Day 4: Wednesday, May 8

Cowboy camping at super-secret aerie (73.7?), a 17.8 mile day

Woke up to the threat of sun on our campsite. Threat quickly subsided and I had to put my windbreaker on after a mile. Temps still in upper 40s with thick fog after 3 miles, which was a gross horse trough water source. Passed on that, even though I could've used the water. Ended up stretching my last half-liter over the next 9 miles, during which it got sunny, to the next real water source, a fire tank at Rodriguez Spur. Luckily it never got especially warm (maybe 65 degrees) and the trail, despite traversing big mountains, was gentle as a newborn bunny. If only all long-distance trails in this country were so well-built ...

Two-hour break at that fire tank, in the shade of the tank itself, after which I was much improved. Walked last 5ish miles with Alex, who pushed on to get to the road, Scissors Crossing in 3 miles, where he's meeting some friends tonight. I'ma go there in the morning and hitch into Julian for some sort of enormous breakfast, as well as grocery shopping. Climb up from the Scissors into the San Felipe hills is legendarily hot and dry, so I might spend the better part of the day in town before heading back out in the evening to do it. My body could use the rest ... still feeling that second day in my legs.