Interface 2 - Sunday, April 27

Trail towns should be called trail traps. Especially when swimming pools, margaritas and clean sheets are involved. Our old friend Coyote stopped in Mt. Laguna and it took her three days to break free. Danger Zone was in Warmer Springs for 3 days before he escaped. And we were at Sally's sister's house in Palm Springs for four days before we made it out late this afternoon.

Of course we would like to think we had some extenuating circumstances. Sally's sore left foot needed rest. I had to hike the 32 mile Idyllwild to Interstate 10 section. Saturday was Sally's birthday which she wanted to share with her sister. And Sunday we needed to run to REI an hour and a half west of Palm Springs to buy me a new pack and some other assorted gear. All legitimate reasons to delay our departure, but also long enough to create an interface with high impedance. So when it came time to actually leave . . . We were battling the barrier.
Somehow, despite our best efforts, we managed to spread gear, clothes and food throughout Sue's house and patio. As we began packing up the double checking became ridiculous. Where did I leave the tent bag? Are my poles on the deck? Did we wash my red shirt and where is it?
It goes beyond the physical packing. Mentally there is a barrier to cross. A hiking frame of mind must be attained. We must be self contained and self sufficient rather than sprawl contained and cupboard/store sufficient. Also, we had not thought about route, water nor camp sites for four days other than to ask Siri for driving directions and to learn how to use Sue's kitchen faucet water filter.

We were up at 7 and on the road in Sue's Toyota by 8, headed for the REI in Rancho Cucamonga. My REI Flash 62 pack of 5 years was not up to the task and needed to be replaced. The waist belt seams were rapidly separating. I had already reinforced the stitching on one of the shoulder straps with needle and thread where it had been beginning to tear, and it had held well since, but the strain on the waist strap looked ominous.
So, we visited REI and walked out with a new Flash 62, three new Platypus bottles, some toe socks, a compression stuff sack for our down quilt and some 1st aid supplies. We were back at Sue's by 1:30 after burgers and fries at In and Out.
Food organization and packing were completed by 4:30, so we loaded into Sue's Toyota and 35 minutes later she deposited us at Whitewater Preserve, a nifty campsite just 1/2 mile off the PCT.
As we set up camp Roy and Sarah, the couple from Israel came to visit. This was a surprise as we had not seen them since just after Mt. Laguna on about day 7. Turns out Roy plays the ukulele so we visited their camp at the other end of the campground after dinner for some songs. There we also found Sunbeam and Tent Stake who we had last seen at Warner Springs and met Guzzler, Levity and Arctic for the first time. Roy played a few songs on the uke-he is very good-interspersed with lively discussion. We headed for our tent about 8 with warnings from the group about raccoons. Sure enough, at 1 in the morning I heard my pack being drug away from our tent. I scared away the raccoon and found he had been trying to pull my nylon stuff sack full of energy and candy bars out of my pack. Luckily I caught him before he succeeded.
Sleeping in the tent, cooking dinner on our stove, visiting with old friends and making new friends securely anchored us on the other side of the interface.