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Stopped at: Sandy Jeep Road, mile 144.8 Miles today: 14.6
Today, I wanted to return to the old conventions and leave camp early before the sun unleashed its fury; unfortunately, it took 50 minutes to pack and finally start hiking at 6:20 am.
Four miles into the trail, Aaron was sleeping next to a gate- neither of us made it to the next water source yesterday. I was trucking in the cool morning weather and almost stepped on a couple of camouflaged rattlesnakes on the trail. At 9:45 am, I met up with Aaron at the water source, a valve from a fire tank. The other water source, a spring creek, did not look promising- dirty and almost empty. (I believe the databook's labeled water source was the spring and not the fire tank.)
One of my worst fears of hiking the desert came to pass: the 2.4 litre collapsible water had a leak, albeit tiny one, at the bottom, and I tried sealing it with duct tape. The seal wasn't completely tight, but would have to suffice, and it'll be stored upside down inside the backpack. Now, I cannot wait to reach Idyllwild to replace the bottle.
I finally met the Family of Four from Alaska, whose log entries I've seen at some water caches. We didn't formally greet or shook hands- just said "hi" and "bye" mainly. The family from Fairbanks consisted of the father, mother, young teenage daughter, and young son. The father taped a piece of cardboard to increase the sun visor on his hat. I left everyone at the water source to head to the Highway 74, aka Pines-to-Palms Highway, and then hitchhike to Anza campground by nightfall.
At a jeep road late in the afternoon, there was a water cache by Bear and Ziggy from Anza. I was totally shocked to find an uneaten banana on the water shelf. No point letting a good banana go to waste, so I devoured it like ambrosia. As I was taking off my shoes, a bee-like flying insect with a sharp pointy stinger (or maybe a mouth) hovered about a foot from my crotch. It was a tense few seconds because a wrong move may end any child-bearing opportunities. I didn't want to pursue the stretch to Anza just yet and decided to nap an hour.
Sheila and Glenn had a left a greeting in the water cache log book, probably thinking I was right behind them, but now I was 6 days back. I'd like to meet up with them again and hear their adventures on the trail.
When I woke up and laggardly prepared to head out, Bear (Paul) came to refill the water cache, and we were able to chat for 10 minutes as he discussed how he became a trail angel. A swarm of bees flew overhead and I almost panicked because I only had shorts and shirt and wasn't prepared for a sting fest. Luckily, they sailed along as though we were just part of the desert landscape.
Bear offered a ride to the Hiker's oasis, a place on his rented property which he maintained with Ziggy (Pat). At first, I wasn't sure about the ride since I wanted to make the highway by nighfall and complete a 20-miler day. This man was just too generous to refuse.
The Hiker's Oasis (different property than the Anza campground), just outside the city of Anza, was a wonderful place I had not expected to encounter. It was a yard of lush trimmed grass inside a wooden fence with a drinking fountain, trash bins, and even a small decorative fountain. Bear and Ziggy were in the process of building a bathroom with showers just for the hikers- it was currently incomplete, but well functional! They even provided shampoo, soap, temporary clean clothes, towels, and flip-flops.
The unselfishness of Bear and Ziggy hammered me by complete surprise. Bear drove me to the grocery store in Anza to resupply. Then, they invited me to have pork chops, mash potatoes, green beans, and kool-aid for dinner. On top of all that, Ziggy washed my laundry. They asked for nothing in return execept sincere gratitude, how wonderful was that? And to think, had I not taken the nap at the water cache, I would not have encountered Bear and be here tonight.
I was the only hiker here tonight, and the 3 of us sat outside on the lawn and shot the breeze while waiting for the laundry to finish. We conversed about how they met, their families, the Hiker's Oasis, and the neverending desert. (I try not to reveal too much about myself.) "This area has been in a drought for 4 years now," Ziggy informed.
What the heck was I doing here? Was I hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, or was I visiting Disney Land? This wasn't quite right to be in a lap of luxury- I must have somehow cheated my way here. All I recall before now was heat, exhaustion, and the constant quest for water. My only wish was The Family of Four and Aaron could be here to enjoy the hospitality- they needed this santuary much more than I did. If I could trade places with them tonight, I would. Once in a while, unexpectedly good things come to us.
What would this planet resemble if we had more selfless individuals like Bear and Ziggy? If God accepts recommendations for enrollment into heaven, I have a few trail angels to suggest. Trail angels have really been wonderful on this mostly miserable hike. Even though at times I wasn't in need of water, it's nice just to say "thank you" for their efforts because someone else could benefit.
I didn't accept seconds of the pork chop dinner because I purchased too much food earlier. Tomorrow I'll be carrying a little too much food, including a 2 pound container of yogurt, which I originally planned to eat tonight because I wasn't expecting to be fed.
A couple of nights ago, I feared for life sleeping at Aqua Caliente Creek, but tonight I enjoyed this lavish land (compared to the trail) and fear was the last thing on my mind. Bear turned on the fountain to have the romantic trail feel.
