Day 6, April 23: Mile 62 to 80
Start: Mile 61.5
End: Mile 79.7
Miles: 18.2
Ascent: 2067 | Descent: 3895
For the first time on trail, I woke up without an alarm. I wanted to ease myself into the day, and I had a lovely morning. The intense wind from the night before had died down, birds were chirping, and the rising sun was warming my tent. Which was a particularly good thing, as everything in my tent was soaked again, and the walls were frosted over. I thought I was far enough away from the nearby meadow (which can lead to condensation), but I guess not.
I ate half of the makeshift burrito I had packed out the day before for breakfast, packed up everything into my backpack, and was on my way. I was happy to be back on trail in the fresh morning air after indulging in town.
On the trail, I was caught up to by Feather Blue from Minnesota - named as such on the AT for the peacock feather patches she has applied to her blue backpack. We chatted for a minute and she took off ahead.
I came upon her and a few others at the water tank at mile 68.4. I met Iliana, or Illy for short, and found out she lives only a few blocks away from my old apartment in Los Feliz. And she’s from Miami, where I went to college. Small world! I also met a couple from Berlin, Bandit and Scarecrow, and Feather Blue was there too. We joked that we were like savannah animals at the watering hole.
Leaving the water tank, the landscape shifted from lush green manzanitas and pines to full on desert with hot sand underfoot, lots of cactus, and more desert blooms than I could count. The smell of creosote was everywhere and brought back fond memories of going boating on the Colorado River with my family. I noticed my legs feeling stronger for the first time today. It was a good feeling.
In true desert fashion, the day got very hot and dry. After proclaiming on the first day of the hike that I didn’t care for the sun umbrella I had taken with me, I ate my words and used it almost the entire afternoon. It definitely helped keep me cooler.
I ran into Skye, who I had met a few days prior. We chit chatted when we’d leapfrog each other, and I found out she knew Chimney Sweep and the rest of my Julian friends and had been talking with them. Turns out, they had gotten on the trail at mile 60 after all (instead of skipping ahead to 77). I’m not sure if I’ll see them now, but hopefully!
I descended off the mountain trail and walked across the desert floor. Every 15-20 minutes, there were jets that flew overhead and made a deafening noise across the valley floor. There must be a nearby Air Force base because it looked like practice. It was cool to see.
I finally made it to the water cache under a highway at Scissor’s Crossing. I had been feeling anxious if there would be water left, but my fear were for naught and the water was plentiful. The underpass trail magic was magical indeed. I plopped down in a comfy camp chair, enjoyed an ice cold White Claw from a cooler, and enjoyed the shade while I aired out my feet.
Under the bridge, I met Alex who was a dog sled guide, Feather Blue again, and Bop-It, a funny wildcard type of person who got her name on the AT when she exclaimed “I should’ve practiced bop-it more so that I could swat away all these flies!” We all cracked up at this. There was also a guy we named Topo because he is doing the trail entirely with maps and compasses and no FarOut. My first trail name that I’ve given!
It was tempting to stay all day in the cool shade, but continue on I must. I filled up my reservoirs for the next dry stretch, and made my way up a sunny climb. There were so many types of cacti and the desert tones were incredible. I ascended two miles and ended up camping near Topo. I made spicy Korean noodles, tidied up, and fell asleep as the sky got dark.