Day One. We go to a workshop on hiking in the desert. Then we wander around the camps and get invited to sit with some hikers: Condor, Listener, Boo Boo, and Tequila Jack. And we get fed pancakes. Ashley and I catch the end of a session on food for long trail hiking. Natalie goes off to do her thing. I go to a talk on water and snow reports, and later another on flora and fauna along the PCT. In the evening, we watch the PCT Short Videos Festivals and hear some readings from the PCT Trailside Reader.
Day Two. We tour the ultralight backpacking vendors and admire all the neat toys. And get our California fire permits (for our stoves). We variously go off to do our own thing. I to catching up my journal and writing some blogs. For awhile we wander the campsites together. We stop in on a “backpack shake down”. Some veteran long trail hikers are advising hikers with monster packs. Maybe the new hikers will be spared some misery. That evening we watch the 2011 PCT Video on the camp big screen.
Highlights: Ashley loses her puffy jacket and makes a plea for it the first night at the outdoor theater. I find it the next day in the pavilion. I intend to hold the $160 in replacement cost over her. She owes me big, right? Special thanks to Tom Figuerora who had hot coffee in the morning and tacos for lunch – hope our small donation helps with all you do for hikers. The Campground’s septic system fails – and a city of port-a-potties are brought in before the hikers go to their wilderness sanitation ways (catholes everywhere). The system is repaired enough for showers. Relief. I learn not to shave a week old beard with single blade disposal razors. I went through three. Ouch.
PCT Day 10-11: No miles hiked. Camped at Lake Morena.
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