Julian – Campo – Day 164 Tues Dec 5th

Day 164 Tues Dec 5th
Tent site 2 – Tent site 1 after Mt Laguna recreation border
2589.2 – 2615.7
Approx. 4583 ft ascent 2769 ft descent
27.1 Miles (incl. blue blaze to get water)

The stripped back fly sheet worked well. We didn’t get too cold and there was hardly any condensation.
The bright moon did however wake me up a couple of times as it moved slowly across the night sky.

It was nice stopping early last night. Although this did cause a slight issue today, due to the restricted camping in the Mt. Laguna territory. This meant we will now have to cover 26 miles today, before we are officially allowed to camp.
This set us up for a big day, but we always planned to try and push the miles on one of these
final days. Allowing us to have an easier time leading up to the finish line.

It’s funny we’ve been out here for over 164 days, but we’re still honing our craft and switching up how we do things. Dialling in and getting better, smarter and even more efficient each day.
You would have thought all of these lessons would have been learnt early on. However due to changes in conditions the pieces have always been moving throughout this hike.
Both of us are now feeling pretty dialled in and ready for this final stretch.

The next tent sites we passed look damp and shaded + I think we made the right decision last night to pull in early.
Being flexible is one thing that you always need to accept on a thru hike. Especially when stopping due to water or tent spot logistics, as these often dictate mileage over tired legs.

Next up we have a 1000 ft of elevation gain spread over 1.3 miles. It’s steep and it’s hot!

At the top of the climb there’s a water tank. We climb on top of the concrete structure and I lift the metal lid to expose a ladder leading down into a very empty looking tank.
I climbed down the ladder to investigate. There must have only been 2 feet of water at the bottom and luckily no floating dead animals.

Because of the increased number of sobos on the trail just in front of us. We thought this could put a strain on downstream water resources. So we decided to fill up and take 4 litres between us.
As a precaution we also treated the water with aquamira, in addition to filtering. Especially as it was collected from a storage tank and was not flowing.
We add a passion fruit flavoured electrolyte called liquid IV to the chlorine tasting water to help mask the taste.

As we return to our packs Sarah points to a tap that comes out of the brickwork leading up to the water tank. We didn’t spot this on the way up to the tank, but at least we got to investigate the quality of the supply.

When starting the high desert section of the trail we heard lots of rumours about dead animals and water sources. So it pays to be cautious!
Luckily the worst we’ve seen is a dead lizard and some floating bugs and let’s hope it stays that way!

As we hike away from the water tank the trail becomes more rocky and rugged. Both sides are lined with Manzanita, Spikey Oak and heather-like Chamise bushes.
The rolling mountains all around us are covered with this and are lush dark green in colour. Only to be interrupted by occasional Yucca stems and seed pods.

We arrive at the Kwaaymii trailhead to find information boards talking about indigenous Indian tribes and how they lived in this high desert environment many years ago.

We walk away from the trailhead with views of Garnet Peak and Sawtooth Ridge stretching out in front of us. We are both surprised to find how some of the rock formations have been used as shrines for people who have passed away.
The rocks are clad with photos and memorabilia and nice messages.
We have mixed feelings about this. I know it’s a spiritual place, but it makes the place look tacky and detracts from the natural beauty of the landscape.

We stopped at the Pioneer Mail Picnic Area where we polished off the Peak Meal that we were given, which is very much appreciated!
The dehydrated meal took us back to our time in the Sierras. Where these featured heavily on the menu, due to the high number of calories.
On leaving the picnic area we could really feel the benefit of all the calories. Making mince meat of the climb along the side of Garnet Peak.

Looking back we could see the trail leading back to Kwaaymii trailhead where we’d seen the memorials. You could see how the trail had collapsed and been reinforced with concrete in a number of places.

We stopped again for water at Penny Pines Point Faucet. This was the last place we could reliably fill up before our intended campsite, on the other side of the exclusion zone in Mount Laguna.

It was just starting to get cold around 16:00 and it wouldn’t be long before it would be dark.

The trail snaked its way round rugged mountains on the way up to the lookout observatory, high up on Mt Laguna.
We had seen this in the far distance earlier in the day. Now it was within touching distance, although now hidden by the night sky.

The landscape reminded me of the Jurassic coast found in Cornwall or Wales, just without the ocean.

Once again we hiked into the night through the exclusion zone. A habit that has become normal, due to the limited amount of daylight hours.

Camping had previously been allowed in this area, but now measures were in place to help the ground recover from overuse.
I’m not sure how this could possibly be policed. Although we abided by the rules and pushed on, camping at the first available tent site after we were through the exclusion.
The tent site was off trail and surrounded by tall trees with a good level of shelter.
There was even a fallen tree which made a great seat. It’s amazing how nice it is to sit down after 27 sweet miles.

We set the tent up on the top of some pine needles and rustled up Beef Stroganoff dehydrated meals. Today we had eaten well and the meals hadn’t cost us a penny. Maybe that’s why they tasted so sweet!

Sarah did a great job smashing the miles today. You could see it was starting to take its toll towards the end, but she soldiered on like a lioness.
My knee has also been twinging and my hamstrings and calf muscles are sore.

I think both of our bodies are looking forward to a rest from hiking 20+ miles a day pretty much every day.
It’s certainly going to be a shock to the system not having to do all this. I think we will need to keep active to keep the old endorphins flowing and our bodies in this good shape.
I also think poor old Rooi is in store for a good workout, as our walking pace is even faster than normal. Poor little chap!