Anza-Borrego Desert...hotta hotta

Wrote this over a couple of Days: Just healing up at Warner Springs Ranch--wow, what a treasure/paradise in the desert! Spending time getting hydrated and fed (finally got my appetite back this morning at 2:47 am--woke up ravenous! So, knowing that would happen, I pulled out the burger and fries I had ordered last night as extra and wolfed it down. Had a spinach salad last night for dinner even though I wasn't feeling very hungry (still slightly nauseated from the exposure/sun). Food is an ever present thought.
This morning I had a couple of eggs, water, a cup of coffee, and a big bowl of various fresh fruit.....mmmmm. I'm taking two full days off the trail here in the hope to not be limping along wearing out accessory muscles that weren't designed to be the primary! Can you say Sore/cramps? :-) I feel so blessed to have met so many super cool people doing the trail along with me....each one/couple doing their own hike, yet experiencing so much of the same stuff, and struggling with similiar issues on the trail. Folks ranging from retired medical professionals, adventure racers, hard core mountaineers, other professionals, to college kids, and people carrying guitars and banjoes. Couples and solo hikers alike. The word comaraderie applies when "in town." Being alone for so much time at a stretch really makes you value and appreciate the company of people soooo much more when you do have it-that common bond of shared activity certainly helps--like anything.
It was a shock to hear the tv in the restaurant and see a newspaper...we get so attuned to having all of that around us. I've always enjoyed that feeling of being out of touch during the summer--especially being something of a news hound.
It's great being around a group of primarily positive, genuinely happy people after such a dearth of it the past few months and years. Laughter and whimsy is good for the soul. I wish I could just strap a video camera to my head and film the whole thing so folks could experience it with me--it's not an easy undertaking.
The Anza-Borrego Desert the past few days was hellacious--locals said it was record heat and up to 118 degrees on the desert floor. Did 57 miles in two and a half days. Paying for it with dehydration, exposure--nauseated, loss of appetite(which I got back this morning), and BLISTERS---doubled my daily mileage to 25 miles two days ago to see if I could catch up to this one dude who I knew was ahead of me...I did, and am paying for it now, but at the same time, I'm glad I'm done with that stretch...gorgeous country if I wasn't so pre-occupied with surviving it at the time. About 15 of us (all at different spots) met up at a "zero day" spot in Warner Springs, which is a little oasis---real bed, food, shower, laundry, small store to top off supplies...get off of the feet. My blisters have blisters...and they have small grandchildren (living just above a nice hematoma). One is beginning to get infected, so I'm cleaning and soaking it and airing it out a lot while I'm here. Seen a lot of lizards (wondered how they'd taste---soooo fast, have to snare one to get it-no energy or inclination to try). Saw and heard a few rattlers at night after getting smart and hiking when it's cool. Other than that just lots of wildflowers and wonderfully fragrant plants (to off set my stench). Next stretch is higher up, and should have cooler weather---though going into a spot where fire just went through (idiot with a cigarette), so don't know about water availability---still have to pack the extra volume just to be sure. Electrolytes!! These citrus electr. tablets have saved my bacon. Seems like almost everyone was tapped out that came in here Sun/Mon from the Anza---couldn't keep up with the hydration or the electrolytes.
It's amazing not more people get into serious trouble out there with the exposure(PCT hikers that is), and I totally see why so many illegals/smugglers do....I holed up under a juniper one day for about 6 hours just to conserve resources until it got cooler which was the right idea. I think if I were to even sniff a beer right now, I'd pass out...hmm maybe not a bad idea.
Jettisoned more gear into the foward mail route---ditched probably another 4 pounds of stuff, plus cut off excess straps and other unecessary accoutrements off of the pack.

Heading out this afternoon, hopefully blisters are healed enough to hold up, can't spend anymore time here though..getting behind schedule even though I don't have one...NoBO (North Bound).
Interesting article in the San Diego Union-Tribune on a ranger that flies the Anza-Borrego...I posted the link for the video article.
-Dave