Caffeine and Advil

We packed up and left camp at 6:30 this morning so we could make it to the only restaurant in Warner Springs by the time they opened at 8:00. Turns out they’re closed on Wednesdays. Sad face. So now we are sitting outside a gas station waiting for them to open to we can get some food. Oh well, at least that leaves me with time to write what will quite possibly be my last blog post from the trail.

The desert isn’t where I expected to have one of my most difficult days. The climb from i10 to San Jacinto was a brutal one, with about 9500 feet of elevation gain, no water along the trail and barely any shade for the first half of the climb. And it was HOT! I was jealous of everyone who chose to go northbound as I struggled up the mountain, and I cursed the trail gods for putting the biggest climb near the end of the trail for us southbounders. But, as usual, I survived the climb. And I made a few fuzzy friends along the way.

Hiking through the desert as the sun sets and moon rises is a pretty magical experience. The silence of the desert is one of my favorite things about it. I tried my hardest to stay present and soak it all in with the end of the trail being so close.

109 miles to go. The exhaustion is hitting me hard and I think I’m ready to be done. Caffeine and Advil can only carry me so far. Although I have a feeling that after a few days of rest, I’ll be restless and ready to get back to the trail.

See you soon, Mexico