Date: April 9, 2016

At the end of our first 5 day backpacking trip we were both smiling. As Andy said, “that was fun, good thing we get to do more!”

The first off trail shower felt amazing! We had a great dinner with Lindsey, Toph, Sandy (Lindsey’s mom) and the kiddos. We couldn’t wait to sleep in a bed and as our heads hit the pillow- we were out!

Today was a rest day. We slept in, savored the feeling of hot water, endless access to fresh fruits and veggies and the ability to sit and chill. We ran a few errands and played with the kiddos. It is wonderful to feed off of their excitement as they ask “what’s this?” about everything.

We set up our tent in the garage to dry. Kirby, Teddy and Laurie crawled inside to see what camping was all about. Teddy and Kirby loved drinking out of the platypus bladder and were fascinated by all of the bars. 

We organized food and set up our packs for the next 7 day section. The first 30 miles will be without water (1 water cache at mile 14 but we are still undecided if we want to count on that).

Andy is feeling good but my body is still hurting. My knee is good but I have a blister on the bottom of my left foot near my metatarsal head (or fat pad). I limp when I walk- not sure if this is due to blister pain or bone pain in the foot. I have been icing and stretching all day and it keeps feeling better and better. Tomorrow will be the true test.

Before the hike when people asked how I was training, I would joke that I was training by eating pints of ice cream for breakfast. I consider myself to be a fit individual but I am now being reminded that training is sport specific. I should have done more walking- oh well- hopefully my body is as resilient as I want it to be! (And a foam roller will help in the meantime!)

We want to thank Lindsey and Toph again for opening their home to us. They are spectacular people and have a beautiful family. We really enjoyed spending time with them! 

Today we are grateful for generous friends and the curiosity of young minds.

The following are pictures of the day with Teddy and Kirby

   

   

   
 

This video wouldn’t upload yesterday so we’re giving it another try. It’s worth watching that much! Enjoy 🙂

In case you missed it, you can read about our encounter with the snake here.

Date: April 8, 2016

Bushcamp (Mile 61.5) – scissors crossing (Mile 77)

Miles: 15.5

Laurie here- apparently I like blogging 🙂

Today, I nearly died. Or at least that is the story I told myself. I will get to the story in a moment but first let me walk you through our day.

There are many things that could keep me off the trail but the two that seem most plausible are the decline of my mom’s health and pain in my right knee. Yesterday was difficult because of the latter. It was really hard to stop early knowing that we had time and energy for more miles but my body was limiting us.

This trail will teach me things I stubbornly refuse to learn in the city because everything is short term. I am used to pushing through discomfort with the knowledge that the next day I can rest. Trail life is different- damage I do today will haunt me for days and miles to come. While it is my tendency to push through, Andy is wonderful at letting each day be its own adventure irregardless of the outcome. It is helpful to be frequently reminded that it is “all going to be okay.”

We woke up to a quiet sky after rain all night. Then, at 6 it started to rain again.

Damn.

Luckily it didn’t last long. We were on trail by 7:30 with rain attire but no umbrellas. My knee felt great (thanks to a few tib/fib mobilizations and stretching). The sky was dark and we could see rain sprinkling the nearby hills.

The trail followed the contours of the mountains and we wound up, down and around past flowering cacti and other plants. The air was fresh and cool. After 7 miles we got to a water source- took a little break and chatted with fellow hikers.

Andy is now officially “pole down” since every time he stops, one or more of his poles end up on the ground.

The trail continued down for another 9 miles to Scissors Crossing, an intersection with the highway where hikers typically go to a nearby rv park or town of Julian.

So back to the excitement of the day….

With about 2 miles to Scissors Crossing we were finally on flat ground, my feet were feeling good and I was in a groove.

Then Andy asked for some Chapstick and I reluctantly stopped and turned to give him some.

“OH SHIT”

“What? What?”

“There!”

He points down just ahead of us on the trail.

Three feet in front of me and about a foot off the trail was a rattlesnake. As quiet as can be.

No rattle.

No warning.

His head was up- tongue going in and out. The mother fu€@~r was stealthy and ready to attack!!

After my heart retuned to my chest from my throat- we walked off trail and around it. Whew.

Andy here.

Shortly after this encounter I almost fell over laughing at Laurie’s hop/skip to warn snakes of her approach. She spent the last 2 miles focused on the ground- scanning the trail for other possible snakes.

We now find ourselves sitting at Mom’ Pies in Julian, out of the rain, waiting for Laurie’s friend Lindsay to come get us from Carlsbad.

Ed, a trail angel, pulled up as we got to Scissors Crossing and drove us to Julian. He is very friendly and willing to help hikers. Thanks Ed!!

Lindsey will host us for a little R&R in Carlsbad for the next two nights before we get back out on the trail Sunday.

So far we are having a blast. Laughing lots (mostly at ourselves and each other), learning about the desert and enjoying the wonders that is the Pacific Crest Trail.

Today we are grateful for hot showers and fresh food.