18.2 miles – Ziggy and The Bear to PCT mile 229.1
The little hiker slugs start making noise early so I’m up at 5:30am but not out until 7:30am. There are new people to chat to and be distractes by and faffing about to be done!
My poor sore knee is quite sore this morning and upon inspection it appears I have a double knee! Normal sized knee and double sized knee. Hmm.
It’s a cool morning but by 8 the sun has a bite. I pass the mesa wind farm which has an army of giant wind power generators all over the hills, and enter into section C!
There is a steeeep climb and I’m not doing well. My poor double knee doesn’t like moving, so I relent and take some “vitamin i” to help with the pain and swelling. I’m not a pill popping fan and hikers seem to take ibuprofen like it is a lolly, so I really hope this doesn’t become habit!!
As always, there is now a big big down, which is where my knee will really be tested! I take it slow and the drugs work their miracle and get me to the bottom.
I make the dumb choice to head into whitewater preserve for water- it’s a holiday and there are a bunch of tourists about, plus the extra mile walking really annoys me! I was hoping there would be some kind of cool drink for sale, but alas no food or drink available 🙁
I head out and come across a chicken fat sitting in the water with his sunbrella, with ride or die doing yoga next to him. Brilliant. In stick my feet in for a while and it is heavenly.
The trail follows the water and soon I’m heading up up up again. Today absolutely owns me. It is bloody hot and saps all my energy. Moving sooooo slowly and everyone passes me.
I arrive at a big campspot next to the creek where a bunch of people are going to stay put. I rinse my shirt and buff in the water, fill up my water bladders and head out for 2.8 more miles. It’s a big climbing day tomorrow so I want to get started on the hill.
It’s cooler now as there is some greenery surrounding the creek, and the trail criss-crosses it all the way up the canyon.
I am soooo sleepy I start hearing the wicked witch of the west “Poppies. Poppies will put them to sleep. Sleeeeeeeeeepppppp!” But there are no poppies, only trail.
Somehow I sleepwalk into camp where HowBeard (who is now OKTuna after an funny tuna incident, which does not seem to translate in the retelling), Pie and Jugger (I think that’s his name) are all set up. I up my tent, shovel in some food, and then yes Wicked Witch, I get to Sleeeeeeeeeepppppp.
Thought of the day: always ride, never die