(Rob)

We started again in the burn area with more of Lacy’s variegated Lily flowers everywhere and climbed up to the rim of Silverlake Reservoir. What a different perspective that topping a crest makes. We had about 4-5 miles of a beautiful lake by our side for the day. After lunch we climbed more up for 3 miles and found the cutest, smallest, tightest, tiniest flat spot for the tent 1 inch off the trail and on the side of the mountain. We fixed some hot apple cider, a terrible freeze dried dinner, read some and were out early. There are some big freight trains that cross through the valley below and beyond us that let us listen to the distant horns every few minutes through the night. Maybe I missed some of the white noise of the city because it was great to hear as I woke up a time or two in the night because it put me right back to sleep.

Rob
19.5 for the day (3rd time but still haven’t done 20 yet)
Followed the Mojave River all day from 200 ft above all through the canyon it created a long time ago. We had a very cold river crossing up over Lacy’s knees and hiking skirt as we crossed the river for the last time of the day. We also passed by our first Naturalist (naked) hiker and met Coppertone who was working hard in the sun on trail maintenance with nothing but a flat shovel and hedge trimmers. True PCT’er from 06 who personally had adopted a few miles of trail as his to keep safe for the rest of us. Ended a long day in Grassy Canyon near a stream but it was in a burn area and nothing like we hiked in all day. Lacy nick named these flowers that come up in previous burn areas Lily Flowers. They are variegated from green to yellow, red, pink and orange leaves with tiny white flowers in the middle of their little Lilly Pad leaf. So odd that they are the first flowers to spread into such a desolate area of burned trees and they look like they should be in a Monet painting vs the desert.

Another GORGEOUS day of hiking. Not too hot and  bit of cloud cover. We seem to be in a logging area which is creating an obstacle course over the trail – climbing over fallen trees and getting a few scratches. We met a very long winded veteran of desert hiking who gave us more than 2 scoops of advice.  Nice hike and we ended up camping on some flat sand under the bridge over the river.  The sound of the water was nice for the second evening in a row.