Day 13, km 204
Among yesterday’s highlights: encountering a small and beautiful and fortunately nonpoisonous California king snake (s. photo). Although today’s hike involved altitudes of over 1640 feet, SWOH managed to cover 22 km by the end of the day. Masel tov! They camped at the amazing Mike's Place, a ranch in the middle of nowhere, a PCT hikers’ meeting point run by volunteers. Here SWOH dined on mushroom and artichoke pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven, along with apricot-peach pie and beer. (This is making the translator’s mouth water, by the way.) SWOH are also getting the hang of the PCT rituals: hikers hit the hay early – 8 p.m. Mike’s Place, however, is an exception, with socializing going on till a whopping 9:45 p.m. Most hikers get up at 6 a.m. and hit the trail an hour or two later. Being used to more relaxed "continental" habits, Sunshine and King Olli enjoy a leisurely breakfast of coffee, punkin pie, tacos, sausages, and spicy scrambled eggs before heading out to the trail again. Though he wasn't present in person, Trailangel Mike will be fondly remembered!
(It dawns on the translator that this expedition is a great excuse to eat whatever you want, without the need to count calories. Ah, foodie heaven...)
Pictures