Hamburger Wanderjung

Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)

05 Mount Laguna - Warner Springs 50.7 miles

Mount Laguna

Chariot Canyon Road 4.9 miles

Scissors Crossing 15.3 miles

Third Gate 16.0 miles

Warner Springs 14.5 miles

This was a cold night. The camp ground hosts had good reasons for beeing afraid of water pipes freezing over at night. From here I had to carry food for four days of hiking. This was one of the shorter stretches between two resupply points. Later I had to carry food for up to eight days. In the south however I had to carry plenty of water too. Water sources are many miles apart. Luckily hiker friendly people - real trail angels - have set up water caches. Here there are many gallon canisters full of water; at least most of the time. Luckily for me except for once in Oregon in the lava fields all water caches were well stocked. These trails angels are really a heaven sent help along the trail.

Just short of Warner Springs the trail passes by a rock formation that looks from the other side like an eagle. Until the 1950s Indians held rituals here. Today we are quite pleased to have come this far. Earlier I had seen a marking on the PCT indicating that the first one hundred miles have been hiked. In the coming weeks I learned that these signs have been set up every hundred miles. In Warner Spring there is normally a resort open for us hikers; however not so in 2012. Instead the community center with adjacent sports areas was opened up for one weekend. We could pitch our tents, there was a barbecue in the evening, and we could use the computers and take showers. A small shop was set up too. The proceedings were for the small local school. And they had a shuttle to the local post office.

Breakfast at Mount Laguna camp ground