Woke up at 6:30 to fog. We took down camp and hiked down one mountainside, then up another. It was brutal. I did not spend nearly the amount of time that I should have training for this, but I'm glad for every second I did spend. Tom is an unstoppable machine. I can keep up with him on even ground, or on slight inclines, but on the way up this mountainside my legs, back, and lungs were screaming at me, and he showed no desire to slow down. I'm going to kill him and steal his power.
After crossing the ridge, we eventually made our way down to Lake Morena, where, by sheer coincidence, there just happens to be a PCT thru hike kickoff party going on this weekend! We signed in and a man with the trail name "Capt. Bivy," unable to find us a camp site, gave us the keys to a cabin half a mile down the road. We dropped our gear off and headed back to the park for a seminar about desert hiking and the water report. After that, another trip back to the cabin, where I washed my feet (which were disgusting!) under a spigot and then lounged in bed and read a few chapters of "The Executioner." At five, we headed back down to the park for "Burgerama," which is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine six hundred hikers milling around tables loaded with burgers, hot dogs, buns, potato salad and brownies. Tom, Jerry and I got our food and sat in the grass soaking up the evening sun and looking out towards the mountains and the desert that awaits us.
After pounding down four burgers, half a veggie dog, a Gatorade, a Sobe, and three helpings of potato salad, I picked up a T-shirt from a tent and we headed back to the cabin. The temperature here seems to shift radically as the wind blows, and I frequently find myself freezing one minute and pouring sweat the next. The extra layer will be a welcome addition, at least until I can have more clothes sent out.
I know I've only been out there three days, but I miss home. More mountains tomorrow. Better get to sleep.
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