Start: 0800 - Warner Valley Campground
End: 1900 - Old Station (behind the Fill Up)
Miles (today): 26.5 (23 PCT, 3.5 off)
Miles (cumulative): 1415.5 (1261.5 PCT, 93 alternate, 61 off)
It was a late start for us - not only did we sleep in (I woke up at 0500, fell back asleep, and didn't get up until 0700) but we also had to organize the food from the resupply we picked up at the Drakesbad Guest Ranch.
Happily, the trail was mostly flat/downhill today. In the morning there was a bit of a climb and a river crossing to deal with, but that was it. The only other challenge was the heat - we hiked through a burn area for much of the day so there wasn't much shade. But it was flat! It felt so weird!!!
walking through another burn area
I made it to the Old Station general store right before they closed at 1800. I talked with Phantom (he's going to spend a few days off trail with his family), bought some ice cream, and sat at the picnic table in front of the store to wait for Nick. Mobius showed up shortly after me and was able to get some ice cream before they closed, too.
Mobius and his ice cream
Alas, I didn't realize Nick was only 10 minutes away ... So the store closed and he didn't get any ice cream (if I had known I would have bought him some). He consulted the Yogi Notes and decided to road walk about 3 miles to the Old Station Fill Up. Road walking really isn't my favorite, but I did it. After several miles I broke into hysterical laughter because someone told us the Fill Up was right down the road... It's all relative, of course, but 0.5 miles didn't feel like 'just down the road', particularly since my feet hurt so much from the 26 miles we had already walked.
Sangria, 4 Cheese, Fed Ex, and Icepick are camping here, too. Tomorrow is the 30 mile stretch without water ... Unless Coppertone is still at Cache 22, that is. Nick and I still aren't sure of our plan. I want to leave early and get most of the hiking done before it gets too hot, but there is a restaurant that serves breakfast at 0700 and I have a feeling we are going to stick around for that. Sigh.
thank goodness for this, i almost went the wrong way at a trail junction
these are my feet at the end of the day - and I even washed them in a creek this afternoon!
