Day 10 Warner Spring 4/23

Miles I hiked: 15
Camped at mile: 109.5
Hikers I camped with: 30+
Ending elevation: 3059'

Steps: 43,997

Brrr it was cold this morning. I really seem to be the only person that is freezing in the morning. Maybe that's because in California 40 degrees is winter. I can not put my shorts on and and start hiking at that temperature.  Instead I look rediculous and leave on my base layer pants, and sometimes my shirts, put pants on, and my long sleve shirt and gloves and start hiking. An hr later I'm shedding the base layer, another hour later I have to take a shirt off. It's rediculous and I need to stop doing this. Today was worse. I also wore my rain coat. I'm such a baby! I am not doing my wisconsin blood proud.

I achieved a milestone today and it's probably what pushed me to have a 15 mile day. I hiked 100 miles. I did it. A while later the trail went around the mountain and a new valley came into view. I was so happy! I had looked at the same valley for 4 days now and was happy to see my next destination far off in the distance. It was crazy, but on this cloudy day the sun seemed to shine only on warner springs it was a great sight. 

I slowly came down and out of the mountain and now was hiking across the warner springs praire. It was more like a dry valley of nothingness, but it was a welcomed change of pace. At one point a fellow hiker mentioned we were near eagle rock. I'm glad he mentioned it because I had not realized I would see it today and am pretty positive I would of walked right past it, from the trail it's not that noticable. The storm clouds had rolled in and it was cold and windy and my feet were pretty sore, so the little side trip (about 200 feet off trail) was a welcomed resting spot. I had all these ideas of pictures I wanted to take at eagle rock, but it didn't turn out that way, my pictures are just ok. Just a few more miles to walk and I'll be in warner springs, so off I went. As I got closer the scenery changed again and now I was walking along a river with tree cover, it reminded me of Wisconsin. I even saw a couple turkeys scatter when I got close. It's a really cool feeling when you walk into a camp or into a town. You know you reached your goal and it's very satisfying. I walked up to the warner springs community center and was amazed by how many people were there. A truck was in the parking lot, a trail angel who had brought a case of beer, a bottle of wine and some chips and guacamole.  By the time I walked up everything was gone, but a very nice guy, little bear, who had stayed at our campsite in Mt laguna, handed me one of the beers he had grabbed. Thanks again little bear!