miles: 15
Took it easy today - there was quite the climb first thing in the morning: Mt. Baden-Powell!
We had arranged a ride with a Trail Angel named Carol the night before and woke up at 6:00am so that we could get a head start on the day.
At the hardware store in Wrightwood there is a binder for PCT hikers listing all if the local Trail Angels in town, and man did Wrightwood have a lot of them! We got Carol's name from the list and made sure to get our transportation squared away a day before we needed to be at the trailhead.
Us gathering at the Pines Hotel picnic area.
"The Pines"
So here's Carol, in the pick-up truck. I volunteered to ride shotgun (bouncing around in the back of a truck is terrifying to me) and everyone else hopped up into the back of the pick-up.
We were on the trail in no time. At this high elevation, although it was sunny, it was cold, so we all hiked in our down jackets.
4 miles of uphill climbing. Down coats removed. L.A. day hikers populated the trail up to Mt. Baden-Powell on this fine Sunday morning. It was an arduous climb, but well worth the view from the top - wow. You could see the greater L.A. area to the west. We lunched up there along with 30 other tourists.
This was a very difficult day. For all if us. It's as if going to town slows us down and makes the first day back out near impossible. Huffing and puffing, hot then cold. We all felt physically strong, but mentally exhausted and slightly loopy. We think it may have been the high elevation getting to us (we hovered between 7,500 - 9,000+ feet today).
It seems like every day we go through a burn area! Twisted trees, charred trunks.
Ben's bladder system...
Had dinner at Little Jimmy Springs, the absolute cutest spring area, and moved on .2 miles to Little Jimmy Campground with the intention of hiking 5-7 more miles.
Other hikers were there and somehow plans changed and we decided to call it a day after 15 short miles. We never pass up the opportunity to sleep at a campground with picnic tables.
1 comment:
finally caught back up...
i can't believe you guys have been out there over a month already!
bobcats, lunch with snake... these tidbits alone justify years of planning.
i am sorry to hear of the pains and illnesses, and happy to see the increasing miles and cast of characters.
i wish our re-yoon-ion chat had worked out, and i hope your iphone camera is okay!
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