2013-05-12 - Day 4 Sunrise Trailhead to Scissors Crossing

5/12/2013
Miles: 17

At Jess Martin Park

9:10 AM
Sunrise Trailhead

We got up at 7:45, packed up and came here. Dan left about 9:00. It is a most beautiful morning here at about 5K feet, clear and sunny with a cooling breeze. I will go from here to Julian in hopes of finding a decent market. We are out of eggs. The plan is to get some bacon and frozen potatoes for a bit of variety. We also need liquids, water and coke, and snacks.

1:45 PM
Jess Martin Park, Julian, CA

I have been sitting here in the shade on a beautiful day working on this blog for several hours. It is frustrating at the least but I am getting a handle on it. It seems like I have to. Learn how to manipulate the thing all over again each time I start a new blog.

The Office

Before I came to the park I paid some astronomical prices for a few items at the local store. They did not Have the right potatoes or decent bacon so those are off the menu until we get to a bigger store. Such is shopping in mountain tourist towns. I will leave for Scissors Crossing as soon as I finish this partial day entry.

8:30 PM
29 Palms, CA

CHANGE OF PLAN!

I arrived at Scissors Crossing right on schedule at 3:00. Dan was already there and had been for at least 1/2 hour. As soon as he got in the car he announced that he wanted to skip north to Highway 74. It sounded good to me as it would allow me to come home for a break a few days early. I think his reasons had to do with the rising temperature (he had dropped from out camp at 6K feet to 2200 feet in 6-7 hours and it was quite warm at Scissors) and the fact that the next 74 miles beyond Scissors are not the most appealing of the trail in terms of the route, the view and the climate.

We discussed it briefly and agreed that it was a reasonable plan so we started for Highway 74. We arrived about 4:30. Dan rested a few minutes then packed up and started walking and I started home. I got here about 7:15. Dan has provisions for this evening and the next two days. I am to meet him at Snow Creek, near I-10, Tuesday at 7-8:00 PM. This means that he plans to cover about 57 trail miles plus a several mile detour to the 11,834 foot summit of Mount San Jacinto, which he has never visited, in 2 hiking days plus a few hours. It is an ambitious plan but I am sure he will do it.

Packing up at Highway 74

The Water Cache at Highway 74

One issue he will have to deal with is water. He left the car with 4 quarts of water and Gatorade. There is a spring a very steep 1 mile off the trail 10 miles in and the first possible on trail water is at mile 27. He will have to decide tomorrow sometime whether to drop down to the spring or to stretch the water he has. One has to hope that the option he chooses does not leave him too dehydrated. As for me, I am happy to be home for a couple of days.