Julian – Campo – Day 163 Mon Dec 4th

Day 163 Mon Dec 4th
HWY S2 /CA 78 – Julian – Tent site 2
2778.2 – 2589.2
Approx. 2566 ft ascent 666ft descent
11.1 Miles

We had an amazing stay at the Oak Hill Inn. The place was well run and the host Laura was excellent. It was just what we needed before the final section!

After checking out we went to the Miners Diner for “brunch” before heading back to the trail.
As we walked in we were greeted by a group of fresh faced south bounders.
Trail Names: Stomper, Mosey, Racecar and Toasty.
They also told us the couple from the Netherlands had also just passed through town.
So there was a real bubble of hikers on trail, all aiming to reach Campo at a similar time.

Stomper kindly gave us an extra dehydrated Peak meal that his parents had sent.
It was the cheese and broccoli flavour. So we were not going to pass up on that little beauty! This made it 3 free meals that we picked up in Julian. Nice!

These don’t come cheap and it seems crazy that he was willing to part with this tasty meal. Although on this occasion we certainly weren’t complaining.
For the “ultra lightweight” every gram / ounce matters, but it can get a little silly.
If we ever had excess supplies we would either leave in a hiker box or more often than not we would just carry it.

With full bellies it was again time to throw our thumbs out to see if we could get hitch back to trail. We were told that outside the Post Office was the best place to get a ride.

Next up we were heading for Mount Laguna. The last “real” mountain before Campo.

It wasn’t long before a kind couple called Mike and Tommy stopped and offered
to take us the 12 miles back to Scissors Crossing.
Both retired, they were a fantastic couple.
We had a lot in common and during the windy twisty drive back we shared tales about our adventures.
Mike suffered with arthritis in his feet and he told us how they’d acquired an off-road scooter to help him stay mobile.
The couple were full of life and fun and were a great role model of how we would like to be when we get older. Grabbing life with both hands and squeezing every drop of juice out of it.

They said they would follow our blog vicariously and were keen to follow our progress.
They even offered for us to stay with them in San Diego, once we were done with the trail. What an amazing couple!

It was a white knuckle ride back to the trail. Down the windy twisty mountain roads both Sarah and I felt very car sick. Especially after eating a greasy burger for breakfast!
I’ve never been great as a passenger, but somehow I managed to hold it together. Sweating like a junky and feeling very nauseous in the back of the car.

We said our goodbyes and after leaving Scissors Crossing we walked across a flat exposed plateau full of cactus and other spiky plants.
It was hot and our packs weighed heavy on our backs as we started to climb Mount Laguna.

Interestingly and number of varieties of cactus is reduced. Yesterday we were surrounded by Barrel Cactus, but on this more shaded side of the mountain we saw none.

Fighter jets pass overhead close to the ground. Pulling up at the last minute to clear the mountain before barrel rolling over the top. What an awesome sight.

We had a pleasant afternoon hiking in the shade of the mountain, although it was still hot.
Both my hands have a number of sun blisters that are sore and not healing well.
Because we are using trekking poles our hands are very exposed to the intense sun.
I have been wearing gloves and /or pulling my sun hoodie sleeves down over my hands to help deflect the sun.

Both of us have been feeling slightly out of sorts today. Last night I woke up to use the bathroom and felt sick + my head was swimming.
Today Sarah has also been feeling a little under the weather.

Around 16:00 we stop to fill up water from the water tank and cistern.
The tap was concealed behind some bricks and a metal lid, making it initially a little confusing.

Around 18:30 we decided enough was enough for one day.
We’d only covered 11.3 miles rather than the 15 miles we had planned. However we found a
a nice dry well-protected tent spot surrounded by chest high bushes, that was too good to pass up.
We set the tent up quickly. As it was a clear night, we opted to peel back the rainfly above our heads for optimal stargazing.

In the distance we can also see a large city twinkling and glowing like some living creature. This is something we haven’t seen for the last 100 miles and to be honest I’ve missed it.

On tonight’s menu we have Ramen Noodles with hot dog sausages that we prepared and chopped up back in Julian.
We had divided them into 2 bags. Freezing 1 bag to act as a cooler block.
Both stayed surprisingly cold buried deep inside my backpack.

We also packed out a beer from town. This went down a treat as we boiled water, sitting on rocks huddled around the stove.

As we only have a few nights left we both savour the moment.
With crickets chirping in the distance the stars shining bright above it makes for a great evening.
It’s also nice to have finished early for a change and by 20:00 we are both ready for bed.
We both lay in our sleeping bags staring up at the stars until finally we fell asleep.