PCT Map Miles 77.4
Miles Hiked 24.7
Elevation 2,261 feet
Miles Hiked Today 13.6
The campsite where I setup the night before became quite crowded. Despite a very disappointing happenstance with my sleep pad, I got a good night’s sleep. The sleeping pad, though, sprung a leak. I had only used it five nights previously, so this was not a good development.
I started hiking about 7:00 AM. Yesterday’s steep descent to the campsite had given my right knee fits, and this morning, it was still hurting. Nevertheless, I made my way down the trail but at a reduced pace. Other hikers passed me and that always grates on me, but there was nothing I could do about it. I tried to take short breaks every couple of hours with little change in the knee pain. Finally, I broke down and took some Ibuprofen and that helped.
Originally, I had planned to camp before reaching the jump off point to go into Julian, CA. However, with the extra miles hiked yesterday, the plan was now to go to Julian and beat the rain and cold weather front on its way to the area. I did reach Scissors Crossing about 3:30 and caught a ride into Julian.
At camp this morning, Jeff, another hiker, told me about Banner Ranch where they rent beds in tiny houses on the property. I checked it out and reserved a bed for $50. That’s not a bad deal. The alternative was to camp in someone’s yard in the cold and rain. Yuck!
Jeff was already there when I arrived. The facility did not rent the third available bed, so it was just he and I. A good end to the day.
