Day 25: Casa de Luna

Day 24: Agua Dulce mile 454.5 to Casa De Luna mile 478.2 (23.7 mile, 38 km)

A rough nights sleep with so many people around; talkers, drinkers, snorers. The aim was to get my normal early start, wake by 4:30-4:45 and hit the trail by 5:30 but it just didn’t happen. I needed the extra sleep, rolled over and snoozed, resolving to have a later start and get the first shuttle back to the trail at 7am.

Given all the hikers camped together in such a small space I had my tarp fully closed which doesn’t leave a lot of air movement and I woke to a lot of condensation and a wet quilt on the outside. It didn’t take long to dry in a little bit of morning sun.

I grabbed a shuttle to the trail head and was on the move by quarter past 7. Not too bad.

It was a fairly low key day through similar terrain and vegetation we’ve been moving through to close to a month now. Rolling hills and contoured trail through desert chapperal. Early on the cloud cover kept things pretty cool.

There was one climb for the day and it came around 11am when the cloud cover dispersed and the sun kicked in.

I took lunch mid way up and was past by a few hikers but soon caught them again as they took a break further along.

The afternoon breezed by as I made my way to Casa De Luna, the well known trail angels Terri and Joe Anderson. It’s also known as Hippy Daycare. Every night they open their yard to hikers who camp in the grove of tangled trees and a maze of tracks. It’s like an enchanted forest out there, decorated with colourful rocks painted by previous hikers with a myriad of designs.

Now there are a couple of rules at the Andersons. First is that you have to wear an Hawaiian shirt. Second, is dinner is taco salad, every night. Third, don’t put your plate over the pots as you get food or you will be spanked with a wooden yard stick. This is also the place you get your official Class of 2018 PCT bandana but there is a catch – if you want it, you have to earn it by dancing for Terri. I hate dancing but I got mine! Lastly, have fun.

Casa De Luna also has a bit of a reputation for being a party place. I wasn’t into that at all and looking for an early night but I did split of box of Budweiser’s with 2 others. You simply can’t pass up an offer of 12 beers for $12 from the local store.