Week two: Julian (mi 77) to mile 210

"Home is where you unpack it" - Sled Dog

Week two has been just as busy, with more amazing views. It's an interesting experience being out on the trail even this long (13 days as I write this). 

I'm amazed at the mileage that's flowing past me, already hit 210. There was a 20 mile closure of trail near the town of Idyllwild, so I've not hit 200 exactly of my own feet, but still feels good.

Yep, my feet get that dirty THROUGH my socks

Beauty and brutality in the Desert:

I'm no Ansel Adams... but trying anyway

It's hot. My main daily concern is mileage to the next water source. Other than that, there's an unbelievable amount of freedom out here. I eat, sleep, rest, and walk when I want, within the only confining parameters of finishing the trail before the season turns.

For a solid span of days, I was unaware of the day of week. By 9:00 the heat of day is already in swing. Most hikers get solid mileage in the morning, then camp out for the heat of the day, hiking again in the cool evening. It's nice to be outside, feeling the lenth of a day in it's entirety. The heat wears you down though..

But the sunset's more than make up for it. We've made it a priority to have a daily "sunset pow-wow" to watch the day's final scene.

Wicked sunset view

A Tale of two Terrible Nights:

And times are not all fun. I should mention the terrible times as well. I've had two miserable nights, only needing my tent 3 nights in total since I've been out (cowboy camping the rest of the time).

The first was my very first night on trail. The weather was cold and windy when I started, and rain set in that evening. I ended up pitching my tent a little too close to sundown in wind and rain. The desert soil was loose due to the moisture, and I bent a tent stake trying to hammer them in tight. In the end though, my tent was dry inside, and sleeping bag was warm. It was just a frustrating start.

The second was last night, on a big decent from the San Jacinto mountains. It was insanely windy on the exposed mountainside, and I managed to pitch a solid set up with large rocks on the stakes to hold them in place... but the wind carried lots of dust right into my tent all night. It powdered everything, and I tied a bandana around my face to avoid breathing it in. In the morning, the crust in my eyes was mud when I cleared it out. A late night rain accompanied this wind, to make things rougher. A few miles up the mountain, others got a powdering of snow!

I was warned that week two is when the initial enthusiasm starts to wane, and the mileage becomes a chore. I felt that a bit today. Looking back at the mountains I just came from helps a little, but talking with other hikers going through the same hard nights helps loads. We'll have to see what week 3 has in store. 

Week two video coming soon! Need to find a solid connection to upload...