Daily Miles: 22.2
Total Miles 65.7
This day started off quite amazing and then became quite frustrating by the end. I was proud of myself because once again I was awake early and out of camp by 7 AM. Today should have been a little easier as I didn't have to carry as much water the first 6+ miles to Lander's Camp and firetank where I could fill up. In fact I only left this morning with 2 liters and I could have made it with one. After a small climb the trail spent those first 6 miles wandering through a pretty well shaded forest of pines and hemlocks. A lot different that the constant exposure I have been dealing with the last couple days.
Landers Camp had by far the strongest running water I have seen thus far. When I got there about 6 hikers were laying around relaxing, by the time I left there were close to 20. This was technically the last "guaranteed" water source for 42 miles. There are 2 water caches between here and Walker Pass that locals have been stocking for us, but they can only guess at how many hikers are coming through and how fast it will be depleted. Some of these caches have been known to go through 50-70 gallons a day. That's a lot of water to keep carting up to a dirt road in the middle of nowhere to make sure that complete strangers don't dehydrate.
The Pacific Crest Trail Association is in the process of trying to eliminate these caches entirely from the trail. The focus for them is on trail preservation and the environment. The problem comes when somebody has good intentions by leaving water, or a cooler of food or drinks at a road crossing, but never goes back to pick up the remnants. Unfortunately this has been happening more and more in recent years. The problem is sections like this. I can tell you that if both or possibly even if only one of these caches in this section had been empty, I would have been in serious trouble. They say not to rely on the caches but I carted out six liters from the first one and was down to two before I hit the second one with almost 21 more miles to do before another water source if that had been empty. Certain desert sections down by the border, here, and in northern California by the Hat Creek Rim should all have a specific management system in place to allow for these caches - thats just my opinion.
So, after filling up at Landers, I decided to head on despite the heat. I had a long 5 miles down to the first water cache and if it had been uphill I might have waited through the heat of the day, but downhill I figured was fine. Little did I know I would be heading right back into the real hardcore desert for the next 20+ miles.
I made it to the cache fine (stocked with I would guess over 150 liters). I found some shade under a Joshua Tree for about an hour.
I also got to talk to a father and son who drove up to the cache. They had been at Landers Camp dirtbiking and had talked to the other hikers there (after I left) who told them about the cache. They decided to come down and check it out. The entire time I was there only 1 hiker showed up as I was leaving. They all must have had the right idea, and waited out the heat of the day.
I had to go a little farther down before I started a long climb up again. I knew I was going to have to dry camp tonight (camp without a water source) so when I got to the lowest point and out of the wind I decided to cook dinner (around 4:15). At about 4:45 I was ready to go and figured I would try to push to where the guides said there were a few tentsites another 6+ miles away. This would put me at over 20 miles today, something I had no interest in doing this early in the hike.
Once I started making elevation I realized the true beast of the desert - the wind. Oh my god, the wind!!! It was brutal from all angles and in all directions. Combine that with what now had become literally sand beneath my feet. It felt like for every 2 steps forward I would take 1 step back. I soon realized that I needed to find a place to camp out of this wind, but I didn't know if it was even realistic to believe such a place existed right now.
After passing multiple 1000K markers (for our Canadian and European friends) I finally came to a couple spots that were not in my guide that seemed to get less wind. That made me think though that if this area is prone to wind, that the spots in the guide would probably be more established and out of the wind than ones not in the guides. So I rolled the dice and headed on to the other spot in the guide. Some times when you roll the dice, you lose. I finally got to the spot and though it was somewhat out of the wind it was still going to be a factor. Especially for me with a lightweight tarp tent and virtual sand to put my tent stakes in. I got the tent up and somewhat secure, but I give it until 2AM before it is blown over with me in it.
On one last note - I spoke too soon yesterday. All the miles today have given me about 2 and 1/2 blisters. I am cleaning them as best I can, but hoping they can hold out 2 more days until I get to town for the first time, get them cleaned up and can reassess them.
Patch
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