Day 10-13

This is not the trip I signed up for but I am dealing with it just fine. James flew down to San Diego on Sunday and we stayed at the Mt. Laguna resort. While I was waiting for him to show up I stretched and exercised under "my pine tree" then hitched into town and stopped by the visitor center. It is only open on weekends so I had not been inside before. They had the best stuffed animals and an entire table of animal pelts. The bobcat pelt is unbelievably soft.

dawn at my campsite

home sweet home

Here Kitty Kitty!

My coyote friend!

On Monday we visited the outfitter in Mt. Laguna. I had some irritations with my pack (both with the functionality and the fit) so I just bit the bullet and bought a new one. I got a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider and I love it. It works better for me and it feels so much better on. I am sending my old pack back to the vendor for a refund. Then we drove to Palm Desert. We drove through Julian and Warner Springs. I saw some of the folks I met at the beginning. Some of them were having physicial challenges like me and they were taking some time off. I am taking some time off in STYLE!

The place we are staying at (for free!) is 6 thousand square feet and has a pool and a tennis court. It is close to the downtown core and Whole Foods. There is a fruiting grapefruit tree. No tennis for me but I am totally going to get into the pool.

In Julian we visited a graveyard and this
is the top of a bench that was there.

the fruiting grapefruit tree on site

The joke today is that I am supposed to be resting my leg but just walking to the back bedroom suite is a long trip. The bedroom I am in is larger than my entire Studio that I just moved out of!

When I resume hiking I will be at the back of the pack. The fellow from Mt. Laguna said that the hikers are pretty much done traveling through by mid May. This may be a universe twist of fate in my favor. I think it will be mellow at the back of the pack and I won't have hikers passing me by all the time making me feel panicked. I am suprised by how calm I feel really. I will have a fun multi month adventure no matter what happens. If I don't finish, then I don't finish. No one dies, no one gets hurt, it is really no big deal.

Well, I did not buy any of these but it is so fun to look at!
My choices of food on the trail are pretty limited.

Monday night the temp at Mt. Laguna was 34 degrees with high winds and gusts up to 60 mph. There was a 20% chance of rain. I guess this is a good week to take off, I will miss the bad weather but I may also miss the cooling breezes during the hot areas. Today in Palm Desert it is 84 degrees, sunny and calm. I had a fresh grapefruit off of the tree for breakfast.