We started the day with a long hike across the desert floor. The high winds screaming between the two monoliths of Mounts San Jacinto and Gorgonio kept the temperatures cool and amicable for hiking, though we needed to apply our Chapstick dutifully. I ended up with a bloody nose due to the dry, sweeping winds. Our 'late' wakeup (by hiker standards) put our departure around 945 (as usual, the last ones leaving camp), and we arrived at I-10 xing around 1130.
Trail magic and trail angels were both found at the undercrossing, along with hikers Sharkbite, Faucet and Hummingbird. We spent a quick break under the bridge as I waited for the recently-ingested caffeine to improve my mood, which was soured by the flat and sandy crossing. The renowned Trail Angel house of Ziggy and the Bear was right next to the trail as we departed the I-10 crossing, but we passed on the pit stop in lieu of more progress on the trail since it had been such a late start. We bid adieu to Section B as we climbed up thru the Mesa wind farm and began section C.
Another milestone!
The wind was powerful enough to blow my gnarly hair around. Good place to put a wind farm.
Smiles keeps her hat on during the slow climb up the cañon.
As Smiles started up the cañon, she asked curiously whether I had ever responded to the BART lost & found email indicating that they found my previously-lost keys (background: keys lost on 3/17, dutifully searched for @ various BART facilities for a week thereafter, and reported found a week after we started hiking. Go figure). I pondered the possibility of actually replying to an email (p<<0.05), then nervously remembered there being something of a cutoff date before they tossed my keys. I quickly verified that the cutoff date was approaching, and that BART L&F would only be open for approximately 2.3 hours until that deadline. I spent the next hour or two trying to deal with the 'crisis' with my dwindling service while scolding myself for using some perfectly good 3G under the bridge for Twitter, etc.
On the way, I saw lots of common side blotch lizards, with different coloration than those of San Jacinto. Though we were in decent habitat for desert tortoise, the secretive testudines eluded me. My legs have a good, dull pain, and my mind was not yet feeling fried. Feet are breaking in nicely - no blisters, and plantar pain is minimal. Smiles ha a couple new blisters and a hotspot or two but is holding up well. We entered the San gorgonio wilderness, a stark, steep grassland dominated landscape. We contoured around and entered the Whitewater river valley.The river ran through steeply eroded canyon sidewalls, with white granitic sand/pavement between the river stones on a floodplain ~.3 mi wide.
Smiles descending into the Whitewater cañon
We checked in to visitor ctr, preserve run by a nonprofit, which left the site open and free for camping by pct hikers. They also had a cold wading pond, which felt great on the feet. Most importantly, they were not Segway friendly:
Not many other hikers were around when we showed up, but eventually many others arrived after t ginger, Oregon-born mother of 4 from Houston. 3 cats arrived later after a prolonged stretch at Ziggy and the bear. 3cats and ginger told us of foot baths, showers, carpets, and other accommodations at the house. We cooked a quick Alfredo dinner, then bed in the beautiful. windy canyon with dreams of an early wakeup to avoid the desert heat.
Coolest critters of the day: rock wrens. I was able to observe several interacting for a good length of time, and quite literally the only thing they appear to be interested in is dancing around on rocks of assorted sizes.
No comments:
Post a Comment