An Ideal Day on the PCT
Our sixth day on the trail was about as ideal of a day thru-hiking that you can get. We got out of camp and were on the trail by six. A morning fog blocked out the sun while we walked through the cow pastures. They were sweet and there was a calf that ran alongside us while we marched. The misty fog made for great ambiance and cool weather. It burned off around eleven when we made it to Eagle Rock, where the desert winds sculpted this masterpiece ages ago.
Soon after that we hitchhiked our way into Warner Springs. It has been so easy to find rides into and out of town. A local named Bruce picked us up and took us a few miles down the road to a gas station. Lizzy and I grabbed some junk food and headed out behind the dumpster with the other thru-hikers. Pretty soon we had our fill of hot dogs and potato chips and were ready to get back to walking.
By this time there were probably about a dozen hikers loitering around this gas station. So we decided that it would be best to try and hitch sooner rather than later. As luck would have it Bruce was heading back home after his errands and was able to take four of us back to the trailhead. This was probably our quickest resupply we have ever pulled off. In and out of Warner Springs in about an hour.
It was a hot one that afternoon and about two miles after getting back on trail we found a bridge with a creek running through it and decided it was the perfect spot for a siesta. We soaked our feet while airing out our tents in the sun.
When the heat broke we emerged from underneath the bridge and marched to camp. On the PCT water sources can be very scarce so there are typically plenty of campsites nearby where all the hikers congregate. That night there were probably about 20 of us all packed in on top of a cliff side in the middle of the desert in Southern California. It is hard to get more of an ideal day out here. Great hiking, gas station food for lunch, and a beautiful sunset with good friends.
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