Wow
The first 100 miles have been something else. I am sitting at the Warner Springs Resort at mile 110 on the PCT. After this it is time to soak in the natural hot springs, their hot springs pool is 48'x100'and gets to be 7'10" deep all at a temperature of 100-102 degrees farenheight. It's going to feel goooooood!
The first two days were a bear. Both had very little shade and the temperature out of the sun was around 95 degrees. Day one was 20 miles with no water, and the second one turned into around 18 miles because I got lost! I missed a turn right at the beginning and wasted the cool morning air as I putted around. On the second day I noticed an important support on my tent ripping and on day four I clumsily tour it out. In a matter of four days I had to borrow fuel, the crap I bought didn't work, got lost and broke my tent all while traveling 54 miles down the trail.
When the tent broke I decided to head back to Mt. Laguna where I had cell phone service and attempt to derive a solution. I packed up and stated to hike back the roads, nine times out of ten the roads are a shorter distance then the trail, maybe I can hitch-hike. The moment I get on the road an SUV and RV pull over and pick me up. There is a kickoff each year for the PCT and it is held back where I spent my first night, Lake Morena. It is a large event held through donations and has information sessions on geology and first aid to name a couple. The people who picked me up were on their way to the kick off. The RV had several other Thru-hikers, I rode in the SUV and asked to be let off at Mount Laguna. The SUV and RV were rented by and driven by a National Geographic film crew. When we reached Mount Laguna the RV died. As they waited to get another RV I started to figure out what I was going to do about my tent. Talking to some hikers I found out that the creator of my tent, it's a tarptent, Henry Shires will be at the kickoff. New destination back to Lake Morena.
The National Geographic team decided to start shuttling with the one SUV the rest of the way. I stayed back with some others to wait for another ride or for the SUV to come back. An old rustic van pulls up, driven by a man with the trail name "Chuck Norris". We stuff our packs in the back and seven hikers squeez into the tight back seat area, 3 on the seat, 3 on the ground, and me with half my ass on the seat and my head hitting the sealing. Fun ride.
At the kick off I met a lot of people, 800 attended. I met Henry Shires and he sewed up my tent right in front of me, gave me his card and told me to contact him if I still had trouble. Some decent food and cool weather. Getting away from the kick off myself and three others fit our packs in the back of the car and the four of us on the back seat, the car a little blue Prius.
Once I got back on the trail things have been going smothly, even with the multiple 20+ mile sections without water. The people are some of the nicest you will ever meet and I have come across a couple coolers filled with soda and apples left for hikers. People regularly supply water caches in the dry sections every week.
Well I'm off. Hope everything is going well.
The hot springs becon.
The first two days were a bear. Both had very little shade and the temperature out of the sun was around 95 degrees. Day one was 20 miles with no water, and the second one turned into around 18 miles because I got lost! I missed a turn right at the beginning and wasted the cool morning air as I putted around. On the second day I noticed an important support on my tent ripping and on day four I clumsily tour it out. In a matter of four days I had to borrow fuel, the crap I bought didn't work, got lost and broke my tent all while traveling 54 miles down the trail.
When the tent broke I decided to head back to Mt. Laguna where I had cell phone service and attempt to derive a solution. I packed up and stated to hike back the roads, nine times out of ten the roads are a shorter distance then the trail, maybe I can hitch-hike. The moment I get on the road an SUV and RV pull over and pick me up. There is a kickoff each year for the PCT and it is held back where I spent my first night, Lake Morena. It is a large event held through donations and has information sessions on geology and first aid to name a couple. The people who picked me up were on their way to the kick off. The RV had several other Thru-hikers, I rode in the SUV and asked to be let off at Mount Laguna. The SUV and RV were rented by and driven by a National Geographic film crew. When we reached Mount Laguna the RV died. As they waited to get another RV I started to figure out what I was going to do about my tent. Talking to some hikers I found out that the creator of my tent, it's a tarptent, Henry Shires will be at the kickoff. New destination back to Lake Morena.
The National Geographic team decided to start shuttling with the one SUV the rest of the way. I stayed back with some others to wait for another ride or for the SUV to come back. An old rustic van pulls up, driven by a man with the trail name "Chuck Norris". We stuff our packs in the back and seven hikers squeez into the tight back seat area, 3 on the seat, 3 on the ground, and me with half my ass on the seat and my head hitting the sealing. Fun ride.
At the kick off I met a lot of people, 800 attended. I met Henry Shires and he sewed up my tent right in front of me, gave me his card and told me to contact him if I still had trouble. Some decent food and cool weather. Getting away from the kick off myself and three others fit our packs in the back of the car and the four of us on the back seat, the car a little blue Prius.
Once I got back on the trail things have been going smothly, even with the multiple 20+ mile sections without water. The people are some of the nicest you will ever meet and I have come across a couple coolers filled with soda and apples left for hikers. People regularly supply water caches in the dry sections every week.
Well I'm off. Hope everything is going well.
The hot springs becon.
posted by Damon at
5:46 PM
1 Comments:
Howdy Damon!!! Kudos! You are on the way!! Sounds like it's not too lonesome so far. Keep on posting!! Regards. Annie
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