Days 5-8: Mt Laguna to Warner Springs

Day 5

I got a great night of sleep on the tavern floor. I was warm and didn’t get interrupted by my tent collapsing! All of us got up about the same time and started to push the tables back in place and clean up any messes we made. The tavern crew came in and served coffee too! 

This was my first 20 mile day. All together, I did 22 miles. Everyone that was stuck in Mt. Laguna was pushing hard for the few campsites at the end of the ridge.

In the first 5 miles, I got some trail magic! A couple parents of a fellow hiker were passing out donuts to those who passed by. It was delicious and made me happy in that moment. However, I did begin to slow down my speed.

Towards the end of the day, I had to refill water at a horse trough. The holding tank was empty, so I couldn’t get fresh water from the tap. Since this was the last water for awhile, I double filtered the stagnant, green water and hoped I didn’t get sick.

Day 6

A large group of us had stayed at the campsite and began our migration to Scissors Crossing, the next water source. The morning was cool and I ran down the mountain, trying to reach the water cache before the possible storm.

Scissors Crossing is a dried creekbed and the locals refill water bottles for the hikers at an underpass. It is a known, long dry stretch of the PCT, so it is amazing that a few people in the town check on the cache almost daily.

Once there, I took my midday nap, ate some lunch and stretched. Many hitch hiked into the nearby town of Jullian, for pie and beers. I just wanted to rest.

After it cooled down, I continued my climb out of the valley and onto another ridge. All the campsites were in dry creek beds in the small valleys as I passed ridge to ridge. The impending storm was taken out of the forecast for the day and there were clear skies, so I proceeded to make camp.

This was my first night ever camping alone. Of course, my irrational fear of cougars creeped up. While setting up my tent, I heard a strange noise and jumped to my feet with my trekking poles. After surveying and making noise, I determined it was probably my tent.

I finished my tent and then began eating my dinner. I heard the noise again and discovered two large hummingbirds zipping around my tent. Phew! Cougar averted!

Day 7

I hiked alone most of the day. Occasionally passing Beave, Will, Adam and Jesse. Everyone seemed to be doing their own thing today and finding their own groove.

I aimed to get to Warner Springs by the end of the day, 24 miles, the most I’ve ever done.   I met up with Flame and began walking with her. She camped at 105 and I joined her, ending my day at 20 miles. We had a fire and stayed up until 8pm! That’s like midnight to me nowadays.

Day 8

Only 4 miles to Warner Springs, so I slept in until 6:30. This was the first morning that I hurt all over. I’ve been sore, but I didn’t want to move.

After forcing myself out of bed and did a couple miles I felt better. I took my time and met up with others around Eagle Rock.

At Warner Springs, the Resource Center had a couple stalls available for bucket showers. It felt so good to rinse off. Once done, we all did our laundry in the bucket and hung our clothes on a chain link fence.

I took this opportunity as a nero (nearly zero miles). A group of us headed to the gold course for lunch. I had an entire 12″ pizza to myself. It was wonderful! Hiker hunger is starting to creep up on me.