Mrolph - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2008

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Blainville's horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum)

I'd Walk a Hundred Miles... And I Did!

Yay!!! 100 miles done!!

I'm camped beside lovely San Ysidro Creek under a massive sycamore. Today started off cold and windy up on the San Felipe Hills, then it turned warm as the trail descended to the north. There was a huge water cache on top, but due to the cold weather I didn't need more. By 2:15 I reached Barrel Springs at Mile 101. I stopped there for a long siesta and early dinner before moving camp a few miles closer to Warner Springs. As I was eating dinner, two section-hikers, John and Tim (from Minnesota), hiked into Barrel Springs. They started at Campo on Friday and are headed to Idyllwild.

I haven't yet described any of the wildlife I've seen. The flowers have been great. Most I don't recognize, but I took lots of pictures. I saw a cool, large moth - I believe called a hummingbird moth. It's gray with salmon markings, and it hovers and sips nectar just like a hummingbird. They seem to really like the cactus blossoms.

There have been loads of lizards. My favorite is the horned lizards (commonly call horned toads or horny toad). I got one to be patient and pose for a close-up. I've seen four snakes... two garter snakes, one gopher snake, and ... my first diamondback rattler in the wild. It was coiled up under a ledge a few feet off the trail, and let off a LOUD rattle when I walked past. Not too many mammals yet, just a few squirrels and a lone coyote, which was crossing a meadow this evening.

Tomorrow will be a short hiking day - 5 miles into Warner Springs. Hot showers. Restaurant food.

Still hiking,

Martin

Entry 9 of 134
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