Warner Spring to Lost Spring
11 miles

Left Doc in a comatic sleep by the side of the river where he was later to awake as the centerpiece to a herd of cows. Took a side trail into Warner Springs past the defunct resort until I stumbled upon the post office. Saw my first mule deer on the way. Lost a stare down.

The post office was yet to open, but I siphoned some of my tax dollars back by charging my phone with one of their outlets. The resort was started by Bob Hope and his posee and has been around forever. Renowned by hikers for its hot springs, it is a bitter miss. The good news is it recently sold for 50 million and will soon reopen. Picked up my bounce box (a package you continually forward up the trail post office to post office), restocked with yet more Asian goodies and resent it to Big Bear Lake. Then retraced my steps, as hitching was unsuccessful, back to the PCT.

At the junction, the Warner Springs community has opened up a seasonal reception center for hikers. The whole affair raises funds for the local school and is irresistible as a way station. Its charms overwhelmed me and I ended up hanging out until 2:30. A steady trickle of hikers came and went, some I knew, some I didn’t. I caught up on business while my double breakfast got used to new surroundings. At 2:30 I set off and the Warner Springs School could afford a few more text books.

Criss crossed Aqua Caliente Creek again and again, until climbing back up in to the mountains. Planned to go 15 miles but ran into my core group at around 10 miles with two donkeys as sentries. A stovepipe fire was going and a Frenchman named Pascal was holding court. Who could pass that up? So I skidded. The hot cocoa was bubbling and I sat down to hear of Pascal’s wonder of 15000 miles thru the trails of the US and then down to Chile over land. All to be on foot. All with his beloved donkeys. Every man to his dreams.

Steve Halteman
On the Pacific Crest Trail
Hiking the PCT for the Kids of Escuela Verde

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