It was cold last night, even freezing, I think. I had a hard time getting out of my quilt this morning but was on the trail by 7:30. It was only 9.9 miles to town and they were pretty easy miles too.
The air was cool as a storm was coming in. I was racing it to the road since it was supposed to start at noon but I started getting sprinkled on at 11. When I got the to road, it stopped, and it never made it to town.
Once again, there were hikers piling up at the road trying to hitch, but I got a ride after about twenty minutes from a woman with a dog and her five puppies in the backseat. They were so cute!
She dropped me off at the grocery store to do a quick resupply for the next five days to Wrightwood. The woman in front of me in line was asking lots of questions about my hike and saying she and her husband wanted to do some trail magic next year. So I asked her for a ride to the hostel, and on the way she even went through the McDonald’s drive through for me.
Once I was checked in at the hostel, I sat down on a couch to eat and then did not get up for a long time. I finally got the motivation to get up and shower though, and do some laundry, make phone calls, etc.
For dinner, some of us went to a local Mexican restaurant for the burrito challenge. The Big Juan is a seven pound burrito and you need to eat it in 45 minutes. I was there to watch, not participate, of course.
Aquaman, another AT ’13er, and Breaks both started out strong. But Aquaman was quickly out, despite having a five pound burger named after him on the AT. He hasn’t been feeling well. Breaks was in it to win it though, and despite much squirming, finished it at the 43 minute mark. The funniest part to me was when he inexplicably started asking the waiter for grapes about 35 minutes in: grape soda or grape juice with 7up or something. He said it was part of his strategy but I think he was losing his mind.
7lbs..that is impressive! Cute puppies!
Puppppppies!!! 🙂