Warner

PCT 2018 Day 5, April 27, Friday.

Start Barrel Spring Campsites, mile 101

End mile 117 tiny campsite on mountainside trail

Miles walked: 16

On the way to Warner Springs is grassland rolling like waves. After a ten mile walk in the cool quiet morning, the Warner Springs PCT welcome center offers hikers a chance to rest and renew. Run by super-nice volunteers, the center offers amenities to hikers at low cost and thoughtful economy. Home Depot buckets filled from an outdoor sink and a privacy stall built on a deck serve to make a free shower. A three bucket system is offered to hand-wash your clothes: an initial rinse bucket to reduce the dirt, a soapy bucket, and a final rinse bucket. Clotheslines are provided. You can donate your extra food and equipment to other hikers by way of hiker boxes. Snacks and supplies are sold, and rides given to the nearby post office, convenient store, and grill. Another building is dedicated as a hiker lounge, with couch, chairs, and pool table. Camping out back is free. And more services, to fifty to a hundred hikers during the season. And free wifi allowed me to remedy my cell phone problem. Huzzah.

After clean-up, eats, and several hours of relaxation, the trail calls. Up a mountain with more trees, until I give out and find a tiny spot, joined later by three other hikers.

Trail names to learn today: Happy, Puma, Beehive, Luco, Sharpshooter, and 2Pack.

Author: Jim, Sagebrush

Jim (trail-name Sagebrush) codes audio software for Windows, Linux, Android, and embedded systems. When not working at sagebrush.com, he enjoys backpacking, which this blog is about.