An unexpected stop

So, originally I had planned on hiking straight to Warner Springs from Mt. Laguna, taking four days to do so. I did not count on how brutal the 37 miles after Mt. Laguna would be.

The first day wasn't as bad as the second. There were a couple places with shade, and one guaranteed water refill. All signs pointed to no water on trail between miles 48.7 and 77, though, so I had to load up with enough to make it a day and a half.

I loaded up 6 liters there, double my normal water load. Man that made my pack heavier. Also made it more awkward, as I had to hang the extra 3 liters off my pack in a non-optimal way. I also made "dinner" and ate it there, so I wouldn't have to use water to cook, later.

Turns out there was another water source a few miles later, which also had some shade, so I was able to resupply some there. After that, though, it was seven miles to my campsite, for a total of 19 miles that day. I had planned on only doing about 15, but wanted to get through that dry stretch quickly. After multiple days of just 10-12, that was a stretch.

Luckily, some lovely person had dropped a water cache at my planned campsite for the night, so the liter and a half I went through on the way there was able to be replenished. It was very warm that night, though, and the campsite (Sunrise Campground) was right near a freeway. Combine that with the fact that I was all sticky with sweat, and I barely slept 2 hours that night.

Miles 59.5 through 77 were torturous. I got a bit of a late start, so I didn't get going until about 7, which was less than optimal for what turned out to be the hottest, most exposed day I had experienced so far. There was a lot of ledge walking, no tall brush, and no cliffs above that might provide shade.

At 68, there was a supposed water source 1.1 miles from the trail. Luckily, I had enough water, so I didn't stop. Might have been nice to verify the source for the Water Report, and maybe get some cooler water, but wasn't necessary.

I made the mistake of hiking through the hottest part of the day, but without good shade, stopping wouldn't have done much. The little shade I did find around that time was very awkward to try and sit under. It actually hurt to prop myself up on the slope, so I didn't stay long.

I finally found some decent shade about four miles from the end of the day, and stayed there for a while. I got bored pretty quickly, though, and there was the siren song of the end of the day, so I moved on after about 45 minutes. Also, it was around 4 pm, so the heat was waning.

The last 3.5 miles of the day were almost completely flat. It was boring, hot, and completely exposed. It was torturous.

When I got to Scissors Crossing, I was exhausted both mentally and physically. There were a few hikers resting under the bridge there, along with a water cache. I dropped my pack, enjoyed a little shade, and drank most of what was left of my water. I had not planned on going to Julian, but after the last two days, I needed a break.

After a bit, I hauled my pack back on, moved up on to the road, and stuck out my thumb. With 18 miles to Julian, hitch-hiking was necessary. Apparently the people nearby are used to hikers trying to get to Julian, and are willing to pick them up. Took me about 15 minutes to get a ride.

The guy had just gotten done with a round of golf. He lives in Julian and works at the Julian brewery. He and I talked about the trail and how he would live to do it, but he has kids, so he is just going to section hike.

Next stop, Julian.