April 15 Mt.Laguna
I'm copying the notes they sent to me here. They didn't tell me who was writing what, but I tried to color code the authors as best I could guess. Jonny Maria Kate Ezra or Ben (I'll have to get them to clear that up).
Hikers
Notes:
4/11 -
Campo
is a Border Patrol town. Lots of big Bronco type trucks speeding around the
windy roads like that old Jack Nicholson flick The Border.
There is a dirt road along the border. They drag the road every day and look
for foot prints with night vision after dark.
There is also a juvenile ranch right at the trailhead. They were wearing orange
T-shirts and doing calisthenics at dawn but wouldn't let us take a picture.
So I really miss everyone a lot, but they were really good cheesecakes
Did I mention how hot it is out here? We don't have a thermometer but I would
say that it is really quite hot.
According to the book we actually aren't even in the desert. "The PCT in
this section does not traverse true desert, but rather keeps just west of the
searing Colorado Desert, passing through an area influenced by Moist Pacific
Ocean Air."
Hot.
Met two young guys with dogs Thru-hiking on our first day.
Also two big groups of convicts doing trail work.
Not much shade but when you find it you sit down. Everyone is taking naps today
in the hot afternoon. Partly due to the 4 hours sleep we got last night.
For Breakfast, Kate had inedibly stale Triskits, which
she disposed of by throwing 'em over the border.
Tonight
we are at "Cowboy Camp." There is a fountain w/ spring water, and
old windmill that has water pouring out of the top. It made for an incredibly
refreshing but slightly masochistic shower.
Oh boy - Day 1. We've walked about 9 miles through dry
heat & chaparral & now are camped here at Cowboy Camp below Hauser Mtn.
There ain't much water around, but we found this nifty windmill that's pumping
water up from a spring & into a reservoir tank. Boy am I tired
4/12-
Familiar sounds on the PCT:
- Border patrol helicopters
- Farting
- The Crinkling wind guards of four Whisperlights
- The scattering or pitter patter of illegal feet 'illegales'
- Screams of pain as unsuspecting diners take extra-big
bites of Jonny's "too-hot" food
- Ben talkin' smack
- "la migra! la migra!"
- Snoring
- Sound of zippers
- The border patrol owning the knight
- farting
Ailments
suffered:
- Blisters
- Sunburn
- Chafing
- Bruises
- Pulled back
- Sore hips and shoulder
- Bug bites
- Itchy ass
- Having to watch Jonny lance his disgusting blisters
- Wounded knee
- Unrelieved horniness
Ah,
writing by headlamp. Up early today and hiked 6.7 by 11 AM to a stream with
shade trees where we stayed for 5 1/2 hours napping. Ate dinner for lunch. By
the time we started up again it was cool enough to hike the 4.5 to camp.
There is a campsite by a lake. We stopped at an RV to ask for directions to
the camp store. They promptly offered us beers. Our first trail magic! They
said we should drive the distance to the office. (It was only .3 miles). Got
showers on our second day out.
4/13-
Took a picture of a fence crossing today. So far we have not seen any stiles
like on the A.T. Just these barbed wire fences that you take apart and put back
together.
Taking lunch today around 26-27 miles into the trail. Ezra realizes we have
done 1% of the trail.
The next photo of a fence and highway is our first big road. Interstate 8.
Afternoon day 3:
For the first time this trip we are in what looks like 'real' mountains, on
a precipitous mtn. trail - I an so thrilled to be here at this exact moment
- heading up into the high peaks of the Lagunas - Wa hoo!
Jonny just lanced 2 blisters on his pinkie toe. The first
was a medium large boil at the base of his toenail. The larger of the two is
on the tip & bottom of his toe. It is huge and disgusting - I don't envy
the man. His toe is all wrinkly from sitting in his boot all day & a pale
blue color from the sticky moleskin goo. Possible trailnames: Lance or Sir Lance
a lot
We're now down and the edge of Kitchen Creek. Jonny's soaking his feet &
bats are swooping overhead hunting dinner
"Chocolate
Edge Bars" we have discovered, look just like a log of crap, useful for
scaring other hikers.
4/14-
Rude
awakening on the morning o' day 4 as a short rain storm rolls in with the dawn.
Ez & Ben, sleeping beside the creek w/o tents jump awake and scramble to
put their stuff under covers. As soon as everything is put away, the rain stops.
I don't know if it is the elevation or what, but it's overcast and windy today,
a good 30-40 degrees cooler today than it was yesterday. Resting in the afternoon
w/ all of my layers on. Happy for the moments of direct sunlight slipping through
cracks in the heavy gray clouds.
Coolest moment so far was last night sitting on kitchen creek at dark. Bats
looping back and forth like they are in a skate park. Showing off by seeing
how close they could come to our faces. Kate and Jonny couldn't stop laughing.
Picture of Maria Kate and Ben filtering water - My camera
Kate finishing her bushwhack from our lunch spot.
Ezra is hiking his own hike on the Ezra Crest Trail (ECT) which sometimes crosses
or coincides with the PCT.
4/15-
Day
5 heading into Mt. Laguna to the P.O. We are all carrying the Big PCT guide
that you have. The section we have now is page 43-126. Feel free to follow along.
Last night was a mishap. Our longest day so far, 11.8. Maria missed the campsite
and Jonny chased her down 2.5 miles later. An extra 5 miles. In at dark. Lots
of leg and foot pain.
Day five is Saturday - First mail drop
Jonny & Maria's does not arrive.
