May 19: Agua Dulce

Today was by far the hottest day yet on the trail. We passed through Soledad Canyon at around 9am and, after a unsuccessful side-trip into an RV park to get a cup of coffee, ascended up the boulder-strewn, baking hills which stand just West of the San Gabriel Mountains. A huge composite rock formation loomed orange and brown over our heads as we switched back and forth up the exposed hillsides. Coming up over the crest, we spotted Agua Dulce and the busy Antelope Valley Highway, whcih we would cross underneath via a deep, long culvert tunnel. The rest of the morning was spent passing through the Vasquez Rocks county park, a beautiful, if buggy and poison-ivy-choked, outcropping of metamorphic rock globs, chock full of caves with squawking ravens and speedy, slithery lizards. We weren't in much of a mood to linger and appreciate, however. We had a goal to get to.

We rolled into town and into the Sweetwater Market for juice at 1:00 pm. We immediately spotted a bi sign reading, "Welcome to Agua Dulce, PCT Hikers!" and a crew of scraggly, bearded guys in matching royal blue Saufley's Electric tees. There were about seven of them, all shoveling down pints of Ben & Jerry's (Eliza may insist that I am exagerating here, but mark my words . . . ) These were Thru-hikers, no doubt about it. We knew we had come to the right place.

An hour later we were kicking back in the Saufley's back yard, sipping Red Nectar Ales, catching up with some other hikers, making plans to get showered and head out ASAP to see the newest Star Wars film.

So here we are, taking a load off for a bit, happy to have made it this far, excited about the next stage, feeling like we're really out here, in the middle of something really big, a challenge -- on our way somewhere, each of us for ourselves, both of us in it together. It sounds cheesy or contrived, I suppose, too compact, too tidy. We certainly have our share of worries, all of the details and headaches, our own interpersonal issues -- arguments, communication problems, short-sightedness, selfishness.