Morning Under Water
I woke up this morning – actually, I felt it last night – with my sleeping bag, tent, and the groundsheet completely soaked. You just can’t make this stuff up. Honestly, I have no clue how it happened. 😟 Everything was wet and covered in that fine sand that gets absolutely everywhere, which definitely didn’t help.
I had no choice but to pack it all up and hope I could dry it out somewhere along the way. I got up after 6 AM and left camp before 7:30. The first part of the trail was a mix of ups and downs – a little downhill, a little uphill, then a good chunk downhill and a good chunk uphill. I don’t know which is worse, but downhill feels tougher to me. With wet gear in my pack and myself totally drenched in sweat, it was definitely not an easy start to the day.
And on top of that, I’ve got a ton of food in my pack that I’m barely eating. From a supply standpoint, I could definitely cut back.
Drying Gear on the Trail
Around 10:30 AM, I found the perfect spot to dry things out – a big rock where I spread everything out. People I knew and people I didn’t walked by, but honestly, I didn’t care. As long as my stuff was drying.
After 12 PM, I started desperately searching for some shade because the sun was beating down mercilessly. Finally, I found some.
I stopped for a bit to rest, and luckily, the next stop wasn’t far off.
Lake Morena: First Trail Burger
Around afternoon, I reached Lake Morena. This is where the store is, and I could finally treat myself to my first trail burger. It was a welcome reward after a tough day.
Lake Morena also has a campground, so I decided to stay put and camp with the others. In the evening, we were all discussing our plans for the next few days because a big storm is supposed to roll in. 😕 For now, it looks like we’ll head out tomorrow and go as far as we can. If the weather turns nasty, we might try to hitchhike to the next town where we can get a room.
Daily Summary
Highlight of the Day: A morning full of dampness, my first experience drying gear on the trail, and a well-deserved trail burger at Lake Morena.
Miles Today: 12.85 miles (including a 1.85-mile detour).
Total PCT Distance Remaining: 2,626 miles.
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