I made it to Hiker Heaven, in Agua Dulce, just a hop away from Santa Clarita, where I went to college. Its truly wonderful to be back on the trail. It took me a little over 3 days to get here from Wrightwood. I put in two 28-mile days and wandered in here yesterday morning after a quick 15 miles. I get up at 4.30 every morning and finish usually by 7.30 pm with breaks in between. Reaching Hiker Heaven is monumental in the thru-hiker's life. We hear about it while planning and when it becomes a reality, it seems a little unreal. Hiker Heaven is an oasis in the desert in the backyard of the Saufley couple. We have showers, laundry (done for us), tent cabins with huts, internet, phone, access to REI. There are dozens of hikers here. I only know a few of them since I've been passing all the new people I meet and have quite a while before I catch the people I began hiking with.
Yesterday morning I walked through Vasquez Rocks, the only place on the PCT I had been before I began my thru-hike. About 5 years ago I went there with some friends from college and remember getting excited when I saw the PCT sign and had my picture taken by it. I spend time thinking about that time as I walked alone through the oddly shaped red rocks yesterday morning. It can be overwhelming to remember a time when this was but a distant dream, and now to be living it!
I plan to skip the next resupply town (tehachapi) and walk straight through to Kennedy Meadows, the gateway to the sierra.
