May 17, 2025
‘Red line’ mile marker 104.7 to 125.6
Hiked today: 20.9 miles / 33.6 km
Hiked so far: 126.6 miles / 203.7 km (approx: 4.1%)

We were woken this morning with the pattering of raindrops on the tent before the alarm went off. That sprinkle was all we received, but, as it was nearly 5 am, we decided to make an early start.

Now that we are at a higher altitude, the vegetation is vastly different,  with more trees, more foliage on the trees and undergrowth in between. Overall the air is cooler, at least in the mornings and we started off making good time along a pleasant path. We met an elderly couple who were day hiking and they gave us a few tips on the track ahead.

A little further on we came across our first experience of ‘trail magic’ on this trail. A kind person had left a pile of cans of coke as well as an esky with first aid kit and snacks in it. More importantly there were gallon containers of water which we needed for the day’s hike. Earlier on we had looked for water at a well, but found it to be very murky, so we were glad to find that the cache was well stocked.

Following that morning break, we found the trail winding up for a long 4 miles, bringing us eventually to Jack’s Peak and then Burro Peak, a climb of about 1700′. We had splendid views over the desert floor and across to distant mountains. At a couple of turns of the trail, we have startled some antelopes as well as rabbits and a couple of grey squirrels.

After reaching the top,  we had a welcome siesta and munched on some crackers and roasted peanuts for lunch. Our next problem was a shortage of water. Because it has been a dry year, the springs are dry, and we are relying on the generosity of volunteers who have maintained the water caches. So far, we haven’t been disappointed, but it is worrying as now we are almost out of water, and tomorrow morning, we still have 2.5 miles to reach a possible cache supply. We have a litre of water kept aside for that. If the cache is empty, we may need to walk another couple of miles off trail to a private homestead that may be able to give us water.