[Family Reunion Photo: Drew, Brian/Milkshake, Sophia/The Little One, Flow, Kayla, One Day]
Day 22 • May 9th • Mile 329.54 [Deep Creek Hot Springs to Pizza] Community
I walked alone for most of today, and it still felt rich in community. Woke up with a bunch of "worms" on the beach. [Pictured above: Flow Worm, The Little One Worm and One Day Worm] and Rope Burn playing songs upon request on his backpacking guitar. Lunched with Nico/El Jefe de España and practiced my Spanish! Ended the day at a campground where we could have pizza delivered [Cleghorn Picnic Area] and met a bunch of really awesome people there...
[Silverwood Lake]
Song of the Day - Everybody Get Up, Five Forgot to mention that for the very first time in SoCal we had a bit of rain. At first, I thought... "who's just spit into the wind?" Then I realized that there were clouds. Strange, after so many days without. It did not rain much tho. Tomorrow we will try to make the "Golden Arches" by lunch. I'll tell yah, I've never been so excited about chicken nuggets!
Day 23 • May 10th • Mile 349 [Pizza to McDonalds to Random Camp Spot] Mmmm...
Sensing a theme here...? #food
What a beautiful morning this day! Cold pizza for breakfast had us off to a perfect start. Walked with Becca/Hats, yet another multilingual inspiration. I am feeling more and more the draw to be in a situation, culture, country where I just have to learn. #Spain #OneDay SUPER windy all day thru the pass. But we had an agenda... Pushed thru the last 3 miles in 45mins! until finally, we came to the McDonalds on trail. Spent the entire afternoon eating, bumming, eating some more. [I had two sundays!] Left after 4pm for a long stretch without reliable water, carried over 6L up the mountain to Wrightwood! Yikes.
Tried to set ourselves up for less than 20 miles tomorrow and almost wound up camping off the side of the mountain [oh we'll just camp in this valley on the map... 100ft bellow us. #nope]. Got pretty nervous there, but we managed to squeeze ourselves into a tiny crevasse. All's well that ends well, it wound up to be a pretty perfect day. Song of the Day - Perfect Day, Lou Reed
Day 24 • May 11th • Mile 367.69 [Rando to Rando] Vamos Caminando!
What a day eh? Simply gorgeous morning. [I keep saying that, maybe it's just every morning on the PCT] Climbing begets views and I was enthralled. Met a couple of folks huffing and puffing along the way who's only response to my cheery "good morning"s was to comment on the difficulty of the climb. I hadn't noticed... I was distracted by other things.
For example, I was walking long and I heard a buzzing noise. I thought to myself, it must be one of those annoying cicada beetle things we've got back home, when I was suddenly caught in a staring contest with a humming bird! It lasted for 2.5 seconds and he was off again [he won]. I sat down for the better half of an hour waiting and hoping that he'd return, but he didn't. He skit and flit all around me, but never close enough to get a good shot. I guess the moment will just have to remain in my memory... Valerie June and Rising Appalachia pulled me through the rest of the climb! Later on I ran into a trail work crew from Americorp and the PCTA. They were out there in the heat of the day on a waterless stretch fixing the trail up for hikers! I was sure to thank them. They offered water from their base camp which we passed by later. and guess what?! It was in BLUIES of course! Hahahaha.
Took a nice long lunch break [still working on the nap part] in the shade of something of the pine family. I oughta know my trees, I've been smelling pine all afternoon and the walk was reminiscent of Maine!
I am solo camping tonight. Even tho I could have easily made it into town. I've decided to go in in the morning. I think it will be easier to find a place to stay and spend less money and get a longer rest day if I do this. I am also feeling a bit as if I need to slow down and take a breath. Funny, now I'm sitting here I feel restless. And I've only been sitting for about an hour.
The sun is finally beginning to set and I haven't decided yet if I'm going to stay here or close the gap a bit more between here and Wrightwood.... Song of the Day - Caninando, Rising Appalachia
Day 25 • May 12th • Mile 369.3 [Nero into Wrightwood] Town Angels!
Just 1.7 to the HWY to hitch into Wrightwood today. So I took my time enjoying the sunrise and my breakfast (I had ended up staying in my solo camp spot. After dinner and a sunset, I ripped my pants on a bush trying to get back on trail, so I took it as an omen and stayed. I'm really glad I did.)
I got to the road around 7:15am and it was completely empty. Except for one solitary hiker, Martin/Chunky Monkey, whom I'd met @ Big Bear Hostel. And just as I started to say we might have a hard time hitching on this desolate... a truck pulled up to drop off a hiker at the trailhead and we were offered a ride back to town! The people of Wrightwood seem to make it their job shuttling hikers back and forth from the trail, just because, they're awesome! I said all I wanted was a good coffee, so we got dropped at The Village Grind, where I met the barista Annie and got my first coffee for free! (I'm also enjoying a hot-out-of-the-oven cookie as I write this) and the best Dirty Chai I have ever had aaaand I was given a list with recommendations for Trail Angels in town. #TownAngels
I called Kathy, who offered to pick me up and take me to her place for a shower and laundry as soon as I was ready. Incredible. Picked up my package with maps and crampons and was able to resupply completely out of a hiker box AGAIN! Now all I have to do is decide if I need these crampons for Baden Powell. The decision making process on trail is the WOOOORST I swear! (Once the decision is made it is all good.) Song of the Day - Wanna Be On Your Mind, Valerie June
Day 26 • May 13th • Mile 383.88 [HWY2 "Inspiration Point" to Little Jimmy Campground] 'Murca.
Microspikes definitely not necessary. So glad I sent them out! But let's back up a bit. Interesting night at Kathy's place. She was so sweet and the camper was cozy, but we were woken in the wee hours of the morning by some domestic dispute next door. So that was awkward, but in the morning Kathy had coffee made for us! And she drove us all into town for our various errands. I shipped a few things home and then stuck my thumb out for what I thought would be my first solo hitch. (For those of you who's "Spidey Sense" is tingling, this was a very hiker friendly town where ppl just offer you a ride without being asked.) Before long a beautiful old red truck drove by with a bunch of hikers and packs in the bed. Leroy turned it around and parked by the Market so I could join them for a ride up to the trailhead in style!
Climbing Baden Powell was challenging, but I pushed to move steadily upward without resting until I reached the top! WOOF did I feel the burn! It was great. I'd say the 1st really tough physical challenge so far and it felt so good to reach the summit and relax. WHAT A REWARD! Lunch at the summit was superb and made even better by some day hikers who off loaded a bunch of snack foods on us. AWESOME!!!!
[Brushing my teeth at the summit. Photo Cred: Not Yet]
Walked and talked with some new folks today, which I always find really enjoyable. So many GREAT people on this trail. Song of the Day - Shake it Off, Ryan Adams cover of T-Swift
Day 27 • May 14th • Mile 407.22 [Lil' Jim to just beyond Sulfur Springs] FROGGY FROGGY DAY Pretty exhausted, so we'll just deal with the cheesy entry title. We had to detour around some endangered frogs today and that required about 3 miles of road walking. It wasn't so bad... and then there was lots of climbing to do! [Lots of folks got trail magic and went for burgers and beer, but I somehow missed it. Ah well, there will be another time. But I felt myself getting more and more "hangry" as I wearily trudged past each tail of the magic I'd missed.] Didn't help that I hadn't slept well last night due to it being a bit chilly after the strenuous climb up Baden Powell, so now [after my conciliatory Chocolate and Banana Bagel from sweet sweet Not Yet] I'm just gonna ZZzzz.... Song of the Day - Hit the Road Jack
Day 28 • May 15th • Mile 430.38 [Just beyond Sulfur Springs to ????] RAIN. Today was one of those days that I just walked from snack to snack. So hungry. Always hungry. And the weather was just awful. What happened to Always Sunny in SoCal? or was it Philly? Whatever.
[Walking into ominous fog...]
We got hail, sleet, then rain... so much squishing as we marched along. BUT all was well in the end, as we enjoyed the company of some good people [Travis/Hamlet and Kelsey/Kracken, Saskia/Saskwatch/Fresh, Victoria, Kurt/2-Block/Cougar Bait and another great couple who's names I forget at the moment...] Good times with good humans make even the worst of days, which this certainly was not, worth while. #stillsmiling
Made the mistake of listening to the Carolina Chocolate Drops while on #hikerhunger. #FOODCLUB! #firstruleoffoodclub... Song of the Day - Corn Bread and Butter Beans, Carolina Chocolate Drops
Day 29 • May 16th • Mile 449.14 [Messenger Flats to just before Agua Dulce/Hiker Heaven] SUNSHINE!
Everyday like yesterday has to happen if only to make today even more spectacular! Sunshine all day and spectacular views approaching Agua Dulce. Beautiful tones and colors in the mountains which changed as the sun moved around.
Amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesty all over the place! Had the song on my mind all day... along with the cheeseburger I would get at the KOA RV park, YES! [Hiked on from there and enjoyed a sunset at our camp spot with Cougar Bait, Saskwatch and Victoria.]
On to Agua Dulce and Hiker Heaven tomorrow. I feel the need for much rest and I am anticipating much fun. Song of the Day - Good Day Sunshine, Beatles
Day 30 • May 17th • Mile 454 [Nero to Hiker Heaven] HAVEN At the Saufley's tent city with chickens. What more could a hiker want? Seriously. This is just wonderful.
Song of the Day - King Ebenezer, Yonder Mountain String Band
Day 31 • May 18th • Mile 454 Zero at Hiker Heaven ONE MONTH!
What an incredible and needed couple of days off in Hiker Heaven. I have been both lazy and productive. I have alternatively lazed around with other hikers, helped clean up to give back to our wonderful hosts, eaten A LOT [No surprise, I've been given an alternate trail name - The Event Horizon, for the Black Hole that is my pie hole. 😂 "You don't wanna see me when I'm hangry!"] shared meals and snacks with friends, cut off and hemmed the sleeves of my dress, binge watched New Girl and thanks to tech savvy Erich [now dubbed Five Star, cause he's just a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ kinda guy] so even when the wifi was down we got to watch Down Periscope!, resupplied, played with puppies, called home, shoed chickens, laughed until my sides split...
Song of the Day - Smile, James Taylor
