PCT Day 36 - Hiker Heaven

Last night we camped with about 20 other hikers in a horse corral at the north fork ranger station. We walked/limped into camp around 7:30 PM and we were immediately informed of the Ranger giving out hotdogs if we left a two dollar donation. Sweet! We quickly set up our tent and then ran up to the station. Todd Dura is a volunteer who does this every year. He had a bunch of chips, soda, and carrots available for a donation, along with the hot dog. We sat in that ranger station for nearly an hour chatting and devouring our snacks. I was exhausted from the long day, and it was late like 8:30 PM. I think he got the impression that I was only doing the PCT because Joe asked me. Boy is he wrong, I did so much of the prepping and planning, and I am in in love with the PCT. 

We woke up sore but ready to go today, we had 20 miles left to get to hiker heaven. Hiker heaven is a family residence that hosts and welcomes PCT hikers. The stop at Hiker heaven is something most hikers do and gives people a chance to catch up and take a break from the trail with other hikers. The breaks from the hard days are always welcomed- the opportunity to drop your pack, buy a 6 pack, and sit around with friendly faces is a rare opportunity. At Hiker Heaven you’re allowed to camp for as long as necessary- for a donation of course. They offer showers, laundry and place to pitch your tent. The beautiful compound is located about a mile outside the small horse town of Agua Dulce. 

Today was pretty mild, we both got pretty hot actually during our mildly up and down hike. All ridge walking for the most part. Joe and I agreed to hike into the KOA for lunch, about 10 miles in. We read they have a small convenience store and hot coffee for hikers! It was only about 10:30 AM. We hit the trail again about noon, we still had 10 miles left in our day. The rest of the 10, I don’t think we saw another soul! We hiked through Vazquez rocks (where many movies have been shot- Blazing Saddles, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes) which was really neat, and saw a photo shoot with security monitoring. We walked into Agua Dulce and Hiker Heaven at about 6 PM. There were 72 hikers there- a record we were told!