20 Miles Today
20 Total Miles
Got up at 5:00 am so that I wouldn't be late for my ride to the border. It was still dark but there were signs of life in other tents. They flowed and flickered liked alien spaceships as the occupants moved around inside with their glowing headlamps. Spartan and Melissa gave myself and Brendan a ride. It was interesting to ride through the area I had spent so many hours 'flying' over with Google Earth. It looks completely different.
The southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail is on the top of a ridge with a view in all directions except south which is blocked by a big metal border wall. Brendan and I were dropped off. A few pictures were taken and we began to head north. The weather has been much cooler than I expected. Completely overcast and socked in on the tops of the ridges. I hiked nonstop back to Lake Morena. Completing the twenty mile section in about seven hours. There were about six of us that leapfrogged past each other until the end of the day. A guy named Joe and I took the lead and hiked into Lake Morena together. Joe was only stopping for water and planned to hike another five miles before stopping.
I spent the afternoon relaxing. I took a quick sponge bath and then made my dinner. It is so much easier to prepare food when it is light. I am planning to eat all of the rest of my meals during the day. I made navy Bean soup with added freeze dried turkey and rice. I spiced it up with a little Cajun seasoning.
After dinner, around four thirty I decided to go and get in the group picture for the PCT hikers of 2015. Even though I am not hiking the whole way I am thru hiking on the PCT in 2015. While walking through the crowd I saw Kelly Baraga. She attends the same church as I do and started her PCT on April 11. She had gotten a ride down to the kickoff from Idylwild, about one hundred and fifty miles north on the PCT. I introduced myself and when she figured out who I was we were immediately good friends and compatriots. We sat on the same rock for the group picture. I asked her about the trail conditions, especially the water. She said the she has been carrying six liters and it has been enough for her. That's good because I have about six liter capacity too and plan to do the same.
I have been thinking all day that the clouds were going to go, and the sun was going to come out. The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar there'll be sun. But not today. I checked the forecast on my way to the group picture and it said it was going to rain all night. The wind has since then picked up tremendously and the rain is coming down in sheets. The wind is buffeting my tent. Shaking the walls and pulling on the stakes. So far they are still holding and I am completely dry and cozy in my twenty degree bag.
This evening's storm is turning into quite a production. I'll end with a few pictures.
Melissa, Brendan, me, and Spartan
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