5/12 day six morning

The travelling has been spectacular. The storm that blew through has moderated to clear skies and mild temperatures for our first desert crossing. We have also developed a crew of folks to hike with. Gene is an older fellow from San Antonio with a heavy pack. Bundo was on the trail last year and has returned with a lightened load. Mondo is an animated nightclub bartender from Hollywood. Racheopod is a delightful Floridian that loves bugs. We have all been travelling at roughly the same pace, around 20 miles a day. The mileage has been the biggest difference from the last hike. Because of our earlier start date, we are able to take it easy in and not bump up to 25 mile days until a few weeks from now.

The terrain has turned from chaparral to desert as we dropped to the dreaded Scissors Crossing and huddled underneath the highway bridge to shelter from the noon sun. All six of us were there, until Mondo left, triggering the rest to follow suit.

We left the last, planning a few hours of night hiking under the waxing gibbous on a well engineered trail. Around ten we stopped and camped in a soft sandy wash a few miles short of the third gate water cache. It is now morning and I am writing this next to a sleeping Zm who is about to be woken up.

Thus far, our hike has been fantastic and virtually complaint free. Our bodies are happy, well fed, stinky and dirty. Tomorrow morning we will arrive at Warner springs and take a day off. Hopefully we will have cell service!