When I made camp last night there was another camper near by. I cowboy camped (without a tent as it was a beautiful night) and tried hard not to wake them up. The next morning I woke up at 6:30 which is really late for me and the other camper had already left. They apparently did so very quietly as well as I had no idea they had left. Once I get to sleep there is not much that will wake me up as my family can attest. It is a good trait and a bad trait. It would be nice to wake up if someone broke into my house to rob me but I really doubt that I would. That is why I have two attack cats. Anyway at 6:30 the sun was already up and it was already hot. I only had 8 miles to go to HikerTown and I figured I could do that easy. I had plenty of water. So I got up and had a nice breakfast of a flour tortilla filled with cheese and summer sausage and a hot chocolate and I was ready to go.

The day got hotter really fast. I was lucky to be doing it this early in the morning because by the time I arrived at Hikertown, even with plenty of water, I was feeling a little sick to my stomach. The heat from above and below was getting to me and there was not very much shade once I dropped down into the desert floor. I was happy to make it to HikerTown and renewed my pledge to walk at night. This walking during the day was not a good idea and it was not working for me. Today is Saturday and so I spend the rest of the day and night in HikerTown and then most of Sunday (day of rest) also in HikerTown waiting for the evening to start the walk again. This next section is true desert as the walk is about 20 miles along the AquaDuct. It is a 17 mile stretch without water AND the only reason there is water in 17 miles is because the owners of HikerTown maintain a water cache of two 50 gallon drums at that point. I have such admiration for the people that were able to walk the PCT in the days when trail angels and water caches did not exist!! They are better men that me.

While I am waiting at HikerTown on Saturday, “Just Keep Walking”, “Night Walker”, “Rock City”, “Stubbs”, “SingleMalt” arrive. Turns out they got a ride from Anderson’s to HikerTown. They head out on Saturday night to do the desert. I have an urge to go with them and have someone to walk with in the desert but do not.