing up hill. Sometimes the pct can be frustrating on how long it takes to get anywhere. Over 10 miles I gained 1,500 feet of elevation. It's like being on an extra slow elevator. I look at the same few mountains from different angles while I do switchback after switchback. 

Who knew the desert could be so green 

My destination for the morning was a water source listed simply as "water tank". I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival to learn that it was so much more. 

Mike's Place

Water Tank

Mike is a caretaker for a local ranch. He provides shade, water, soda, beer, and sometime a warm meal. Mike wasn't there today, but Tom was. He cooked us chorizo breakfast burritos. I washed mine down with an ice cold Mt. Dew. I had only planned on topping off my water bottle, but I ended up losing an hour of early morning hiking. It was well worth it. The burrito was delicious. 

This is Tom. Anybody notice the giant bong sitting on the table? 

 

Apparently coffee, tea, soda, burritos, and marijuana was on the menu today. I left a $5 donation, but passed on the giant bong. I did get a good laugh out of the absurdity of the situation. Fueled on by pure sugary Mt. Dew the next few miles passed by quickly. I stopped briefly to check out a cool boulder field. It reminded me of a scene from the old Star Trek series with William Shatner. 

Not sure why I got the Star Trek vibe from this

The rest of the day passed slowly. I was really dragging butt this afternoon. It was hot as usual, but I seemed to struggle more than usual. I also drank double the amount of water than I usually drink. I stopped to take a snack break around 2 and actually thought about calling it a day and setting up camp. Then the most amazing thing ever happened. I found these in my food bag...

My new favorite snack item

After eating these I felt like I chugged a redbull, rolled around in amphetamines, and took a huge rail of pure uncut Columbian cocaine. I was like Wile Coyote with an Acme rocket strapped to my back. I picked up my pack and flew down the trail. I hiked 4 miles in 55 min!!!! Then I crashed spectacularly back down to earth. The next two hours of the day I plodded slowly down the trail wondering how I could get my next fix of Extreme Jelly Beans. If anybody has a hookup on these let me know. I am hooked for life. I might just live off of these for the entire hike. (I planned out this entire paragraph while plodding along. I told you I found everything amusing today) 

2 large Reptiles "wrestling"

It was just a funny kind of day. While I'm laying in my tent writing this there is some  kind of large insect buzzing my tent, but unfortunately for these large flying insects there are also bats buzzing my tent. The bats are feasting and I'm laying awake marveling at the animal kingdom. I think the heat might be getting to me. 

Or maybe it is how filthy I am at the end of the day. Just keep in mind that I hike in long pants. How is this even possible!?! 

"I still have the problem of thinking I'm in control of things I'm not in control of. No matter what you thought your plans were, that's not how things are going to work out, and that's the only way you can really live successfully.  With karma too, it's like, 'what have I done to deserve this?' That's always the wrong question. It doesn't matter. The only right question is 'What do I do now?' That's it."

- Jason Isbell

Day 5- The "L" Word

May 07, 2016

Mt. Laguna Lodge(42.6) to Stealth Site(63.6) 21 Miles 

I absolutely LOVE this trail. The views are spectacular, but I'm talking about the actual trail. It is beautifully graded. I feel like I'm walking on a road. I only planned on hiking 13-16 miles today, but by 1 I had already hit 16 miles. This trail is built for big mile days. I'm still taking it slow to let my body adjust, but I'm still able to do decent mileage. 

When I left the lodge at 6:45 this morning it was 21 degrees with the wind chill. I was very cold for the first few hours. I just tried to keep my head down and keep moving, but when the fog started to blow out I was left with great views. 

Burn area

Desert floor

I walked a ridge line for a lot of miles. It was nice when the trail turned out of the wind, but inevitably it always turned back into the wind. Eventually I just stopped caring that I was cold because of what I was seeing. 

Low desert below the ridge 

Panoramic of the ridge line 

It never really warmed up today. When the sun was out and the wind wasn't too bad it felt hot out, although the high today was 51 degrees. In the shade with the wind blowing it was freezing. This isn't exactly how I pictured the desert. I walked for 10 miles before I took my first break. Then I hiked another 6 miles before stopping for lunch. I left the lodge with 1.5L of water. I knew that I wouldn't need much water since it was so cold out. I took my lunch break at the only reliable water source of the day, which was .3 miles off the trail. It was my first time this entire hike that I had to filter water. It came out of a horse trough and the water was green. I packed out 3L so I would have enough to rehydrate myself and cook dinner. My next water source is only 6 miles away tomorrow. I was exhausted after leaving my lunch spot, but I passed up 3 tent sites because it was still so early in the day. 

View of the desert floor

I made it into camp by 4 pm and quickly set up camp. As I was cooking dinner it started to drizzle, but it never did rain. I camped with 12 other hikers and we ate dinner together and chatted until the temperature plummeted. I think this is the earliest I've ever had my blog written, 7 pm. As soon as it gets dark I'll go to sleep. Tomorrow should be another great day. I love this trail! 

If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.

- Seth Godin

Day 3- It's Amazing The Difference A Day Can Make

May 05, 2016

Boulder Oaks Campground(26.0) to Mount Laguna(41.5) 15.5 miles

I can't believe how different today was compared to the last two days. The temperature dropped significantly last night and when I woke up this morning it was 40 degrees out and very foggy. I was packed up and hiking by 6:30. I had planned on only hiking 12 miles to give my body more time to adjust to the rigors of hiking in the desert. It was clear very early on that I could actually go farther. The high was only 63 degrees with a very stiff wind. Due to the cooler temperatures I could hike all day long without taking a mid afternoon break. 

Early morning fog

Today's hike was all uphill, but unlike the Appalachian Trail, it was a very gentle grade for most of the day. I gained about 3,000' of elevation, but it was over 14 miles. The trail just wrapped around mountains without feeling the need to summit everyone of them. The first few hours I kept up a 3 mph pace. I slowed slightly after I stopped for a snack break. 

Not a great place to wander off the trail

With the cooler temperatures I was able to carry a normal amount of water, only 2L. With my pack much lighter I hiked 12 miles by 11 am. I took my time for the next 4.5 miles and enjoyed the day.

Laguna Mountains

Typical desert trail. No need to follow blazes

Great place for a lunch break

I ended up making it to the side trail for Mount Laguna by 1 pm. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay in town or do a few more miles after I picked up my resupply package. The weather made my decision for me. The wind picked up to 35-45 mph sustained and 55 mph gusts. The temperature dropped to 23 degrees with the wind chill. After eating lunch at the local tavern, Brian and I, picked up our resupply packages and with a lot of difficulty secured the last room in the only motel in town. We washed our laundry in a small trash can and hung everything on the radiator to dry. It will be nice to have clean clothes tomorrow, but since it's going to rain it probably won't matter. I'm a little concerned about how tomorrow will go. The high is only 48 degrees and thunderstorms are forecasted. The only campsite within my range is on a ridge with nothing to break the wind. I didn't expect this from the desert.

Nothing splendid was ever created in cold blood. Heat is required to forge anything. Every great accomplishment is the story of a flaming heart. Arnold H. Glasow