There’s no doubt about it now, I’m in the desert! After a brutal rain/wind storm, the real Southern California weather has hit and it is hot!!! In this type of climate, it pays to be nocturnal. Now, I wake up very early, hike until it’s too hot, nap, then hike again in the evening. Many other desert creatures take the same approach to escape the heat, conserve water or to prey upon other nocturnal animals. I have spotted several scorpions and a tarantula in the middle of the trail!
One thing I didn’t expect was that there would be very little camping space. Almost every foot of dirt is covered in spiny plants, or is at a steep incline and not great for tent. For that reason, I have had some opportunities to camp in small patches of ground, With just my sleeping bag. This is called cowboy camping and is the most magical way to spend a night! The only problem with this is that you risk the chance of an unwelcome visitor crawling into your sleeping bag.
After my second night of cowboy camping, I woke up to a BIG scorpion next to my head! As scary as that sounds, there is nothing that compares to the feeling of being a part of the huge and spectacular landscape. I feel as though I get to see it all, no obstacles for miles and miles and the trail twisting through the hills behind me. Thru-hikers have a tradition of giving other hikers a trail name… and quite appropriately, I have been called Dragonfly! I will take a day in town now to rest my aching feet, but the next section of trail is rumored to be unreal.
Until then, remember to appreciate the simple things…like water 🙂
-Dragonfly
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