PCT 2007 Day 50 – Deep Creek Bridge – Cleghorn Park

PCT 2007 Day 50

Day 50 / 5-14-07 Cowboy
Deep Creek Bridge – Cleghorn Park
19.7 miles; 328.3 total miles (11); 2163.9 trip miles
80’s, sunny, no shade

I slept well last night, though the ground was kind of hard and I was on a slight slope. It wasn’t barely as cold as last night.

I set the alarm for 4:35 but I didn’t get up until closer to 5. Not more than 5-10 minutes after I got up, I heard two bowling ball size splashes in the creek right near me. I then heard a smaller one a bit later. It was still twilight so I couldn’t see what made the noise. It kind of freaked me out a bit.

I got going by 5:52 am and the hiking was easy most of the way. From where I camped all the way to the Mojave River Forks Reservoir Dam kids had spray painted the rocks. It really pissed me off. Up to now I haven’t seen much, if any, vandalism on the trail.

After crossing Deep Creek one more time, I climbed a bit, but it wasn’t steep. I crossed Highway 173 and then Grass Valley Creek. I stopped by a piped spring to fill up on water plus I was about to catch UB and I wanted her to be able to get ahead. I got my water and as I went to mix my purification liquid, I couldn’t get any of the first solution to come out. Now mind you this bottle was always hard to get the solution out of before. I stopped and shook it, and it was empty! From having to squeeze it so hard all the times before I had creased the top two corners. Since the cap was tight when I opened it, all I can think is that the creases formed little holes and it leaked out. So now I was unable to treat my water. Luckily this was coming directly out of a piped spring.

I stopped around 9:30 to eat a snack and look at my feet. I was feeling a hot spot on the ball like I had in week one. It turned out a small blister had formed already. I used the last of my duck tape in the early AM, so I had to use band aids. It felt better but I need to get some duck tape and water purification ASAP.

When I got to the base of the dam at Silver Lake I stopped in the shade to put on my pant legs It turned out UB was under the bridge I had just crossed. She gave me some water treatment pills so at least I have the ability to treat water when needed. I decided I would have lunch as well and played chase the shade for a couple hours.

I sat around until about 2 pm when Apple Pie showed up. She and I talked a bit and she gave me some duck tape, so now I have everything I ran out of. We were joined by Junk Food and Amir, they moved on and we got going shortly after. It was still hot but not too bad.

We had a short climb which included a cooler, which was empty. We signed the register and moved on. After we crested the climb, we saw Junk Food and Amir down by the water of Silverwood Lake. We all ended up taking a swim and it was great. The only down side was the beach was filled with ants that bit.

It was another 4 or so miles to camp. While circling the lake, I saw a floating platform that I’m pretty sure was a floating Pooh Shed. Now I can say I’ve never seen one of those before.

At camp we have toilets, running water, and trash cans. I had a huge dinner that barely fit in my pot and it was damn good. It was tortellini with garlic, summer sausage, and sun dried tomato pesto. Tonight it’s Troll, Oblivious, Apple Pie, Sunwalker, and another couple. Tomorrow I get to have Subway for lunch and other tasty snacks at a store at the I-15 crossing.

I saw two crows chasing a Golden Eagle through the park as I cooked. The eagle was huge.

Scatman 2011- At lunch as a I took a napped I awoke to something crawling on my face.  It was a wood tick!  Despite the heat I was out of there.  When I think hot dry desert I think spiders, snakes, scorpions, and other biting inserts, not wood ticks.  Finding it crawling on my face meant it started much lower and probably had been on me a while.  I was out of there regardless of the sun or heat.  I hate wood ticks!

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Scatman

Get out there!

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