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Stopped at: past San Felipe Creek, mile 80 Miles today: 11.1
I packed up, filtered 3.4 litres from the concrete water container I slept on, ate pop tarts, and headed out at 7:15 am. The knee felt better, but it can't heal properly if it's stressed everyday and wasn't provided enough nutrition. The plan was to hike the final 6 miles to Highway S2 and decide what to do from there. My body does need a couple of days rest. Heck, I even considered taking a zero day on top of the concrete tank if I had enough food.
The 10:00 am sun rose overhead and stole the shade where I ate and rested the left knee. The moment I sat down and took off the grossly blackened socks, flies swarmed around. I was sorry to enlightened them: Even though I smelled like the crap they were familiar with, I was still alive.
Flies have no manners, rubbing their 2 front hands together with anticipation of something good. I suppose I can't blame them- their lives are short and they try to do what they please. Out here the flies were a combination of the common house flies and mosquitoes. They pierce their straw-like mouth into the skin and draw blood, but they are much more agile to capture than the mosquitoes.
While sitting and relaxing with the flies, I heard some rustling leaves as though someone was approaching. Quickly, I tried to make myself more presentable by picking the burgers out of my nose. But it was just some lizards moving around in the nearby shrubs.
Glenn and Sheila did arrive minutes later, coming around a bend in the trail. Glenn revealed, "You were lucky you didn't try to find the water resevoir at Chariot Canyon, it was dry." That explained why no one was at the camping spot yesterday, they and Kevin went to find water about 2 miles off the trail according to the data book. That definitely would have sucked to walk 3.5 miles round trip without gaining any water. "I wondered where everyone was. I decided to push on." Sheila added, "We've noticed your footprints since Rodriguez Spur Truck Road [where I spent the night and left this morning]."
The hike towards Highway S2 was not difficult in terms of trail conditions, but the burning sun made it difficult. The last 2 miles before the highway was completely flat and sandy. Glenn and Sheila were ahead with their umbrellas protecting their skin, while I was completely exposed to the sun's blistering heat shower. Glenn had a piece of paper listing water caches on the trail from years ago, and he informed me of the cache at the highway; otherwise, the only water source was the questionable San Felipe Creek, which the data book suggested might be contaminated.
Before the water cache, there was a note anchored by a rock: "Tent camping at nearby resort for $25." Twenty-five bucks!? For a tent site!? When I saw this, I though there was missing period between the 2 and the 5, making it $2.50. Hikers could set up their tent along the trail for free. That must have been a pretty freaking good resort for $25, but I won't know for sure on this trip.
We sat at the water cache for a few minutes. The couple was going to hitchhike east into the town of Borrego Springs, while I decided to hitchhike west into the town of Juliann. When I arrived at the highway, I had no idea what to expect next. Glenn also has a map of the area showing all the nearby towns and local highways, and I just chose to visit Juliann about 10 miles away. Plus, Juliann was in the direction of San Diego, where I could catch the bus somewhere.
I kept the intention to leave the trail at the highway to myself. They took off to the highway while I waited around for another 30 minutes enjoying the rare shade. Fifteen minutes later, I heard a rig coming to a screeching halt from the highway. "Ah, they must have caught a ride. I wonder if it's easier catching a ride as a couple."
Well, here I was alone again at the turning point of the backpacking adventure. Only 5 days into the hike and it was over. The trail has been full of hardships from the very first step. Explaining to myself, "No, not yet! Look, I'm not even at the century mile. I'm going to hang in there for a little longer, I just can't give in just yet. If I believe in anything right now, I have to believe I can go on."
There was another water cache just after acrossing Highway S2 from a Juliann woman. Inside the hiker box, there was a note saying she could give a ride if necessary, but I didn't have a cell phone handy. I walked down to San Felipe Creek and then circled up to the highway 178. The water under the highway did look shady. It was amazingly hot without shade at the highway. I walked towards the nearest tree about 1/4 up the road and pitched out the thumb in what seemed to be the only shade until the horizon.
After 15 minutes, a car pulled off the road in the opposite direction about 25 yards from where I stood. "I wonder why they stopped?" The driver came out and waved at me. "What the hell? I'm not going that direction. Does he expect me to wave back to a stranger?"
Out of the passenger side stood Kevin carrying a 1 gallon bottle of water, which he obviously purchased in town. I easily determined who he was after seeing his wooden hiking pole which looked like a broom handle. I was shocked to see him because I thought he was way behind me after the tremendous 19+ mile day (at least this early in the hike) yesterday. He had gotten lost somewhere earlier and hitched into Juliann and skipped the past few miles.
We stood on the side of the road discussing the town situation for about 5 minutes. "These people suck! It took me an hour and half to get a ride back to the trail. The guy who brought me out here was cool and gave me these [religious] pamphlets," he admitted, "I bought this gallon of water so I could wash later." I guess he didn't know there was a water cache on each side of Highway S2.
Kevin then asked me about his knee and shin split problems, the same problems I was having. I wished I had the answer, it would have done both of us good. He was actually in worse shape because of the blisters on his feet. Now here was a guy who had a worser leg problem, and he didn't even mention quitting. Now I knew for sure, I wasn't giving in either. Before we parted ways, he informed, "There was no water at the resevoir off Chariot Canyon yesterday [just like Glenn and Sheila had mentioned]," and added, "I met a PCTA volunteer who said there was a water cache 10 miles from San Felipe creek."
I lost much hope in getting a ride now. The first vehicle turning onto 178 from Highway S2 was a woman in a red Toyota Land Cruiser, and narrow-mindedly, I assumed, "There's no way a woman in an expensive vehicle is going to stop." She slowed down and pulled over. "Holy cow, I can't believe this!" Maybe Kevin was wrong about finding rides difficult. What was even more amazing was Corrine was a chiropractor who I could ask about the joint problems. This has been a strange day of coincidences.
When we talked about picking up hitchhikers, Corrine acknowledged, "I took a good look at you, and you look like a backpacker." The Land Cruiser probably had its AC use quite extensively in the desert because it was barely blowing out any cold air. Corrine was heading into Juliann to pick up her only son from elementary school. She was able to suggest some things to help the knee and shins: for the knee, icing and joint supplement; for the shins, certain vitamins. I would look into the joint supplements if Juliann had a drug store.
Juliann was a great little town with just about one of everything, but most importantly to a backpacker, a grocery store and a post office. The hardware store even sold a limited supply of outdoor clothing. At the drug store, the joint supplement was sold in bottle of 60 tablets and meant for long term intake, so I didn't buy it.
After grocery shopping, I loitered on the front porch drinking a 1 litre Pepsi and writing a journal entry. Juliann was a very nice community which looked set up for tourists. There was a decent mix of people walking around the main street. Expecting to be possibly the only Asian-American in town, I was surprised to see 2 Asian couples.
One last task before heading back to the trail: The $9.76 Wal-mart zip off pants felt a little heavy and they may not be needed anytime soon on this trip, and they needed to be mailed home. The postal employee was very friendly, expecting me to mail an ice-axe instead of a pair of pants. "We get hikers in here who think they will need an ice-axe, but when they realize they don't, they bounce1 it ahead." The pants weighed over a 1 pound and was mailed home via the fixed-rate envelope for $3.85, about 1/3 of the pants value. (The pants was the only item with a small amount of cotton in the backpack, everything else was synthetic.)
It would be a bad influence on the kids if they saw a hitchhiker successfully catch a ride; therefore, I walked to the edge of town. After 30 minutes, I realized there was a house up the hill where I stood. A few minutes later, I heard some knocking at the window- it must be some kids at home who noticed I was hitchhiking. After an hour, I agreed with Kevin, "These people do suck! I know they've seen hitchhikers before because thru-hikers come into Juliann to resupply." I don't blame drivers for not stopping, they have to look out for their own safety first. To give a stranger a ride was reaching into their conscience and forgoing their own security- It was definitely a risk.
Hitchhiking was difficult after all, drivers avoided me like an escaped prisoner. I suspect it was where I stood to pick up a ride, which was around a curve, and drivers didn't get a good chance to evaluate. At least the guy riding the bicycle acknowledged me. After a total of one and a half hours and the time was 5:25 pm, Benny, a middle-age blonde man, stopped in his 1986 V8 truck. I had practically given up by then, but somehow, someway, someone will come through.
Benny and his wife lived in the desert and have a small goat farm. Because it wasn't profitable, next year he will regard it as a hobby for tax purposes. His wife is a registered nurse, and they lived in Juliann for 15 years before coming out to the desert.
At 5:45 pm, I went back to the water cache after crossing S2 and got enough water for tonight and tomorrow morning. There should be a water cache 10 miles ahead if the PCTA person was correct. I felt I could hike until 7:00 or 8:00 pm. The one thing I needed to learn was to always eat at a water supply; eating at other junctions reduces the water supply during the acutal hiking. Many times, when reaching a water source, I just didn't have an appetite.
From the mountain top, I saw the headlights of vehicles travelling crisscrossing Highway 178 and S2. Camp was set up a the flatest place I found in the desert mountains at 8:00 pm. Someone had left a pen and some paper. As I was setting up the sleeping arrangements (tentless under the stars) in the dark, I noticed the paper was actually toilet paper partly covered by dirt. Great, I just set up next to a pile of human crap! Whoever crapped here didn't even bother to hide behind any rocks and bushes.
