Warner Springs to Hwy 10
Once again I had great motivation to get an early start. I needed to get to Warner Springs before the post office closed to pick up my last resupply box. It was the same one I had sent from Washington to Crater Lake, where it was held for a week before being sent back to Washington, where the UPS Store forwarded it to the Etna Motel, who resent it to Warner Springs. Basically, it had been bouncing all over creation for two solid months, but it wasn’t going to waste!
A reasonable start again, probably hiking around 8. I still had a full bag of water from the restaurant and many miles to go before I would reach any reliable water.
I didn’t sleep in again. It wasn’t as cold, and I had good reason to get going. It was 11 miles to the road to Paradise Valley Cafe, and the restaurant closed at 3pm on Mondays. No way was I missing out on a hot burger and a beer for lunch.
Another one of those days where I just couldn’t get started. Late wake up, slow pack up, groggy. I think it was after 9, probably close to 10, by the time I was hiking.
The trail started out easy enough until I came around the top of Red Tahquitz and onto the sharp side of the ridge.
I didn’t get up as early as I would have liked given all that I needed to get done. I always get to bed late my first (and usually only) night in town, so I set an alarm. But I was so groggy and dried out when it went off, it took me most of an hour just to get going. Nonetheless, I had a sizeable stack of pancakes made by shortly after 8am, when the laundromat opened, and was able to gather up the clothes that needed washing and get to the laundromat to get the first load in the washer by 9.
It turned out the flapping of the tent was because the stake behind my head had come out of the ground—it was loose rocky soil, and the rock I put on the ropes wasn’t heavy enough to resist the wind. But it was enough to keep the tent from collapsing at least.
Thursday, November 26, 2020, a totally non-special day just like any other day. A day for solitude, not for family gatherings. A day for eating the same things you’ve been eating every other day. But most importantly, a day for getting up early and seeing the sun rise!