Anza

OK - I've got them signing entries now, so the text code is this: Jonny Maria Kate Ezra Ben

4/21 -

Day 11- Oooh. The showers at the hot spring resort had mango soap. I took 2 showers there. Why is it the only time you feel really clean is when you were really dirty before. I'm finally breaking in, my knee problem is gone, my blisters are still there but they aren't painful. A few more days and we'll all be champs. Funny the things, the little quirks and idiosyncrasies that you learn about people when you're living on the trail with them. Like Ezra for instance, Ezra likes to eat bugs. -Kate

4/22 -

Day 12- Woke up hungry so I ate my friends. Luckily there was a privy a ½ mile from where we camped because I don't think I could have dug a hole big enough for all that. Actually the granola cereal was quite satisfying. Have gone 6 miles so far today to Lost Valley Spring. The boys are checking out the spring while I lounge in the shade in Jonny's chair-it's nice. -Maria

Have been dry camping a lot. Just bringing enough water with us to last until the next source tomorrow. Kate's filter works better than ours. She also has a charcoal filter. Sometimes she lets us use it. Ezra carries lollies and gives them out freely. He likes the deer jerky that Dad made. Ben wears my ace bandage and gives me sunscreen. One of those things is giving him blisters. Maria makes PB&J on a bun. -Jonny

4/23 -

Day 13- A couple photos from 5000' of clouds in the valley below at dawn. Beginning of disposable camera. "Charlie, I think about you every time I pass a filling station on account of all the grease you used to wear in your hair." -Tom Waits
Oyster oil on hamburger bun.

We have encountered snakes, many lizards and mice, ants and a lot of dangerous cacti. But today we have reached to the most treacherous of areas: Chihuahua Valley. The Chihuahuas dig their den/traps right next to the trail and spring forth at our ankles as we pass. Yipping like a squeak toy and gnashing their teeth. Fortunately we are all wearing Chihuahua-resistant gaiters. More importantly, we are all carrying walking sticks which we use to flick the tiny dogs from the trail to the valley floor below where they, no doubt, land safely on their feet. -Jonny

I just drew water from the 10,000 gallon tank here on Chihuahua Valley Road. This is a critical water source-without it one would have to hike 18 blistering miles between refills. Thanks to the generous owners of the tank, though, that is unnecessary. Of course, obtaining this precious liquid is not without its perils. The whole estate is heavily protected by fierce guard Chihuahuas, trained by Mexican Paramilitaries and ready to strike blood. Desperate and thirsty as we are, we of course managed to outfox the little rascals and we've come away with plenty of water and only a few Chihuahua nips. -Ben

We're a couple days out of Warner Springs now, where Mort (3 Cheers for Mort!) gave us day passes to the resort, which had nice-smelling mango soap. Since then, we've been hiking through fairly unimpressive chaparral, climbing back up to the high country. We're at 5,000 feet now; Coulter Pines are starting to appear amidst the shrubbery. We're about to climb "Bucksnort Mountain"-what the hell is Bucksnort? In other news, my boots are getting pretty chewed up from all the Chihuahuas poppin' out of their holes and nippin' at 'em. Fortunately, none of them have broken through the leather. -Ezra

So yesterday I was in deep thoughts about my good friend Sandy. I'm going to visit her in Austria this summer. So I'm walking and having these pleasant thoughts when suddenly I hear the growling whiz of a more than rapidly approaching creature. Just in time I leap from the trail into the brush. Mountain Bikers! They almost ran me down, don't they know there are

NO BIKES

on the PCT. Anywhere. NO WHERE.

So I had to kill them. -Kate

Our new bike policy is to tell bikers the number of hikers behind us, plus one. This way they will slow down for us and then continue to be cautious afterward. New TV Show: WHO WANTS TO MARRY A THRU-HIKER?

While I still remember, who we have run into on the trail: (none of us saw all of these people.)
Day 1-4 Mexicans, 2 convict trail crews, Dog Boys (other PCT hikers)
Day 2-3 day hikers, Dog Boys again
Day 3-1 hiker
Day 4-no one
Day 5-3 horses, 1 troop o' boy scouts, 1 woman day hiking
Day 6-dad with 2 kids, another scout troop
Day 7-3 mountain bikers
Day 8-dad with daughter
Day 9-no one
Day 10-1 group of little kids in morning
Day 11-1 hiker in town, no one on trail
Day 12-3 walkers, 2 bikers, 1 jogger
Day 13-no one
-Ezra

There are a couple of yo-yo-ers ahead of us. They did the mileage that we did in 11 days (110) in 4 days, How's that for an average-27+mpd

Photo of Fire Water tank at the Tule Spring. Next photo is looking over at the campsite from the trail. You can see the Tule Canyon and the dirt road is Tule Road. By trail it is over ½ mile away. Wait until you see the photo of Ez and Ben in the back of a truck on our hitch into Anza.

The 10-foot plastic post that the book mentions on page 82 is one of many in this section.

4/25 -

Day 15- 90 degrees in the shade. Ezra is complaining of symptoms dangerously resembling hypothermia. Feels warm, shedding layers, wanting to rest here, take a nap. Got to get him up and moving. -Jonny

We are on our 1st slackpack compliments of Hiker Oasis. 16 miles approx. Hot Hot sun. Have 8 ½ more to go. The book says on a breezy day the section can be quite pleasant. We did have a pleasant, breezy minute or two. -Maria

When I'm 75 I'm gonna hike this trail again, going by the trail name "Ol' Tough-As-Nails". I'm a'gonna have no tent or sleeping pad, jest a sleeping bag made o' rattlesnake hide, and sleep out on the rocks. I ain't gonna carry no pack, just an onion sack hangin' from a stick over my shoulder filled with horny toad and snake jerky.
I'm awful glad to be slack-packing this section, as it's about the hottest day we've had so far, in about the most desert-like conditions. It's about the first time we've hiked straight through the heat of mid-day, which we're doing so that we can be back at Kamp Anza by dinner. I sure would like a van-choc-straw ice cream sandwich right now. -Ez

What a nifty day. The wonderful folks here at Hiker's Oasis near Anza, Paul and Pat, have opened their home to us, fed us, and give us true warmth. And to top it off today they helped us slackpack a dry 16 mile section of trail. Hiking unyoked packfree is possibly the most wonderful gift that can be given. My poor aching and parched body felt transformed minus the pack weight. At about 5 PM we moseyed on up to the Pines to Palms Highway at the exact moment that Paul and our new friend Meadow Ed pulled up. I love good timing! This evening I'm sittin' in their lush green yard while Ez and Pat play "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" inside the doublewide. Maria and Kate have crashed and I'm soon to follow. -Ben

I asked Ben to pick up a notebook for these notes and this is what he got. We have been enjoying leather dog but now he is gone.-Jonny

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