May 16 & 17

Passed the 60 mile marker. Not many pictures today. Still having problems with my phone battery.

Started out at 6am, cool temps, great tread but over 3,000 feet to scale each day.
Did not see anyone. Ooops was still asleep when I left and I never saw him after that.
The first part of the day was spent among pine trees and boulders and looked more like the Sierras.
But the topography soon changed to reflect the desert as if Mother Nature was saying "not so fast, the dessert is not finished with you yet."
The terrain was monotonous, hot, exposed and dry. Water sources were poor and thankfully trail angel water caches helped tremendously at mile 616 and 631. The wind was kicking up and the sun setting so I decided to camp by the cache to be on the safe side. The next 4 miles would be uphill and I figured campsites would be difficult to come by and the wind would probably be worse. Pitching the tent in the wind was a challenge and a bit of a comedy act but I eventually got it anchored in place with rocks while I replaced the stakes that kept getting blown out. Here are a few pics for you.








Heart