April 19 | Miles 369 - 374

After a delicious family dinner last night, I slept like a baby. Waking up this morning, we were treated to Leroy’s tales of how he and Diane first met (including once when a French train conductor urged him to chase her because she had a nice ass).

When the crew had all awoken, we went to town on the breakfast prep. The giant pancakes were my contribution. We feasted.

After that it was time to head to the grocery store for a double resupply. I got enough food to last me until Agua Dulce, and sent a box ahead to the Saufley’s, the famous trail angels who live there.

I picked up a Talenti whose packaging will be repurposed as my cold soaking jar. I bid farewell to my stove and pot and sent them home.

One of the dudes had a connect with an electric bike rental guy in town, and he let us take two of his rides for a spin around town. Going almost 40mph downhill was a killer feeling, and it was fun to be back on two wheels and a chain. The feet got a small break as we cruised up and down the mean streets of Wrightwood.

The bike guy also hooked us up with some sweet new patches. I sewed mine onto my pack as we chilled on the patio in the afternoon. And from the hardware store, I picked up a nice free PCT pin and some new insoles that will hopefully do my feet a favor.

We headed out around 4:45 to hike a few miles to the Baden-Powell approach in the cool of the day. It’ll be an early morning tomorrow as we prepare to summit the apparently unforgiving mountain…

Good thing I packed out a Rolling Rock : )