Casa de Luna to Upper Shake Campground
I slept so well in the manzanita forest. I woke just after 7:00 AM and took my earplugs out. I then heard the guy in the tent next to me snoring and loud birds flying around. The earplugs worked great!
When I exited my tent there were many tents still up with sleeping hikers inside, so I quietly broke camp and moved to the front. When I got there pancakes were being served, but I decided to eat my carnation and protein bar instead since there is a bar and grill I am passing in time for lunch and I wanted to save the unhealthy food for then.
As I was eating breakfast, Terry, the owner of the house, asked that anyone that hasn't been in a picture yet to plead step forward. I obliged since it was the least I could do for her hospitality. Someone else was taking the picture and she counted down. One...two...and then Terry dropped her pants and mooned us, and had a huge smiley face painted on it. Everyone cracked up and the picture was taken. Crazy woman!
As I looked around it didn't seem like a lot of others were even close to leaving here. There seems to be a vortex that sucks hiked in and doesn't release them for a couple to several days.
I packed up my bag and managed to leave. This was just after 9:00 AM.
When I exited my tent there were many tents still up with sleeping hikers inside, so I quietly broke camp and moved to the front. When I got there pancakes were being served, but I decided to eat my carnation and protein bar instead since there is a bar and grill I am passing in time for lunch and I wanted to save the unhealthy food for then.
As I was eating breakfast, Terry, the owner of the house, asked that anyone that hasn't been in a picture yet to plead step forward. I obliged since it was the least I could do for her hospitality. Someone else was taking the picture and she counted down. One...two...and then Terry dropped her pants and mooned us, and had a huge smiley face painted on it. Everyone cracked up and the picture was taken. Crazy woman!
As I looked around it didn't seem like a lot of others were even close to leaving here. There seems to be a vortex that sucks hiked in and doesn't release them for a couple to several days.
I packed up my bag and managed to leave. This was just after 9:00 AM.
Escaping the vortex of Casa de Luna
Today's hike is a 12.9 mile road walk that passes though the town of Lake Hughes at the 6 mile point. The good thing about this is that there is a bar & grill there, The Rock Inn, that I plan to stop at for lunch and to relax a bit. This is my first goal of the day.
As I left Casa de Luna, Anzo caught up to me and asked if I was doing the road walk. By the way, many people are planning to hitch a ride from Casa de Luna to the end of the road walk, so it was a legitimate question. I told him that I was since I was attempting to keep continuous footsteps and he said he was too and asked to join me.
When we got to the corner convenience store he asked if I was going to hitch back up to the trailhead. By the way...this is a legitimate hitch since we walked to the trailhead and would get a ride where we came off the trail and continue from there. I told him that I planned to just walk the 1.6 miles. He said that if I hitched with him he would buy me a Gatorade. You see, if you hitch with a girl you have a better chance of getting a ride then you would as a single guy. I told him I would hitch and that there was no need for the Gatorade. 10 minutes later we were in the back of a pickup truck driving up the road.
As I left Casa de Luna, Anzo caught up to me and asked if I was doing the road walk. By the way, many people are planning to hitch a ride from Casa de Luna to the end of the road walk, so it was a legitimate question. I told him that I was since I was attempting to keep continuous footsteps and he said he was too and asked to join me.
When we got to the corner convenience store he asked if I was going to hitch back up to the trailhead. By the way...this is a legitimate hitch since we walked to the trailhead and would get a ride where we came off the trail and continue from there. I told him that I planned to just walk the 1.6 miles. He said that if I hitched with him he would buy me a Gatorade. You see, if you hitch with a girl you have a better chance of getting a ride then you would as a single guy. I told him I would hitch and that there was no need for the Gatorade. 10 minutes later we were in the back of a pickup truck driving up the road.
Getting a ride back to the trailhead.
The guy thought we wanted a ride to the top of the hill and passed the trailhead, so we banged on the side of the truck and he pulled over. We got out and thanked him then hid our bags on the side of the road and walked the short distance down to the trailhead to ensure the continuous footsteps.
A couple of miles down the road we were looking at a cool tree and the woman at the house told us that there was a cooler at the end of her driveway with soda and water for hikers. I'll say it again...people are so cool!
A couple of miles down the road we were looking at a cool tree and the woman at the house told us that there was a cooler at the end of her driveway with soda and water for hikers. I'll say it again...people are so cool!
Anzo helping himself to a soda
Oh...there was a sticker on the lid of the cooler that said "UnPredict your Journey". I love it!
We continued walking and passed by the dry Elizabeth Lake. It might have been the lake I saw from above a couple of days ago.
We continued walking and passed by the dry Elizabeth Lake. It might have been the lake I saw from above a couple of days ago.
Waling by an eerie dry lake.
Finally, just around 6 miles we arrived at the outskirts of Lake Hughes, population 500.
Lake Hughes welcoming us.
Then, just 1 mile later we made it to The Rock Inn, built in 1927 from local rocks. It is a pretty cool building.
The historic Rock Inn
The place is traditionally a biker bar, but today it is a mix of bikers and hikers. There was about 10 other hikers here and as we sat, at least another 10 showed up.
Another female hiker showed up and said that she hitched a ride to here, but the women that picked her up were heading to a local cherry festival and asked if she was interested in joining them before being dropped off at The Rock Inn. She agrees and had a great time...what a great story she now has.
We ordered lunch, and the food was actually pretty good and we wound up hanging out for a while. Anzo decided to head out a little sooner so I told him I would see him...probably not since he was planning on hiking long miles...and good luck.
Finally I left at 3 hours after arriving, at 2:30 PM for the last 6 miles of road walk. It was pretty hot at this time and I only took 2 liters of water. I felt that if I had more I would guzzle some down right now. Just over 1 hour into the walk I came across some more trail magic at the end of someone's driveway. Just what I needed to get me though the last 2 miles of the road walk.
Another female hiker showed up and said that she hitched a ride to here, but the women that picked her up were heading to a local cherry festival and asked if she was interested in joining them before being dropped off at The Rock Inn. She agrees and had a great time...what a great story she now has.
We ordered lunch, and the food was actually pretty good and we wound up hanging out for a while. Anzo decided to head out a little sooner so I told him I would see him...probably not since he was planning on hiking long miles...and good luck.
Finally I left at 3 hours after arriving, at 2:30 PM for the last 6 miles of road walk. It was pretty hot at this time and I only took 2 liters of water. I felt that if I had more I would guzzle some down right now. Just over 1 hour into the walk I came across some more trail magic at the end of someone's driveway. Just what I needed to get me though the last 2 miles of the road walk.
More much needed trail magic
Finally, 2 hours after leaving The Rock Inn, I arrive at the end of the road walk and get to hike a short trail that leads back to the PCT.
A well marked turn off the road.
The water report said there was a spring not far on the trail which I found and collected 4 liters of water. There is supposed to be water at the campground I am headed to, but I heard it was hard to find so I was glad to have the water now.
I was hiking along and knew I was close to the Upper Shake Campground where I planned to stop for the night when I saw a snake and jumped back down the trail and stumbled and fell and was staring at a coiled-up rattling rattlesnake about 20 feet away. At this point a hiker comes up the trail behind me confused and I told her there was a rattlesnake and I was so glad she showed up. We climbed the ridge to avoid the snake and wound up at the campground. I told her my rattlesnake story and she understood why I was so freaked out and kept asking me if I was ok and I was. Her name was "VW" and she stayed with me for a bit until I relaxed and convinced her that I was OK.
I was, am OK, but between the large lunch and the rattlesnake encounter I wasn't hungry for dinner, so skipped it. I was able to find a PCT sign at the campground though:
I was hiking along and knew I was close to the Upper Shake Campground where I planned to stop for the night when I saw a snake and jumped back down the trail and stumbled and fell and was staring at a coiled-up rattling rattlesnake about 20 feet away. At this point a hiker comes up the trail behind me confused and I told her there was a rattlesnake and I was so glad she showed up. We climbed the ridge to avoid the snake and wound up at the campground. I told her my rattlesnake story and she understood why I was so freaked out and kept asking me if I was ok and I was. Her name was "VW" and she stayed with me for a bit until I relaxed and convinced her that I was OK.
I was, am OK, but between the large lunch and the rattlesnake encounter I wasn't hungry for dinner, so skipped it. I was able to find a PCT sign at the campground though:
PCT sign of the day with my tent in the background.
Tomorrow I have 15 miles to hike, so I plan on getting an early start. Since getting in my tent and writing this blog I heard other hikers pass through and it sounds like a few are stopping here for the night. I guess it is another night with earplugs.
Here's to a quiet night.
Here's to a quiet night.
A nice campsite for the night.
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