4/6/20, mile 205, elevation 1,729 ft.
The best part of last night was that I saved a freeze dried dinner donated to me from my bestest buddy, T.C. It was easy, hot, meaty and cheesy and was a wonder with some tortillas cooked and eaten in my tent. The wind last night was horrendous. Not that it tore the tent apart (I was in a pretty well protected area), but you could hear it just tearing down the mountain. My Dog it was loud! But I was also too tired to really care. The clouds continually blew around, leaving everything wet, just waiting for the wind to blow the moisture everywhere…like on my tent.
Come morning, I didn’t really feel rested, nor looking forward to today. It was ALL downhill…5,000-ft. over 12 miles. It was still windy and wet, though not wet enough to require a poncho-poo. Small rewards, I guess.
My selfie at 0830 makes me look just as tired as I was the evening before. I kept hoping against hope on the descent that I’d get out of the light rain, clouds and wind and be able to relax a little. Nope. I was getting frustrated, still sore, tired and thirsty. Everytime I stopped to take a break and try to mentally catch up the clouds would come and the wind would shift, chilling me again. It wasn’t wet enough to put on rain gear or extra layers….unless I stopped for more than 5 minutes. This was the nature of the day, the mountain just didn’t want to let me go or forget.
I finally found a spot under an overhanging rock to get out of the rain and get a chance to eat. Though not quite enough head and butt room to be perfectly comfortable, it worked. A little later and lower, I caught a wiff of something like lavender. I paused, looked around and finally actually SAW the amount of wildflowers around me.
That’s the moment I took the time to smell the flowers and really start to appreciate what I was experiencing. Just like the midnight snowstorm a week ago, this was a special moment. Most others who travel through here talk about the heat, lack of shade and the misery of the descent. So hey, all I had to really deal with was the misery of the descent, right?
And hey, it never crossed my mind to look for it since I was a bit focused, but I hit the 200-mile mark. Can you believe it!? I sure as shit can’t. Just 2,452 more miles to go.
As I got within a couple of miles of the end of my day, I started seeing fresh footprints. This is the first sign of people I’ve seen on the trail since the couple in the snow before Fuller Ridge yesterday morning. By this time, the trail was nearing the lower edges of the canyons, and the rocks were getting quite cool looking. But not nearly as attractive as getting to the water fountain and the end of my long-ass day.
Right at the fountain, I met Circus and Snapshot. She’s from Germany, he’s from Switzerland. And they know Ash, Radish, Mom and Loud Cloud. Yes, this is a small world. It was fun chatting with them, and I was surpised to learn they were going to hike through I-10 without resupplying. I can’t imagine how much food they’re carrying…..
I spent a lot of time just drinking water, looking around and absorbing the views. Yes, it was still lightly raining….F-it. It wasn’t cold nor really windy, and I still had plenty of daylight. So I just soaked it up. The water fountain here is provided by the local Desert Water Agency…thank you very much! What more could I want. I was in view of the interstate, could hear the trains, and was just a little curious if I hiked just a little lower I may get out of the rain….hell no. I’m done for the day.
I got the tent up in a lull in the rain, and finally got my stuff inside. Again, thanks to T.C. I had another freezed dried tasty meal. I think I need to work on my meals, they may not have enough calories and fat. Or maybe I need to work on what I eat and when….this woud be kind of fascinating if I wasn’t fricken’ hungry all of the time.
Despite the light rain, despite the overcast, camping in the desert is it’s own special thing. Long, drawn out views, huge expansive terrain, and no neighbors. You can pee and poop in peace.
Savior out.