DAY 14: DAY BEFORE PARADISE

miles: 18

Nance Canyon was a wildly cold place to spend the night...actually, it was the coldest night on the trail, yet.

We camped on a sandy flat by a waterless creek with another hiker, Nancy.

Our plan was to hike 18 miles today but section the day into 6 mile increments. The first 6 miles were a breeze and we found ourselves at our next water source - Tule Creek, which turned out to be an amazing experience, simply because the water was great (cold, fresh, abundantly flowing from a spigot-like situation) and we were able to rinse our feet, faces and socks off.

It was luxurious - to feel flowing water. Up until now, it had been common to only be able to "wash" ourselves with a damp rag.

Hikers began trickling in, throwing their packs down under the shady oak oasis, where we were cooking lunch at 11am. It's funny - water sources tend to be the place where hikers gather, catch up, and loiter. It's as if the entire day revolves around "the next water". Our mileage, pace, plans and eating habits revolve around and depend on the water sources. It actually feels a tad bit like a treasure hunt. A life or death treasure hunt for the water (looking at maps, analyzing mileage, accounting for the time of day/distance/elevation....)

So here we are, snacking and cooling off at our watering hole with fellow hikers Mr. Rogers, Whistler, Shark Bite, and Cat.

I took off first, wanting to get the next 6 sizzling miles out of the way before I lost my momentum. I took my Starbucks VIA shot and powered up up up up up and through the hot, sandy, scorching hills. I love getting into my "zone".

Rolled up on the "next water source", a sign for a cache - 1 mile.

There was no shade, but I wanted to wait for the crew and take off my pack, socks and shoes to let them dry off, so I settled on laying flat on the prickly sand in the baking sun. I covered my body with my tyvek groundsheet so as to not cook my skin crisp, and waited patiently.

First to round the bend was Whistler, who joined me in the suns hell rays while we waited for the others.

"Looks like we have another Billy Goat on our hands!" he said to me.

"What?" I didn't know what he was talking about.

"You're fast! I've been trying to catch up to you!"

I must have been going pretty fast because of the music I was listening to, that happens sometimes. I made sure to tap my trekking poles ahead of me to warn the snakes.

Everyone else came along and we joined forces for the next mile to the water cache.

The water cache was a welcome sight, although it was an area that had the LEAST shade I have seen yet. We hid under the bushes drinking water, rubbing our smelly feet, and inching up into the bushes as the shade decreased with the waning sun. The ground was deathly pokey, littered with hard, desiccated leaves Think dried up holly leaves - so sharp).

Losing steam at this point. It's late in the afternoon, six more miles.

A few miles into our last stretch of the evening I had to take a break. Angela, Ben and I collapsed in the middle of the trail and refused to get up until Carrot caught up with us. She was pretty far behind, but when she saw what we were doing, she joined us.

Sometimes all you need is a little pep talk, giggle hour, and supination to rejuvenate you enough to carry on.

We have giggle hour at least three times a day, where everything is so ridiculous/painful/agonizing that you just switch gears and laugh until you cry. It keeps us going. I don't know what I would do without this crew, and the humor. Gets me through.

Camped in a creepy field of sand and grass in the middle of the dense trees, three miles outside of HWY 74, Pines-to-Palms Highway, where we will feast at the Paradise Cafe at 8am sharp. CANT. EVEN. WAIT. We've been daydreaming about this paradise all day!