Day 4 May 10, 2017

• Daily miles 18
• Total miles 76
• Hiked from 6:30 am to 3:00 pm

Lots of "cruiser" trail today.  And lots of hikers compared to yesterday.

Woke up at around 5:30 to a very foggy day.  Unlike yesterday, it was more of a high fog, so at least I got some views in.  The cool weather that came with the fog was a godsend.  The trail mainly cruised along up high on the ridges, with the exception of one 1,000 foot decent and subsequent 500 foot ascent.

Easy "cruiser" trail early in the morning

More easy trail.  If you look carefully you can see the trail wrapping around the hill.

The trail was a little more social today.  Played leapfrog with a group of about 6 hikers.  Once the trail wrapped around Granite Mountain, it was a very long, slow decent into the desert valley below.  At around noon, the sun broke clear of the fog and the temperature jumped about 20 degrees (F, I am in the States after all).  I would have to guess that there were land ownership issues that forced the trail to stay up on the hillside far longer than seemed necessary.  But eventually I did make it down.

Starting the long decent to the valley below

Granite Mountain with TJ and Michaela leading the way

Three miles of this to get to the road crossing once the trail left the mountain

Eventually the trail lead to an underpass on a highway.  And that highway leads to a small town called Julian.  My plan did not include going there, but the thought of a shower, wifi, a warm bed and restaurant food was too strong, so off to Julian I went.  Hitched into town with a young guy (Alex from Iowa) and got a ride with a great guy, Patrick and his daughter.  Checked into the Julian Lodge which is great and got dinner at somewhere that will not be named because it was terrible.

So, let's talk PCT hikers.  I have been out here four days now, and I have yet to meet anyone that I would not like to be friends with in the real world.  Just a great bunch of people who are out here doing what they love.  It is interesting that all discussions revolve around where are you from, what school did you go to etc.  Politics, which is such a hot button issue down here in the States is simply taboo.  

Now for some random pics.

Cacti still fascinate me

The trail is home to countless ant colonies

Home for the night