WE MADE IT!
After setting our alarms for 4:00am, we got going around 5:20. Ben and I were among the first out of the gates. Trains had been blowing their horns all night long, our tent was underneath a street light, and I had barely slept.
A bad iPhone photo of the sunrise above the Agua Dulce hills.
You can sometimes see the trail ahead, a line cutting into the hills.
I (also) love sunrise hiking. The hike out of Agua Dulce was b-e-a-u-t-I-f-u-l.
Desert morning: crisp.
We got to hike through the Vazquez Rocks.
The Vazquez Rocks area was well maintained.
Sadly, I didn't take very many photos at the Saufley's house with my iPhone. Recently I've veered from taking iPhone photos and started taking the bulk of my pictures with the better camera. The quality is 300% better. If I'm going to carry that beast, I might as well take most if my photos with it. The only problem is that this means less blog photos.
Anyways - If you are wondering what I mean by "The Saufley's", I'm talking about some of the most generous, established Trail Angels on the PCT. Most hikers spend at least one night at their home, but many stay for 2 nights (taking a full zero there).
The hike into Agua Dulce was great - Vazquez Rocks turned into countryside.
We wandered the roads of Agua Dulce searching for our destination... And who do we find outside the bakery?? Our old friends, Mr. Green, Manchurian, and Kat! We all started together on the 20th from Scout and Frodo's house and met there in San Diego. It was so good to see them. We've been trying to catch them for a month! They're just a few days ahead of us... and unfortunately they were headed out that very moment, just as we were headed into town. We will catch them sometime soon and the reunion will be glorious.
We were overwhelmed by hospitality when we got to the Saufley's: had a tour, set up shop in one of the only real bedrooms available (very lucky) and took showers.
This place is amazing.
Computers to use, a hiker bathroom complete with toiletries, cots and tents set up on their property for up to 50 hikers, a trailer for hiker use complete with a living room, tv, kitchen, and piano. Firepit, loaner clothes (while Donna Saufley herself does the laundry), a fleet of bicycles so we could go the mile into town to shop and eat... Truly amazing.
When Ivan plug my camera in, I'll have photos!
They also receive all of the mail for us and act as the post office and are equipped to send out outgoing mail, right from their garage!
Thank you Lauren for the PERFECT care package! Every item was so sweet and carefully considered: custom buttons with our trail names on them, peanut butter filled pretzels (my favorite), jerkies (for Ben & Angela), chocolate, Nutella, almonds, and plenty of but butters.
Oh yeah, and nail clippers, which I always need.
Ben chillin' in his loaner clothes outfit.
An in identified hiker taking a nap.
So many cutie our dogs running around, we've missed dog love.... You can see the hiker tents in the background.
We reunited with plenty of people we hadn't seen in a while, and also met many (many) new faces.
It was a blast.
More to come....
2 comments:
Thyra! I am addicted to your blog, but all caught up now, so please get hiking so I can sit here in my dumb bedroom and read more stories and see more pictures. You all are inspiring and you're doing such a good job relaying your experience. Thank you!
Love to ya all,
K.C.
The camera yes! So much more resolution and clarity than the phone-camera. Wtg!
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