Mile 488-507 Sawmill Mountain to Horse Camp Canyon

It was still very windy when we all woke up at 5:30 and no one wanted to stick around for breakfast, so we hastily packed up and left. Quietly and like little drones the three of us walked for the next couple of hours until we were warm and the sun was out before stopping and  having breakfast. 

Our plan for the day was to do most of the miles between here and Hiker Town today and leave a short hike into Hiker Town tomorrow so we could fit in a 'Nero' day (half day of rest) before continuing on to Tehachapi. In the end, we walked 19 miles today with only 11 left for tomorrow.

Much of the trail today was hot and hilly. We had one big water cache at the halfway point where we met a few other hikers huddled near a cement water tank at a junction of several dirt roads. 

G.W. was there mending a large, broken, inflamed, and now infected blister. It was clear he would not be able to walk on it for a couple of days. His 'plan' was to just sit there for two days until it healed. A passerby hiker gave him some antibiotics and a pain killer earlier in the day and he said he had enough food and water.

When Tracy looked at his foot she couldn't suppress her shock at the state of this suppurating mess. While the rest of us sucked on gummi bears and munched wheat thins, our Trace went into action. Number 1, dousing his foot with her denatured alcohol that we use for fuel. Number 2, checking that there was cell phone coverage, getting his phone number, texting him and saying "Call me if you change your "plan" and need help".  Number 3, hooking his half-dead phone up to our solar panel while convincing him to call a trail angel and to rest for a few days at the Anderson's. Number 4, hailing down two leather clad dirt bike riders to establish our exact location. Though all PCTers can tell you the exact mile marker of where we are on the trail at any one minute, very few actually know where we are relative to civilization.

G.W. took Tracy's advice and called for help. Tracy then got out the map and called out routes/directions to help with his rescue. Once the call was made, I noticed from my supine position on my sleeping pad that Tracy then went up the hill to get more water at the tank after tending to a few other 'rest stop' tasks.

The trail angel, Aloha, arrived within 15 minutes. He brought a beer and a large iced bottle of orange soda. Half of the hikers had already moved on. I offered the beer to Alif and the remaining three of us took turns gulps from the soda relishing the sweet thirst quenching taste against the harsh dry surroundings.

I was concerned that Tracy wouldn't get any of this delicious treat. I look up and I see her 200 ft up at the water tank, her eyes locked on the soda bottle. I am unsure what to do. 

The trail angel took the bottle back as he knows we wont want to carry the bottle with us and doesn't want us to leave trash. I think about screaming up to her to hurry. I think about running to the trail angel's car and stalling him. GW shouts from the car "Tell Running Commentary (Tracy) thanks so much for her help!" I want to somehow extend this conversation, but I can't think of anything to say and it's too late. The half full iced soda bottle just sits in the car unclaimed.

I finally see Tracy appearing. The car pulls away. I think about running to stop it, but I am frozen with indecision. Maybe it's my Britishness but I am crap in these situations. It is clear from Tracy's face she is looking around for the soda bottle but doesn't see it. Then the three liter bladder of water she was carrying is more or less flung at me making a large gurgling sound as it makes contact. Our eyes lock in mutual understanding that a mistake was made.

Soon all trifles of missed sodas are forgotten and Sadie, Tracy and I are off in desert heat again to finish out the rest of the day and find a place that will be better protected from the winds. Later in the coziness of our tent we laugh together at what had become, 'the soda incident'.

PS We passed the 500 mile mark!!! Cue the Proclaimers song....

GW sent us a pic of him recovering! :)