Day 105 to 106 - Etna

August 8 - 9

Day 105 to 106

Miles:  5+12 (my best guess)

Total Miles:  1618

After a short hike to the road, Fall Risk and I caught a ride from someone from town who was dropping other thru-hikers back onto the trail.  We asked that he take us directly to Bob's Restaurant where we walked in, dirty and smelling of trail funk, and had breakfast.  The server, a middle-aged woman, did not look so pleased to be serving a couple of stinky hikers but she did all the same.  

Day 103 to 104 - Trail Magic and The Russian Wilderness

August 6 to 7
Day 103-104
Miles:  10+35
Total Miles:  1601

View from The Russian Wilderness

After just ten miles we made it Highway 3 where Unload was set up with a grill, picnic table and loads of beer.  Unload had hiked the PCT in 2011 and he had spent the winter on a fishing vessel up in Alaska.  He was back for the summer and decided what a better way to spend his time than to hang out with some green 2012 thu-hikers.  He cooked us burgers and dogs and we drank beer and soda and whiskey.  Even with only ten miles behind us that day, it took very little to convince us to stay that night and keep the party going.  Once other hikers showed up, Weather Carrot and Bobcat, we were in for the night.

Day 99 to 100 - Zero in Shasta

August 2
Day 99 to 100
Miles:  0 + 7
Total Miles:  1512

words to live by

Shasta is a fun little town on the I-5 corridor, saddled up next to Mt. Shasta.  Black Bear Diner was excellent for breakfast.  Yak's Cafe was a cool place to hang out and have coffee.  Burger King was Jubel's choice with $3/900 calorie milk-shakes and free wi-fi.

That afternoon we climbed into the truck of a friend of Action Pack and headed to Lake Siskiyou for some sunbathing, rope swinging and relaxation.  Mellow, Action and Smiles arrived at Shasta later that day and setup at the KOA campground, where we cooked chicken and burgers and corn-on-the-cobb.

The next day was full of good intentions to hike out of town and get back to the trail.  However, resupplying and hitching out of town took the majority of the day.  After trying to hitch near the Burger King for about an hour, we decided to walk across the freeway near the on ramp.  After another 45 minutes we secured a ride from a young man who looked like Albert Einstein (with crazy blonde hair and bad teeth).  This kid worked seasonally clipping and processing weed (an occupation that I learned occupy's more than one thru-hiker during the fall season!).  After generously supplying a small bag of weed to Jubel, we hiked seven miles to...I don't remember where!

the wrong way to hitch

that's better

Day 93 to 94 - JJ's Cafe and Hat Creek Rim

July 27 -28
Day 93 to 94
Miles:  25+30
Total Miles:  1408

Mt. Shasta from Hat Creek Rim

The morning of July 27th started with a can't-miss breakfast at the Drakesbad Guest House.  Jubel and I then made an escape, leaving the camp near Drakesbad at 10:30 AM, feeling the pull of the trail.  Old Station was our next stop and we made it to the "trailer park" after a long flat hike past OHV roads, tree farms, hunting trails, far off gun-shots accompanying our hike much of the way.  Besides some great views of Lassen today, the scenery in trees and the trail flat.  The Old Station trailer park turned out to be a big trailer campground (I was imagining a retirement community) and the neighboring burger joint was closed when we arrived.  We cowboy camped in a pine tree forest past the trailer park on a thick layer of pine needles - a soft bed.

Day 92 - Drakesbad and Volcanic Gysers

July 26
Day 92
Miles:  18
Total Miles:  1353

Jubel the Outlaw at Boiling Springs Lake

After the amazing breakfast at the Pipers, we have just 18.5 miles to Drakesbad Guest Ranch in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Drakesbad takes care of thru-hikers.  After serving their paying guests in their restaurant, they bring the food left un-consumed out to hikers on large platters.  For a mere $5 (or was it $10?) they fed us all we could eat of the turkey, bread rolls, veggies, bean salad, etc.  Joining Jubel and I was Lava Goat, Sierra and Happy Feet (both section hikers).

Day 91 - The Pipers

July 25
Day 91
Miles:  20
Total Miles:  1335

Jubel and I hiked twenty miles through some nice flat trail to reach Highway 89, where crossed the highway and...trail magic!  Two large ice chests full of gatorade, soda, fruit.  A note - Piper's Mom is offering rides and possibly a place to stay!

Day 81 - Donner Ski Ranch and the P. Grubb Hut

July 15
Day 81
Miles:  22
Total Miles:  1162

View of Donner Lake and Old HWY 40

Today I pushed hard to get to Old Highway 40 - Donner Pass - for lunch.  Just a half mile down the road at the pass is the Donner Ski Ranch serving sandwiches, beer and ice-cream.  As I arrived I see others sun-bathing on the deck - Peels, Beef Nugget, Mellow Yellow and others.  Once inside I met a group of hikers I had hiked with back in the Sierra for several days

Day 62 - Tuolumne Meadows

June 26, 2012

Day 62

Miles: 20

Total Miles: 942

Winds last night near Thousand Island Lake were fierce!  My tent came "loose" twice - I had to reach outside the tent in the middle of the night and tighten the zip lines that were loosened by the constant wind batting against my tent.  While doing this I tore a hole in the fabric of the air vent because I misplaced the support pole (my trekking pole) before tightening the line.  In the morning, after a restless night, I woke up to clear and calm skies.

I made it Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park today after crossing over Donahue Pass, the last 11,000+ foot pass in the Sierras.  The last 10-12 miles were relatively flat after I descended down the pass.  I crossed a stock caravan twice on the descent before realizing that I packed up and hiked in the wrong direction after lunch!  I think my mind was distracted by the possibility of reaching Tuolumne and the restaurant and general store.  After realizing my mistake, I hiked double-time to make it to Tuolumne before they closed at 4 - catching up the same caravan of horses/mules that I had walked by on the pass (now heading back to Tuolumne).  I knew their pride was bruised that a hiker could pass, much less keep up with, the riders on their "high horse"!  They didn't know I was hiking for food and  under-estimated a hungry hiker's stamina!  As I was approaching from behind they looked back every so often to see if I was still there.  Each time I grew closer and closer to the stock train and wondered what I was going to do to get around a dozen easily-spooked animals.  The hose team finally stopped and let me pass, and with a couple of nods I was hiking off faster than before with nothing to keep me from a stocked store or burger at the restaurant.

Stock Train on the PCT near Tuolumne Meadows

I made it 15 mins before the restaurant was supposed to close - but it was the wrong restaurant, an outdoor cloth napkin affair at the lodge that was only open for reservations!  After some confusion and asking around I realized that the restaurant that closed at 4 was down the main road - a short bus ride away.  I jumped on the free shuttle bus and arrived at the restaurant too late.  The store, however, was thankfully open and I pulled as much pre-packaged food off the shelf as I thought I needed and walked outside to join other hikers lingering at the benches across from the parking lot.  Soon I was on my way to the campground behind the store.  After a reunion with Desert Fox and Masa at the campground I was running back to the store for beer and ice-cream.

It's been lonely on the trail the past few days and I hope I can hike out with some others after a rest day.

Day 61 - Devil's Postpile

June 25, 2012

Day 61

Miles: 15

Total Miles:  922

Devil's Postpile rock pile

Breakfast at the Red's Meadow Cafe - french toast and eggs!  If I blog a lot about food on the trail, please understand that i am ALWAYS hungry.  It's not uncommon for me to eat 3,000 calories at a sitting when i am in town.  This does little to offset the massive calories I burn hiking 20-30 miles a day.  Anytime I can get a real meal is a treat.

I hiked the JMT alternate route after stopping to see the Devil's Postpile - octagonal basalt columns left exposed from glacier activity.  This is one of the best examples in the world of these columns, the other being somewhere in Great Britain. 

I hiked the JMT alternate section from mile 909 to 922 and then rejoined the PCT at Thousand Island Lake.  The Halfmile maps showed a campsite at this lake and I searched desperately for something flat and out of the wind but was ultimately unsuccessful - disappointing after a long day of slogging through some dense forest on the trail.  When I have my heart set on a stopping point and it there turns out to be no suitable camping, it is really a let down.  I hiked a mile past the lake and found a spot over-looking the lake where the winds were not as severe.  Even so, this turned out to be one of the windiest nights I have experienced.

Today was quite lonely walking by myself.  I feel I'm in a vacuum of sorts.  I hope to meet up with other hikers at Tuolome Meadows.

Day 60 - Red's Meadow

June 24, 2012

Day 60

Miles: 21

Total Miles:  907

I hiked mostly alone today the 21 miles to Red's Meadow Resort - another packing station.  The blowdowns in this section of the trail are astonishing!  The trail crews have most of the trees cleared from the trail - and I am lucky for that because it would be almost impossible to continue through this section otherwise with the devastation I have seen.  I think only pictures can tell the story...

A large section of previously burned forest was devastated by the winter storms and trees were snapped in half like toothpicks.

Other very large and healthy trees were up-rooted and lay across the trail for miles - often piled on top of each other several layers deep!  These trees are HUGE and the pictures do not show the size of the trees very clearly.

but I crossed over 900 trail miles...

and met a really dirty hiker at Red's Meadow...

and enjoyed a delicious meal at the Red's Meadow Cafe of chicken fajitas, black beans and rice!  i also enjoyed a hot-spring fed concrete hot tub with Weather Carrot and Bobcat.  They went fully nude.  I kept my boxers on.  Maybe if I get to know them a little better...

Day 30 - Trail Angels - Part 2 (The Andersons)

May 26, 2012

Day 31
Miles: 25
Total Miles: 479

Terrie and Joe Anderson - What you can't see is that Terrie Anderson is feeling me up

The Andersons "Casa De Luna" is the polar opposite of the Saufley's "Hiker Haven".  The Saufley's is a well-oiled operation.  The Andersons is not an operation at all...but an all-out anything goes gathering of hikers on their front lawn with coolers of beer and bowls of weed being passed around a portable metal fireplace, with burgers and dogs being grilled to feed the masses.  I don't want to portray my hike as a party, or that hikers are just out to party and get high and drunk.  Most of my hike has been the opposite of that - one of physical challenge, reflection and enjoying the beauty of the wild outdoors - but at places like the Anderson's, it's nice to have a few beers with your friends and celebrate hiking 480 miles through some of the harshest desert in the country.  Some choose to avoid the Anderson's because of the party atmosphere while others come and relax and just watch the craziness.  If you come, you're bound to have an interesting experience - one that you won't have again anywhere on the trail.

After a ride from Little Steps two miles from the trail to the Anderson's I was shown the way to the Manzanita forest that is their back yard.  I then made my way back through the maze to their front yard and the 30 or so other hikers.  It was an unusually cold day so everybody was bundled in down jackets and blankets while others were cooking burgers and dogs on the grill.

At some point, Terrie Anderson brings out a plate of weed and starts passing it around.  I decided early on that my hike was not going to be about smoking, so I passed on this each time it was handed to me.  However, I have no problem with others enjoying a smoke.

The atmosphere was beginning to get "stupid" after about 11 so I headed back to find my tent to sleep - but not before I went several wrong directions and ripped a big hole in my down jacket on a jagged manzanita branch.

Hiker Party at the Andersons

The Anderson's Manzanita Forest

Day 29 - Trail Angels - Part 1 (The Saufleys)

May 24, 2012
Day 29
Miles: 10
Total Miles: 454

hikers invade the mexican restaurant in Agua Dulce

If you've never hiked a long-distance trail, you may not have heard of Trail Angels.  I had no idea how generous people could be in this hiker community before this trail.  The Saufley's at "Hiker Haven" in the town of Agua Dulce are the best example of the trail angel community.  They started hosting hikers in 1993 and since then have developed a system that allows them to host up to 50 hikers per day at the peak of hiking season - and they have it down!

They have an amazing setup with a dozen or so large tents on their property with cots.  There are bicycles available to hikers for rides into town.  There is a fire pit, a trailer with full kitchen and a selection of movies.  There is a shower and laundry and rides into town to the closest REI for resupplying gear.  They also receive and send packages.  In short - they have everything a hiker needs for a day off the trail!

I spent a couple of days here relaxing with several groups that I had been hiking with - as hikers seem to converge at these stops in what's often called a vortex.  It's sometimes hard to break free of the vortex after you've been sucked in, but at some point you decide that you need to move on and hesitantly begin the next section of your hike and leave behind the comforts of town and trail angels.

Pop Star, Gecko, Matt, Alisdair and Sarah all came in on my second day here and they kept us all up drinking wine by the fire pit.  I also met Oasis and Honey Bear here, two girls from either Portland or Seattle (seems like a disproportionate number of hikers come from one of these two places!).  Ron, another trail angel, took several of us in his van to REI and In-n-Out Burger and I was able to replace the insoles of my Cascadia 7's with new SOLE brand insoles from REI.

But the best part  - FOOD!  I ate at the mexican restaurant twice, the breakfast cafe once, and trips to the market for ice cream.  I typically share a large meal or have food left for a take-home box, but on these trips to the mexican restaurant I ate a full meal with a large bowl of fried ice cream, and I still did not fill this hole in my stomach.  I'll keep trying!

The Saufley's Fire Pit

Day 28 - Pizza at the KOA

May 23, 2012
Day 28
Miles: 13
Total Miles: 444

click to see full size

After Mission Flats, at mile 431, I hiked the trail-proper again all the way to the Acton KOA Campground.  I am here with a group of twelve others who are holing up at the campground because the Saufly's (Hiker Haven), Trail Angels extrordinaire, are ahead in ten miles but have exceeded their 50 hiker limit and are asking hikers to arrive tomorrow morning.  Tortuga hitch-hiked into the nearest town about ten miles away to pick up beer and was able to get a ride back from the pizza delivery man!  We all definitely owe him a few beers.  I plan on getting up early and hiking to the Hiker Haven by 10 AM.

My hunger is getting more and more ravenous every week.  Today at KOA I enjoyed half of a large pepperoni pizza and three beers in addition to ice cream and other snacks from the small KOA store, and was hungry an hour later!  I handed Q-Ball and Beardo a couple of my beers as they just hiked in and looked voracious!

Day 24 - The Big "D"! - Part 2

May 19, 2012

Day 24

Miles: 2

Total Miles: 365

Soon after the sun came up I realized that regardless of these episodes of explosive diarrhea, there was a more insidious and sly process occurring.  Slowly and as I hiked, the brown excretion was dripping out even as I did everything in my power to regulate an impenetrable barrier.  Before I realized it my base layer was soiled and stinking and a slick slimy fluid had soaked in and I had no choice but to remove it and stuff it into my Sea-To-Summit dry bag alongside the ziplock containing my underwear from camp that morning.  I continued hiking with nothing between my zip-off hiking shorts and my dirty ass.  Things went downhill fast after this:  my precious TP was quickly depleted, the water I had been careful to conserve now had to be used to rinse my backside after every nasty episode, was running low.  This was doubly disheartening as I was quickly becoming dangerously dehydrated now that the blazing sun was mercilessly beaming down on me in the late morning heat of the high desert.  The hotter it got, the more I realized that I smelled...really bad.  There was no way to stay completely clean without water and TP, and my sleeping bag was not contained in a dry bag but merely rolled up and stuff into my backpack.  The air about me was rank as I approached a couple of hikers a few miles from the Acorn Trail that lead down into Wrightwood.  I maintained a safe distance from the two German girls, Repunzel and XXX as I described my condition, down-playing how serious things were, and then quickly passed them.  I must have had a ghostly look on my face because a mile later they found me passed out beneath a big tree, unable to continue for the time being, and offered to carry my pack down to Wrightwood, "or anything in your pack.  We can carry your tent and your sleeping bag to lighten your load?"  "Nah, you don't want to do that, I'll be fine." I told them and then encouraged them to move on.   I had hiked almost 17 miles that morning and had skipped breakfast and dinner the night before.  I knew the down-hill side trail would be no problem - I was almost home.

I managed the last couple miles to the Acorn trail and made my way down two and half more miles, descending 2,500 feet, to the town of Wrightwood.  A last humiliation almost befell me in Wrightwood as I searched desperately for a hotel with an available room.  Checking on the Pines Motel, one of the few motels in this small town, I found they were booked!  I was panicking as it was a Friday and hotels book up on weekends.  Across the street I found the small - 4 room - Canyon Creek Inn and praying desperately to the trail gods I called the number posted on the door to the office and spoke to a genial woman who advised me that YES, there is a room available, the price is $79 per night (almost twice the rate of the hiker friendly Pines Motel), and YES it has a private bathroom with shower and tub!  "I'll take it!" trying to disguise the simultaneous desperation and relief in my voice.  "Use this code to access the key inside the lockbox and go ahead and check yourself in" she told me as I impatiently relayed her the details of my Visa Credit Card.

I took the most glorious, long shower that day in the Canyon Creek Inn motel room.  I washed everything that could be washed and slept on a comfortable mattress until dinner time.  I managed to meet other hikers at a mexican restaurant that night but could only stomach a couple bites of my carne asada dinner.    I was happy to shower again before bed and pass out watching tv content to have a toilet a few feet away.

The next day, May 19th, I took some Immodium A.D. and it worked like a charm to kill worst of the diarrhea.  I hung out as long as possible at the hotel and then crossed the street to the Pine Hotel's common picnic area and lounged for most of the afternoon with other hikers.  The PO was right down the street so I spent a couple hours updating blogs and emails.  At breakfast that morning I was able to stomach a full meal for the first time in several days at the Evergreen Cafe.  At 4 I prepared for the long hike back up the Acorn Trail and made camp just a couple miles past the trailhead at the Guffy Campground - needing a slow start back on the trail.

Day 22 - McDonalds (!?)

May 17, 2012
Day 22
Miles: 11
Total Miles: 347

Justin, 3-Bears, Matt, Ben and Christina enjoying lunch 

In the "normal" world I avoid McDonalds as much as possible.  I'm a health nut and prefer almost anything to eating at a fast food restaurant.  However, on trail, these notions change quickly.  The McDonalds at the I-15 crossing in Southern California is a beacon for all thru-hikers.  The thought of an Egg Mc-Muffin spurs many hikers to great mileages.  In my case, the big miles came yesterday (28 miles) and I was left with only a six mile hike to reach I-15 and McDonalds for breakfast!

First came the double Sausage McMuffin w/ Egg meal with a large coffee and hashbrowns.  Two hours later came lunch:  a grilled chicken salad and large strawberry milkshake.  Two hours later came the...indigestion, ill-feelings and general desire to lock myself in a dark, quiet room and sleep!  The food was not settling but I had already spent 5-6 hours here and needed to move on lest they decide to put me to work!

It turns out that ill-feeling was not just a case of greasy food shock to the system.  I had contracted food poisoning!  Two miles out from I-15 and it hit fast with the big "D".  I had no time to dig a cat-hole - I barely had to time to run off trail behind a bush.  I SHOULD have turned around and run back to the freeway and stayed at the Best Western down the road, but I convinced myself that it would pass quickly. Big Mistake!  I went another mile and had the urge to lay down and take a nap, where in the midst of this misery, a solitary humming bird floated above my face in mid-air and examined this new creature who had invaded it's territory.  I momentarily forgot my misery and delighted in the presence of this other sentient being observing me.

Humming Bird in the Desert

  After the nap I hiked on another 2-3 miles to a wonderful water cache by a dirt road - complete with lounge chairs and Calistoga water.  Here I made camp and after a few words with some other hikers, turned in early to try and sleep it out.  Little did I know that later this night would begin one of the most miserable 24 hours on the trail yet.

Unfortunate Graffiti on a trail sign looking down on Deep Creek

Day 18 - Big Bear Lake!

May 12, 2012
Day 18
Miles:  14
Total Miles:  266

Big Bear Lake!  I arrived at Highway 18 at noon after punching out 14 miles before lunch.  As I write this, I am sitting at Saucy Mama's Italian Restaurant where I am enjoying a pizza and salad with beer!  I am staying at the Big Bear Hostel for at least two nights to let my right Achilles Tendon heal up.  The hostel is very nice with common rooms, multiple showers, washer and dryer, outdoor seating areas and a full kitchen - everything a dirty hiker needs.

I had a vivid dream this morning before waking up to the sunrise at 5:30.  The dream was about Des, my ex-wife.  Our divorce was finalized in January of this year.  It was a long emotional 9 months leading up to the divorce and I am still second-guessing it.  She died in the dream and I opened my eyes with tears streaming down my face.  I continued to be emotional for another 30 minutes after getting up.  I'm not sure what this means, but I do miss her a lot and hope we can find a future together at some point in the future.  We are still friends but I feel like our relationship is not over - time will tell.  It's not often I have dreams I can remember more than just a few minutes after waking, especially emotional dreams.

Almost to Big Bear



Day 13 - Idylwild

Day 13
May 8, 2012
Miles:  0
Total Miles:  179

Breakfast demolished at Red Kettle

I did the final four miles to Saddle Junction yesterday and took the Devil's Slide Trail down to Idylwild - a 2.5 mile side trail.  Idylwild is a very nice, walkable town and  I split a two-bedroom cabin with another hiker.  First stop in town - Red Kettle Cafe for a breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon - and hot coffee.



After picking up my resupply package today, I have more food than I can carry for the next section of the hike.  I unfortunately had to ditch a bag of snickers and half a package of dark chocolate covered mint espresso beans...shame!

I am going to catch a ride to the trail parking lot today at two and then hike up to the junction to find a place to camp for the night before tackling the peak of Jacinto tomorrow.

Day 10 - Paradise Cafe!

Day 10
May 4, 2012
Miles:  23
Total Miles:  157

 

Tarzan and Little Steps cooking up trail magic

I did eighteen miles before one o'clock and it was so worth it!!  Seeing the highway from a few miles back up the trail, I noticed a couple of campers and tents - trail angels!  As I limped toward Highway 78 and the tents, Tarzan and Little Steps asked me - "would you like an omelet?"  Well...how do you answer that when you just hiked eighteen miles over some of the driest terrain so far on the trail with only food bars and nut mix to feed your hunger?  I dropped my pack and Tarzan handed me a mushroom spinach omelet wrapped in a tortilla and topped with salsa.  Little Steps handed me a margarita.  These guys must get a kick out of seeing the faces of dirty staggering hikers come to the end of a trail when they have just been handed what he/she desires most in the world.  I got a laugh from the others when I exclaimed enthusiastically, "Why yes I WOULD like an omelet!"  Dr. Sol also had his tent setup and was doing foot repair for in-need hikers. My feet, other than being sore and sensitive, were fine.  No blisters yet!

What drove me to do these 18 miles before lunch, however, was a little place down the highway called Paradise Cafe.  The thought of this place and the lore of the "best burger on the trail" had been fueling me for the entire morning.  After the omelet and margarita, I walked the half-mile to the cafe and ordered a chocolate milk and a "Jose Burger" with sweet potato fries, and a Paradise Amber beer to wash it down.  All was VERY Delicious!

At 5 o'clock, I begrudgingly left the tents at the highway and ambled down the trail another two hours where I camped near the trail.

Day 8 - Nero in Warner Springs

Day 8
May 3, 2012
Miles:  12
Total Miles:  113

Posing in front of Eagle Rock at mile 106

Took a "Nero Day" today in Warner Springs.  The community center here really set us up:  bathrooms, burgers for $5, internet, coffee, a small supply room and a hiker box.  I was able to resupply for the next few days to Idylwild using the small supply store and hiker boxes.  Unfortunately, no camping or showers here tonight so I hiked up the trail a few miles to camp.  I'm hoping my feet are less sore tomorrow after a half day off the trail. 

More angels came up the trail today bringing gatorade and lunch to Eagle Rock back at mile 106.  I missed lunch but they filled my mug with lemonade!

Days 4 and 5 - Mt. Laguna

Day 5
April 30, 2012
Miles:  17
Total Miles:  59

Tonight I setup camp near Sunrise Trailhead at approx. mile 59.5.  The camping is in a field next to a water spigot powered by solar cells.  Apparently, the solar power draws up water from a well beneath.  There are numerous other campers here tonight including Mike(Just Retired) who I shared a campsite with at KO.

I hiked mostly on my own today and enjoyed the solitude.  Scenery north across the desert was amazing! (trying to post video to this blog but having technical difficulties...)  The scenery changes everyday and even several times a day so it's exciting to see what's next.  There are approximately 3 more days hiking to Warner Springs where I will resupply at the Community Center in town.  My feet and legs are strong - feet are sore but no blisters after the initial two small blisters on Day 1.  The left knee that was concerning me is giving me no trouble now.  I am trying to do some stretches each night to keep the joints flexible but i am more likely to just lay down and crash after a long day of hiking.  Since Warner Springs is closed besides the post office and community center, it looks like Julien is the place to take a zero day.  I may or may not do that.  My clothes need to be washed and a shower would be really nice, but not essential.  After four days without a shower, I am learning to embrace being dirty and smelly.  After a few days you just don't pay attention anymore - an interesting transition from a daily shower habit.  I'm sure I will test my limits of cleanliness this summer more than once.

Yesterday, Day 4, I camped at Mt. Laguna at the Burnt Rancheria Campground.  There was a group of us including Magellan and Breeze, Pekka (Oreido?) and the orignal group that I started off with out of Lake Moreno.  The campsites were $20/night but can include up to 8 people per site.  The father of another hiker booked two sites in advance and refused reimbursement when I offered.  Another example of trail magic. 

View of the desert from Mt. Laguna

Dinner last night was a beef burrito from the Mt. Laguna store, and dinner tonight was dehydrated chicken burritos and rice (burritos seem to be a theme so far...)  I am saving the Bananna Pudding desert from Mountain House for another day.  Weather is sunny but not too warm - the Marmot Sawtooth sleeping bag is keeping me cozy at night - almost too warm!

Hikers taking a break at the Mt. Laguna store

Desert Wildflowers