PCT Days 2 and 3

Day 2: Lake Morena to Noble Canyon Trail Water Source (Trail Miles 20 to 48.7)

Out of the Lake Morena campground and on the trail by 6 AM with light rain continuing after a night of steady rain. Within 2 miles my shoes and socks were soaked but my feet were still warm. In a few places there were a lot of trail markers, then I would go for miles without seeing one. The markers were all at good places though. Stopped briefly at the Boulder Oaks campground 6 miles into my day for a short rest and because there was a little cover from a rain squall that was passing through.

I had planned to get an easy 18 miles in but the places were I wanted to stop were filled by a large group of boy Scouts out on a hike to get ready for a big trip this summer. So on I went towards Laguna where I ran into snow, not what I had planned for this far south.

As I was looking at the Burnt Ranch Campground at Laguna Sheriff Woody and Carrot caught up with me. We all hiked to the store in town for a soda and ran into another PCTer named Terry. After a sit down dinner together in the diner a group consensus was made to press on for a few more miles. A few turned into 7 of the most windy miles I have ever hiked. Stopping with only 20 or so minuets till dark we had covered 29 total miles hiked by the time we camped in a little sheltered spot in the trees.

Day 3 Noble Canyon Trail to Scissors Crossing (Trail Miles 48.7 to 77)

Up with the sun and on the trail together to the Pioneer Mail Picnic Area where we had second breakfast and filled up the water bottles again. My feet were letting me know that the wet socks yesterday were not a good idea so I took off down the trail while the others were still resting. Woody soon caught and passed me as Terry and Carrot fell behind. Views into the desert were wonderful and the trail was good but the air was brisk. That would change as the day went on.

The trail made a big decent to the Rodriguez Fire tank, the last sure water for the next 32 miles. I caught up with Sheriff Woody at the tank and met Ewok who was carrying a 25 pound steel drum along with his normal pack weight. Woody and Ewok started towards Scissors Crossing and I was about 30 minuets behind them. Terry caught up just as I was departing and said he was staying at the fire tank for the night. The day had gotten hot and he was really suffering from the heat.

Terry at the Rodriguez Fire Tank Water Source

The trail from the fire tank to Scissors Crossing was the rockiest trail I ever want to hike. I made poor time on the downhill portions but made it to Scissors Crossing just as the sun was going down and the desert wind was picking up. Stars were great to look at while Ewok played his steel drum as I drifted off to sleep after a tough 28.3 mile day.