Monday May 4, 2015
20 Miles Today
241 Total Miles
This many miles per day is beginning to wear me out. Desert miles, arid, dry, dusty, and rocky. Each deserty section I pass through in unique in some ways, but over all, the beauty doesn't take my breath away like the mountains do.
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| Ziggy and the Bear have a carpeted backyard! |
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| Longest five miles on the PCT, the desert from the Snow Creek faucet to Ziggy and the Bear's |
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| This gate keeps short posts out |
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| Quail scurrying about |
Have I mentioned the wind? No, wow, how could I have forgotten that? It is buffeting my tent from multiple directions. Tearing at it, clawing and shredding. This is some of the strongest gusts I have ever been in in a tent. I took pictures of my extra precautions on the guy points, we'll see if they hold up. I think that I am going to wear ear plugs tonight, the rattling is so loud it might be hard to sleep.
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| Wind-proof tent setup! |
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| Three guylines from every guy point, each with a rock! My tent stayed up while other's collapsed! |
It was windy last night at Ziggy and the Bear's. I thought that might have been because of their location, this location, is probably windier. If anything comes undone or snaps, I think I am just going to duck my head and wait for morning, If this tent comes apart half my stuff will be blown out into the desert. I am camped in a canyon along side of Mission creek. The elevation is high enough that it isn't as hot as the desert below.
Today I actually contemplated giving up the notion that I could hike the entire PCT. It was hot, I was tired and this is my ninth? Tenth? Twenty plus mile day. I am tired of hiking and especially tired of this wind. One of the things I grew up with every day in San Francisco was the wind. I loath it, it is the one thing that will drive me inside quicker than anything else. I detest being in it. So there's that too.
My thoughts about hiking the entire thing... I miss being inside. I don't like having to cook every night. I was going to say I am sick of the food, but tonight I made 'Mamas spicy Italian soup' and it was really good. Even if I did have to eat it in the wind. I am rambling I know, but I don't know how to express the mixed thoughts that I am having about hiking right now. My low point came, and went, this afternoon. I had stupidly assumed that I had enough water, too lazy to check how many miles to the next water. Well I ran out five miles before the next water source. Mentally it is really hard for me. I start making compounding mistakes, such as since I can't drink I can't eat because eating makes me thirsty. When I don't eat my pace slows down and I start feeling drained and worn out. Each step is a painful plod up the trail, slower, and slower.
When I reached the water source do I fill up? No again I made a stupid mistake. I knew that the trail crossed the stream twenty one times in six miles, why carry water? I can just stop and get more any time. Who wants to carry water? It's heavy. So I try that and my pace slows even more. I can't reach the water on my pack, I don't want it in my hand. Argghh! Finally the logical part of my brain overrode to goofy part. I stopped and filled up my two liter water bladder and began eating nuts and M&Ms drinking as much as I wanted. Finally back on track my pace picked up but the thoughts about hiking, or rather not hiking, didn't go away. I am thinking that I am due for a zero day.
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| The lazy dummy who didn't refill his water at Whitewater before he knew he was going to run out. |
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| Weather at Big Bear? |
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| This snake didn't rattle. |
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| Right across the trail |
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| As if to say, "Don't tread on me!" |
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