Day 26 & 27: Birthday, PCT-Style

(Mile 354 to 369.5 at Highway 2 to Wrightwood = 15.5)

An icy Ruby.

Yesterday was my birthday, and I spent it in the clouds.  Literally.  We woke up to a blanket of clouds surrounding us.  Which was beautiful.  And chilly.  It turns out that clouds are cold and damp.  Of course.  Ruby, my sleeping bag, had a thin layer of ice on her when I sat up to rub my feet awake.  Everything was icy and soaked.  But, it was my birthday, and I was hiking the PCT, so I was happy anyway and celebrated with a Snickers for breakfast. 

Clouds surrounded our site.

By second breakfast (birthday cookies from my mom that tasted like muffins --yum), things had warmed up.  And then I met June and two others slack-packing the other direction (you have someone shuttle your pack and hike a section nearly pack-free -- a luxury, but it can be hard to put that pack back on), and she fed me birthday Oreos.  Third breakfast on a saddle overlooking the valley (real food this time), and all was wonderful.  I was happy as a clam listening to the wind in the pines, watching the clouds, and running ridges.

Morning views.

After another corner or two, it got a little chilly, and I added my jacket.  It was getting colder and windier.  In another couple of miles, I found Maverick huddled behind some sheet metal structure, adding layers.  I believe we were at Guffy Campground,  but honestly, the wind was blowing so hard and the clouds so thick, that I couldn't see a thing.  I donned my warm hat, my rain jacket, and my gloves.  Gumby strode in like a popsicle, and I dug out a few layers of hers.  The wind was picking up and little cloud icy balls were pelting us in the face.  

Birthday cookies!

We left our sheltered haven and headed out.  Gumby was blown 8 feet off the trail by a gust.  I was walking at an angle.  It was a little ridiculous.  We spent the next couple of hours like this.  I eventually added my rain pants.  We stumbled onto Highway 2 by 2 pm, having completed 15.5 miles.  We caught Maverick, and we quickly picked up by a local woman out driving in the rain to clean her car.

If I didn't know better, I would have thought Scout had been through.
He ate the heads first. Sorry, Marlene!

The thing was, though, as foul as the weather was, it was perfect.  As we were putting on our layers, I had a huge grin on my face.  I was thrilled with the way my birthday was going.  I love wind.  And, being a Midwesterner, I kind if like the cold.  Leaning into the wind only reminded me of how, when I was a kid, on the windiest winter days, I would put on my snowsuit and a garbage bag and go down to the shoreline and, face into the howling wind, I would lean in and howl, too.  I don't know why.  But I can remember how excited I was to get out there to the beach and how happy I was hollering into the wind.  Yes, I was a weird kid.  Just ask my mom. 

Holy smokels! It's cold!

So, between the great weather, a quick hitch, and a fantastic chicken sandwich at the Wrightwood Yodeler, I had a pretty wonderful birthday.  Made better by a visit from Kindergarten Cop and Viper, a party-in-a-box in my resupply package (along with socks, chocolate, cards, and candy!  Thanks, Beth and Guy and whoever else sent treats!), tons of electronic birthday wishes, and a NeoAir that will be on its way soon.  I could not have asked for a better day.
 

Still bundled with Maverick and Gumby.

And now we're tucked in bunk beds at the Methodist Camp who has opened their doors (beds, flushing toilets, and showers) to thru-hikers.  We'll head out early tomorrow.  Baden-Powell, a climb and a peak, awaits us.  We'll see, it might just be another day in the clouds.

Lodging thanks to the Wrightwood Methodist Church Camp!