The Cinco de Mayo Party delivered! But for some reason, we decided to get an early start and walk there even though it was about 18 miles away. Fortunately, the walking today felt good. It's amazing what a single rest day can do. I wound up hiking most of the day with Sniper, Bladder Pillow, and Ladelle. I usually tend to walk alone (and rest with others) but we were all moving at about the same speed and it was nice to have the company. Mellow Yellow also joined us for the last stretch before the party.
The terrain today was varied. We started out crossing more pasture land. It was beautiful with the morning light and a little fog. After leaving the pastures, we walked through lovely forest with huge oak trees. We passed by a ropes course and even a tire swing and then made our way over to a stream which we crossed several times. Eventually, we started gaining elevation and climbed back into the dry desert environment we've grown accustomed to. It definitely felt like home, with the exception of one stretch which totally looked like the moon.
The Cinco de Mayo Party was great. It was hosted by Mike Herrera at an off the grid house on Chihuahua Valley Road which the PCT crosses. I seriously considered spending the night there but wound up hiking a couple miles farther mostly by moonlight. I'm currently camped at a saddle with Karl and Bryce (actually, Nugget now). It is gorgeous up here on the ridge in the moonlight. We can also see some city lights off in the distance. I'll try to figure out which city we're looking at in the morning.
There is a highly recommended restaurant called the Paradise Valley Cafe located about 23 miles away. It is a classic PCT stop. I think the plan for tomorrow is to get ourselves in position to hit it for breakfast on Monday.
Have a great night!
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