Day 3: Looks good enough to drink…

Day: Monday, May 16th

Miles: 37.75 – 63.7

Remote Camp 37.75 – Remote Camp 63.7

Water, water everywhere. We take water for granted so much, that it’s difficult for many of us to fathom how difficult life is when it is not abundant in supply and high in quality. Today I woke up to a babbling brook, this stream will likely have clear, fresh water for some time yet, but will eventually dry out, as most do on the southern PCT. This morning was easy. As I would find out today however, Southern California does not always present its riches to you without some effort.

I woke early, with a short and very beautiful 5 miler to bring me into Mount Laguna where my first resupply package was waiting at the store. It was a beautiful cool and clear morning and the 5 miles flew by. At one point, I passed by a huge warning sign stating that potentially live army test munitions were scattered around this area and not to venture off-trail. This increased the risks of an ill-timed bathroom trip! The decision to rest-up was a good one last night. I was feeling really great and ready to take on the world. The increase in elevation changed the scenery dramatically which added interest to the morning. I was now in my favorite type of terrain, pleasant alpine full of green.

The birds, the air, everything smelled and sounded amazing: what a difference 12 hours of sleep brings! I picked up my package at 8am and was packed and ready to go early.

After my resupply, I rejoined the trail a ways north of the point that I exited, so I backtracked for a half mile, just to make sure I wasn’t cheating! On this little backtrack, I realized that I had missed one of the most spectacular views yet – the first glimpse of the Anza Borrego Desert and the dry regions of the east.

Mount Laguna is a beautiful little spot, worth a drive-through if visiting Julian, CA as it’s just up the road yet a continent away in climate and the pristine alpine environment. It was surprising and a joy to behold.

After leaving Mount Laguna, the trail further threads a needle of alpine meadows atop arid slopes with desert in the distance. It was full of life with bees, chirping birds and busy squirrels. I eventually came to an area with obvious signs of a recent burn – trees blackened and burned but abundant new growth all around them. In some cases the inside of the trees burned whilst the exteriors remained.

The trail winds further and further along the top of the ridge from Mount Laguna, with views ranging from desert to the right, alpine forest behind and burned forest to the left. Ahead was ridge-after-ridge of mountains and glimpses of the Salton Sea to the East, along with Mt.San Jacinto to where the PCT rises in a few days time, far to the north.

Having filled with water at the start of the day at the brook close to where I camped, I also refilled in Mt.Laguna. My next water stop of the day about 4 miles out, was a simple small faucet at Penny Pines, the biggest danger at which was a large swarm of yellow jackets (as interested in the water as I was). This refill allowed me to make it to a horse-trough about 6 miles further on based on my water report. My first cattle trough usage of the equestrian-varietal – I could hardly wait!

The pungent color of the water inside the tank, thankfully was not matched with what came out of the faucet! Nice cold clear water – but still needs a little filtering.

After another 6 miles I came to my next trough of the day, this one was a little funky in color, but made up for it with a very pretty view:

I filled up with enough water to last through tonights cooking needs and a haul to Rodriguez Rd fire hose tomorrow morning. This was the next reliable source and a considerable distance away. I was ready for bed but the wind was howling up here, so I needed to keep moving further in the hope of getting off the ridge for the night. It was quite incredible to see the wind interacting with the clouds tonight. Streams of moisture captured on the wind being pulled up the hills and down into the valleys, disappearing and reappearing from mid air. It was beautiful and dramatic, but also a little unnerving as there was no opportunity to camp on these slopes. I needed to get to the bottom of the valley.

After a beautiful sunset and a sharp drop in altitude into the valley, I came across a perfect spot on a dry wash and settled in for the night. I woke a few times as something busily went about its evening chores around my tent during the night (I have no idea what!).

Notes: The reason for bouncing between water sources, is because water is heavy: one liter will last me about 3 miles and weights 2.5 pounds. That adds up fast when you have 3.5 days of food in your bag already. Hence the strategy is take enough for what you need plus a contingency. This takes some practice (always overestimating your needs as obviously getting it wrong is, well, not good).