Day 12: Hot Headed

We woke up early to the sound of dogs barking, and wondered at finding ourselves in the incredibly welcoming confines of a decomposing house and grounds. There was real water and real coffee and real pancakes that we missed by leaving too early.

We were giddy with our bellies still digesting the last of surprise lasagna from the night before — which we tucked into the space around the dinner we ate for ourselves. Yesterday was hot, and this trail angel’s house was a much needed home in the midst of an increasingly dry and hot desert. 

Today, leaving the comfort behind was hard.

The heat came upon us hot and fast. We fell into quiet discomfort, not speaking for hours. 

 

Finally I cried out, “we have been circling this same path for hours!”

Ant (Avry) agreed, and the desert became some kind of glitch in the matrix, sending us down a little hill, around a bend, and up the same hill again and again.

I felt close to madness!

We were offered shade and we sat, at 11.20 am, hiding from be inexplicable heat. And then, losing ourselves to true madness, we came out of our secret spot to be blazed alive by the heat at midday for an hour, until we couldn’t take it any longer, and collapsed in a sorry excuse for shade.  

 

We spent the next hour slipping down the 45 degree slope, clutching at every last bit of shadowy ground. We ate the most incredible dehydrated black beans in a burrito, and started laughing again right away.

This isn’t always fun (or it is the Type Two kind of fun we all know about), but food and water and giggles make it better.

We are continuing to march on, dreaming of a rest day in Idyllwild and for Ant’s plantar fasciitis to magically heal. 

 

P.S. Any advice about PF and hiking is greatly appreciated! We need to kick this thing.