Day 131
Start: Anza/Highway 74, mile 2504.0
End: Concrete Cistern, mile 2516.3
Miles driven: 12.3 miles
I started my day as I usually did after a night on the town: lazily. I stayed in bed for a while before gathering my things and leaving. The hotel was part of a casino, so I had an early lunch at the restaurant before heading back to Highway 74.
My hitch was a little strange, so I was more than happy to get out of his truck safely. He dropped me off at Paradise Valley Café, a hiker-friendly spot, where I took the time to do a last-minute backpack reorganization. Just as I was finishing my final adjustments, I looked up and squealed in shock. Sun, the Aussie and the cowboy were walking straight towards me! We meet again!
I couldn’t contain my excitement and joy when I saw them. They hadn’t had lunch yet, so I sat and hung out while they ate burgers. They had a new person with them, a German guy. He had apparently been swept up in a vortex in Idyllwild, but they were able to get him out of town and back on the trail. We had a whole team together for our trip to the border!
After lunch, we found a trail angel who took us back to the trail. Soon we were back among the dry bushes. We walk, talk and fantasize about reaching the border. Finally, the sun began to set, casting an amber glow around us. We had a goal of reaching a water tank tonight, so we kept moving until it got dark. We turned around a little here and there, and even saw some eyes glowing in the dark. However, we finally reached the water.
The “water” was not too tempting. We had to lie down in the cistern and stick our shovels into the murky hole, and what came out was more yellow than I would have liked. But, in the dark and with my eyes closed, it didn’t taste so bad.
We all had dinner together under the stars and found our camping spots. Half of us cowboys camped while the other half set up tents. It was a bit windy for me so I opted for my tent. It felt great to be around kids again. This was going to be a great finish for the PCT.
And that’s a day in the life of a PCT SOBO hiker!
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