Day 14 - Two Weeks by the Numbers

Combs Ridge, Mile 129 to Campsite in the Boulders, Mile 144

Two whole weeks down! Let's break it out by the numbers:

• 14 days/2 weeks/336 hours
• Two day zeroes
• Two day near0s
• 6000+ feet, highest elevation
• 2000 feet, lowest elevation
• 144 miles walked
• 102 degrees - hottest day
• 45ish times Brett's hit me with his hiking poles
• 15+...20? 25? blisters. At least...I lost track how many
• 13 episodes of Arrested Development watched from the trail
• 6 snakes, 5 types: Gopher, Rattler, Long nose, Whip, and 2 King
• 4 times cried
• 3 times proclaimed that this was a stupid, ridiculous idea, and I'm going home
• 2 towns visited/resupplied
• 2 times noticed that my hip belt or article of clothing was a little loose (woot!)
• 2 catholes dug (hooray for lots of established campsites so far...)
• 2 bloody noses, ugh
• 2 counties
• 1 delicious burger (and one more tomorrow!)
• 1 day of seriously difficult homesickness
• Uncounted awesome views, and more cacti than I can fathom

Day 13 - Stepping Closer to Comfort on the Trail

Mile 115 to campsite on Coombs Ridge, mile 129

What a difference a morning without blister care makes in a day on the trail! So much more free time - sometimes wonderful, and others, just more time to think about all the other aches and woes. Broke camp and hit the trail by 6:15, I think the earliest yet!

The hiking was quite beautiful for most of the day, but also still in the desert, so quite hot. Got water from a questionable source at mile 117, but unfortunately there was no other choice, as the next on trail water wasn't for 10 miles. By around 11, I was boiling and my feet started hurting, so we found a spot under a huge boulder to have lunch and while away the hot afternoon hours. It's funny to be settling into this routine of waking early, hiking, followed by mid day breaks, and afternoon/evening hiking to end the day. When things get tough, I try to remind myself of my work/life schedule of not SO long ago. This ain't too bad in comparison!

My loneliness seemed to get better today, although I still find myself contemplating what the heck I'm doing out here (especially in those long stretches with no shade and hot weather!) There's a group of people hiking around our pace the last few days who seem really fun. I could definitely see becoming friends with them! There's a trail angel named Mike Herrera who provides water to hikers at his home near mile 127, and we stopped in there and spent the afternoon with the other hikers and had such fun. I'm definitely feeling the need for new friends! Most people at the stop were enjoying some beer, but after a long day of hiking and the prospect of more miles ahead, both Brett and I passed - a rare occurrence indeed!

We made it the last few miles up the mountain to an awesome campsite right on the ridge. Enjoyed a beautiful sunset and even had 3G to make a few calls home. All in all a success, but went to sleep dreading the alarm clock the next morning!

Days 9-12 Two Near-0s and Two 0s

Thursday morning the 25, we got another later start than anticipated. My feet felt pretty good, and breakfast at the Warner Springs community center had been rumored to be quite the tasty affair, so we made good miles fairly quickly. Left camp at 7 and made it the 9 miles to Warner Springs by 10. Walking inside was pretty neat - the whole room was filled with familiar faces & people greeting us when we arrived. It was nice to feel like we are getting to know the people we're hiking with.

Spent a few hours in the lovely air conditioning, and then Jon and Gail arrived to sweep us back to San Diego. Riding in the car on the way there was a funny feeling, even though we'd only been gone from reality for 9 days. It felt like we were flying, and took a little bit of getting used to. Our first stop was a critical one - Ballast Point Brewery for some great micro-brewery beer! I felt unfit to be loosed on society - my formally crisp white shirt (great for desert heat!) had turned every shade of brown to grey to black in the book. But the bartender was excited to hear about the journey and we had some awesome brews.

Arrived at the hotel a little bit later where Gail managed to get a fantastic suite overlooking the marina (found out later that the one and only Hilary Clinton stayed in the same room once!)  The shower was quite easily the most enjoyable one I've ever had in my entire life. I couldn't believe how many times I washed and scrubbed and still dirt flowed down the drain. So crazy. We went out for a nice dinner later in the evening, and even spotted some of our favorite wineries on the menu - Nickel & Nickel and Moshin, among others!

On Friday, the plan was to head to KickOff for the rest of the weekend, but we couldn't bring ourselves to leave the awesome hotel. Plus, we still had chores to attend to. We did some laundry - my shirt turned out almost as dirty even after a hot wash and bleach, sadly - and then headed out to REI, Michael's, Target, and AleSmith...because of course we wanted to try one more tasty San Diegan brew! I got new shoes which I'm hoping beyond hope will help my wounded feet. Turned out the Giants were in town to play the Padres, so we got some cheap seats! I'm pretty sure there were more Giants fans in the crowd than Padres, which was really funny, but the Giants wound up losing.

I reluctantly left the beautiful hotel on Saturday morning to head to KO. I don't know why, but I was dreading going back. Every part of me just wanted to go home and hang out across the street in the park. Although the San Diego time was great, I think spending a few days back in normal life completely away from the trail, removed from anything that reminded me of the trail, made it difficult to consider returning. San Diego was fun, and easy. While I was proud to have finsihed the first section (109 miles) of the trail, it was really quite hard, and I completed in far more pain than I'd hoped. It was also 109 miles of hot, dry desert. But given the fact that I'd only spent 9 days on the trail, it wasn't time enough to consider giving up yet!

Soon enough, we arrived at KO, and within a few hours I'd resettled. Only went to 1 seminar, but most of it was information we already knew. I think KO will be great next year as a reunion, and I think it's quite beneficial for a lot of people who need to learn more about the trail...but I'd done my homework, and didn't find much there to be anything new. However, it's a great chance to meet other hikers and hopefully reunite with old friends the years after your own hike! Speaking of meeting other hikers, I bumped into an old friend who is also hiking this year - Ben, who I went to high school with and haven't seen in the past 10 years! I hope we have the chance to hike with them sometime over the summer.

Saturday night, they played the 2012 class video, which is essentially a compilation of pictures and video. Watching that reminded me of all the awesome experiences yet to come & why I'm out here in the first place. Sometimes, I've felt like the one who doesn't belong out here, which is completely self-defeating. I knew I should stop, but it's easier said than done! I hope those feelings will change soon, and watching that video made me excited for the awesome places and scenes I've yet to experience. I think after I get back on the trail I'll feel better - both physically AND mentally.

Sunday morning was interesting. Apparently a number of people in camp thought 5 am an appropriate time to chat and carry on like it was the middle of the day. Woke up early and after breakfast, spent time around camp with Christian until Jon and Gail picked us up to go back to Warner Springs. On the drive back, we essentially drove the route of the PCT. It was quite odd to pass one landmark/campsite/etc. after another in such rapid succession. We stopped in Julian for the free slice of pie for hikers, and then said goodbyes at Warner Springs. I was so lonely as soon as they left. I had a hard time even thinking about going back to the trail, I just wanted to go home. I wasn't feeling very social at the community center, where we spent the heat of the day lounging around waiting for cooler hiking weather. That probably made my situation worse. I started to feel like everyone had already buddied up but me. I hope to make friends out here- I'm already lonely and it's only a week in. I'm too social to do this without some friends along the way! 

Finally left the community center around 430 and wound up at mile 115, about 6 miles in. It was a nice hike and my loneliness started to lift a little. I got a little more comfortable with the fact that I'll be gone for so long. Wound up camping at Agua Caliente at a lovely little site right next to a creek. There's another group here that seems pretty nice… Maybe we'll get to know them?! I'm feeling better tonight and hoping tomorrow will continue to improve. Most importantly, my feet are finally and hopefully officially on the mend! The time off was invaluable, and the new shoes seem great so far. Granted, we only hiked 6 miles, but any improvement is huge in my book. I definitely think I've got some plantar issues, but I'm hoping some easy mileage days like today will offer enough rest for the ole dogs!

Days 7 & 8 - Working Hard for a Day Zero

Days 7 & 8; April 23 & 24; Campsite at mile 82 to Barrel Springs (mile 101)

Tried for another early morning start yesterday, but after the usual routine of snoozing and blister care, didn't leave camp until after 7am. My feet were really bad from the first step, and another sunny day made things even more uncomfortable. The water cache at 3rd gate was only 9 miles away, but it may as well have been 90 for all I could tell. While the landscape was probably awesome at one point, it's fire scarred now and I can't say I found much beauty in it as the trail traveled through it, try as I might. We didn't get there until 1pm, but upon arrival, I found the first shady spot I could to spend the heat of the day and wait out the heat for a little night hiking.

Spent a long, lazy, lovely afternoon under a juniper (and alarmingly close to a cactus). We realized that if we pushed on for a longer night hike than initially planned to mile 101 at Barrel Springs, we'd be able to enjoy our first day zero at the springs. We had no idea what was actually there but hoped it would be a nice spot to while away a day and rest the feet. Making it to Barrel Springs would put us only 8 miles shy of Warner Springs, the official end of the first section of the PCT, at mile 109. It was tough to leave the huge water cache, but we hit the trail at 7pm and slogged on 10 more miles...and I couldn't be happier about the decision! It was midnight by the time we rolled into camp, and there were plenty other hikers already there. Set up camp as quickly and quietly as possible, and went to sleep with the knowledge there'd be no alarm tomorrow morning - quite nice. Couldn't see much when we got in, but the oak leaves on the ground as we descended into the area were a promising sign of some shade. Indeed, upon leaving the tent this morning, we were greeted with a lovely green little area to spend the day. Water, grass, oak trees, etc. It's great.

After sleeping in today, the Flying Hons made it to B. Springs and we spent the morning with them - I adore them! They're 3 retired women from Boise, all very friendly and kind, and always look like they're having more fun than anyone else around. They're fantastic - it's refreshing to see people who seem so genuinely happy to see you too, and they're a good reminder that we're all out here to have fun - so we may as well enjoy the journey even when it's rough! Atlas also arrived for a short break before pushing on, and then Tracy and Ingrid arrived to spend the day - some more of my favorites! I'm curious if we'll see Marshall today - our first trail friend, and I miss him! I'm curious how his trip has been since we last saw him a few days ago.

Tomorrow is the meet-up with Jon & Gail in Warner Springs, and I'm definitely looking forward to some more time off for my feet! I can already tell this one day off is helping tremendously. If they'd stop hurting, all this madness would be making far more sense!

By the end of the zero day at Barrel Springs, I was shocked by how much I enjoyed a day of doing literally nothing. It was the leisurely, slow paced kind of day I've never been able to appreciate - until now perhaps! I spent the day journaling, napping, eating a nice big lunch, playing cards, etc. It was awesome, though I started to feel weird about that fact that I didn't get bored even once! So unlike me, and I feel pretty relaxed. Fingers crossed this becomes a pattern...but if so, my Mom would wonder what happened to her totally on the go, antsy and over extended oldest daughter. Might not be so bad!

Day 6 - Hanging Out Under the Freeway

Day 6 - Rodriguez Cross (mile 68) to campsite in San Felippe Hills

Today was infinitely better than yesterday. My feet didn't miraculously heal (heel!) overnight, BUT they also didn't torture me all day either. Set the alarm for 4am, but of course didn't get up and moving until 5 and out of camp until 6. Either way, I was practically flying this morning, and the combo of happier feet and hiking in the cool shade allowed for an arrival to Scissors Crossing by 10am. Apparently the rule of thumb while desert hiking is hike 10 before 10am, and then wait out the day and hike 10 more before 10pm.

The desert landscape is pretty wild. There's all kinds of cacti and lizards. My favorite lizard so far is this goofy looking guy called a horned lizard - it looks like a mini dinosaur! There's scales all over the back and it looks positively prehistoric.

Scissors Crossing is so named because it is where two freeways cross each other (near Julian, CA). A local trail angel supplies a huge water cache under the freeway bridge from the well on his property, and it's the last water for a long while, so it's a much appreciated stock for hikers. Quite a group gathered under the bridge throughout the day, and it turned into a little hiker party. A few people went into Julian and returned with beer and soda! Drinking a beer under the freeway, completely filthy, we all mused what the difference is between a thru-hiker and a hobo. The only thing we could come up with was about $2,000 worth of gear. It was a great day. Famed thru-hiking guru Yogi even made a surprise appearance! I felt like I'd just met a real celebrity.

Made some new friends including a couple from Salt Lake City and a younger fellow who just graduated Cal early to hike. He didn't have much of a budget, so his gear list is untraditional - he's carrying an army duffel he found at a surplus store as his pack, and wearing a bright Hawaiian print tshirt and Chacos and is awaiting ski poles for hiking with. He already earned the trail name Buzz Lightyear due to his big smile and square jaw, and he was a fun character to spend the day with.  We also met a new class of people - a few hiker bros! Who knew backpacking could get bro'd out? Definite surprise.

Took off around 5 to hike straight up into the hills. Found a nice little camping spot at mile 82 to tuck in for the evening. Only 27 more miles to Warner Springs (and new shoes, showers, etc!)

Day 5 - Mercury Hits 100

Day 5 - Campsite in boulders (mile 53) to Rodriguez Cross (mile 68)

Two complete days on my new insoles and still no improvement on the feet. If anything, they're worse, which only becomes more and more frustrating. Every morning the foot care routine eats up about 45 minutes before we get out of camp, every break is consumed with tending to the feet, and every time we roll into camp it's priority #1. Still, every step I take is pretty excruciating. These stupid New Balance shoes have GOT to go. On top of the blisters, my feet just generally hurt. So frustrating!

Today was also the hottest, most hard-core desert hiking yet. There was absolutely zero shade, very little water (necessitating carrying 4 liters/person...at 2.2 lbs. per liter...that's an added weight that becomes tough to carry!), and the mercury hit 100! To boot, I passed a GIANT rattler on the trail - could hear it rattling away from a ways down the trail - it was angry. Brett thinks I got some minor sun stroke. I wasn't very hungry due to the heat, and didn't eat or drink enough throughout the day, and then I couldn't find shade when I needed it. Finally gave up looking for a nice shady spot and just scrambled up the hill and crawled under a shrub for some shade. I drank a liter of water and just hung out for an hour or so, and eventually got up for the last 3.5 miles into camp at Rodriguez Cross, which held the promise of water (yayyy). It's not the prettiest campsite ever, but I'm so tired I don't much care.

After the misery of today's mid-day heat, we're changing the strategy for tomorrow. Going to attempt an early start (4am hopefully) to beat the heat. Getting going at 9am today, it was already 85 - way too hot that early! Rumor has it the weather is supposed to cool off, but we also enter a very long stretch without any water, so we'll have to be prepared when leaving Scissors Crossing at mile 77. Fingers crossed for cooler weather and healthy feet!

Day 3 - First Town Stop

Day 3 - campsite near mile 32 - Mt. Laguna, mile 43

I woke up to HOWLING wind in the middle of the night last night. Turns out, we pitched the tent in the middle of a construction site with all kinds of loose dirt...which managed to find its way to my sleeping bag and face in the crazy wind.

The hike to Mt. Laguna was great. I felt significantly better than yesterday and the relatively short jaunt into town seemed to fly by. We hiked up into the mountain and had some incredible views. Soon, the trail entered a forest with the first pine trees of the trip...such a welcome site! To boot, the smell of pines in the fresh mountain air never fails to invigorate me. I felt great, even though my pace probably left something to be desired.

Bumped into Marshall about a mile before town and we headed in together. It was so fun hiking in and seeing all the other hikers milling around the store and PO. Met some new people and quickly headed off for a late lunch. The burgers definitely didn't disappoint - neither did the Stone IPA. Yumm - and no guilt after 3 long days of hiking! After lunch, I headed over to Dave Super, the outfitter in town, and found new insoles for my aching feet - hooray! Can't wait to hike on these new beauts tomorrow.

We resisted the temptation to get a cabin and shower, and instead picked up a 6 pack of beer at the store, and headed to the outskirts of town to the picnic area for a night of camping with Marshall, Joe, and Nancy (Joe & Nancy are from Oakland!) who all had the same idea. We built a campfire and drank beer, and enjoyed the sunset and views overlooking the Salton Sea. Definitely a great day!