Agua Dulce

Day 30, Mile 455

Sorry it has been so long since my last post but between technical difficulties with my phone, getting service, and losing my last entry before posting in Wrightwood, lets just say it has been interesting trying to post a blog lately. Anyway now to the good stuff.

So since Wrightwood just under 100 miles ago I have passed the 400 mile mark! It is amazing to think that I have walked 400 miles in 4 weeks. I have also hit a elevation high on the trail of 9399 at Mt Baden Powell. I even stood on a 1ft tall rock at the top so I could make it an even 9400. But that is not gonna be the highest point over all. I am hoping to take a 16 mile detour off the PCT when I get to the Sierra's to hike up Mt. Whitney. But if not Forester Pass also in the Sierra's will be the highest point on the PCT which is somewhere over 13,000 ft. Nice!

Lately I have slowed down a bit from my desired mileage. I am still about a day behind but that is not much in the whole grand scheme of things. I have had to make a couple detours to go around some burned areas (Station Fire a few years ago). Since there is only a couple approved spots to camp due to this fire and water has been hard to come by it has made progress a little slow. There is also the dreaded Poodle Dog brush. Which is a plant that thrives in burned areas that is supposed to be worse than poison oak. So that was interesting trying to zig zag through on the trail. I actually bought a cheap painter suit in Wrightwood to put on just in case it was unavoidable in areas. Luckily I could avoid most of it by walking around or pushing it out of the way with my trekking pole so I didn't have to wear it. I heard a story that some guys leg swelled up for 2 months so no thanks I will avoid that like the plague.

Other than that I have either seen or heard more Lions (not mt lions, we are talking Africa lions) than I have seen bears. No really! Ok so a couple weeks ago I walked by a place that takes care of Hollywood animals and there were cages holding lions and tigers and bears. And last night I stayed at a KOA that was next to this zoo facility that takes care of Micheal Jacksons lions. Imagine my surprise in the middle of the night when I was awaken from a dead sleep and I heard some loud preditorial ROAR and had no idea what it was. And of course I just sunk down farther in my sleeping bag hoping it would go away. Found out the next morning what it actually was.

But overall things are going good and even though it is hard and the feet never seem to stop hurting I am loving every minute of it. I think Gator is coming around too.