PCT 2007 Day 36 – Laguna CG – Cross Rodriguez Spur

PCT 2007 Day 36

Day 36 / 4-30-07   CB
Laguna CG – Cross Rodriguez Spur
20.5 miles; 68.4 total miles; 1903.6 trip miles
Sunny, 80

I slept better last night then the night before. I did slip off my pad during the night once or twice. The ground was also very rocky and hard.

I got up at 5 AM and was going by 5:50 AM. The tempature was good so the hiking was nice. I caught up to a couple groups in front of me, one group of three ladies and one husband/wife couple (Walk it Off and Foot a Fire). I also caught Deacon a little later.
I left everyone and hiked ahead to Sunrise Highway where I got water and hung out for a few hours. I got there around 11 AM something and stayed till close to 3 PM.
The hike has been taking us along a ridge just to the west of this very arid desert. I’m also up at 5000′ and the valley to the east has to be a few thousand feet below that. The view has been incredible all day. I can see for miles. I learned that I’m not truly hiking in the desert but Chamise Chaparral. Tomorrow I should hike some true desert. Because of the dust, I feel like a little kid with a cold, who has the constant ring of dried snot on his nostrils. It’s nasty.

After I left my lunch break spot, I stayed up high for a while then I descended down this super steep hill to Upper Chariot Canyon. I saw Deacon at the bottom and hung out a few minutes.

I had caught Foot a Fire and Walk it Off on the descent, then caught them again on the next climb. We zigzagged along the hillside for a while and finally descended to Cross Rodriguez Spur. There is a fire water tank here. It had a house so we were all able to wash up. Tonight it’s myself, Foot a Fire, Walk it Off, Bull, City Girl, Glacier, Jukebox, Fuzzy Bee, Pigmy, Wounded Knee, Ultra Bright, Sunshine, Jermey, Stud, Dr. Bug, Noel, and one more. Others moved on already.

Tonight was the first night I cooked on the trail. I had 3 cheese tortellini, with fresh garlic, and pepperoni. It was very tasty.

Tonight is almost a full moon so it’s going to be a bright night of cowboy camping. Off to bed, going to get up at 4:30 AM to beat the heat.

Scatman 2011- I spent most of my lunch break hanging out in the shade of a road side bath house.  At one point a illegal immigrant came by asking for food and water.  He didn’t stick around long.  I can’t imagine sneaking across the boarder with just the clothes on my back and wandering into the desert.  I was prepared with food, water, clothes, shelter and a map and I still had it tough.  As they say, people can and will do amazing things if their life depends on it.

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Scatman

Get out there!

You can check out my Appalachian Trail or Continental Divide Trail journals too!