Day 23 Palm Springs

Miles hiked: 0 pct, 3 Miles off trail (with pack on) about 4 more miles around town with out packs.

Camped at: Hotel, Palm Springs

Hikers I camped with: 1

Total up/down: 0

Steps: 24,830

Well the canopy didn't blow down last night! All night long the canopy flapped in the wind. It was bolted down but there were gust that would almost blow me off my sleep pad it was a bit crazy and I didn't get a good night sleep. 

Ziggy and the bear run a tight ship. When new hikers arrive someone comes out of the house, tells you to set down your pack, go around the corner and wash your hands at the outdoor sink, then come back and sit at the picnic table. Once you sit down they have you register. You fill in a few lines and they explain the rules and how things work. The entire backyard is for the hikers, it is carpeted and there are canopys. There are also chairs for lounging and sleeping happens anywhere you find a spot on the ground. 

Andrea mentioned that one of the Australian guys was in Palm Springs. Didn't the idea of a night there sound better? I'm not sure why none of the guides suggest going there, it's only 8 miles away. 

We packed up and headed out. You can't hitch on major highways so we went over the 10 and walked along it on a sand road to 111. Once on 111 we could hitch, the walk there was a bit interesting but it was all apart of the adventure. It took a little longer today to get a ride. Finally a great guy pulled over, we had to run down the road to get to him (not easy with packs on). He gave us a tour of the city, showed us where he lived, and dropped us off at a coffee shop. And like that, we were on a mini vacation.

We booked a hotel with the app hotel tonight and got a great deal. So we jumped on a bus and headed there. We met up with the other hiker and hung out for an hr or so. He was headed back to the trail and we were looking for dinner.

We found a nice Thai place and had a great meal. We headed back to our hotel and relaxed. Even managed a quick dip in a hot tub. Tonight we would sleep sound. I'm so excited to have a good night sleep.