Hiked 20.3 miles today. At mile 114.7
Crossed the 100 mile mark today, completed my first resupply, completed my first week, and hike 2nd 20 mile day.
A hiking family on Easter break were camped in the same site as me. As I headed out, I was surprised to see they were actually seconds in front of me haven broken camp very fast. I hiked along with them and found out that the family did the PCT in 2015. The youngest, Whisper, was 9 at the time. Last year the family completed the CDT. They have plans to one day complete the triple crown as a family. Check them out at ravens15.wordpress.com
The day was a descent into greener lands. Soon the white sandy trail snaked through broad grassy green ranches. It was big open land. On one of the distant mountains I could see the famous Palomar Observatory.
Once in town, I ate potato skins and a large Cobb salad at the golf course grill. It was huge and had everything. I went to the post office for my resupply box, then to the gas station for a bag of Fritos. I saved 2 miles of town walking by begging rides from community center volunteers. Back at the community center I took an outdoor bucket shower. Fill a Home Depot bucket with warm water, then use soap and a plastic beer pitcher to dip and pour water over yourself. The outdoor stalls were behind the community center, but the wind had a tendency to blow the shower curtains open. With the highway facing the back, I believe I was able to give the local drivers a good show during a few stiff breezes.
I also did laundry by hand wash and clothes line dry. Since I quickly hit the trail again, my clothes didn’t dry . Most people camped at the center, but I moseyed about 5 miles further up the trail as the sun set.
I’m now camped next to Agua Dulce creek. As it is now dark all kinds of varmints are rustling around in the woods behind me. On the hike up here I saw a bobcat. It was probably after one of the many bunny rabbits I see around here. There was even a baby bunny rabbit that emerged from under the shower platform. If I ate rabbit and snake, I could probably sustain myself on this hike. By the way, it seems like every hiker has seen a Rattlesnake and has a story.
The trail
More of the trail
Snake in the trail
Buttercups? are flowers on the ranch
Ranches have cows. These are cows I saw coming into town. Leaving town, a whole herd blocked the way. When I walked right into the middle of them I started a mini stampede.
The very often photographed Eagle rock formation.
Here the trail goes through open broad grassy range. Look closely and you can see horse riders approach.
