Day 4: Demonstrating my Style

Part 1; The Desert; Day 4

Miles: 21.93

PCT Mile: 68.50

I baptized my feet today in the fiery desert sand. Last night in my haste to set up camp, I chose the worst spot ever. It was uneven in every way and windy, but I slept 5 hours so I must be tired. I started hiking by 6am and made breakfast at a campground a few miles away. I hung out with this guy Terry, a real cool Midwestern fellow and he gave me some coffee. Giving food items is a big deal on the trail, apparently.

I got water here...

... and I was off. Not long after I left, I met a man named Legend, who, true to his namesake, is quite a Legend on the PCT. I've heard of him before, he's been hiking sections for 30 years. Quite a character.

I knew I would spend the day getting back down to the desert and after walking up a narrow cliff with about 30 memorials for dead people and graffiti everywhere (in the middle of no where) I was ready for anything, and my next view still caught me off guard.

This view would turn out to be my companion for the rest of the day, as I followed the edge of the Anza Borrego desert for over ten miles. I must be hiking in a bubble, because I spend hours completely alone in this vast desert, then all of a sudden I'll see other hikers. I continued on towards my destination, another horse fountain. 

I've found that my feet will go about ten miles with full pack weight until they start bitching, so when I got to the highway, I stopped to get water and take a break. 

Did I mention that this area seems like a great place to get murdered? If I disappear, start the investigation here. There was absolutely nobody around, so naturally I used the shade of the disgusting bathrooms to make some ramen.

I went in the privy there to see if they had a trash and I heard a man snoring in the next room over. Sure enough, the door was locked and a pair of shoes were outside the door, almost as if he was leaving them out to be shined, but at this point I'd been there for an hour, and when I heard a loud grunt and movement, I decided it was time to hit the trail. Best of luck to you sir!

The trail went on and on as the temps went up, and my feet were throbbing, so I tried to lighten my load by guzzling water. Imagine that, Instead of hoarding water, I actually use it! I stopped to check my feet and sure enough, 3 blisters. This girl who I'd been leapfrogging (not that!! when two hikers pass each other many times all day, you pervs) was trying to get me to pop them, but I'm squeamish, though I may go to work on them in my tent. With my luck, I'll probably sever an artery. (What appeared to be blisters were actually just callouses; no actual blisters)

The trail was basically full of these things pictured above, the rocks hurting my feet, and the plants fun to look at, just don't smell them, because cacti...what's the dealio?

The last ten miles went down, through, and over the epic Chariot Canyon, and followed this beast of a mountain down to the desert floor. 

I forget its name at the moment, but I will tell you that during the final mile to camp my feet felt like they were giving birth. I hobbled into the desert valley around sunset and there are many other PCT hikers camped here getting ready for the upcoming 30 mile waterless section. I set up my tent and cooked dinner. I really like to look at the stars out here all night while I try to sleep, there is a lot of activity in the sky here in the desert. Satellites, planes, comets...and who knows...?

NOTE:

I was horrified at the amount of typos in my last post, so please ignore them. I type at night in the freezing cold, exhausted, with a head lamp, on a keyboard the size of a dollar bill with no way to edit.Thanks!