tcmauer

Scissor’s Crossing to Barrel Springs (PCT mile 101.1)

Daily miles: 23.8

My camp mates were hitching 13 miles to the nearby town of Julien, but I was ready to get hiking.  I took off into the San Felipe Hills, which kind of seemed like mountains to me.  This part of the trail sees almost no rain because the landscape was nothing but brown rock and sand.  Ants were covering the trail to such an extent that I think the entire of the San Felipes is really just one big anthill.

At one point I decided I was going to push on to the next water source, thus allowing me to skip the 3rd Gate water cache.  So, with my first 20+ mile day already in progress I put in my head phones and listened to some tunes to help the miles go by.  It would be 32 miles total between water resupply points.

As the sun was getting low in the sky I started my descent to Barrel Springs along the contours of the San Felipes.  This side of the range was all green and soft though and I could see way out into the valley and beyond.  The horizon line had puffy clouds resting on it, so we must have been on a plateu.  It gave the impression of looking out over the edge of the world, or perhaps of walking on an island of land floating in the sky.  The grasses shown brightly in the sun and the cacti had pink flowers blooming against their needles.

At camp that night I ate 2 packages of ramen, a tortilla with heaps of cheddar cheese and a package of Starbust.  It represented the last of my food as tomorrow I walk into Warner Springs for my second resupply.