The desert is.....hot

So in case you don't know southern California is a desert...and we are still in it. It seems never ending at times. The desert consumes 700 miles of the trail. It is very different from what I thought of as "desert". It is hot and dry but not flat. We have gone through more mountain ranges than I would have imagined. We have had two rain storms and though they were cold and wet, at times I miss them very much. We start most days wondering where the next water source will be, and end figuring out the best way to find water. It is not life or death, it is just something to be constantly aware of. It is my main worry on the trail but the pct does a great job of providing resources for finding water. It also has an amazing group of trail angels that provide water at many dry areas. 

Anyway, the desert is not always what it seems but it is always hot. But back to our adventure.

We left Big Bear for a hot spring. There was free beer, free carrots, and some naked people. All in a days experience. 

After the hot spring, we found a beautiful lake, Silverwood Lake. It was a lovely place to hop in and cool off. 

We spent the day laying on the beach and taking in the sun. Improving our already beastly tan lines. 

The next day was a race for food: McDonalds. We did 14 miles before breakfast was done being served. After eating McEverything, we spent the afternoon digesting in the shade and added a couple more miles later in the day. 

With the energy from McDonalds, we climbed 6,000 feet the next day into Wrightwood. 

It was a tiring day, but we kicked butt and got there before 3pm.

Wrightwood was a very cute town that let us stay at their local coffee shop on the porch. The locals bought us a round of beer and the town was as kind as could be. They were so kind, in fact, that we stayed for one more day. This way we could heal up and be ready for the next stretch. 

Little did we know, that the next stretch included more mountains than we were ready for. We climbed Baden Powell, just a short 2,000 ft gain in 4 miles........

But we made it. 

Emily went on a couple hundred feet and finished off the mountain for us. We then had our first fire. It was glorious. 

We hit more days with more mountains, clouds and detours. It was beautiful. 

But most impressively, we passed 400. It seemed to take forever, but we finally made it. 

The views are new and beautiful with every mile but the temperature seems to be increasing with every mile as well. Some days we sleep through the heat of the day just to make it bearable. 

Through the heat, poodle dog bush, and lack of water, we finally made it to the KOA. It had a pool, showers, and cool drinks. We rested there for the evening with pizza, beer, and our ever growing trail family.

Until next time, 

Shelly