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| Day 18 |
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Starting Location: I-15 Cajon Pass
Ending Location: Guffy Campground |
Today's Miles: 22.4
Total Miles: 366.2 |
22.4 miles, I-15 to Guffy Campground, elev 8300'
Happy Mother's Day!
We opened the Continental breakfast at the Best Western then walked
down to McDonald's. We used the last of Anne & Cory's certificates.
Thank you Anne and Cory!
Cajon Pass must be one of the major rail routes in the US. The looong
trains are constant with other trains waiting for track time. We have
several sets of tracks to cross.
Our packs are heavy with five days' food and water for 22 miles of
waterless trail with more than a mile of vertical climb. Factor in the
heat and we have a challenge ahead of us.
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| Monday, May 14, 2007 |
| Day 19 |
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Starting Location: Guffy Campground
Ending Location: Little Jimmy Campground |
Today's Miles: 19.4
Total Miles: 385.6 |
19.4 miles, Guffy Campground to Little Jimmy Campground, elev
9300 We waved goodbye to the car campers and their mountains of gear as
we left the campground. This turned out to be a meet other hikers day
and another big climbing day.
We cruised past a ski patrol hut and two lakes that held water for
snow>making. We walked farther to get water from a visitor center and
started to meet hikers coming up from Wrightwood.
We had lovely trail again today, both through oak forest and pine
forest. The 3000' climb in four miles was up Mt Baden-Powell, the
founder of Boy Scouts. The trail was impeccable, benches along the way
were provided (scout projects no doubt) and most interesting were
periodic signs that gave mileage and elevation. All of those bonuses and
the mountain itself is beautiful with a sandy surface and immense pines.
Later in afternoon we hiked through an area with the same size pine
trees. This area had burned recently with only the huge pines remaining.
I was so glad to see that they can withstand the challenges of nature.
We did not see very many signs of animals but did hear many birds.
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| Tuesday, May 15, 2007 |
| Day 20 |
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Starting Location: Little Jimmy Campground
Ending Location: Sulphur Springs Campground |
Today's Miles: 22.9
Total Miles: 408.5 |
22.9 miles, Little Jimmy Campground to Sulphur Springs
Campground, elev 7900
Details to follow.
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| Wednesday, May 16, 2007 |
| Day 21 |
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Starting Location: Sulphur Springs Campground
Ending Location: Messenger Flats Campground |
Today's Miles: 28.3
Total Miles: 432.3 |
23.8 miles, Sulphur Springs Campgound to Messenger Flats
Campground, elev 6790
Chigger was gone when we got up. A male hiker arrived, asking Ken
where the water was, not believing that the small, slow creek was the
source.
Later on the trail Diesel and his brother Hammer sat with us while we
took a break.
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| Thursday, May 17, 2007 |
| Day 22 |
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Starting Location: Messenger Flats
Campground
Ending Location: Agua Dulce |
Today's Miles: 24.8
Total Miles: 457.1 |
24.8 miles, Messenger Flats Campground to Agua Dulce, elev ?
Hot. The pale sand reflects heat on to my too-hot face. Any breeze
brings hot air with an occasional oven-hot blast. Hot! Even the sun is
so hot that the rays have weight, pressing down on my hot, tired body.
In spite of the dry heat we are seeing many signs of animals: another
whiff of skunk, black-tailed deer prints of all sizes, coyote prints and
scat, many small mammal prints that I can't identify.
There is an occasional wildflower blooming bravely in the heat but
the vegetation is sparse and open. As we climb and drop we pass through
sage, manzanita, yucca and chamise.
Our water stop for the day was at North Fork Ranger Station. We
stayed longer than we planned talking to Todd, the Ranger, who we remembered
from 2000. He remembered that we were there on a rainy day!
The last miles of the day were through Vasquez Park. All I wanted was
to get to town for dinner. We saw way too much of the park! We saw the
rocks climbing up, we saw the small creek at the bottom, we walked the
nature trail, the rock display, the horse trough...we saw it all! If I
meet the ranger that planned that circuitous route I will restrict his
coffee intake.
We finally got to the Mexican Restaurant, found hikers and got a ride
to Hiker Heaven, the Saufley's.
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