Day 4, Another Zero Day at Lake Morena

April 28, 2013 (Sunday)

Post From Melissa:
Zero Day = No PCT Miles Walked (Day Off)
Trail Angels: Volunteers who do nice things for hikers on the trail (feed them, give them rides, provide lodging, etc)

On day 4 we wake up early and we begin packing up to resume our hike. The formal kick off festivities are over and the majority of the through-hikers are gearing up to step foot on the trail.

I run over to Dr. Sole one last time so he can bandage up my feet so Nick and I can hike. I've been wearing Crocs since we arrived late Thursday night at Lake Morena and have been letting my feet recover. I had thought my feet were healed up enough to hike so Dr Sole covered my feet in little cushions and a few band-aids to protect my hot spots that were still sore.

I went back to camp excited to get on with our hike and went to put on my Salomon trail runners and was horrified to find that they no longer fit me. How could this be? It hurt so bad to cram my feet in the shoes...my feet throbbed like a hundred bee stings. I was very uncomfortable and in pain, but continued getting geared up to leave camp.

While hobbling over to the water spigot to fill my platypus bags, a lovely hiker named Cheetah came into our camp and was gathering any unused & unwanted firewood. She chatted with Nick a bit and he explained my foot issues to her. When I came back over to them, Cheetah (a PCT Alumni) strongly suggested that I stay one more night and let the swelling in my feet reside. She also offered to find me a ride to San Diego to buy new shoes, however Nick and I didn't want to put anyone out (San Diego was nearly an hour away). Cheetah invited us to come over to campsite #32 and join her and the Anderson group who were staying one more night to party and socialize. The Anderson's are Trail Angels who take PCT hikers into their homes and feed then and give them lodging (amazing people). Their home is called Casa de Luna. I think we will be at their home in a month or so.

It doesn't take too much more convincing from Cheetah...we agree to join in the fun and stay one more night. We finish packing up and move over to the Anderson's. We scout out an area to put up our tent beneath a canopy of oak tree branches (nice and shady). It seemed like a great place to set up camp.

I gladly put my Crocs back on and accidently take too much ibuprofen. I took 7 pills thinking they were 100mg each but they were 200mg each. Oops, that's 1,400mg! But you know what? My feet felt great....ahhh yeah.

Verizon doesn't have coverage so I borrow a phone from an AT&T iPhoner (Thanks Eggman!). I call my sister and have her help me place a rush order with Zappos for a larger pair of shoes for me to be sent to Warner Springs which is 80+ miles north (that was our only option). In the meantime Nick took his pocket knife to my trail runner shoes and cut some slits in them so my feet can expand and I can walk the 80 miles to my new shoes. Many thanks Nick and Miranda!

While at the Anderson camp we meet some awesome people (Fox Feathers, Honey Bee, Stumbling Norwegian, Cheetah, Niko, Royce, LOL, and the Andersons to name a few) and spent the day relaxing and socializing. There were many people at this party and most were former alumni of the PCT. Everyone was having a great time.

In the early evening we were fed an amazing home made chili dinner with meat, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, and corn chips. It was so good...Mrs Anderson really took great care of us and gave us lots of hugs <3. She even welcomed new hikers coming into the campgrounds (after hiking all day from the border) to join us.

The whole kick off weekend was a real treat and Nick and I were blown away by the hospitality shown to us. Through-hikers don't have to pay for anything...we are considered guests of honor (2013 Through-Hikers). We were trying to leave donations when opportunities presented themselves.

It started to get late an Nick and I wanted an early start so we went to bed right when the Edward Forty-Hands game was starting. I'd never heard of this drinking game but learned you get 2 forty ounce bottles of beer duct taped to your hands and you have to drink them both before peeing your pants and you can't throw up for at least 5 minutes after finishing. We didn't stay up to see who won but learned later LOL took the title.

We quickly feel asleep despite the loud partying....zzzzzz