I wake up early and can hear the cars speeding down highway 174. Damn that’s loud, or maybe I am hungover. The suns coming up over the building and I plan to hang my sleeping bag out to dry. I have about an hour before I get a ride back to trail and it’s time for breakfast. Some gummy worms, peach rings, Thomas English muffin tops, little beef jerky and some electrolytes.
Alan shows up and says good morning, we say goodbye to Oden the lion slayer and Alan gives us a ride back to trail. We get to trail around 8:45AM. We both look at each other and say “today’s a write off.” Looking for a campsite 14-16 miles away. Something nice and easy, we feel sluggish, hungover, have trashed feet and are just tried. About a mile in Seven says “buddy, what do you got in that blister kit?” Me having gone through that expedition last week. I got you bro, I fully stocked up in Big Bear.
We break out the full kit on a rock and get him going again. Quick tire rotation 300+ miles in for the guy. Now with Sevens foot feeling good, it’s a short time till we get to a big dam. And I mean a big dam. We wonder what’s behind it not knowing there’s a lake there. The last three we’ve seen have been dry. From there It’s a little road walk around a power plant then we poke back into the woods.
The trail has been uneventful today in comparison but the’ve been “easy” miles so far. I filter some water and expect 2 liters to get me through till the next water source. If not it’s 10 miles to that lake. As soon as I get water the trail changes to some incline. Steep incline.
As we climb up we get to the lake and overlook it. It looks huge. I see 3 boats out in the water and that’s a nice site to see. It’s almost boating season back home too. Which reminds me that Winnisquam Marinas sent me 5 emails this season, I need to pay my own boat storage bill for the summer. Anyone want to buy a 2013 Centurion? We walk a few miles overlooking little coves and beaches. It look pristine from up here.
Another mile goes by and we drop down into the day camp on the beach to enjoy our lunch and air out our feet. This beach area was unfortunately trashed! Cans, bottles and just trash everywhere about.
It makes me say to Seven, “man as a taxpayer it’s upsetting to see a couple million dollars invested into a beautiful park to see that they NEVER take care of it. Why even build it? Why even waste the money?” They even put a full ADA handicapped ramp and bathroom at a “boat up only” location.
We pack up after lunch and get moving again we plan to hit the next water source and then set up camp after that. That leaves us 16 miles tomorrow to McDonald’s right now. We continue on through the meandering trail as it climbs and then falls and then climbs again. We look for a spot to camp and there’s just nothing. Another mile and we find a spot, pitch my tent and it starts getting covered in ants, ugh I pack up and it’s on to the next one.
Another mile and nothing and another nothing, finally at this point we’ve hit 23 miles for the day and we see a flatish piece of ground. It’s now 6PM and the sun will be setting behind the hill in 20 minutes.
I pitch my tent. The stakes arnt holding but I’m tired. I say screw it it’s time for dinner.
The usual combination of food goes into my stomach. As we sit there eating and talking Seven and I are both startled by another hiker charging through the bushes to say hi. It’s Tardy from Belgium, he was looking to push another mile or so but he saw us and decided to cowboy camp with us. I throw Tardy some extra food I have to lighten my pack and it’s a win win. I’m lighter and he’s fed, him being 18 maybe I am being a little big brotherly to him.
My opinion of this kid so far, he’s a well educated kid from Belgium who speaks 5 languages. Hes out here rawdogging the trail with no apps or map. His parents are both successful doctors, and he plans to go study physics and philosophy in college after this trip ends.
Definitely not a dumb kid, even my self at that age was very “smaht”. But you always have a lot to learn, I’ve even learned so much just the last month out here just from Seven. But brains aside I can’t watch this kid starve till McDonald’s though, so I toss him my Knorr buffalo Mac. With McDonalds tomorrow my stomach does not need the spice.
After dinner we all do our nightly routines, for me, brush my teeth, check for ticks, predig a hole, yoga, stretching, cork ball roll my feet, a smidge of weed , a couple minutes of a show (Entourage tonight-The Script and the Sherpa episode RIP Val Kilmer) and then I write my blog simply so I can remember the day better and unwind. If I don’t write notes at night the days just seem to combine them selves into one.
As I lay in my tent finished for the night it’s actually a loud campsite. I hear a train horn in the distance. A minute later loud planes overhead. I’m guessing LAX is either landing or taking off and their paths above us. I check the map and see I ended up 6.5 miles away from the El Cajon Pass McDonald’s. Hash browns for breakfast tomorrow and 100% a couple apple pies.. Probably 3. I haven’t had McDonald’s since I was in New Zealand… Man I wish I wrote about that trip, New Zealand was a life changing trip.
The Pacific Crest Trail 