Day 7 - The Heat of the Day

Scissors to Barrel Springs - 23 Miles

What a fantastic day! We hiked 13 miles before 1:30 through pink sunrise mountains and sweltering exposed heat. Keeping Sky and Andrew as company most of the day.

We found Mr Baggins who we met at Jurassic Park under a lone juniper for shade in a hot hot little valley half way through the morning. It was there that Andrew gobbled a giant chunk of greasy hot cheddar like a seal eats a fish at the zoo. He joked about unhinging his jaw and it was then and there that he was dubbed Omaha Cheese Snake forever more. Or cheese snake for short.

After hiking the 13 miles to the 3rd gate water cache, and after a long hiatus under more shade, we went to fill up our water.

I heard my name called out by voices I couldn't quite place and saw faces I recognized but couldn't quite remember either. Being in trail mode I'd trained myself to have a directory of hikers faces. But what a wonderful surprise this turned out to be. It was Shotput and Pepperflake who I had met the summer before whole solo camping near Mt Jefferson. They were thru hikers from 2013 who I had followed for a couple miles, asking questions and prodding for information for my own hiker. What a cool trail surprise to see them here! We caught up a little, they were hiking south bound to kickoff with a couple other 2013ers for kickoff. Pepperflake was leaving for the CDT on the 29th and Shotput was leaving for Alaska soon!

After catching up, Sky begin to campaign the idea of doing 10 more miles, at night, past mile 100. An idea which slowly gathered support, even from the tired Sammy and T-Bag.

We hiked into the sunset and witnessed the desert turn from hot and inhospitable to cool and covered in a pink hue with a cool breeze. We stopped by billy goats cave as the light disappeared and hiked the remaining miles in the darkness. Past mile 100, a wonderful feat for our first night hike, and my week anniversary on the trail. We hobbled into barrel springs at 9pm, which is hiker midnight. I went to bed tired but proud. These have been some seriously great days with some seriously great people. Among the trees and running water. I couldn't wait to nail down the last 10 into warner springs in the morning. A little 23 miler pain is worth a of this!

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I'm sorry I'm bad at keeping this blog.

I'm sorry I'm bad at keeping this blog. I just did my day 7 entry and it was fantastic... But my phone ate it.... Here are some blogs of fellow hikers who I hike with or around. They have great pictures and stories! Check em if you're interested!

http://www.thepctadventure.blogspot.com/

http://www.icoulddriveforever.wordpress.com/

http://www.captainsofus.com/blog/

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Day 6 - Dirty Scissors

Jurassic Park to Scissors Crossing - 16 Miles

Today was a day if endless decent and washes and circling our destination in the distance... A day of new blisters and heat heat heat.

When we finally arrived at scissors crossing, we hung out under a windy dirty bridge that's a historic stop for many hikers to rest and get water from the cache. There were even some beers! More than two gets me almost drunk nowadays, with my metabolism being so fast and the elevation and the consistent empty stomach... Clint, Molly, and Tuck went into Julian for a rest. This last day took its toll on many of us, but it was wonderful to hang under the bridge and  share common pains and pleasures with other dirty through hikers.

We found our camping spot up on the hill, over looking the desert basin we had crossed and the mountains we had come out of that day. As sun set once again. We went to bed happy. I hope Clint, Molly, and Tuck can catch up like three of us had the day before...

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Day 5 - Jurassic Park

Mt. Laguna to Jurassic Park - 14 Miles.

Molly, Clint, Sky, Steven, and Tuck headed out in the morning, leaving Tbag, Sammy, and I behind. We headed to the gear store and I weighed in my bag at 33 lbs with 3 liters of water and 5 days of food.

We really didn't want to do the road walk again so we hitched both to and from the campground to the outfitter. Both hitches were given by great guys who had jokes to tell and were interested in our trail tales.

It turned out to be a wonderful day of hiking through pink boulder fields and cliffs straight out of cowboy films. We left at noon and did 14 miles before 7pm. No pain on the trail and wonderful talks with Sammy and T-Bag. But maybe the best part was when we stopped for water and ran into the rest of the group! The look on everyone's faces must've been wonderful! We hiked on the last couple miles to camp in a fantastic mood! Feeling like we overcame odds and math to get to the group! We had a great camp spot that I dubbed "Jurassic Park." It was a hazy valley at sunset with sparse trees around a large open valley with a view into the rosy hills miles away. Another great day! And on top of that, Dan hiked with us and caught up at the end of the day too! Dan is a great guy, newly retired firefighter living the dream and putting up with us young fools.

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Day 4 - Mt Laguna

Cibbet Flats to Mt. Laguna - 13 miles.

After a wonderful day at Cibbet flats. We hiked the 13 or 14 into Mt Laguna. It was a fairly easy day through the pines, cool weather and gentle terrain. We hiked through the burnt racheria campground and straight to the pines café. Most of my companions got a bowl of chili and some cake or bread. Unfortunately buyers would have to wait for now...

I picked up my first resupply box here and sorted through the miss of food. I had leftovers from San Diego so picking and choosing became a new task. The outfitter in town was closed for the day so we decided to head on to Mt Laguna campground a couple miles up the road. The campground was a three mile road walk away and we wood soon learn the toll that road waking takes on one's joints. I would also learn the value in stretching.. I strained my quad and had to limp the last 2 into camp. It was a stupid injury for a stupid reason and I was very concerned it would take me of the trail for the next day. As I sat in the campground reflecting on my situation and the fact that I should probably stay behind without the family, a fellow camped near by, Todd, gave us all burgers and steak and other food! Asking us about our trip, etc etc...

Going to bed with a full stomachs, a sore leg, and a raccoon trying to steal all our food while Andrew tried to chase it off into the road. I wonder what tomorrow will hold....

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Day 3 - New People

Lake Morena to Cibbet Flats - 12 miles

So I learned something new last night. Dogs don't sleep, or at least they take turns barking all night long in an echo chamber of a valley. I think they may have teamed up with the turkeys as well. There was almost NO sleep to be had last night....

But anyways. Clint and I started out the day with out new found friends, Molly, Steven, and Max. Molly and Steven had taken a zero the day before after doing the first 20 miles in one day.

After kind of getting of track and walking an extra quarter mile in an insanely dog infested neighborhood, all of these dogs barked incessantly by the way, we were off on the trail once again.

Its funny when you hike with people you go through these routine questions about where they're from, why they're out here, how much is in their pack, and so many more. But just the sheer amount if time spent with people, even if only for a day, yields such amazing results. A feeling like you really know them pretty well in only a short span. Now, one's trail self can be different from one's usual self, but for all the purposes of our trips, one's trail is who one is for the next couple months anyways. After a leisurely morning, we stopped for a blister check and a snack under a tree. A couple people stopped along the way to break too. Andrew, Thor, Ferntoe, Elise, and Sky, to name a few.

After some more enjoyable morning hiking we arrived at boulder oaks camp ground for water and lunch. After getting  situated Clint suggested we join the party under a big oak tree near by. It was there that we all met for the first time. Porter, Sammie, Mark, Andrew, Elise, Sky, and the rest if us. It was a nice sit down with a good bit of laughing and conversation. Somewhere in there Sammie asked her fiancé Porter for a tea bag. As he reaches for the wet used tea bag in his drink she exclaims, ”no, a new one!” but it is too late, the wet bag is airborne. She defends herself and it smacks her in the hand inches from her face. It was at this time that porter earned his trail name, T-Bag.

I'm not sure if it was official, unofficial, or what. But we all decided that our goal for the night was Cibbet Flats. Hiking onward in the heat if the so cal afternoon we trudged up this exposed hill all afternoon. Only speaking for myself, my muscles didn't hurt, I wasn't short of breath, it was just sooooo damn hot! Mab oh man was it hot... The kinda hot where your clothes are soaked but a refreshing ridgeside wind can't ever dry them and your salty sweat burns your eyes constantly. Hot hot hot. But it was ok for most of us. Mark had seen better days, tired, in quite a bit of dark clothing, and a little peeky in my opinion.

When we arrived at the highway crossing 4 miles from camp there was a man, or I should say, angel, named David. Beer, wine, snacks. It was here that we found some joy be for making those last beautiful four miles into camp.

The campsite was at the bottom of almost a mile of old forest road, but when Clint, Molly, and I arrived, we found our new friends there! A fellow named Dan was there who payed for the campsite. A retied firefighter I do believe, and one hell of a great guy. We would be leapfrogging with him the next 4 days, at least from the time of this posting.

Down at camp everyone was a little more tired and a little more quiet than at lunch, which was to be expected. We ate dinner, conversed and enjoyed each others company. Mark was sick, puking, not able to eat much. Although he was exhausted he had made it to the campground. However, he would leave the trail. Perhaps he will return later. Hopefully..

As we all lay in our bags, we continue to joke and laugh after dinner. We are all dead tired and it's certainly bedtime even though it must be earlier than 9pm.

As I lay under the stars for the third night in a row in place I am unfamiliar with, I begin to have a feeling of home. This group of young people who has seemingly met by fate is more than I had ever hoped for on this trip. As our camping neighbors play classic tunes like fleetwood mac, van Morrison, and more. I fall asleep a more than happy man. This. Is. Amazing.

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Day 2 - Bring the Heat!

Jeep Road to Lake Morena

With a goal of 11 miles in mind, we were off to an 8 am start.

Passed as we were still in our bags by two hikers known who I later met, Matt from Montreal and Chris. We eventually caught up with both. By mile 6 for the day. We also leapfrogged with another fellow named Spencer who I spoke very little with for some reason. I treated a possible hot spot on my left foot before anything else became of it. Keeping blisterless feet is huge for me, as blisters are a drain on recourses, hike speed, morale, and risk infection.

A little whole later, we all convened at Hauser Creek. Lunch was had with a new groups. Ross, myself, Big Red, Gottawalk, Matt, Chris, Clint, and others.  As we all took our queues to leave, Ross and Mat stayed behind, opting to camp. Both had used more than 5 liters to get here, and Ross was relieved to find a water cache of 20 or so jugs, nestled in the dry creek bed. Clint and I left together at a brisk pace. Eager to conquer the looming pull ahead in the heat of the day.

Not too much later I began to feel pretty awful. Slightly nauseous, feelings of uncertainty and wavering, I expressed to Clint, who I had only known for the past hour, my discomforts. He rested with me while I drank water. That wasn't enough though, as I soon felt worse and worse. We rested again. I took this chance to head into the brush for some relief. I realized that I needed to get myself together physically because that was the root of my symptoms. 80 degrees in the shade, with no shade to be had. I knew we should take it slow, get off this exposed face, and take a break then. So I drank more water and continued on slowly. It was a long process and a hot one. But I was obviously not drinking enough water previous to this, and was showing signs of heat exhaustion. Eventually making it over and grabbing some shade, we rested and talked. We shared a love for benchmade knives and it was good to connect at least. May hikers don't carry single blade knives and opt for multi tools or tiny swiss army knives. It was nice to see another traditional knife at use. Even if it's mostly for cheese and things...

Once feeling up to it, we made the final two miles into Lake Morena with ease. Saw a baby rattler with no rattle yet, and soon were at the campground.

Upon our arrival we found Big Red, and some other folks. Molly, Max, Steven, and maybe a few others. Clint and I proceeded down the road and bought beer and then took showers. Max had a friend at there who had shrimp and other great food and beers! It was a rewarding first two days and we knew that in the morning we'd be leaving with some new friends on the trail.

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