Thursday, June 21st: Today is the summer solstice; the longest day of the year (in terms of sunshine). Thus, making it hike naked day. I remember being in "the roller coaster" in VA last year on the Appalachian Trail for hike naked day....so many dirty hiker boys with their toned hikers assess.... Although, this year its looking like I won't be hiking at all on hike naked day. There is potential for me to hike out of Kennedy Meadows tonight when the heat dies down a little but I can see myself being sucked in for anther night.
Kennedy Meadows is the official end of the 702.2 mile desert section of the PCT!! Although, the official start of the Sierra's is not for anther day or so of hiking.
Now that I am officially OUT of the desert (yippie!) I can say that despite the fact that I am very happy to have experience it in all its glory that I am pretty confident I will never desire to hike 700 miles in the desert again! I will share a few things that the desert has taught me:
1) Do not hug Joshua Trees! They are sharp. For that matter, everything that grows in the desert is sharp and its best not to attempt to hug any of it.
2) Don't let the red ants fool you! Even though there appears NOT to be any red aunts where you are setting up your camp its right when you decide not to set up your tent and instead cowboy camp under the stars that the queen releases her militia to attack in full force!
3) Red ant bites make big welts on your skin that itch and burn for upwards of a day and a half.
4) Do not rope swing into a hot spring where there is poison oak!
5) Do not wait to start hiking for the day until the high noon sun. Hike earlier!
6) Do not put on chap stick in the middle of the day. The wax turns to liquid and runs down your face causing it to burn.
7) There are in fact white squirrels in the world.
8) Do not try to set up your tent in a wind farm.
9) Check your shoes for scorpions in the morning BEFORE you put your feet in them.
10) Watch your step! (Baboon was inches from stepping on a snakes head and didn't even notice until I told him so)
11) It CAN rain in the desert.
12) Hiking on sand is miserable.
13) The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely amazing in the desert!
14) No human being is designed to live in the desert. (all of you who do are crazy!)
15) Try to avoid being outside in the desert when you have a fever.
* I realized the other day that in a few days when I am standing on the summit of Mt. Whitney (the tallest peak in the lower 48 states) that I will have hiked; I will have backpacked over 3,000 miles of mountainous back country trail!!*
you calling me crazy bitch?
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