Mt. Laguna Resupply

Day 5, Mile 48.7

So it was cold last night. I should have worn the heavier base layer. Lesson learned. All of the slush froze over night. The nice thing about camping in the snow is that things don’t really get wet, snow makes wonderful dishwashing solution, and it can be used to wipe your nose or your rear.

I decided to forgo cooking a breakfast (oatmeal) to save time. Today was town day. The Post Office was only open from 9-11am. I needed to shop and ship food today or wait here until Monday.

The sound of crunching snow under your feet is mesmorizing. I’m talking the hard frozen snow from the stuff that didn’t melt yesterday. You don’t sink, just leave little imprints, and you have amazing traction. The frozen mud and water that covered the trail is a different animal. Thank you Honey Bunny for the trekking poles. Saved my ass more than once this morning.

After the 4-ish mile trek to town, I was taken aback by the kindness of the other hikers, residents, visitors and the owners of the store. There were more hikers this morning than I’ve seen in two days on the trail. I finally felt a little of the community that a thru hike is all about. It was such a joy to meet and talk with them, to hear their stories, their plans. And there were also hikers quitting and going home.

I spent $100 on food and $21 to send part of it ahead. Then I spent $10 on brunch. I bought an extra fuel canister even though I don’t need one. With the potential for trail towns being “closed” or the outfitters not being open, stove fuel may become the hottest commodity on the trail (close second to TP now that we’re below the snow level)

The afternoon hike led to some fantastic views of the desert to the east, including the Salton Sea. Most of us were bound and determined to camp below snow level as the trail continues north and loses elevation. We even had some sun which was quite a treat, allowing me to recharge my battery pack as I hiked. And the number of vehicles and people out exploring, hiking, playing in the snow or just driving their sports cars and motorcycles on the mountain roads makes me wonder that I’m not the only one that enjoys getting out of town, even during a shelter in place.

The upcoming stretches start getting longer between water availabitliy. Like my pack isn’t heavy enough with the extra food and fuel I’m carrying, just in case. If that’s what it takes, so be it.

So on I hike, one step at a time, one day at a time. If I need to skip towns, I will. Improvise, adapt, overcome (and sanitize).