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 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

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