Stopped hiking at mile: 77.2
Slept in Hotel in Julian
Hikers I camped with: 1
Ending elevation: 2269'
Steps: unknown had to turn my phone off.
It's 3:30 am and as I looked across the road from the cistern I see head lamps on and hear the rustling of hikers packing up their packs. I go back to sleep. I keep waking up and everytime I look over there I see hikers packing up and heading out. At some point I realize Barbara is up and we start talking, her air mattress deflated during the night and concrete probably didn't make the most cozy bed. She scoots her stuff over by me and we talk and gaze at the universe above us. We wonder why everyone is leaving so early, but we stay cozy in our bags, now just waiting for sunrise and for Justin to wake up.
Today's hike took us back up a mountain and around the valley, it didn't seem like I was really getting anywhere. My foot hurt and I couldn't wait to come down the mountain and walk across the valley to the road where we would hitch to Jullian. I came around a corner and saw Barbara taking a break, I join her. A while later we notice justin off in the distance crossing the valley. I get excited that we are almost done for the day, the end is near and I can rest my ankle! The desert valley will be easier to walk. No. No it wasnt. It's 90 degrees, the wind is gone and there are lots of loose rocks which make each step a chore. I know justin and Barbara are ahead of me and I hope they wait for me to hitch. I have never hitch hiked before. It goes against all I've ever known or taught my kids. Kenzie and Kirsten please don't do what your mother is about to do! Haha. I suck it all up, head down watching my feet and I hike in a zone. Right near the end I catch up to Barbara and soon we notice Justin standing by a car. Relief. As we approach him he asks us if we want to split the cost, he had called misty a young local women who charges $20 a carload to drive to Jullian. We without thinking about both say "YES!".
We ride 12 miles up the mountain in a little beater car named Betsy. (Little did we know at the time but Betsy died the next day). Misty told us about growing up in Jullian and what the locals do for fun. She told us that there are 110 turns going up the mountain, she had counted them as a child with her grampa. When we got to town she told us what everything was as we passed it then dropped us off at the hotel and wished us well.
Barbara and I shared a room and when we walked in we noticed everything was white which made us laugh and immediately remove the bedspread. I took the most glorious shower and watched the dirt wash away. Later we walked to the stores and stopped at Mom's for our free pie. PCT thru hikers get a free slice of pie, a scoop of ice cream and a drink. I noticed my ankle was starting to swell and headed back to the hotel. The rest of the night was spent icing my ankle, taking a Epson salt bath and just relaxing, what a great end to a day.
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