About a month in the US now, by my count.
Most of today’s photos were taken by the other hikers, who kindly let me use them — thank you. One of them captured the moment right after waking up.
About a mile down the mountain, Nitsy was waiting to pick us up. She drove us to a Walmart — another hiker and I rode in the back on camping chairs, which was genuinely funny. My phone battery had completely died by this point, so another hiker took the photos and videos I’m sharing here. Thank you again.
The stay cost around $40 all in — transport, overnight, and food (Nitsy’s Reset Ranch). She does trail magic and has converted her garden specifically for hikers. I slept in a small fabric pod, practical against insects, and there was power to charge everything — the most important thing at that moment.
I also ordered a solar panel — not received yet, placed last Friday, a few more days to go. Once it arrives, hunting for power outlets will be a thing of the past. Most portable solar options are either too heavy, too underpowered, or built into power banks with too little capacity. This one is designed to charge while walking.
We helped ourselves to the large supply of food our host had collected — some left by previous hikers, some bought by her. Lunch was Mexican takeaway. I spent the afternoon on laundry, showering, and charging everything. It also occurred to me that my T-Mobile subscription runs out tomorrow. The coverage was never great, and AT&T was recommended to me.
Trail names in the group: Boyscout and Sandwich. There were two others whose names I never caught — one of them, a woman, was German or Austrian. I got on really well with all four of them, even as the latecomer to an established group. Boyscout in particular was great — he was the one who had given me snacks the day before.
In the evening, our host produced a massive spread: spareribs, fries, and various other things. I ate an entire rack of ribs. Someone took a photo of the moment — I need to track that one down.
First time I weighed my pack today: 27kg without water, 30kg with three litres. Probably the heaviest it’s ever been. Yesterday’s situation may have caused a slight overcorrection at the supermarket.
Tomorrow I’m heading back to the trail. The goal in a few days is Big Bear City, where my solar panel should hopefully be waiting. The reason I’ve been stopping in towns so often over the past month has been charging — power bank and devices take hours, which usually meant an overnight stay somewhere. That changes once the panel arrives, and with it comes a bit more freedom in how I plan the days.
A long day with not much walking. Tomorrow that changes.
