Day 8 Monday 4/23 10:11am

I skipped writing the last two nights.  Sorry!  Saturday was a hard, lonely day.  I hiked very alone through the steep, rocky San Felipe Hills.  I had to stop often because of the heat, finally giving up for the 2 o'clock hour taking off my shirt and shoes, and sleeping in the shade of a spiney bush for an hour or so.  I woke up from my sweaty nap to the roaring of two super fast planes zooming through the canyons.  It was pretty thrilling.  I hadn't realized how close I was to a water cache, but less than an hour of walking led me to a shading section of lower trail where about everyone I've met so far was lying like dead fish trying to avoid the stifling heat.  I caught up with Michael, and the British couple, and Yotam and Nadav.  We all thought to hike a little further as it cooled off into a star spotted evening.  I've found some nice friends in Yotam and Nadav and I hope I can keep up with them on the trail.  I think I've secured Yotam's trail name as "Abba", which means "father" in Hebrew.  He has been pretty hilarious about hollering at me to wear sunscreen, and get a hat, and drink more water, way worse than my own dad.  What really killed me was when I was writing in my journal as the light faded, and he tried to loan me his head lamp so I wouldn't ruin my eyes.  And he wasn't even being silly!  Then he yelled at me to turn my light off and go to bed when I was still writing 15 minutes later.  He might have been being silly then.  But there's no way of knowing.  It was a really pleasant 14 so mile hike to Warner Springs the next day(Sunday).  Lots of meadows, and babbling brooks, and cows.  Disney movie stuff.  Unfortunately the town of Warner Springs doesn't really exist anymore.  There was a lodge type of thing here that hikers absolutely raved about with hot springs, and stores and restaurants, and phones, and internet, and etc.  The Indians bought it over this past year, and all that's left is a lonely little post office that I have to hustle over to very soon.  Even though it is disappointing to not be in a hot spring right now, the local high school has coordinated to set up a little hiker support shack that has been more than generous and accommodating.  There is a little store to buy snacks and random supplies, a little kitchen that serves lunch and breakfast, and we can camp off the fields that surround it.  All the volunteers are so nice, and so excited to be helping hikers.  It was a relaxing evening with beer and good company, and the preceding foggy chilly morning has cleared up into a cool, bright day. A perfect day for hiking, but I need a rest day.  Maybe I will hike out 6 miles or so later this afternoon, but now I have to get to the post office!

<3

till next time

Georgia