Sunday, December 02, 2012

A WALK ACROSS CALIFORNIA - PART TWO

DAY FOUR
11/30
19.3 miles


Got a late start today.  Cathie dropped me off in Guatay about 8:30 under overcast sky.  Walked down the hill into Pine Valley, about two miles away.  It hasn't been cold or hot since I started, with temps in the high fifties and low 60's for the most part.  Makes for great walking weather.  I did get little rain and had to don my rain jacket for a while.

Ran into a couple of Sheriff Deputies who offered me a ride on their bus, but their destination was not to my liking.



HIGH POINT


LOOKING EAST ON I-8



Walked for just a little over 7 hours today.  Would have been a little shorter but Cathie took a wrong turn when looking for me.  Made it as far as the Acorn Casino at Crestwood Summit  So while she figured out where I was, I continued walking.  By the time Cathie found me, it was windy, cold and beginning to rain.  I paid the price for the 19 mile day with my first blister.  It's under the nail on my middle toe.  I'll be loosing the nail sometime soon.  OUCH! 


LOOK EAST TOWARDS BUCKMAN SPRINGS

THIS LITTLE DONKEY SPOKE TO ME AS I PASSED BY

DAY 5

12/01
17.0 miles

I MAY HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN

At the end of each day, I'm really tired and somewhat sore.  What really hurts the most is my back because of the pack.  It's amazing what a good nights sleep does for you.  The body recovers very quickly and I'm pain free in the morning.  I sleep really well and by morning I've recovered and ready to go.  After yesterdays walk, I came up with several blisters, one of which was pretty bad under my toe nail.  So this morning I bandaged up my toe and applied Doeskin to the other spots, exchanged my hiking boots for running shoes and got started at 9:00, my latest start yet.  Great weather today, clear but not hot.  Passed through the following communities:







As I walked through Boulevard, there were two young girls who had a stand set up on the side of the road selling brownies.  Didn't look like they were getting many customers so I helped out the local economy and bought two for a dollar.

 THE LAST PASS

The mile post indicates the number of miles since the start of Historic Highway 80.




Some of the people I met along

the way today.
                                 


BORDER FENCE

The highway is within about 200 yards of the Mexican border.  The Border Patrol is very evident in these parts.  One will pass me every 10 minutes or so.  They just wave as the go by.  Hey, I could be a Swedish terrorist or something. There is a large new Border Patrol Station in La Posta which I passed yesterday.  The in front says it's the Pine Valley Station even though it's in La Posta and about 15 miles from Pine Valley.  No one ever said the federal government knew where they were at.

Cathie picked me up within a mile of the end of the old highway.  Up ahead is a 13 mile section of I-8 as it heads down into the desert.  Of course pedestrians are forbidden, so I'll have to figure out something.

When we got home and I inspected my feet, no new blisters and the old ones stayed about the same.  I'm taking a couple of days off, first tomorrow is Sunday and it's supposed to be a day of rest and on Monday I have an appointment with the Podiatrist.  I wonder what he'll have to say about all this.  Hope to be back at it on Tuesday.

So far: 77.5 miles 


2 comments:

Diane and Gary said...

You have a pretty nice wife who will pick you up each day and bring you home!! At least you get to sleep in your own bed to rest up!! You will have some sore feet when done.

Nick Saraceni said...

I agree, you have a really nice wife. I salute your sense of adventure taking on the badlands of San Diego like La Presa and Boulevard by yourself. You are my hero.