Damn the blisters, full speed ahead!

May 5 - Day 4

7:01 - I put in some good miles today I started in Chariot Canyon and ended about 10 miles past scissor crossing for a total of 22.3 miles (87.6 total).
I got my earliest start to date, a bit before 6. The first couple of miles before and during sunrise were cold, but pleasant. After about 5 miles I ran into my first other thru hiker on the trail since the first day. She was a nice woman from Santa Barbra. I ended up hilking with her the rest of the day.

We reached scissor crossing a bit before noon. Thanks to the trail angels who left more than a hundred gallons of water in an otherwise dry stretch! At the water cache was a 67 year old former marine, Viet Nam vet. He was back tracking to leave the trail but had a wealth of information about the trail ahead. We all waited out the hottest portion of the day under a highway overpass. Another hiker, from Kansas, joined us for a bit.
The day ended with a long slow climb with countless switchbacks up San Felipe hill.

May 4 - Day 3

7:30 PM - My plan to take it easy has failed... I ended up hiking from 10:00 AM to 7:15 PM without any significant stops. I was able to put in 20 miles depite my late start. As with yesterday, my legs are strong, but my feet are in some pain. I have a pretty major blister in the center of the bottom of my left foot, just behind the toes. Since it isn't caused by friction, I'm not sure how to address it.

Today was seriously windy. I spernt the majority of the day walking along a ridge, only dropping to a much lower elevation in the last couple of miles. It was nice to have some relief from the heat of the last two days, but at times I actually found myself cold.
At the very start of the day I caught a glimpse of a cyote, but he was to fast for me to catch his picture. The trees of Mt Laguna quickly gave way to a seriouslu burned area. The fire was several years ago so the bushes were already growing back, but the skeletal remains of the burnt trees stuck through.

Only after several miles did the terrain switch to a ledge just below the ridge line over a several thousand foot drop. Every time I thought that I was completly secluded, I would hear a car racing by on the road above.

As the sun set I decended into a canyon some 1500 feet below. A couple had already claimed the dry river bed as their campsite but there was room for me to pitch my tent too.

Don't Panic