Day 4 - 26miles
My alarm wakes me today and I'm walking by 6 am. I hear shuffling from the others inside their tents but see no one for the first few miles. It's a dull morning but then sun manages to burn through the layer of fog and the blue sky prevails. I can actually see the trail today. I maintain a decent pace and reach the water source (a water tank maintained by firemen) 14 miles away by 10:15. I down 2 litres of water and carry 2 more. Since I left swiftly this morning, I take a decent break doing my morning chores. These include brushing my hair and teeth, stretching, washing socks, eating breakfast.
It was 32 miles till the next water source and the heat was gaining strength. The others catch up just as I leave. The trail gently rising and falling as the sun relentlessly beats down. I seek shelter under a massive rock, it is huge and I should have taken a photo. If it had been raining you could have easily pitched your tent beneath it. I chill there for a bit managing to pee to which was a good sign in this 35 degrees something heat.
After an hour or so I hit the sandy, desert trail and meet a sign advertising a stagecoach Inn which did sound appealing - cold drinks, a swimming pool, WiFi, food, beds but I decide to keep going. I cross a road which seems so huge - having not seen one in a few days and in the UK our roads are smaller. Next the trail leads me under a bridge where I'm delighted to find my first trail magic!! 2 Trail Angels were keeping this cache going. It was full of random foods such as popcorn, bananas, cheesy biscuits, chocolate biscuits.
I drink and eat well replenish my water, eat a banana and pack out some biscuits. I chill there for a bit and leave a thank you beside the other stuffed under the trail angels contact details.
Walking on I ascend a gradual hill which zigzags in and out. I'm able to survey the valley below me, the large lorries seeming rather small now as they speed along the road. Even smaller cars over take. The opposite hills showing the path I'd taken a few hours before. Then my phone beeped and I had signal, only 2G but better than nothing. I hike on a bit more and find a spot to camp. I'd covered 83 miles in 4 days, averaging a little over 20 miles a day, not bad I guess.
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