DAY 12: COLD SODA SPRINGS
So... the foot pain.
The last 4 miles of hiking last night just about killed me. My feet were on fire. Like... UN-believably painful.
Back at Mt. Laguna, I had invested in a pair of insoles at the outfitter and thrown out the ones that came with the shoes. This was a dumb move. The new insoles wound up injuring my feet over the next few days leaving me no choice but to abandon them as well. The right insole got thrown out on the way out of scissors crossing, so I was hiking with the left insole in and the right shoe without anything!
Last night was the breaking point with that last, left, insole - it too was hurting me so I removed it.
I am now attempting to walk without any insole or padding for my feet whatsoever. I know this isn't smart, but the insole was causing me more damage than the bare bones shoe. I won't bore you with foot detail, but my feet do not like arch support. Any insole recommendations?
I forgot to mention that last night when we reached the 100 mile marker (and took the obligatory photo) we continued to hit 100 mile markers ins for what seemed like MILES. Although frustrating, because we wanted to lay down more than A N Y T H I N G, it was hilarious, in that exhausted, delirious, giggly sort of way.
Since we rolled into camp (at mile 101ish - Barrel Springs) after dark (as usual), headlamps beaming and blasting every possible slumbering hiker, we had not been able to fully assess our surroundings. We woke to a sort of trough filled with sodas.
Side note: we, apparently, tend to be the absolute last people to camp and are routinely setting up in the dark. Which is weird because we get up so early it is gross. Our goal these next few weeks is to get to camp early enough to set up in the daylight! No headlamp fumbling! No digging in bags in the dark!
Sodas were devoured, we lazed and cooked breakfast leisurely (for the first time in a while due to our stint of noc. Shift hiking) and enjoyed a very late start to the day. Our goal was to cover 8 miles as soon as we could in order to reach the town of Warner Springs, where we would pick up our food resupply packages, hang out at the community center and eat.
The morning was easy hiking and was quite a different landscape (yet again). The trail quickly turned into rolling hills of grass and pasture. We were in cattle country and it smelled the part.
It was, however, gorgeous as usual. It's also interesting whenever the landscape changes, so it's a welcome transition, even if it isn't the most gorgeous place we've ever been...
Stopped at Eagle Rock and took some photos, of course. My feet were starting to bother me, so I fell into a weird space where I try to go as fast as I can (with a fast shuffle/hobble) to get the miles over with, but wind up slowing down and getting grumpy after a few minutes. It's the insole-less shoe situation.
"Surely Warner Springs will have some cheapo insoles that I can buy, that will get me to the next big town, where I can get a decent pair."
No. Warner Springs didn't have insoles. I will continue on with my paper thin shoes until Idyllwild.
We had two options she deciding how to get to the post office: 1) walk ANOTHER AGONIZING 1.2 miles on a side trail leading to outright or, 2) attempt to hitch atherosclerosis on a narrow hwy. Ben and I had been quite a ways behind, because of our Eagle Rock side trip, so we immediately took the walking route. Angela and Carrot had been waiting for a hitch (with no luck).
As Ben and I tried to blindly navigate where this post office might be, a car pulled over and two women got out and were eager to give us a ride! They enthusiastically asked us to get in their car (seriously - SO EAGER to help us) and they drive us under a quarter mile to the PO. They have a brother (? Some family member) who has hiked the PCT, so they were thrilled to hear about how it was going for us so far. It was so nice of them... I was blown away. True kindness. We didn't even need to stick out our thumb! They immediately recognized is as thru-hikers!
Picked up our packages at the Post Office and realized we needed transported BACK to the Community Center (which was kind of a debacle we had to work out) but luckily Angela and Carrot had secured a ride for all of us! Someone at the Community Center would shuttle us.
Warner Springs is a crucial stop for nearly ALL thru-hikers, so mass quantities of them can be found in and around (literally sprawled) around the hub of the town (the Community Center). This is a veeerrrryyy small place. There isn't even a restaurant, really. There's a school, PO, Community Center, some houses......
The folks at the Community Center basically cater to thru-hikers during peak season, converting the main area to a dining room, offering $8.00 showers (which we did not use - a little steep, even though we could have used one, and apparently they are "cold"), and allowing laundry to happen!!! We got there too late to do laundry. They sell pop, ice cream sandwiches, pie, string cheese and hard boiled eggs! They had a little "store", in a closet sized space, stocked with hiker must-haves like band aids, ibuprofen, Benadryl, first aid supplies, etc. (but no insoles...)
It was remarkable! Ben, Angela, and Carrot enjoyed $4.50 burgers and chips. I snacked on my hiker food. Spread out under a tree in the grass, we marveled at the things we had packed ourselves a month or so ago. We packed our food bags and were on our way.
Dusk. I love dusk hiking. It's cool, which makes hiking easier, and it's stunning. We wandered through more fields and savannah lands. Came up over a hill and... horses. Just some horses grazing on the land, peacefully, with the sun setting behind them. Oh. My. God.
Spent this evening hiking with Rick, from Germany. At his request, I took some photos for him, of him with the horses in the background.
The trail turned rather eerie as i passed under an overpass (a highway maybe? Which one was this?) I was hiking solo this evening, with Carrot way up ahead, and Ben and Angela a ways behind. I like hiking alone, I realized. I've become comfortable hiking on my own (short distances only so far), which is a big step for me. I tend to be a rather anxious person and have always favored having my hiking company within earshot/eyesight. Until now.
Almost made it to camp before dark, but were about 15 minutes past dark- again, shining everyone in the face with our headlamps.
Got to our predetermined camping area only to find about 20 other people with the same idea. It looked like a music festival! Everyone disgruntled and/or grunting at our intrusion. There was no space! And... Where was Carrot??
Luckily, we went up the trail z little further and found Carrot, all set up, in the best camp spot ever. No crowding! No slanting, by a rushing creek (didn't know those existed in southern California), and the ground was so soft with sand.
We will get 8 hours if sleep, we promised ourselves.
Went about 16 miles today (that's including all of the detour walking Ben and I did). Not impressive, by any means, but we spent a good chunk of our day loitering on that heavenly Warner Springs lawn, taking care of business. Ended our hike at mile 115.
Sleeping next to a stream is HEAVEN.
