4/7/20, mile 210, elevation 1,342 ft.
It may not be the sun shining down on me, but something was. Midnight bladder relief came during a respite from the rain…and again in the morning when it came time to take the tent down and pack my “stuff”. In the early morning hours before sunrise, I was awakened by the thunder of boulders being driven down Snow Creek, just 1/2 mile away from me. Even at that distance, the sense of power was unbelievable; it lasted for over a minute. Damn, the desert is alive!
After dinner the night before, I started doing research for my plans of rest and resupply. The biggest worry being able to get fuel for my stove. I did some research, posted on a couple of websites, and finally just figured I’d wait until the interstate before I made a decision.
The morning wasn’t cold, for once. It was kind of a relief. Before departing, I couldn’t resist the urge to give a final salute to Mt. San Jacinto. I’d say this round was a draw. Thank you very much for letting me walk away.
I started walking down the road, in the light rain again, and doing so very slowly. My knee just didn’t want to cooperate. It was only 3-ish miles to the highway, I was in no hurry, and my body didn’t seem to want me to be in a hurry anyways. So be it. As I trodded down the road, I found this snail marching about as fast as me, but going up-canyon. I like your style, one slide at a time, one day at a time. Stay focused.
A little further down, near the private community of Snow Creek, I heard a sound, something familar. Water. Flowing water. In the desert. Sure as shit, there it is, water flowing in the desert; maybe making it’s way to the Salton Sea.
The final hurrah was the “dry” wash I had to follow to get to I-10, though it wasn’t dry…it was moist and muddy. Once I got to the highway, I discovered the famous “I-10 Oasis”; trail magic under the freeway including water and a signature board containing some names I recognize.
While looking for some trail magic my favorite B.I.L. left for me 10 days ago while he was passing through (no joy, boo hoo), I saw a pickup truck show up. The driver gets out and starts asking me questions about my hike and the conditions on San Jacinto. Before I knew it, I had a ride not only to Cabazon to get my packages from the Post Office, but he turned east towards Palm Springs which he said was much better than towns to the west. Along the way, I quickly re-investigated lodging, shopping and fuel sources and scored a hotel room within walking distance to most of my needs. Jeff is retired and out exploring some of the PCT while on his way to his other home in Arizona. Jeff, thanks for the ride and the company. It’s people like you that make a thru hike like this possible.
Savior thanks you!