My alarm goes off at 7am. It’s easy to sleep in when you have curtains and a soft warm bed. I make myself get up. I wiggle my toes. Hey! My blister doesn’t- I hop out of bed- hurrrrt… crap. I can tell it’s healing, maybe in another day or two it’ll be gone.

The general store opens at 9. I turn in my key and buy resupplies for 3.8 days to Warner Springs. I hope to get there before the post office closes on Saturday! I set out at a brisk pace. 

Goodbye fairytale book forest!

 
I promptly run into 4 other thru hikers. Burbon, Hippie, Bill and Laura. We leapfrog each other as we hike. Laura passes me and hikes way up ahead. I watch her twirl her hiking poles around in a sort of dance. ‘She must be in a good mood’ I think to myself. 

Then I get to that section and find a freeway of bees traveling over the trail. Yikes. Twirling poles suddenly makes sense. I hold my breath and walk carefully through. I always felt like if you run from bees, they’ll know. They can sense your fear. Not sure if that’s true, but I made it past un-stung! 

The trail tops off with a grand sweeping view of the dry surrounding mountains. Wow, I’m going to be walking over there?     

The trail then switchbacks down through an old burn section. Dead tree branches stick out of the bushes like antlers. The ground is covered in tiny yellow and orange confetti like flowers.  

  

   
   interesting shapes in the old burned trees.  Snake #2!

I keep hiking and suddenly recognize a walkway structure. 

 
Hey! I’ve been here before! I stayed in Julian for a friend’s 100 mile race a few years ago. We stopped here to look at the trail. I hope I make you proud past self!

I start to listen to the FEZ soundtrack on Doug’s Sansa clip. Music adds a whole new level to hiking. I feel unstoppable! The trail continues through sweeping fields with large boulders and views of the neighboring desert hills. 

   

    
 
A curious crow follows me, hopping from bolder to bolder. It then takes flight high up into the air. I stop walking and look up. It hovers 15 feet above me looking right back down its beak. Wow. It felt like a real moment. I never new bird eye contact could be so intense. I say something dumb like”hello there” and break the spell. It flys off over the ridge.    

The wind starts to pick up. I can see old trees from the fire that have been blown down.  

I reach a small rest stop with a horse trough. Hmmm my first filtered water, yum.   

 Yep. I drank out of that (After filtering obviously).

The trail then goes over an old bridge with old graffiti and placards remembering the deceased. 

   
    
 
It continues to be windy as the sun starts to hang low. The trail narrows and follows a ridge lined with wild lavender. The views are stunning. I stop to draw for a little bit.

  

    

 
 

 
    
Hippie and Bill catch up to me. We hike into Sunrise trail head and set up camp in a meadow. It’s very beautiful but a little exposed.. I set up behind a water tank hoping that it will block the wind tonight. A few other hikers pack up to night hike in the full moon! That sounds really cool but I’m happy making dinner and resting for the night.

   
  
  
Camped at mile 59.5 of the pct.
Miles hiked today: 18.1 mi