After a night of intermittent rain – the first time I have pitched my tarp – I ate my leftover pizza for breakfast and headed for the Saufley’s, aka Hiker Heaven, some 10 miles away in the village of Agua Dulce.
The night’s rains left the air cool and crisp, and the hike was (mostly) delightful: over round grassy ridges sporting a display of gentians and poppies. There was a chorus of coyotes greeting the morning, and a group of 4 crows that kept flying back and forth in front of me, occasionally landing in the trail and clacking their beaks.
After traversing a very long culvert under Highway 14 I was in Vasquez Rocks County Park,’where I recall camping once as a Boy Scout. I met a group of Korean tourists, and got to chat with one elderly gentleman (who graciously ignored my assumption that he was Japanese). He offered me Korean pickled cucumbers and orange slices, which I gratefully accepted.
Korean pickles and oranges at Vasquez Rocks, mi 452
The Saufley’s is an industrial-strength trail angel operation. Showers, laundry, Internet cafe, loaner bikes, rides to REI, RV bunkhouses – all thoroughly and cheerfully organized. For the first time in my adult life, a woman did my laundry and brought me a basket of clean clothes. I will not likely ever have this experience again.
Went out to dinner at the local Mexican restaurant with a group of hikers, where we decided that Jamie the Scotsmans trail name should be Off Kilter, after he enjoyed Margaritas for the first time.