Start: 0815 - Barrel Springs
End: 1145 - Warner Springs
Miles (today) - 9
Miles (cumulative) - 110
Well well well... Talk about a fun day! We only had to go 9 miles and they were easy, beautiful miles. I really enjoy hiking in my running shorts. I also really enjoy not using my hiking poles (I'm apparently breaking all the hiking rules). I experimented with not using the poles a few days ago and loved it - I loved how free I felt and how going sans poles made hiking feel less like a chore and more natural and fun. I don't want to send them back, though, because I know I'll need them for when the terrain gets steeper and for when we have to do stream crossings. Hiking poles have other uses, too - we've used them to help stabilize the tent in high winds and I discovered they make excellent massage sticks (I've been using them on my legs every day and my legs are (mostly) happy because of it.)
On the way to Warner Springs (our second resupply) we passed Eagle Rock, which really does look like an eagle (and you don't have to squint funny to see why, either)
Eagle Rock
This section is nothing at all as I envisioned Southern California - I could have been somewhere in the Midwest for all I knew (except for the mountains in the background). There were even cows!
I know they are far away and that you can't really see them in the picture, but those are cows, I swear!
I just liked that lone tree there in the center.
Really - this is Southern California?!?
The Warner Springs Community Center is a wonderful little hiker oasis. There is access to legit bathrooms (not having to squat and dig holes in the ground is suddenly a major luxury), you can do laundry (they provide a bucket and cup of detergent), you can take a shower (via said bucket, cup of body wash, and a privacy stall), you can soak your feet in Epsom salts (again in the aforementioned bucket - the bucket is very versatile!), you can hang out in the community center to connect to wifi and charge whatever needs charging (which is how I'm able to update the blog), there are volunteers available to drive you the mile into town for the post office or diner (because sometimes walking another mile seems impossible), there is a little 'store' to buy things you might need (we both bought flip flops to use as camp shoes).... It's all pretty sweet and all they ask is for a donation, which we gladly gave. I love how all the little things I took for granted before mean so much to me now.
Doing laundry - the dirt in the bottom of the bucket after everything was "washed" was pretty nasty!
After we showered and did laundry, Nick accepted a ride to the post office for our resupply box - not that we need the food. I walked into Warner Springs with almost 3 days worth of food, the resupply box has another 3, and our next resupply is in 3 days. We're obviously still trying to get the hang of our food and water needs (this is critical because food and water is HEAVY). I know I should donate some of the food to the hiker box (where hikers drop off what they don't want for other hikers to use - there is some pretty interesting stuff in there) but I've been told that the hiker hunger will hit me soon and I want to be prepared when it does (I get cranky when I'm hungry and I'm sure Nick doesn't want to put up with that nonsense). Mary did include some nice surprises in the box, though - to include some dark chocolates, a great note with our maps, and the water bottle we couldn't find. :) [oh, and Nick bounced my marathon shoes home - the Altras are working out rather well.]
This note made me smile - thanks Mary! We love you!!!!
After we got all the food sorted and after I made a few blog posts, we (Megan, Will, Jadine, Nick, and I) accepted a ride with a very sweet volunteer to the only diner in town. We all managed to squeeze in her little car (thankfully we had all taken bucket showers). Riding in a car felt strange - it felt like she was driving really fast when she was only going 35 mph - and it actually made me a little sick, like I had been on a roller coaster or something.
Dinner was so much fun! I got to know Megan, Will and Jadine so much better. After a while Sara, Luke, Tom, Jason, and Gopher showed up and I got to talk more with them, too. My only regret is not taking a picture of everyone.
Nick ordered this huge pizza AND a burger.
When we got back from dinner there were even more hikers spending the night. It was wonderful to meet up with some of the people we met at Scout and Frodo's, like Bamboo and Orange Blossom (yes, trail names are happening! No, Nick and I don't have any yet, although Jadine lovingly calls us the Oxiclean Couple because of our white shirts). It's weird and amazing how we seem to keep running into the same people. Even though we all hike at different paces and have different itineraries we still seem to end up at the some of the same spots along the way (I'm sure there is some profound life lesson to be gleaned here but I'm too tired to explore it further). I hope the trend of seeing familiar faces continues - there are a lot of people I want to see again!!
The little tent community at Warner Springs.