Day 3- April 22nd

This morning we rolled out of Hauser Creek Canyon a little before 7:30, and instantly headed up a real big 4.5 mile hill. After some awesome scenery we descended upon Lake Morena Campground. And, (just as I promised yesterday), got down on an awesome breakfast burrito at the store:

Doesn't look like much, but trust me, best burrito around :)

We took advantage of the water fountain and a nice shady area under some trees to rest and recoup. I tried giving my phone a quick charge with the solar charger, but my cord doesn't like the USB port for some reason. 

Speaking of malfunctioning gear: yesterday we discovered that something had punctured the bottom of my backpack, then pierced our tent that was rolled up in the bottom of my pack, making 4 different holes. (Haven't checked the rain fly yet, as the weather has been so beautiful, so there might be a few holes there too). Nothing that a few pieces of duct tape can't fix! 

And last of some bad news: last night we also discovered that a piece on our camp stove was loose. I tried pressing it back together but when we turned it on a little propane leaked down the side (fiery propane). Not wanted to burn the campsite down, we borrowed a fellow hikers stove to make our rice and beans. There's a gear shop in Mount Laguna, 16.5 miles down the trail so I figure we'll buy another there. Luckily we have enough "dry food" to last until then. :)

Even though these things were a bummer, out here on the trail we are quickly letting go of troubles and thinking positively, moving smart and making good decisions, and listening to our bodies when they tell us they need rest or water. One could say we're "going with the flow".

Today was hotter than yesterday, with a very exposed toasty spot leaving Mount Laguna. The lightweight backpacking umbrellas are definitely saving our lives! These, in addition to our long sleeved sun-protecting clothing, allow us to walk all day instead of taking a longer 5 hour break as some others did at Lake Morena. 

It sure feels good to look back over a wide-open expanse, and not be able to see where you woke up in the morning. The feeling this constant forward-moving adventure gives me is quickly becoming my new favorite feeling.

A great view from way up above Lake Morena.

I'm so jealous, Claire saw her first snake of the trail today and I missed it! I definitely knew she encountered it by the way she shrieked, as it slithered less than two feet in front of her across our path. From her description and a little help from the Internet, I believe it was a Striped Racer. I'm still waiting to see a rattlesnake dang it! 

There are so many beautiful things to see out here, including strange and awesome rock formations:

"Grumpy Rock" -(I made that name up)

Wild green beans?:

And perfect little shaded areas, serving as our oasis(es?) during sometimes mile long stretches with no shade:

Claire had the brilliant idea to bring Berlinger foam roller on the trip, (pictured above), and I have been using it soooo much! Today we rolled into a sweet little campground with some picnic tables, and I used it to crack my back and roll out my shins, quads, ankles, thighs, and my neck!

It was about 5:30 when we rolled into our spot for the night. With an extremely hot day and our "matching" blisters getting worse, we decided to call it a day at 10.65 miles.

Tomorrow we will head out towards Mt. Laguna, 16.5 miles away. We may make it all the way or decide to split into two. The good thing is we only have to leave here with 2 liters of water instead of 6, taking almost 9 pounds out of each of our packs! 

Well it's 7:45pm here and the sunset glow is almost gone, which means it's past my bedtime! I love this way of life.

-Thanks for reading!