4/28/17

Day 5
Mile: 68.2 to 77

Not much sleep was to be had at our tent city at mile 68.2. The wind came again during the night and gusts rattled our tents. Once in a while we could see headlamp light which was usually followed by the sound of rock pounding on stake as the individual tried to ground their shelter more securely.
The morning dawned, and around 5:30 everybody started stirring and packing, and by 6:30 most were gone.

Today, though not a mile demanding day, was difficult. The sun was hot right from the get go and without breeze the air was stale and energy draining.

We hiked uphill again for quite a while. Then the trail dropped us onto the valley floor and finally the scenery started to look a lot like what I imagined the desert would be like, a long flat strip, sandy and soft, with only few bushes surviving here. It was beautiful.

My feet were tired by the time we arrived at Scissor Crossing and since I didn’t take my second dose of vitamin I, the pain in my right foot started to shout again.

We made a decision to head to Stagecoach RV Park and let my feet rest for remaining of the day. This meant our first hitchhiking attempt since the place is 3.2 miles off the trail.

About 5 cars passed. Then we got lucky and after about a mile walk, red truck stopped and the driver with big smile on his face asked if we were going to the RV Park. When we nodded, he told us to jump on the truck bed and off we were for a refreshing ride.

The rest of the day was pleasant to say the least. Few chores were done such as laundry and then we chilled by the pool with fellow hikers. Hard life, I’ll tell you.