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Dreamt I was working fast food and had to deliver a burger while dressed as a Chain Chomp to somebody working at a Carrie Fisher wax statue exhibit. I’ll leave that to somebody else to interpret.
I stopped by Warner Springs community center on the way out, charged up my electronics, ate a microwaved sandwich, then started the day’s walking. I was moving slow due to the leg issues mentioned in my previous post. I started through cow pastures but they transitioned over time to more typical desert foliage. I listened to podcasts all morning and multiple hikers passed me as I slowly made my way along.
While filtering water in the early afternoon it started to rain, then hail. Ice falling in the sky in the middle of the desert! It didn’t last long, reverting back to sprinkles after a few minutes. The rest of the afternoon was much like this, intermittent rain/hail/sleet, and I was extremely thankful to have an umbrella and a way to attach it to my pack.
The author feeling smug about his gear choices.
I reached my intended campsite around 4. There was a few other hikers camped in the main area, a somewhat exposed clearing with a great view of the valley below, but while looking for a flat spot I heard a distant rumble of thunder and thus elected to camp in a separate more isolated but better sheltered site. Right after I finished setting up the clouds cleared so I guess that wasn’t necessary. It remained very cold though, so I layered up for the night.
Day 14: Over It
Woke up feeling pretty unhappy. Not sick or in distress, just… worn out and done. The extremely cold night probably contributed, although I wore most of my layers and managed to stay warm.
This was somewhat expected. My past experiences with new environments taught me that at about the 3 week mark, homesickness hits and here we were, the last day of the 2nd week. A bit ahead of schedule but not terribly so, and the relative intensity of this experience might be making the difference.
I kept moving because what else could I do? I didn’t want to quit over a single grumpy day. Listening to music helped distract me a little and kept me going until I reached Mike’s Place around noon to filter water.
A very rocky landscape.
The afternoon was harder though, a long uphill marked by persistent back pain that improved some with pack adjustment but never really went away. I finally reached a dried out wash and camped next to it.
A surprisingly nice campsite a little ways off trail.
At least the food today was good. Some hiker had left some home prepared meals in thr Warner Springs hiker box that I was all too happy to pick up for my own consumption. Tonight was a tomato mushroom rice dinner which was tasty and acidic. I was still grumpy but I had made it through the day through the which was what mattered.
Day 15: Water in the Desert Part Two: A Lack Of
An early bedtime the previous night plus a late start this morning gave me an incredible 10 hours of sleep and helped restore my mood to previous levels. Also helping was the easier downhill all morning long. Unfortunately, the good vibes were not to last.
Things got complicated around 11 when I reached my intended water source, Tule Springs, only to discover it was newly dry. Special thanks to the hiker who wrote “DRY” out in rocks which saved me having to walk the side trail to disappointment. I had about 1.5 liters left and FarOut said there was a nasty but usable water source about 3 miles ahead so I kept going.
This source however was much worse than expected. A strange, concrete pad on the middle of nowhere contained an old, ruptured fiberglass cistern that was now open at the top and collecting rainwater. Unfortunately it was also collecting algae, dead insects, and presumably fiberglass splinters from the walls. Reaching the water would’ve required laying my body on one of the broken edges and leaning down with my dirty bag to scoop up the precious moisture. I was more concerned with survival than documentation at this moment so I didn’t think to take a picture and I regret it: this source was sketchy beyond belief and I wish I had proof.
I sat in some nearby shade for a few minutes to decide what I was going to do next. I really didn’t want this water but the next source was Little Bear’s hostel about 5.6 miles ahead and that was a bit beyond the usual 4mi/L calculation, especially on such a hot and dry day. I said “screw it”, downed my caffeine gel pack I keep for occasions like these, put on music, and hiked quickly on, accepting that I would be going a little farther than planned and almost certainly running out of water along the way. In hindsight, it would’ve been smarter to take a little of the awful water into my dirty bag just in case I ended up really needing it. I didn’t this time, spoilers, but I’ll remember the lesson for the future.
Amused by this tiny boulder on top of the massive one. How’d you get up there little dude??
My sun umbrella proved valuable here, keeping me cooler and helping me not sweat as much. Eventually it got too windy to keep it up but that also meant the wind was now cooling me instead. I did indeed run out of water about 1.5 miles away from the hostel and also forgot to account for the 3/4mi walk from thr trail to the hostel but it otherwise worked out okay. I was definitely thirsty when I got there but I was monitoring my moisture levels via my saliva and I still had spit available so I can’t have been more than mildly dehydrated.
The pink ribbons mark the way to water.
Little Bear’s hostel was pretty cute. Water and sleeping spots in either a barn or on a flat area outside were free and hotdogs, snacks, ice cream, and beer were available for purchase. It’s all self serve and Little Bear wasn’t there initially, although he showed up and few hours later. There was also an extremely friendly kitten wandering around which was great. I ate 2 hotdogs and some chips, had a cool beer, and relaxed until the evening when I set up my tent outside to look at the stars.
She alternated sleeping in my lap purring and attacking my hands. 11/10 cat, would pet/get chewed on again.
Trail Stats
Catholes:6
Stops to filter water: 12
Resupplies: 3
Hitches: 2
Zeros: 1
Crys on trail: 2
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