5.29.18

Hunger of the pines . . . ALT J

I woke and after the mourning routine was ready for the trail. Sissyphus, Paul, and Mike were all packing up and getting ready as well as the usual banter started on. Mike piped up, pointing to the outhouse, “Someone left a huge mess in the basement of that playhouse!” We all roared in a laugh and finished up our packing before heading out.

I pushed on first, hiking out of the awesome camp into the pine forest. Over the next few miles the forest spit us out back into the desert below as we decended the trail. We trekked on and soon found a water cashe at 7 miles. Thankt the lord for trail angels in this dry section of trail! Without some of the strategically placed caches I could see this being a very hard stretch.

The gang all rejoined at the cache, then we pushed out together across the vast desert landscape. We could see it changing, the mountains were half desert, half grante, givinmg prelude to the Sierras to come. We took in the sights before another nice break 6 miles later.

The push t the next cache was a warm one and I pressed on first. The trail had become sany and I watched the lizards scamper at the sight of my approach. Twisting and turning I pressed on up through the moutains and finally over a last long hill to the next cache. It was like we had hiked into a new bubble of hikers, most of the people here I had never seen or met, We said hi and cameled up.

There was 3miles between us and camp and they, of course, were all up hill. I took it on in ernest and before I knew it, sweating, panting, heart racing, I gained the 1700 feet to the top where camp awaited. The fellas trickled in and soon diner was made and we were als linking off to our tents. What a great day!

Hiker Profile:

1liner – 32, from Ohio Originally, he went to school in Wisconsin for Physics and Math. Them after having trouble finding a job after the 2008 crash he went to a tech school and learned to be a machinist. He settles in Seattle and worked there for quite a few years. He wants to have his own machine shop and has started purchasing tools. He attempted the PCT in 2007, but after contracting a neuroviris and puking and deficating for 3 days straight every 3 hours, he decided to leave the trail and come back this year to try again.

Paul – 23, From Davis, he studies Political Science at UCSantaBarbara. He really went there to run and standing at 6’3, 160 at the time, he was quick. Unfortunatly a sting of injury stunted his career. His girlfriend is in San Francisco working with foster kids. She is scheduled to come in 1 month to hike with him. After the trail they will figure the rest out together.