I heard ADL (All Day Long) packing up so I thought I’d check the time and, possibly, pee. It was only 5:30. I chose to do neither. At 6, the option of sleep was gone until the suggestion of pee was resolved. I thought everyone had gotten up and left but Fake News, Prometheus, and Not a Minor were all still asleep. I quietly made breakfast but everyone else mysteriously woke up.
By 8, Cheers, Sun Bear, and Jukebox caught up just as we were all getting ready to leave. The missing trio had slept at the creek just below the Mojave Dam. We all had a common goal for the day—pizza at Cleghorn Picnic Area. First priority for Bunny and me was water. We were completely out with only a mile and a half to a seasonal stream.
After we got water, we pretty much fell behind everyone else. The amazing thing for us was that we did leapfrog with several hikers that we knew so we could talk to people periodically throughout the day. It was an easy walk on the side of some small mountains. If we had taken the road instead, it would have only been a six mile day. I kept looking across the valley at a wall of mountains on the other side, only it wasn’t really mountains. It was the edge of a plane that was elevated. On top of the plane was the high desert we have already crossed. I was fascinated with the plateau and kept wondering if we were walking along a fault line.
I am enjoying meeting everyone but I still feel like an outsider. Most of these people have been hiking together for at least 3-4 weeks while we were ahead crossing the desert above Acton. The flip/flopping that we are doing makes it harder for us to develop a lasting trail family. The most we will hike with any of these people is about 120 miles before we skip ahead again.
We witnessed savagery on the trail like I have never seen before. Bunny was in the lead, but when she made a turn in the trail she stopped dead. Of course, I thought she was farting, but then she started backpedaling. I looked over her shoulder and was shocked my two full grown males engaged in what appeared to be a fight to the death. One was bleeding from his shoulder and the other was limping. I tried to get them to stop, but didn’t want to get in the middle lest I become a target. Bunny covered her eyes as the shoulder bleeder made a lunge at the neck of the other successfully rolling him down the ground and breaking his neck. Fortunately for us, they had rolled off the trail under the brush so we could continue on. Bunny almost cried at the savagery, but I reminded her this was lizard mating season and things can get ugly when testosterone is flowing.
Even with breaks, we covered the 13.5 miles in under 6 hours. That could mean we are getting stronger and faster, but it doesn’t. It means the terrain was very easy. 250’ of elevation change per mile might not sound like much, but imagine climbing a 25 story building every mile. You’re right, it’s not much and that’s why we were so fast. We walked below another earthen dam today. This is the dam that created Silverwood Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. This is the highest reservoir in the state and the first location where we can order pizza on the trail. Guess which fact is the most attractive to thru-hikers.
IF we could hike this pace normally, we wouldn’t be worried about finishing this trail or even the CDT in a single season. When we arrived at Cleghorn, there was already 15 other hikers waiting that we know and have hiked with in the last 3 days. I’m beginning to get the same feeling of comradery that we were feeling around the NOC last year on the AT. We are all sharing a common experience out of the norm of society that few people outside of the hiking community can comprehend. It’s been 5 days since any of us has washed their underwear and now we get pizza!
Fake News offered us beer as soon as he saw us. Snow Dog delivered beers directly to us before we could even get our packs off our backs. We were greeted by Sun Bear, Strider, ADL, and Casper. I ordered pizza before I popped the top on my beer. The pizza place said they’d rush the order so we could get ours at the same time everyone else did.
We spent the next hour talking with everyone and chilling on the ground with beer until the food arrived. More hikers kept trickling in throughout the afternoon. The picnic area closes to the general public at 8, but they allow thru-hikers to camp and use the restrooms all night. All that is asked is that we get out early in the morning. Sun Bear built a fire in one of the grills once the sun started setting and the temperature was dropping. Even though we had run of the place, with a full stomach and a few beers in me, I did manage to hold out to almost 8:30. I’m reverting to my college, night owl, persona.
EFG