Day 5: Monday, May 2

(Stud): We woke up to rolling thunder at 4:30 am and broke camp quickly. Headed down the trail in the dark with Dwight in the lead heading the wrong direction. A barely visible figure told us we were headed the wrong way and we found out later we interupted someone taking a dump. Cooler and windy today, did not get above 70 until around noon. Lots of water at Scissors Crossing water cashe. Met 3 guys taking bird inventory at bridge near Scissors. There was a cow birdtrap there.

The Anzo Borrego Desert was somewhat desolate yet filled with interesting cactus. Several were flowering. Found a nice place to have lunch around 11:30. The Mountain House Pro Pac Spagetti we had was pretty tasty.

Arrived at the next water cache around 6:30. Only about 10 gallons of water was left. Between the 3 of us we took about 3/4 gallons hopefully leaving enough for the hikers behind us until the cashe is resupplied tomorrow.

People I met today: Pygmy and Noel (from Hawaii); Jeremy and Sunshine, Ready to Hike and Feet of Fire from Asheville NC, Easy, EasyDoesIt (not the same one as we met on the AT), Marshmallow/City Girl, (she can't decide on which one to go with).

(Dr Bug) ...At 4am thunder claps twice and there is lightning strike on a distant mountain. We are sleeping under the open sky and Susan freeks! She's afraid her sleeping bag will get wet. I'm too tired to care and besides, we're in the desert, the average annual rain fall is a mere 6 inches, or so. Anyway, we husstle ourselves up and break camp. We ended yesterday at 9pm. It was dark when we arrived, dark when we departed and the light was not on between my ears. I urgently and confidently lead us down the dark trail in the wrong direction.

No significant rain actually hit the ground. In the mornings light we saw distant rains evaporate before reaching the ground. This was the day we walked the Anza Borrego Desert. We were expecting 100 degree temperatures. The cloud cover from the 'storm that never was', lasted most of the day. The temp. in the desert was 70. It was a gift.

Day 4: Monday, May 1

Before we left the Shriner Campgroud this morning, Leslie and I collected the laundry we left hanging in the ladies room the previous night. We'd attempted to clean our hiking clothes with the shampoo the campground hostess gave us--but there seems to be no end to the dirt that comes out of your clothes. We headed out around 7 when it was still cool enough to wear a jacket--at least for the first 5 minutes we were on the trail.

The early hiking was breezy and not too hot; lots of wildflowers and expansive views. For the first time since the beginning of the hike there are a few clouds.

By 10 we were hiking in an area that had extensive forest fires in 2001. There was a lot of new srubby growth, and the skeletal remains of the burned out oaks made a sculptural contrast to the emerging plants. The downside of the burn area was that there was absolutely zero shade and it was starting to warm up.

Around lunch time we stopped at the roadside corral at Sunset Hwy(?) to get water from the well there and some reprieve from the sun. A number of hikers had snatched up the limited shade availble in the shadows of the roadside john and from the small water tank next to the well. We hung a tarp from one of the coral hitching posts in an awning type arrangement and baked under there for the next few hrs--it really wasn't very comfortable.

We headed out around 3:30 as it was starting to cool down, and stopped to make dinner at Chariot Canyon. We met a hiker who was just moving on named Wounded Knee.

We finished dinner around 6:3O and arrived at Rodriguez Rd (a dusty, dirt road xing in the middle of nowhere) around 8:30 where a whole gaggle of hikers are tenting. A nearly full moon accompanied us for the last hour of hiking along with a nice breeze and mild climate. Early morning and late evening are deinitely the best times to hike here.

Day 3: Sunday, April 30

(Stud) We bushwacked our way back out of our campsite around 7am--even more amazed that Dwight actually found this place once we got a look at it in the daylight. From the trail, the site was totally obsured behind the dense chapparal.

It was a beautiful day for hiking--clear blue skys, breezy and the temperature never seemed to get above the high 80's. The first part of the day was along sunny, high ridgelines in the rocky terraine of the chapparel. Lots of wildflowers in this section. By noon we were hiking along a grassy creek with large live oaks. we stopped in a grove of oaks for lunch, set up our tarp as a sun shade a took a nice nap.

The hike to Mt Laguna in the afternoon was even more pleasant. It cooled down a bit and the terrain changed to large white pines and a gentle uphill to Mount Laguna.
We rached the small grocery store there just before it closed and resupplied our food. The parents of one of the hikers pulled in not long after we arrived and were givng out pizza, cokes and home made fruit bars. That's the beauty of hiking--nice people seem to show up from nowhere.

From there, Leslie, Sober Joe (a hiker we met when we stopped for dinner last night) hiked on past dark--intending to stop at the Mt Laguna Campground. We apparently overshot it and ended up at the Shriners Campground where the manager is letting us stay for free. We were able to take hot showers and wash our clothes out with the shampoo she gave us. I think it will be cooler tonite since the wind is chilly. Hope it's not too cold because we convinced Leslie to send her down jacket ahead.

Day 1: Friday, April 28

(Stud) Our first day of hiking on the PCT and we have much to tell-but are totally drained of all energy. We got a lift to the trailhead from Tattoo Joe with several other hikers, and after the prerequisite picture taking at the marker for the southern terminous--started hiking around 7am. Several other thru hikers started today as well--maybe as many as 30. The temperature was 62 at 7--and was 94 by 9:30. The high was around 96--and surprisingly there was some breeze most of the day.

The desert had much more plant diversity than I expected with wild flowers of numerous types in colors in peak bloom. I drained one camera battery taking pictures.

We leaped frogged other hikers all day--as we each took turns taking breaks wherever we could snatch a bit of shade.

Around mile 15 we managed to miss the only signed turn in the section. Luckily, with the openess of the terrain, we spotted hikers in the distance obviously on another trail--and retraced our steps back to the missed turn.

The uphill section from Hawser creek around mile 16 was definitely the most challenging part of the day with an elevation gain of 1000 feet in 1/2 ml. We did this at the hottest part of the day with no shade to be found. When we reached the top I sat down on a rock to rest--then nearly passed out. I noticed there were 2 buzzards circling low. They probably hang out there waiting for fallen hikers. Elevating my feet, resting 20 minutes, drinking some water and eating a snack got me back on track and rest of hike went fine.

We arrived back at Lake Morena around 5--just in time to cop a free meal from 2005 thru hikers. Then on to the showers. I do believe my feet and legs have never been dirtier. (The trail was so dusty, everyone looked like Pig Pen going down the trail.)

All in all, a good start...oh, and no blisters for either one of us.

Day 2: Saturday, April 29

(Stud) We spent most of the today at the Kickoff--starting off with a breakfast hosted by the Kickoff committee. we also attended lectures on flaura and fauna of the PCT where I found out that the tree I thought was mesquire was actually manzanite and that we are not hiking in the desert, but rather the chemise chaparral. We also took in a lecture on wilderness first aide and learned about how to deal with snake bites, fractures, heat exhaustion and hypothermia.

Around 4pm, just as the heat of the day was beginning to abate, Dwight, Leslie (GottaHike!) and I headed on down the trail. Leslie and I met a few years ago when we were part of a study on long distance woman hikers. We stopped and made dinner at Boulder Oak Campground which is currently closed to overnight camping beause a protected species of frogs are in mating season there. Ironically enough, it is the Horny Toads species.

We resumed hiking under a nearly full moon. Around 9pm we started looking for spots to camp and the middle of the trail was starting to look like the best possibility. But on a hunch Dwigth decides to do the human bush hog through the sage brush and low and behold finds a campfire ring and an open patch of sand just yards from the trail. There was enogh space for Leslie to set up her tent and we are sleepig cowboy style under the stars. The temperature is about 70 with a nice light breeze--perfect sleeping weather. Ithink I could really warm up to night hiking.

Day 1

(Stud) Our first day of hiking on the PCT and we have much to tell-but are totally drained of all energy. We got a lift to the trailhead from Tattoo Joe with several other hikers and after the prerequisite picture taking at the marker for the southern terminous--started hiking around 7am. Several other thru hikers started today as well--maybe as many as 30. The temperature was 62 at 7--and was 94 by 9:30. The high was around 96--and surprisingly there was some breeze most of the day.

The desert had much more plant diverse than I expected with wild flowers of numerous types in colors in peak bloom. I drained one camera battery taking pictures.

We leaped frogged other hikers all day--as we each took turns taking breaks wherever we could snatch a bit of shade.

Around mile 15 we managed to miss the only signed turn in the section. Luckily, with the openess of the terrain, we spotted hikers in the distance obviously on another trail--and retraced our steps back to the missed turn.

The uphill section from Hawser creek around mile 16 was definitely the most challenging part of the day with an elevation gain of 1000 feet in 1/2 ml. We did this at the hottest part of the day with no shade to be found. When we reached the top I sat down on a rock to rest--then nearly passed out. I noticed there were 2 buzzards circling low. They probably hang out there waiting for fallen hikers. Elevating my feet, resting 20 minutes, drinking some water and eating a snack got me back on track and rest of hike went fine.

We arrived back at Lake Morena around 5--just in time to cop a free meal from 2005 thru hikers. Then on to the showers. I do believe my feet and legs have never been dirtier. (The trail was so dusty, everyone looked like Pig Pen going down the trail.)

All in all, a good start...oh, and no blisters for either one of us.

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End of airport hell

(Dr Bug) Rescue from airport hell came in the form of brother Tim sitting patiently in the baggage claim area in Ontario CA. He took us back to his house, with a warm welcome, a soft bed and perfectly cooked steak dinner.

This morning it was fresh mangos and apple/pear/orange juice fresh from the juicer.

Around 11am Tim drove us up to Idlywild to meet our ride to Lake Morena. We got a lift from a 2006 thru-hiker named Trawler from Truckee, CA. This weekend is a traditional gathering of past and present thru hikers. Enroute to lake morena we drove through some of the first areas we will be hiking through. Trawler shared his memories and experiences from last year. He also stopped to pick up another hiker,Out of Order. He is hiking with all borrowed gear. His was lost by USAir when he flew from th east.

The terraine at Lake Marina is much greener and the plants more diverse than we were expecting. Some of the plants we're seeing are Mesquite, sage brush, poppies and a type of oak we ae not familiar with. Tomorrow we will get a ride to Campo for the start of our hike. Lake Morena is 20 miles from the southwestern terminous of the trail.

Tim dropped us

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