Grad School Groans: ADZPCTKO

I spent the past weekend at Lake Morena, CA giving the current year's PCT thru-hikers an F-Troop sendoff. (I'm actually F-Troop-in-law, but they love me like family).

We spent nearly $800 on food for hikers. We cooked veggie burritos for dinner Friday night and French Toast for breakfast Saturday morning.

It was hot, and not just typical California Desert in late April hot. It was miserable. My lips were chapped and cracked by 8am Friday morning, and we rolled into the campground at midnight. Add standing in front of a hot propane stove, stirring beans or flipping toast AND drinking alcohol, and you have a recipe for disaster. Needless to say, I was feeling downright shitty Saturday afternoon. I couldn't drink water fast enough. It didn't help that the campground water tasted like rusty pipes, either.

I took a cold shower (because that's all they had to offer there) and a long nap, and felt a little bit better by the time the sun started to sink behind the horizon. I didn't drink Saturday night, and was called "mom" by some total drunks when I yelled at them for setting off Roman candles in the middle of the cabin parking lot in the dryest year yet.

Fuckers.

The good times outweighed the idiots, and I'm glad it was a success. It was great to see old friends and make new ones. I was amazed at how many '03ers are hiking again this year, and I'm glad I was there to wish Sharon (Double I, who is now being called "Cloudspotter," but I think that's a stupid name and am lobbying for "Nimbuskull") a good hike.

I get to mail her some of her resupply boxes. That's a BIG responsibility for me. I'm really bad at getting anything into the mail on time.

Here are some pictures from the KO.