Get up early again this morning so that I can do the 1500 ascent before the sun is up and blazing. Was not going to get two overcast days in a row I figured and I was right. The ascent was gentle and took me up to 7000 feet. The rest of day was spent going up and down between 6200 and 7000 feet and then ended with a 1800 foot descent to Walker Pass on road 178 at mile 651. The day was hot and many times there were long periods of rest in the shade. This is the type of dynamic when you tend to meet more people because when you see someone resting in the shade you tend to think “what a great idea” and you join them. So I met up with J-Walk and Thinmint, Paul and Sam, Brit and Tonka, Dave. I had met Tonka way back at 602 but had not seen him again until one of the shade breaks today. Not a very eventful day until the end. When we arrive at Walker Campground there is another water cache but no natural water. So that means from mile 608 to and INCLUDING mile 651 there was no natural water to be had on the trail! Without the water caches and with normal temperatures this section would have to be done at night as there is no way to carry enough water to make it. I must say that I have heard that nobody has ever died of dehydration on the PCT trail. It is just the one time I had to go a few miles without water, I was miserable. The thought of walking 43 miles in 100 degree heat and at the end of that walk finding a dry water hole is not appealing. So we are at the water cache and just talking when up drives a woman and starts hauling water out of her car. She is the water cache trail angel and we all thank her and proceed to help her with the new water and consolidate the water currently at the cache to leave as many full bottles as possible. But then it really gets interesting. The trail angel’s name is Rita and she tells us that she hosts PCT hikers in her guest house which can hold 12 campers. 2 private rooms and then the rest just sleep on the floor. But wait there is more….. she fixes a spaghetti dinner for the hikers. But wait there is more. In the morning she makes a blueberry pancake breakfast and then drives everyone back to the trail. AND there are showers and you can do laundry. She does all this for an optional donation, whatever you want to provide. 20 minutes either way and we would have missed Rita. Everyone but Dave gladly went to her guest house. Dave wanted to get some more miles in and so kept hiking. It was my longest walk of the trail and I felt good at the end of the day. Even with all the heat breaks, I got in good miles and I was showered and eating a spaghetti dinner. J-Walk and Thinmint totally get what Lenora and I are doing and mention how great it must be to visit a new Church each week along the way. Life is good.
