4/12 – Day 5 – Desert Hiking
Cecil and I, running low on water, hiked about 4 miles to the first water I’ve taken that required treatment. It was flowing into a horse trough. I was now 60 miles from the start of the hike. After getting water, the trail descended steeply into the desert. We hiked 19 miles to Scissors Crossing – a road crossing shaped like an open scissor. This section was brutal desert hiking, and Cecil left me in the dust. The last 4 miles was straight across the desert, in 90 degrees of heat, and I was very low on water. At Scissors Crossing I found Cecil again, along with 55-yr old Thomas. They were under the bridge where there was a water cache.
The trail angels leave water for PCT hikers there. It was a scummy dirty hot place, not a nice place to camp. So the three of us decided to hike another 2 miles up the hill, where we found a little flat spot to camp. We met another PCT hiker there – a really cool guy from Big Bear whose trail name is Heffe; reported this was his third try to complete the PCT; the other two times he got giardia and had to quit.
That was my first 20+ mile day (21)! Completed mile 81.
Click the link to see where I camped on Day 5:
http://fms.ws/BhP_b/33.10990N/116.47545W