Day 5 – Mile 61.5 to Scissors Crossing

MM: 77

Trail Miles: 15.5

Miles Walked: 15.5

Some days are going to be tougher than others. Today was one of those days, physically and mentally.

There was a high wind warning in effect last night. It goes until tomorrow. Gusts 35-50 mph, with isolated gusts to 60 mph along mountain ridge lines. I was camped on a ridge line. Thanks to the winds, I didn’t get much sleep. Last night was the first night camping by myself, so despite the wind rattling my tent, I didn’t use ear plugs. I was finally awoken for good at 0600 when my tent started coming down around me. The winds had grown strong enough to pull up my tent stakes even though I’d secured them with large, 10-15 lb rocks. In fact one of my tent lines snapped due to the wind and a second is pretty frayed. Still, I found it funny – on previous trips and even this past week, it seems to take me forever to pack up and get on the trail. Not so this morning.

For the first 3 hrs there were times where just walking in a straight line was difficult. The trail is very exposed here – no trees, just desert shrubs – and runs along mountain ridge lines in the Anza-Borrega Desert. The temps were in the 50s – rather low for what’s typical of this section. I was thankful for that, until it started to rain.

It wasn’t a heavy rain, just a constant misting and sprinkle for several hours. I was wearing most of my available layers of clothes except my ‘true’ rain jacket. I mistakenly thought my outer layer wind shirt was DWR (durable water resistant) – as the manufacturer advertises – but eventually realized my down jacket was getting wet underneath. Shit. That’s not good at all.

I’d been debating whether to push and make Warner Springs, my next resupply, by Saturday morning. The Post Office there was open til 1330 on Saturdays. If I missed it, I couldn’t get my box until Monday. With a wet down jacket, the likelihood of making it by Saturday was nearing zero. My options now were to get to Scissors Crossing, MM 77, and catch a hitch to either Julian, CA or Stage Coach RV Park, where I could stay the night and dry out.

It was hard to let go of my plan – Warner Springs by Saturday. Even though I’d been warned by Slim and other experienced thru-hikers not to push too hard the first week, it was hard. It would require four 20 mile days in the first week just to make Warner by Saturday, with or without a wet down jacket. I was still in the break-in period. My body was still adjusting to walking all-day, everyday and carrying a pack loaded with 14 lbs of water (6.5 L). I was potentially setting myself up for injury. I knew all this, and yet I still was debating whether to continue on or go to Julian right up until I got to the water cache at Scissors Crossing. It had stopped raining and the dry desert wind had dried out my jacket.

Fortunately, just as I walked up to the cache, a trail angel named Volker appeared. He immediately asked if I wanted a ride to Julian. For $5 he would drive me and David, a fellow hiker who was right behind me, to Julian. I’d been dreading and hoping to avoid hitching, but Volker handed us each a business card and mentioned he’d been expecting us. He had spoken with Happy Feet, another trail angel, who was providing trail magic (water, soda, food, beer) about 8 miles back and had told me Julian was special and not to be missed.

Between the wind, rain, wet jacket, my aching feet, knees, and the two trail angels, everything was telling me to slow down and go to Julian. It was time to listen and let go of my plan.

I’ll be at the Warner Post Office when it opens Monday.

PS — I did go to Julian. Volker, who is quite interesting, dropped us off at Carmen’s Restaurant. Carmen has been taking care of hikers for years. She welcomes everyone with a hug and a free beer. She feeds us, even when the restaurant is closed, has a washing machine/dryer for laundry, and even allows hikers to sleep on the restaurant floor after hours. She has sold the business with the new owners taking over next month, so I was glad I got to experience her generosity and spirit. I almost wished I stayed and slept there, but a hot shower and private room at the local Lodge was too good to pass up.