Still tired from yesterday, we slept in a little and took time to enjoy the modern facilities of the Morena campground. By the time we got going at 9 the sun was already baking us in its baleful gaze.
We headed east out of the campground and climbed to the top of a ridge. The descent was gentle and the path pretty flat as we passed under Buckman Springs road. It seems strange to think that we were driving on it just yesterday morning. Even though the terrain was easy we were moving slowly because of the heat. We weren’t the only ones either – we caught up with a hiker from Seattle and commiserated together.
Our destination was Boulder Oaks campground, 6 miles from our start. Once we got there we promptly laid down in the shade and put our feet up on a bench for a while. After that was lunch and refilling our water. The camp had a spigot – what a luxury! It felt wonderful to soak our hair and hats before leaving.
We knew we were in for a tough climb almost right away. After passing under I-8 we started up into the Laguna mountains. The midday heat was in full force but we had a secret weapon – sun umbrellas! It was hard to believe how much they helped. They definitely made the afternoon bearable.
Even so, we ran out of gas before we reached our goal of 15 miles. This started to become clear after 10 miles, when we started to take breaks after every small rise. Luckily we only had 2 left to a nice campsite near a dry creek. Our lesson learned, we will go to bed early and get up with the sun to bust out 5 miles to the next water source. We will pass through Mt. Laguna tomorrow, which means treats! Soda and maybe some ice cream, if we have the appetite.
As usual with backpacking trips, my appetite so far has been nonexistent. The heat and the exertion keep me from feeling hungry. This is bad since I need the calories to keep me going. Even Keith is struggling to eat. This ought to change in a few days as our hiker hunger sets in. Soon we’ll be eating everything in sight.
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