Wonderful camp site last night.   No wind, great view.   First time I left the fly off the tent.   Was kind of neat watching the dusk, then a quarter moon surrounded by stars. 

  
Next morning was some generally uphill walking.   Plan was to do 8 early miles, get to Mike’s place, wait out the sun, then rock another 10 or so miles.    

Today I’ve been running into a bunch of folks mostly couples and a 2 pair of german dudes.    Somehow I got attached to some of them and hiked the last 3 together.  

Nice to get some trail conversations in.    Matt has a ton of interesting stuff going on with his life/family.   Just to give you a taste, Matt grew up in Big Bear.    Apparently his sister is married to a dude from Wales, has 5 young kids, and lives in a Teepee.    She was last sighted in the Dakota’s, where they have pitched their Teepee to join the protests about the Keystone pipeline.  Wow.   

We rolled into Mike’s at 11.   Great sanctuary from the heat.   The caretaker dude set us up with some pancakes, a beer, and a lot of conversation.   He offered some “weed-butter” for the pancakes.   That sounded like a 15 mile deduction from the day’s total.   Probably the next day as well.  The caretaker dude doesn’t want his picture taken or his name used, so we will call him J_   .

   
J_ and I chatted it up for a bit.  He knows a ton of motorcycle trails around here.   He offered to host me and a group of guys if we ever want to come down to ride.    Awesome.   This place is now on the riding list.
Mike, the owner, turned up in the afternoon and we had a good chat while one of the hikers was slinging dozens of brats on the grill.  He said when he bought the place the agent told him “some popular hiking trail” ran by his property but thought nothing of it.   Then over the years hikers kept showing up asking for water.  Soon he installed higher capacity tanks, then added big kitchen grills, more seating, etc, etc.
I told him somewhat in jest that he was “doing the Lord’s work” here.   Later he sought me out and said that was the best compliments he has heard in a while.   He seemed to really be moved….almost brought a tear to my eye.   What a wonderful guy.

 
I found out that Paradise Cafe closes at 3 tomorrow.  25 miles between me and a burger.   I bid farewell to 15+ fat and happy hikers surrounded in a cloud of smoke.   Told them the vortex seemed to be strong here….seemed to be centered around the bong on the table.   That got a little laugh. 

The climb out was a nasty, exposed uphill slog.   Had some noodles at 6 then kept hiking till 8ish.   Passed 5 occupied camp sites, chatting up a few.   Saw Josh again, and a couple named Towonda and Quark.   Rolled into Tule springs cut-off for the night.   Site had 4 tents already set up but they seemed ok with me setting up.   

Along the way, my left shoe started delaminating.  I’m bummed.  I’ve trail run and backpacked in these for years.  Didn’t expect them to last 700 miles but 70? That’s lame.  

I applied some magical unicorn tape and that seems to be holding.  

All the body parts are holding up pretty good.   I can feel a bit of a blister forming and I’m worried about the plantar fascia on my right foot.   Otherwise all good.   

​After the crappy night I woke up amazingly refreshed.   Had my bucket shower and I feel sparkling clean.   Close got washed and dried instantly in the sun.   The school across the street is slinging some kind of soft tostada thing, so that went down the hatch.

  
It is hiker mania at Warner.   Must have been 30 tents pitched last night in the wind tunnel.  Got a mid-morning pic below. 
Folks in the area are really supportive of the thru-hikers.   Folks at the community center next to the camp ground are constantly driving folks to/from the post office and general store.   A local turned up with a box of oranges early.  I saw 2 groups of hikers step out to the highway and get a ride within 5 minutes of sticking their thumbs out.  
Chatting with a lot of interesting folks.   Really not that hard to join a conversation.   Just walk up to a cluster and sit down.  I’m lounging around today updating my site and trying to get pics up.   Lots of talk about blisters, plantar facitus (sp?), and sprains.   Don’t like to stick around for those conversations 🙁  

It is easy to get stuck here. 
Plan to head out sometime after 2.   Hopefully the dot watchers will be satisfied.   

Last night was windy pretty much all night long.    Tent and stakes held up well, just hard to get the deep zz’s.     Got up, watered, packed, turned on the inreach, trail by 8.  

It was also around 8 was when I discovered the problem with carrying a satellite pinger.   I was getting spotty cell service and Alice is frantically texting me that I’m off the trail.   Here is the exchange: 

 Apparently I was about 30 minutes behind the rest of the folks.   Didn’t catch up to many of them either until Barrel Springs.   Hung out with a bunch of folks there. Made some lunch, charged up bats, drinking a ton of water.   

Got back on the trail around 2:30 with a couple of brothers and their Canadian buddy Josh.   We kept lapping each other during the hike, eventually rolling into Warner together.   Interesting guys.   I wish I had a picture of Chris.   That guy was unbelievably dirty.   Picture a good looking, lean, fit, 45 year old sweaty guy who rolled around in the dirt for a couple hours.   That’s him.

Did a bunch of miles through meadows like this.  

Got to Warner and my first priority was finding a beer.   The gal at the community center offered to take us over to the cafe at 6.   The guys drifted off, so I went alone.  Chatted with a hikers there while sucking down two awesome IPA’s + salad, grilled chicken, and fries.  

 
Met this interesting Indian guy at the cafe.    I had actually ran into him laying beside the trail while night hiking, but now we got to know each other.   He is a software guy who talked his boss into giving him 5 months off to do this hike.   The funny thing about him is his attitude.   He just fills up and goes.   No resupply, time table, not worried about the snow, etc.   Every future trail event we talk about, he is like “we’ll see”.   Great attitude.    His trail name is “Wing It” haha. 
Had a 1 mile hike back to the camp site.  Got lost and wondered around the golf course for a while then finally made it.    Tent went up late and because it was so calm, I didn’t stake it properly.   At 12:30 I paid for that omission when the wind went from 0 to 40 mile/hr gusts.  I was frantically staking the thing while keeping it on the ground.   The rest of the night was worry about the stakes, resetting a couple, and getting blown.  

 
Did ~22 trail miles today.  Tomorrow is a bucket shower, laundry, and goofing around.   I’ll hit the trail in the afternoon. 

Steve and Juan dropped me off at Scissors around 3.   The guys had a six pack of some good beer chilling in the back as a send off.   394 or something.   Really good amber.    
While we were sucking it down by the road a couple of hikers turned up.   John and Alex(?).   Most folks pop out here and want to thumb a ride for a zero in Julian.

 It was interesting watching the guys practicing their Yogi skillz.    They sort of slid up to us with that thirsty look on their face and struck up a conversation.   After a few minutes Steve offered them a couple beers, but I knew the ride was the prize.    So I asked Steve which way he was taking back to San Diego.   “Through Julian?   Oh I bet these boys could use a lift.”   And there you have it.   Steve became a Trail Angel.   Not sure how he felt about a couple sweaty, dirty hikers in his Mercedes.  Suck it up, Stevie!

Took off and started making miles.   Ran into this dude.   Told him he was my first North bounder on the trail.   He was from Northridge, section hiking.   Forgot his name. 

 
After 4 miles, started hitting my groove.   Good music, nobody around until….

I must have been 1 foot away from him when he snapped up in a coil and started rattling.    I jumped back, landed off the trail, started sliding down the hill, and stumbled to a stop.   Got a little video of the thing.
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After that, not .5 mile later another one was sitting on the trail.    I’d had enough of this, I threw rocks at this one.   Everyone I show the video to compliment me on seeing one that big.    Yeah, lucky me. 
I had planned to just do a few miles, but got motivated last night.   About 8 miles in a chatted with some folks at a nice campsite.    They were surprised I as pushing on that late.  Felt like I need to shake out all the demons that had been building the past 2 weeks.   Told them i had not earned the stop yet.  Forgot all their names too.    Seems to be a trend.

Rolled into 3 gate water cache around 9:30.   Did 14 miles.    Campsite was good, food was good, not too sore.   Living the dream.