Back to It

(Friday May 2, 2008)
Finally hit the trail again after two nights in Warner Springs. Wasn't planning on one night's stay let alone two, but fire has a way of changing plans.

Now I'll still end up in Idyllwild on Sunday, but it will most likely be the afternoon instead of the evening like I had originally hoped. Hopefully the Mt. San Jacinto campground is open because I heard the entire town was flooded with hikers either trying to wait out the fire or get alternate hiking plans set.

I just don't feel like spending money on a hotel room after two unbudgeted days in Warner Springs. The campground is only $2 a night so that would be clutch.

I heard that the town was swamped with hikers while I was at the cantina getting drunk with about 50 other hikers.

An old guy with about three teeth says that the fire was messing with his funds which were waiting for him in Idyllwild. So he asks me to buy him a drink and I oblige. Anything to help out a fellow hiker.

We all sit back down at our table and he comes over with us, sits in an empty seat and starts picking through our eaten baskets of food for leftover fries.

He was digging through chicken bones and greasy wax paper, gobbling up every last one. I wished I hadn't bought him the drink and got him some food instead so I didn't have to witness what was ocurring in front of me.

"Ohhh! A pickle!"

I look over and there he is, caught a gerkin on the end of his line, head tilted back mouth open, pickle going in...appetizing!

Watching him try to eat the pickle with his one sharp incisor at least made up for all the rest.

Speaking of food, I'm done with my lunch now, just waiting for my socks and shoes to dry out as I just had to cross a river with no rocks to hop on.

But I don't know how much longer I want to wait because these two flies won't stop bothering me. Probably because I killed their one friend and now they're his avenging angels.

Either way, I'm out until I'm back in. Hasta luego.