Destination: Pines to Palms Highway
Starting Location: Sandy Jeep Road
Today’s Miles: 8.60
Trip Miles: 151.30
Sandy Jeep Road (4075) to Pines to Palms 74 (4919)
Assent (1483) Decent (719)
We woke up to a thick fog and heavy dew dripping from the trees. This is May in Southern California, right? We hiked fast to the highway, met Tom, and headed to the Paradise Café for a Jose Burger. Well the burger is no longer a reputation; it is now the confirmed best burger that all other trail burgers will be measured against. Don and Nick, who were hauling water up to Fobes Ranch, stopped by the café and joined us. Earlier in the week we realized that if we made it to Highway 74 and if we could get a ride, we could go to a family BBQ at Doug and Gerard’s. It all worked out (thanks Mary) and we had a wonderful family visit with an outpouring of support. One particularly neat moment was when my brother-in-law Bob showed up after hearing we were coming. He was down in Blythe boating at the river and drove all day to make the BBQ. He is also going to give us a ride back up the hill in the a.m. Bob is a great guy.
Gottago and Ray miraculously found us at Paradise Café even after checking the register that I had mistakenly signed the wrong date (yesterday) to. I am not sure how things work out on the trail but they sure seem to. I am loving this trip and, I am doing well physically except for this lingering knee pain. I am taking 1200 mg of vitamin I to keep the inflammation down and that keeps me walking. I am hopeful that it may still calm down. Either way, I plan to push on. Our next challenge is snow on Fuller Ridge. Yeaha
Destination: Pines to Palms Highway
Starting Location: Sandy Jeep Road
Today’s Miles: 8.60
Trip Miles: 151.30
Sandy Jeep Road (4075) to Pines to Palms 74 (4919)
Assent (1483) Decent (719)
We woke up to a thick fog and heavy dew dripping from the trees. This is May in Southern California, right? We hiked fast to the highway, met Tom, and headed to the Paradise Café for a Jose Burger. Well the burger is no longer a reputation; it is now the confirmed best burger that all other trail burgers will be measured against. Don and Nick, who were hauling water up to Fobes Ranch, stopped by the café and joined us. Earlier in the week we realized that if we made it to Highway 74 and if we could get a ride, we could go to a family BBQ at Doug and Gerard’s. It all worked out (thanks Mary) and we had a wonderful family visit with an outpouring of support. One particularly neat moment was when my brother-in-law Bob showed up after hearing we were coming. He was down in Blythe boating at the river and drove all day to make the BBQ. He is also going to give us a ride back up the hill in the a.m. Bob is a great guy.
Gottago and Ray miraculously found us at Paradise Café even after checking the register that I had mistakenly signed the wrong date (yesterday) to. I am not sure how things work out on the trail but they sure seem to. I am loving this trip and, I am doing well physically except for this lingering knee pain. I am taking 1200 mg of vitamin I to keep the inflammation down and that keeps me walking. I am hopeful that it may still calm down. Either way, I plan to push on. Our next challenge is snow on Fuller Ridge. Yeaha
Robert Francisco 
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