Day 5 May 11, 2017

• Miles hiked 19
• Total miles 95
• Hiked from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

So today I got initiated on SoCal desert heat.

One of the main reasons I decided to head into Julian last night was to latch onto some Wifi and check in with the family.  I have not been in contact with them since I started the trail as I do not carry a cell phone.  Well, there was Wifi, but only just.  I could make voice calls on Skype but no video.  Uploading pictures onto this blog was out of the question.  When I asked the front desk at the hotel why it was so slow, the nice young lady explained that it was because of the fog?!?!?

The day started off in Julian.  I got up at 5:30 and was out hitch hiking by 6:00.  By 7:30, I said screw it and walked back to the hotel to partake in the very good continental breakfast and to take advantage of the facilities.  More about that later.  Anyway, back onto the highway just before 8:00 and the third car by picks me up.  Yup, could have slept in.  A super nice lady, whose name I cannot come up with picked me up and whisked me the 12 miles to the trail in no time.

Picking up the trail at Scissors Crossing, there was a 1,000 foot climb up into the San Felipe (I may have that name wrong) Mountains.  Again, the PCT never hurries these climbs, so it went very smoothly.  The area was like walking through a cultivated cactus garden.

I just am not getting bored by all these cacti

The day had broken clear and warm right from the get go.  Also, my late start did not help.  The trail settled into a pretty easy undulating affair, but by noon my thermometer on my pack was reading 90 F.  Definitely slowed things down and upped the water consumption.  At one point, I was minding my own business going through a broad pass when an F18 comes screaming through, from behind me, at what felt like about 500 feet above me. Now do you see the significance of the morning constitutional in town?  Scared the bejesus out of me.

Fellow grey haired hiker Buck

The ever present Granite Mountain

The day settled into a routine hike, albeit a very hot one.  At about 2:00 I got to the "Third Gate Water Cache".  Some really amazing volunteers truck hundreds of gallons of store bought water to this cache.  Without it, we would have to haul our own water some 28 miles or so.  After getting water, everyone pretty much found a shady spot to wait out the afternoon heat.

My refuge from the heat

Around four, it was cooler so I headed out.  Steady uphill for two hours. Again, not a tough climb, just a long slog.  Made it to a wonderful camp area which I am sharing with Juston from New Zealand, Tom from Australia and Hershey from Washinton State.

Granite Mountain again

Mountains to the west of the trail

Sunset from camp

Now, talking of Hershey and his hiking buddy Max, they suggested a trail name for me today.  I have been leap frogging with them since the morning of the first day. Apparently they have started calling me the Silver Fox because each time they believe that they have hiked out of my range, I come plodding along.  I was resolute on not getting caught up in the whole trail name thing, but I kind of like that one.  Time will tell.

Home for the night