Day 9- April 28th

Wow Wow wow! Today was suuuuuuch a better day than yesterday! Thanks for all your good vibes everyone! I want to just blurt out all the awesome accomplishments right now, and you must be curious about the picture, but it'd be better if I start from the top.

This morning we started at mile 91.19, at the third gate water cache. My right quad swelling had gone down quite a bit thanks to the Vitamin I, a little rest, and a lot of arnica. (Thanks Claire!) 

As we started the incline it started to hurt right away. After a mile or two, the trail switched over the top of the mountain and continued up the other side. Suddenly, the pain magically relieved! We then realized that the reason one side of our bodies was hurting so much yesterday was because of the slant of the trail against the mountain. 

Yesterday we were on the left side of the mountain all day for over 14 miles! That means that with every step, my right leg was hitting the ground at a higher level than my left, for ~38,000 steps, (thanks Focus for the data), and THAT'S why my right quad freaked out.

With the mountain blessing us with relief, we climbed about 4 miles, and started a loooooong gradual descent downwards, eventually cutting the wind resistance greatly. The day was bleak and cold, but we were feeling better than yesterday and trekked on all day, taking minimal rests. 

We found "Billy Goat's Cave", but neither of us dared to enter...

Alright, time for the first exciting announcement: Claire and I have officially walked over 100 miles from the Mexican Border on the PCT!! Yay yay yay!

1 down, only 26 to go!!!

This definitely gave us a nice boost of energy, as up until this point neither of us was able to comprehend, let alone imagine hiking 100 miles in 8 days... Whoa...

We kept trucking on feeling good, and eventually new terrain was insight! Hallelujah! Being on that cold windy mountain for 5 days now was getting old in the slightest! 

Descending down into the sequence of huge open meadows was such a relief! 

I know it doesn't look all that pretty but dang it was beautiful! And boy flat ground and level trial was amazing! 

We weaved in and out of wooded areas and meadows, and approached a landmark in our guide listed as Eagle Rock. As we approached the rock formation we passed a two person tent and someone stuck their head out to see who was passing by.

RUSS!! Claire and I both yelled, as we realized it was the first fellow hiker we had met on our journey. He was the hiker who we met on the bus from San Diego and talked with on the way to the terminus. Claire and I had thought we may see him again after the first day. When we got picked up by Susan, (Alanna's mom who we stayed with our first night), he had continued hiking into the night, and we hadn't seen him since! 

Claire, Russ (new trail name "Chips"), "Guac", and I 

Chips and Guac Met on the trail and they are so cute together! They set up their tent at about 1 and we continued on, letting me know that we may see them again soon!

After the awesome reunion, we walked up to Eagle Rock. It is by far the coolest rock formation I've ever seen! 

Super defined spread wings, broad chest, and even a beak! We took many pictures here, including the one of me standing on its' head (sorry Ma).

Our bodies were aching sooooo bad, but we only had three more miles until Warner Springs! We originally had no intention on getting from Scossors Crossing to Warner Springs in two days, but all of a sudden we were so close! 

As we approached the weather began to clear up and there were more and more trees around... Ahhhhh

Seeing some familiar faces upon entering town, we were told that the school across the street was selling $5 dinners! We hurried (well kind of hobbled and groaned) over to the school and scored the last two plates! Two hot dogs with chili and a sugar snap cookie with some orange juice, yum!! The students providing the service had done a project on the PCT, and had recently walked a small portion of it! 

The end of our day just got better and better as we crossed the street to the Warner Springs Resource Center, where we heard free camping was offered. We were amazed at how many tents are here, I count about 40!

(Not all of the tents are even in view)

We found a spot and then strolled over to check out the center, the hours say 8am-4pm but apparently they've been staying open for hikers until 10 or 11pm to use the Internet, charge their phones, converse over trail closure alternates, and most importantly eat.

This was the most amount of hikers I've seen in one place at one time the entire trip! The trail isn't ever this crowded, as everyone goes their own pace. What happens is when there's a small enough town with one main congregation area, a lot of people stay a few days to rest and recoup or to wait for their next mail drop resupply that they've sent in advance.

We saw a bunch of our friends and other people who we thought were long gone or way ahead of us. We talked to so many people catching up and sharing our funny stories and ailments with each other. It's crazy how much you realize you care about some of these people out here that you may have only met a handful of times in passing. Everyone shares the outdoor adventure passion, and loves and respects nature, so basically, (almost everyone you meet is really really cool) 

Claire and I got some royal treatment as did the others before us. Free fresh fruit and complimentary cookies and coffee and hot tea. Someone even made us a root beer float! However, the cherry on top was definitely the Epsom salt bath foot massage:

Living like kings and queens out here I tell ya! 

Oh, I almost forgot! Along with all these awesome things happening today, I forgot to mention one more: We set a new daily mileage record with 18.33 miles today!

To think yesterday we were having such a bad time and sulking about continuing on in the cold and wind, our problems felt huge. Today, with a little weather break, (It's not warm yet, just not so windy), and our bodies giving us the green light, we accomplished so much and are now living it up in good hands here in Warmer Springs.

In a perfect world, there would be nothing wrong, but alas, there is always something... Viewer discretion advised here, so if you don't like gross things, maybe flip past this next picture. I told myself that I'd be true and "raw" with this blog...

Something that I knew I had to take car of next time we were able to be clean I'm a town was my heel blisters. Like all thru-hikers, (yup, every single one!), we have developed some pretty bad ones. This one here kind of looks like a baby's foot, no? 

After the Epsom soak and a nice clean of the area, I (without going into too much detail) "took care" of the buggers and tomorrow they will be wrapped up with some Neosporin and by Saturday I won't remember they were there :) 

Tomorrow Claire and I plan on staying in Warmer Springs for a "zero day". A day of no hiking on the PCT. Zero days are common in towns with amenities to clean, properly care for, and rest your body for the upcoming stretch. 

Some good advice that we got yesterday from a hiker named "OB" (Old and Busted), was that we have to "Take care of you". He is an older man that has had many knee surgeries, and is now doing the PCT and doing great! He told us many other things from his personal experience, and I greatly value his advice..

We plan on dressing the blisters, cutting skittle more weight off our packs, resting, and best of all: picking up some cookies sent here by my old high school dean Crystine!! (We're so excited Crystine, thanks for being awesome!)

Thanks for reading!